Caring for Children with Life-Threatening Illnesses: Impact on White, African American, and Latino Families

We describe the racial and ethnic variation in family impact resulting from caring for a child with a life-threatening illness. Parents of children aged 2–21 years diagnosed with a potentially life-threatening illness and enrolled in Florida's Medicaid and Children's Medical Services Network programs were surveyed. Two hundred sixty-six telephone surveys were conducted in English and Spanish between November 2007 and April 2008. In adjusted models, compared with Whites, Latinos reported that their child's illness resulted in a greater negative impact on the family. Continued study of this group of parents is critical to developing culturally appropriate interventions to reduce strain and burden and improve the quality of life for families.