Adverse Childhood Experiences and Body Mass Index Status among Children and Youth with Special Health Care Needs.

The present study examined the association between adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and body mass index (BMI) status among children and youth with special health care needs (CYSHCN), and the role of health characteristics and lifestyle factors in predicting BMI. Data from the 2016-2020 National Survey of Children's Health were utilized. Key variables included: ACEs, BMI status, level of functional impairment, depression, weekly level of physical activity, and daily screen time.

Working in the Margins: The Untapped Potential of Disability Inclusion.

People with disabilities are considered a historically marginalized population that experiences significant health disparities resulting from the unequal distribution of resources as evidenced in the social determinants of health. Health professions education presents an opportunity to explore the policy, systems, and environmental changes that are needed to improve social conditions and address known disparities for people with disabilities. Evidence suggests that inclusion of learners with diverse lived experiences, including students with disabilities, strengthens our understanding of the influence of social determinants on health and our ability to address known barriers.

Training an Anti-Ableist Physical Therapist Workforce: Critical Perspectives of Health Care Education That Contribute to Health Inequities for People With Disabilities.

Americans with disabilities represent the largest historically underserved and marginalized health disparity population in the United States. This perspective piece will raise the awareness of physical therapist faculty and clinicians on gaps in health care provider knowledge about disability and provide actionable strategies, frameworks, and resources available to improve disability competence to make changes in clinical education and practice. In this perspective piece, 3 contributions are made.

Instructing to Impact: Exploration of Doctor of Physical Therapy Education Instruction of Social Determinants of Health and Health Equity for People With Disabilities.

Objective: The aim of this study was to explore the instruction of social determinants of health (SDOH) for people with disabilities (PWD) in doctor of physical therapy (DPT) education programs.

Methods: A sequential mixed methods study informed by a five-member disability community advisory panel was conducted. Qualitative semi-structured interviews with educators (n = 10) across 4 DPT programs in the Midwest were conducted and analyzed thematically.

Relationships at Work: Integrating the Perspectives of Disability Partners to Enhance a Peer Navigation Intervention.

Objective: The Our Peers-Empowerment and Navigational Support (OP-ENS) community-based participatory research study developed, implemented, and evaluated a peer navigator intervention aimed at improving health and healthcare access among Medicaid beneficiaries with disabilities. Peer navigators are community partners with physical disabilities trained to deliver structured peer support interventions that can address barriers to care. The purpose of this paper is two-fold.