Health of Our Nation's Children

This report describes the health of children 17 years of age and under in the United States. Estimates are based on the 1988 National Health Interview Survey on Child Health. The report discusses overall health status, prevalence of psychological disorders, access to health care, and rates of health care utilization, characteristics of other family-controlled health variables, and family structure as it relates to health.

All estimates are shown according to age of child as well as selected demographic and socioeconomic characteristics of the family and health characteristics of the child.

Data Highlights:

In 1988, 51.7 percent of the Nation's children had a "favorable" health status -- excellent health with no limitations.

Children's overall health rating was positively associated with higher levels of parent education, greater family income, and older maternal age at first birth.

Nineteen and one-half percent of U.S. children aged 3-17 years, or nearly 10.2 million children, have had a developmental delay, learning disability, or an emotional or behavioral problem. Boys were more likely than girls to have one or more of these disorders (23 percent compared with 16 percent, respectively).

This page last reviewed January 11, 2007