Health‐Related Social Needs Facing Youth With Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease
Sarah Orkin, Toshifumi Yodoshi, Qin Sun, Lin Fei, Syeda Meryum, Sanita Ley, Ana Catalina Arce‐Clachar, Kristin Bramlage, Stavra A. Xanthakos, Robert S. Kahn, Andrew F. Beck, Marialena Mouzaki
Abstract
Background: The objective of this study was to identify the prevalence of health-related social needs among youth with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Methods: Retrospective review of prospectively administered health-related social needs questionnaires from Steatohepatitis Clinics. Results: Patients with NAFLD (n=271) were predominantly male (72%), and non-Hispanic (68%). The most common unmet need was food insecurity (13%, n=36). Families who endorsed food insecurity at the first visit were 27-fold more likely to have unmet health-related social needs persist at subsequent visits than those who were food-secure at their first visit (95% CI: 6.7-111). Conclusion: Screening for social, economic, and environmental needs may identify previously unrecognized family challenges and may enhance intervention delivery, inform resource allocation, and improve outcomes.