Examining Disparities in Pediatric Eosinophilic Esophagitis

Background: Little is known regarding the impact of race, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status on the health outcomes of children with eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE).

Objective: To (1) identify demographic characteristics of children diagnosed with EoE in a large tertiary care center, and (2) determine associations between a patient's demographics and depth of evaluation or treatment choices.

Methods: This retrospective cohort study included children 0 to 18 years old seen in Children's Hospital Colorado between January 1, 2009, and December 31, 2020. Demographics were extracted from the electronic medical record. Rural-Urban Commuting Area taxonomy codes were used to classify urbanization. Area Deprivation Index (ADI) scores were used to categorize neighborhood advantage/disadvantage. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and regression analysis.

Results: The study included 2,117 children with EoE. Children with higher state ADI scores (greater neighborhood disadvantage) had less radiographic evaluation of their disease (odds ratio [95% CI] per unit increase in state ADI = 0.93 [0.89-0.97]; P = .0002) and had esophageal dilations at younger ages (r = -0.24; P = .007). Black children compared with White children were younger at diagnosis (8.3 y vs 10.0 y; P = .002). Children from rural areas were seen less by feeding therapy (3.9% vs 9.9%; P = .02), but were younger at their visits (2.3 y vs 4.3 y; P < .001).

Conclusions: In this study of children with EoE cared for in a large tertiary care center, we found differences in presentation and care depending on race, urbanization, and socioeconomic status.