Addressing the social needs of Spanish- and English-speaking families in pediatric primary care

Objectives: To describe the social needs of families working with Health Leads (HL) at 18 pediatric practices in 9 US cities and how reported social needs and success addressing them varied according to parents’ preferred healthcare language. Methods: We evaluated the social needs of English and Spanish-speakers that received assistance from HL from September 2013 to August 2015. The study sample included 11,661 households in the 4 regions where HL provided support within pediatric primary care practices. We used multivariable regression stratified by region to assess the association between language and successful resource connections. Results: Reported social needs differed by language. Spanish speakers most frequently reported needs related to food (e.g., food stamps, WIC and food pantries). English speakers most frequently reported child-related needs (e.g., childcare vouchers, Head Start and school enrollment). The association between household language and the odds of a successful resource connection varied by region. Conclusions: Our findings highlight the importance of considering language barriers and community context when addressing unmet social needs as part of primary care.