Mind the Gap: Gender Differences in Child Special Health Care Needs

The gendered nature of special health care needs in childhood is an important yet understudied area. Although gendered differences
in the prevalence of special health care needs have been documented, there is less knowledge about the factors which contribute
to those differences. Two research questions guide this inquiry. First, is the gender gap consistent across child special
health care need indicators? Second, to what extent is the gender gap in special health care needs driven by behavioral conditions?
We use multiple indicators from the U.S. National Survey of Children’s Health to expand our understanding about the dynamic
relationship between gender and childhood health. There are clear gender differences in the prevalence of special health care
needs. Boys are more likely than girls to have special health care needs overall and on the five separate components examined
(medication, more care than typical, limitations, special therapies, and educational or behavioral problem). This gender gap
is dynamic and varies by indicator; while behavioral conditions play a role, it remains even after controlling for behavioral
conditions. The reasons for the gender differences appear to be both biological and social but much remains unknown about
this pattern.