At the National Maternal and Child Health Data Resource Center for Child and Adolescent Health (DRC) every day is Child Health Day! The DRC connects families, policymakers, program leaders and researchers to national and state data on child health and health care from the two largest and most comprehensive surveys on child health. Start searching for data in your state now (click here).
Did you know...?
Physical Activity, Nutrition and Well-Being: Nearly 32% of children ages 10 to 17 years are overweight or obese nationally, ranging from 23% to 44% across states. Only about one-third of children ages 6 to 17 years get at least 20 minutes of physical activity 4 to 6 days per week. Over half of children ages 6 to 17 years have a TV in their bedroom.
Medical Home: Youth with special health care needs who receive care within a medical home are almost 2 times more likely to receive services to support their transition to adulthood. Fewer than half of children with special health care needs receive care within a medical home.
Insurance and Access to Health Care: Publicly insured children are more likely to have insurance coverage which adequately meets their health needs than privately insured children. While over 96% of children with special health care needs have health insurance, for over one-third of them this coverage is not adequate to meet their needs.
School Success: Among children ages 6 to 17 years, 60% are usually or always engaged in school, participate in extracurricular activities and usually or always feel safe at school. However, nearly 2 in 3 children with one or more emotional, behavioral or developmental issue do not meet these criteria promoting school success.
Children with Special Health Care Needs: Fewer than 1 in 5
children with special health care needs ages 12 to 17 meet all six system of care performance criteria. Receipt of family centered care among children with special health care needs ranges from 56% to 75% across states. Almost one quarter of all children with special health care needs have families who cut back or stopped working due to their child's health needs.
Programs and Resources
Data tells you what is happening and leads you to ask...what can be done about it?
- The Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB) has developed a Child Health Day website dedicated to connecting MCH leaders with programs and resources.
- The "Let's Move" campaign is committed to solving the problem of obesity and offers many tools and resources.
- Family Voices offers many resources and assistance for families of children with special health care needs.
- The Association of Maternal and Child Health Programs (AMCHP) is a resource for state public health leaders who are working to improve the health of women, children and families.
- The American Academy of Pediatrics has developed an online resource for health professionals and others to improve medical home, and they have also partnered with us, the Child and Adolescent Health Measurement Initiative, to create a medical home data portal on the DRC website.
What have you learned about child health today?
