America's Children in Brief: Key National Indicators of Well-Being, 2008
Health
Children's health is influenced by their biology, social and physical environment, and behaviors, as well as the availability of services. This section presents information about indicators of key health conditions, including low birthweight, emotional and behavioral difficulties, asthma, and overweight, that may result from a combination of these influences.
Low birthweight40 (LBW) is an important risk factor for future health conditions, disability, and death. The percentage of infants born LBW has increased for more than two decades. In 2006, 8.3 percent of infants were born LBW, up from 8.2 in 2005, 8.1 in 2004, and 7.0 in 1990 (Figure 14). A number of factors may have contributed to this increase: the increases in multiple births, which are more likely to result in LBW infants than singleton births (though singleton LBW has also increased); obstetric interventions such as induction of labor and cesarean delivery; infertility therapies; and delayed childbearing. In 2006, the percentage of Black, non-Hispanic infants born LBW (14.0 percent) continued to be higher than that of any other reported racial or ethnic group, even when maternal age is taken into account.41
Figure 14 Percentage of infants born with low birthweight by mother's race and Hispanic origin, 1980–2006
NOTE: Data for 2006 are preliminary. Race refers to mother's race. Although state reporting of birth certificate data is transitioning to comply with the 1997 OMB standard for race and ethnic statistics, all data in the figure have been mapped back to the 1977 OMB standard to present consistent categories over time. Trend data for births to Hispanic and to White, non-Hispanic, and Black, non-Hispanic, women are affected by the increasing number of states in which an item on Hispanic origin is included on the birth certificate.
SOURCE: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics, National Vital Statistics System.
Parents' reports of their children's serious emotional and behavioral difficulties are a crucial first step to alerting doctors and obtaining needed mental health services. In 2006, 5 percent of parents reported that their child had definite or severe difficulties with emotions, concentration, behavior, or being able to get along with other people. The rate at which boys were reported as having such difficulties (7 percent) was twice the rate for girls (3 percent). Among parents of children with serious difficulties, 84 percent reported that they contacted a health care provider or school staff about their child's difficulties, 49 percent reported that medications were prescribed for their child, and 44 percent reported that their child received treatment other than medication.
Asthma is a leading chronic disease among children, and rates of childhood asthma have remained at historically high levels since the 1990s. In 2006, 9 percent of children had current asthma (Figure 15). This includes children with active asthma symptoms and those with well-controlled asthma. This percentage has not significantly changed since 2001. There are differences by race/ethnicity among children in the United States with asthma: in 2006, the highest rates of current asthma were reported among Black, non-Hispanic children (13 percent) and Puerto Rican children (26 percent), compared with the lowest rates of asthma among White, non-Hispanic children (9 percent) and Asian children (6 percent).42 In 2006, nearly 6 percent of all children had one or more asthma attacks in the previous 12 months.
Figure 15 Percentage of children ages 0–17 with asthma, 1997–2006
NOTE: Children are identified as having asthma by asking parents, "Has a doctor or other health professional EVER told you that your child has asthma?" If the parent answers YES to this question, they are then asked (1) "Does your child still have asthma?" and (2) "During the past 12 months, has your child had an episode of asthma or an asthma attack?" The question "Does your child still have asthma?" was introduced in 2001 and identifies children with current asthma.
SOURCE: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics, National Health Interview Survey.
Children with chronic conditions, such as asthma or emotional or behavioral difficulties, can be limited in their ability to fully participate in age-appropriate activities. In 2006, 9 percent of children were reported by parents as having activity limitation due to chronic conditions. This rate has remained stable since 2001.
The percentage of overweight children is a public health challenge. In 1976–1980, only 6 percent of children ages 6–17 were overweight. By 1988–1994, this percentage had risen to 11 percent, and it continued to rise to 15 percent in 1999–2000. Most recently, in 2005–2006, 17 percent of children ages 6–17 were overweight. While there was an increase in overweight among U.S. children between 1988–1994 and 2003–2004, the percentage of overweight children did not significantly change between 2003–2004 and 2005–2006.
40 Infants born weighing less than 2,500 grams, or 5 lb. 8 oz.
41 Hamilton, B.E., Martin, J.A., and Ventura, S.J. (2007). Births: Preliminary data for 2006. National Vital Statistics Reports, 56(7). Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics.
42 In this survey, respondents were asked to choose one or more races. All race groups discussed in this paragraph refer to people who indicated only one racial identity. Hispanic children may be of any race.