Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41899686›Full record

Observational studyInternational journal of environmental research and public health2026

Factors Associated with Healthcare Utilization in Children with Sickle Cell Disease in Saudi Arabia.

Daniya Sabrah, Seyed M Karimi, Bert Little, Demetra Antimisiaris, Danyah A Aldailami, Ahmed Alabdrabalnabi, Fatima Aldarweesh

Abstract readObservational Study
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Observational study in International journal of environmental research and public health, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors.

Daniya SabrahDepartment of Health Management and Systems Sciences, School of Public Health, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY 40202, USA.ORCID 0009-0003-4859-4952
Seyed M KarimiDepartment of Health Management and Systems Sciences, School of Public Health, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY 40202, USA.ORCID 0000-0002-3796-8141
Bert LittleDepartment of Health Management and Systems Sciences, School of Public Health, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY 40202, USA.ORCID 0000-0002-6485-4641
Demetra AntimisiarisDepartment of Health Management and Systems Sciences, School of Public Health, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY 40202, USA.ORCID 0000-0003-1810-1961
Danyah A AldailamiDepartment of Public Health, College of Health Sciences, Saudi Electronic University, Riyadh 93499, Saudi Arabia.ORCID 0000-0002-7571-8370
Ahmed AlabdrabalnabiDepartment of Public Health, College of Health Sciences, Saudi Electronic University, Riyadh 93499, Saudi Arabia.ORCID 0000-0001-7326-7847
Fatima AldarweeshDepartment of Health Management and Systems Sciences, School of Public Health, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY 40202, USA.ORCID 0009-0007-3577-7994

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

(1) Background: In Saudi Arabia, a high-income country with a publicly funded healthcare system, sickle cell disease (SCD) remains a major pediatric health challenge. This study aimed to identify factors associated with healthcare utilization, specifically inpatient (IP), outpatient (OP), and emergency department (ED) visits, among children with SCD in Saudi Arabia. (2) Methods: A retrospective observational study was conducted using data from the KAIMRC registry (2015-2023), including 450 children under 12 years old diagnosed with SCD. Negative binomial regression models were employed to analyze the annual average visits, accounting for clinical, demographic, and regional healthcare resource variables. (3) Results: Key predictors of IP visits included complication count, crisis episodes, and region (eastern, western, and southern regions had higher utilization than central). ED visits were positively associated with complications, crisis episodes, and hydroxyurea use, but negatively associated with bone marrow transplant receipt. OP visits increased with higher Charlson Comorbidity Index scores, age, and bone marrow transplant, but were lower in the eastern region. (4) Conclusions: These findings highlight the influence of clinical and regional factors even within an equitable, high-resource healthcare system.

Indexed as

Anemia, Sickle CellPatient Acceptance of Health CareChildChild, PreschoolEmergency Room VisitsEmergency Service, HospitalFemaleHospitalizationHumansInfantMaleRetrospective StudiesSaudi ArabiaAndersen modelcomorbidityhealthcare utilizationpediatricregional disparitiesretrospective studySaudi Arabiasickle cell disease

Identifiers

PMID41899686
PMCPMC13027078

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.