The Health and Well-Being of Children: A Portrait of States and the Nation 2007

The Health Resources and Services Administration’s Maternal and Child Health Bureau is pleased to announce that the The Health and Well-Being of Children: A Portrait of States and the Nation 2007 is now available either online or you can request a hardcopy through the addresses listed at the end of this message. The chartbook provides both national and state-level data on U.S. children based on the 2007 National Survey of Children’s Health.

Among the findings which can be found in this report and at www.childhealthdata.org are:

• In 2007, 88.5 percent of children reported receiving a preventive health care visit, up from 77 percent in 2003. Among children who had no health insurance, however, the rate was far lower: only 72.6 percent of children who were uninsured at the time of the survey had a preventive health care visit.
• More than 15 percent of U.S. children had no health insurance for all or part of 2007.
• Nearly one-third of U.S. children, ages 10 to 17, were overweight or obese. Most significantly, the incidence of obesity continued to rise from 14.8% of U.S. children in 2003 to 16.4% by 2007.
• About four out of 10 children in need of mental health services for emotional development or behavioral problems did not receive them. Among uninsured children, more than half did not.
• Over 25 percent of American children under age 5 were at risk for developmental and behavioral problems or social delays. But fewer than one in five received recommended screening.
• More than 4 in 10 children were not receiving care within a “medical home,” defined by the American Academy of Pediatrics as care that is accessible, continuous, comprehensive, family-centered, coordinated and compassionate.

The survey also reveals significant state-to-state differences across a broad range of health issues for children. While each state has its strengths, no state rates high across all key areas of child well-being, health care access or quality of care. For example, 23 percent of adolescents in Utah were overweight or obese compared to 44 percent in Mississippi. Insured children in Minnesota were almost twice as likely as children in Hawaii to have insurance that does not meet their needs.

The National Survey of Children’s Health collected information on 91,642 children. Interviews were conducted with parents or guardians who know about the child's health. The survey provides information about the oral, physical and mental health of children from birth to age 17 and includes national and state-by-state data. The survey covers a broad range of parental attitudes and assessments of other important child development benchmarks, including access to recreational facilities, school engagement, and screen-viewing habits.

Survey data books on children’s emotional and behavioral health, children with special health care needs, and rural children’s health, all based on the 2007 National Survey of Children’s Health, will be released in the future.

If you would like a hard copy of the chartbook, please contact the HRSA Information Center toll-free at 1-888-ASK-HRSA or 703-442-9051.