Patterns of ICD-9 diagnoses among adolescents using school-based clinics: Diagnostic categories by school level and gender

• Published in: Journal of adolescent health 1996-03, Vol.18 (3), p.203-210
• Main Authors: Borenstein, Penny E., Harvilchuck, Judith D., Rosenthal, Bernice H., Santelli, John S.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adolescent health care; Adolescent Health Services; Baltimore - epidemiology; Biological and medical sciences; Depression - epidemiology; Family Health; Family Planning Services; Female; Gender; Health Services Needs and Demand; Health Surveys; High school; Humans; Learning Disorders - epidemiology; Male; Medical sciences; Menstruation Disturbances - epidemiology; Middle school; Pregnancy; Pregnancy in Adolescence - statistics & numerical data; Prevention and actions; Public health. Hygiene; Public health. Hygiene-occupational medicine; School Health Services - utilization; School-based clinics; Sex Factors; Sexually Transmitted Diseases - epidemiology; Social Behavior Disorders - epidemiology; Specific populations (family, woman, child, elderly...)
• ISSN: 1054-139X; 1879-1972
• DOI: 10.1016/1054-139X(95)00013-I

Understanding utilization patterns in school clinics is important in discerning potential health outcomes among adolescents. This study reports on high-middle school and gender differences in ICD-9 diagnostic codes for students using Baltimore school clinics in the academic year 1989–90. 12,953 visits resulted in 17,241 individual diagnoses. Data were grouped into 17 major diagnostic categories, subcategories for reproductive health and mental health, and 20 sentinel diagnoses. Reproductive health diagnoses were most common for high school clinics (28% of all diagnoses). Mental health (psychosocial) diagnoses were most common for middle school clinics (30%). Adolescent women were much more likely to use clinics for reproductive health care needs than adolescent men. Adolescent men and women used the clinics with equal frequency for mental health, although specific diagnoses varied considerably by gender. This overview of diagnostic patterns among adolescents using Baltimore's school-based clinics provides a unique view of differences in health care needs between younger and older teens and between male and female teens. These data have meaningful implications for clinic staffing and enhanced outreach efforts.