Objective:

To assess the prevalence of medical and developmental risks and delays among children aged 0–5 years from low-income families across different racial groups in Kalamazoo County, Michigan.

Key Findings:

• 54.5% prevalence of medical risk and 7.0% prevalence of medical delay.
• 13.3% prevalence of developmental risk and 6.7% prevalence of developmental delay.
• Minority children were 1.3 times more likely (AOR = 1.3) to experience medical risks and 1.2 times more likely (AOR = 1.2) to experience developmental risks compared to majority children.
• Black children had 11 times higher odds (AOR = 11.1) of experiencing medical delays compared to White children.
• Children from the 'Other' racial group had 13 times higher odds (AOR = 13.0) of experiencing medical delays compared to White children.

Interpretation:

Disparities in medical and developmental challenges among racial groups indicate that race, socioeconomic status, and early childhood interventions significantly influence health outcomes, highlighting the need for targeted interventions.

Limitations:

• Study relies on retrospective data, which may limit the accuracy of findings and introduce potential biases.
• Focus on low-income families may not represent the broader population, potentially skewing results.
• Potential biases in data collection from healthcare and community service providers may affect the reliability of the findings.

Conclusion:

Targeted policies such as early screenings, expanded healthcare access, and culturally competent care are essential to address health inequities and improve outcomes for minority children in underserved communities.