Read "Children's Health, the Nation's Wealth: Assessing and Improving Child Health" at NAP.edu

Page 288 Cite

Suggested Citation:"Appendix C: Selected Indicators from National Children's Data Syntheses." National Research Council and Institute of Medicine. 2004. Children's Health, the Nation's Wealth: Assessing and Improving Child Health. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/10886.

×

Appendix C
Selected Indicators from National Children’s Data Syntheses

This appendix highlights the types of measures used in national initiatives that present indicators on various aspects of children’s health and may provide a useful reference for states and localities interested in developing state or local indicators. Details regarding specific data used to produce indicators are typically available on the web site of the data collection agency.

America’s Children and the Environment

http://www.epa.gov/envirohealth/children/

A report by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, produced for the first time in 2000 and updated in 2003. It presents key information on the environmental exposures, biomonitoring, and environmentally related diseases that affect children’s health and well-being. The measures in the report are based on data collected from state and federal agencies.

Measure/Indicator	Age	Frequency Measured	Level
Common air pollutants (1): percentage of children living in a county in which at least one air quality standard was exceeded during the year	Children ≤ 18 yrs	Annually: 1990–1998	County
Common air pollutants (2): percentage of children’s days that were designated as having “unhealthy” air quality	Children ≤ 18 yrs	Annually: 1990–1998	County

Page 289 Cite

Suggested Citation:"Appendix C: Selected Indicators from National Children's Data Syntheses." National Research Council and Institute of Medicine. 2004. Children's Health, the Nation's Wealth: Assessing and Improving Child Health. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/10886.

×

Measure/Indicator	Age	Frequency Measured	Level
Hazardous air pollutants: percentage of children living in counties where at least one hazardous air pollutant concentration was greater than a health benchmark	Children ≤ 18 yrs	1990	County
Environmental tobacco smoke: percentage of homes with children under 7 in which someone smokes on a regular basis	Children < 7 yrs	1994, 1996, 1999 (total of 10 target years)	National—based on national survey
Drinking water standards: percentage of children served by public water systems that exceeded a maximum contaminant level or violated a treatment standard	Children ≤ 18 yrs	Annually: 1993–1998	National^a
Nitrates and nitrites: percentage of children living in areas served by public water systems in which the nitrate/nitrite standard was exceeded	Children ≤ 18 yrs	Annually: 1993–1998	National^a
Monitoring and reporting: percentage of children living in areas with major violations of drinking water monitoring and reporting requirements	Children ≤ 18 yrs	Annually: 1993–1998	National^a
Pesticide residues in foods: percentage of fruits, vegetables, grains, dairy, and processed foods with detectable pesticide residues		Annually: 1993–1998	National^a
Hazardous waste sites (1): percentage of children living in counties with Superfund sites	Children ≤ 18 yrs	Every 2 years: 1990–2000	County
Hazardous waste sites (2): percentage of children living in counties that had Superfund sites in 1990	Children ≤ 18 yrs	Every 2 years: 1990–2000	County
Concentrations of lead in blood (1): average concentrations of lead in blood for children 5 and under	Children ≤ 5 yrs	1976–1980, 1988–1991, 1992–1994	National^a
Concentrations of lead in blood (2): percentage of children ages 1–5 with concentrations of lead in blood greater than 10 micrograms per deciliter	Children 1–5 yrs	1992–1994	National^a

Page 290 Cite

Suggested Citation:"Appendix C: Selected Indicators from National Children's Data Syntheses." National Research Council and Institute of Medicine. 2004. Children's Health, the Nation's Wealth: Assessing and Improving Child Health. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/10886.

×

Measure/Indicator	Age	Frequency Measured	Level
Respiratory diseases (1): percentage of children under 18 with asthma and chronic bronchitis	Children ≤ 18 yrs	Annually: 1990–1996	National^a
Respiratory diseases (2): percentage of children under 18 with asthma	Children ≤ 18 yrs	1997–1998	National^a
Respiratory diseases (3): asthma hospitalization rate for children 0–14	Children 0–14 yrs	Annually: 1987–1998	National^a
Childhood cancer (1): cancer incidence and mortality for children under 20	Children ≤ 20 yrs	Annually: 1975–1995	National^a
Childhood cancer (2): cancer incidence for children under 20 by type	Children ≤ 20 yrs	Annually: 1973–1996	National^a
^aBased on data reported to rather than collected by the federal government.

America’s Children: Key National Indicators of Well-Being

http://www.childstats.gov/americaschildren/

A report by the Federal Interagency Forum on Child and Family Statistics that includes federal and state statistics on the health and well-being of children and their families. The report includes indicators of well-being within the parameters of economic security, health, behavior, and social environment and education in addition to key contextual measures.

Measure/Indicator	Age	Frequency Measured	Level
Child poverty and family income: percentage of related children under age 18 in poverty by family structure	Children ≤ 18 yrs	Annually: 1980–2000	National
Child poverty and family income: percentage of related children under age 18 relative to the poverty line	Children ≤ 18 yrs	Annually: 1980–2000	National
Secure parental employment: percentage of children under age 18 living parents with at least one parent employed full time all year	Children ≤ 18 yrs	Annually: 1980–2000	National
Housing problems: percentage of households with children under age 18 that report housing problems	Children ≤ 18 yrs	1978, 1983, 1989, 1993, 1995, 1997, 1999	National

Page 291 Cite

Suggested Citation:"Appendix C: Selected Indicators from National Children's Data Syntheses." National Research Council and Institute of Medicine. 2004. Children's Health, the Nation's Wealth: Assessing and Improving Child Health. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/10886.

×

Measure/Indicator	Age	Frequency Measured	Level
Food security and diet quality (1): percentage of children under age 18 in households experiencing food insecurity reporting child hunger	Children ≤ 18 yrs	Annual: 1995–2000, and 1997 however 1996 omitted because not relevant for comparison	National
Food security and diet quality (2): percentage of children ages 2 to 5 and 6 to 9 with a good diet	Children 2–5 yrs 6–9 yrs	1994–1996, 1998	National
Access to health care: percentage of children under age 18 covered by health insurance	Children ≤ 18 yrs	Annual: 1987–2000, 1999 and 2000 not comparable with earlier years	National
Access to health care: percentage of children under age 18 with no usual source of health care by type of health insurance	Children ≤ 18 yrs	Annual: 1993–2000, 1997–2000 not comparable with earlier years	National
General health status: percentage of children under age 18 in very good or excellent health	Children ≤ 18 yrs	Annual: 1984–2000, 1997–2000 not comparable with earlier years	National
Activity limitation: percentage of children ages 5 to 17 with any limitation in activity resulting from chronic conditions	Children 5–17 yrs	2000	National
Childhood immunization: percentage of children ages 19 to 35 months who received combined series immunization coverage	Children 19–35 mos	Annual: 1994–2000	National
Low birthweight: percentage of infants weighing less than 5.5 pounds at birth	Children < 5.5 lbs	Annual: 1980–2000	National
Infant mortality: deaths before the first birthday per 1,000 live births	Children < 1 yr	Annual: 1983–1991, 1995–1999	National

Page 292 Cite

Suggested Citation:"Appendix C: Selected Indicators from National Children's Data Syntheses." National Research Council and Institute of Medicine. 2004. Children's Health, the Nation's Wealth: Assessing and Improving Child Health. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/10886.

×

Measure/Indicator	Age	Frequency Measured	Level
Child mortality (1): deaths per 100,000 children ages 1 to 4	Children 1–4 yrs	Annual: 1980–1999	National
Child mortality (2): deaths per 100,000 children ages 5 to 14 by race and by cause of death	Children 5–14 yrs	Annual: 1980–1999	National
Adolescent mortality: deaths per 100,000 adolescents 15 to 19 by cause of death	Children 5–19 yrs	Annual: 1980–1999	National
Adolescent mortality: injury deaths per 100,000 adolescents 15 to 19 by gender, race, and type of injury	Children 5–19 yrs	1999	National
Adolescent births: births per 1,000 females ages 15 to 17	Females 15–17 yrs	Annual: 1980–2000	National
Regular cigarette smoking: percentage of 8th grade students who reported smoking daily in the previous 30 days	Children 8th, 10th, and 12th grades	Annual: 1980–2001	National
Alcohol use: percentage of 8th grade students who reported having five or more alcoholic beverages in a row in the last 2 weeks	Children 8th, 10th, and 12th grades Annual:	1980–2001	National
Illicit drug use: percentage of 8th grade students who have used illicit drugs in the previous 30 days	Children 8th, 10th, and 12th grades	Annual: 1980–2001	National
Youth victims and perpetrators of serious violent crimes: rate of serious violent crime victimization per 1,000 youth ages 12 to 17	Children 12–17 yrs	Annual: 1980–2000	National
Youth victims and perpetrators of serious violent crimes: serious violent crime offending rate by youth ages 12 to 17	Children 12–17 yrs	Annual: 1980–2000	National
Family reading to young children: percentage of children ages 3 to 5 who are read to every day by a family member	Children 3–5 yrs	1993, 1995, 1996, 1999, 2001	National
Early childhood care and education: percentage of children ages 3 to 5 who are enrolled in early childhood centers	Children 3–5 yrs	1991, 1993 not comparable for later years 1995, 1996, 1999, 2001	National

Page 293 Cite

Suggested Citation:"Appendix C: Selected Indicators from National Children's Data Syntheses." National Research Council and Institute of Medicine. 2004. Children's Health, the Nation's Wealth: Assessing and Improving Child Health. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/10886.

×

Measure/Indicator	Age	Frequency Measured	Level
Mathematics achievement (0–500 scale): average mathematics scale score of 9-, and 17-year-olds	Children 9, 13- 13, 17 yrs	1982, 1986, 1990, 1992, 1994, 1996, 1999	National
Reading achievement (0–500 scale): average reading scale score of 9-, 13- and 17-yearolds	Children 9, 13, 17 yrs	1980, 1984, 1988, 1990, 1992, 1994, 1996, 1999	National
High school academic course-taking: percentage of high school graduates who completed high-level coursework in mathematics, science, English, or foreign language	High school graduates	1982, 1987, 1990, 1992, 1994, 1998	National
High school completion: percentage of young adults ages 18 to 24 who have completed high school	Young adults 18–24 yrs	Annual: 1980–2000	National
Youth neither enrolled in school nor working: percentage of youth ages 16 to 19 who are neither in school nor working	Children 16–19 yrs	Annual: 1984–2001	National
Higher education: percentage of high school graduates ages 25 to 29 who have completed a bachelor’s degree or higher	Young adults 25–29 yrs	Annual: 1980–2001	National
Children of at least one foreign-born parent: percentage of children under age 18 by nativity of child and parents	Children ≤ 18 yrs	Annual: 1994–2001	National

Child Health USA

http://www.mchirc.net/CH-USA.htm

An annual report by the Health Resources and Service Administration of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services composed of secondary data for 59 health status indicators summarized both graphically and textually, including long-term trends.

Measure/Indicator	Age	Frequency Measured	Level
Related children under 18 years of age living in families below 100% of poverty level by race/ethnicity	Children ≤ 18 yrs	1970, 1980, 1990, 1998, 1999	National

Page 294 Cite

Suggested Citation:"Appendix C: Selected Indicators from National Children's Data Syntheses." National Research Council and Institute of Medicine. 2004. Children's Health, the Nation's Wealth: Assessing and Improving Child Health. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/10886.

×

Measure/Indicator	Age	Frequency Measured	Level
Related children under 18 years of age living in families below 100% of poverty level, by household status	Children ≤ 18 yrs	1999	National
Status school dropout rates for ages 16–24 by race/ethnicity	Children 16–24 yrs	Annual: 1988–1999	National
Mothers in the workforce	Children 6–17 yrs	Every 5 years—1980–2000	National
Hours per week spent in child care by children under 5 with working mothers	Children < 5 yrs	1997	National
Percentage distribution of births by maternal age, by race	N/A	1999	National
Breastfeeding by race	N/A	Annual: 1990–1999	National
Percentage of infants born at low birthweight by race	N/A	Annual: 1984–1999	National
Percentage of infants born at very low birthweight by race	N/A	Annual: 1984–1999	National
Comparison of national infant mortality rates	N/A	1997	International, National
U.S. infant mortality rates by race of mother	N/A	Annual: 1980–1999	National
Preliminary neonatal mortality rates by race of mother	N/A	1999	National
Preliminary postneonatal mortality rates by race of mother	N/A	1999	National
Maternal mortality rates by race of mother	N/A	Annual: 1975–1998	National
Number of cases of reportable vaccinepreventable diseases among children under 5	Children < 5 yrs	1999	National
Percentage of child abuse and neglect victims by type of maltreatment	N/A	1999	National
Sources of maltreatment reports	N/A	1999	National

Page 295 Cite

Suggested Citation:"Appendix C: Selected Indicators from National Children's Data Syntheses." National Research Council and Institute of Medicine. 2004. Children's Health, the Nation's Wealth: Assessing and Improving Child Health. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/10886.

×

Measure/Indicator	Age	Frequency Measured	Level
Pediatric aids by race/ethnicity and exposure category	N/A	1981–2000	National
Major causes of hospitalization by age	Children 1–21 yrs	1999	National
Discharge rate of patients 1–14 years old for selected diagnosis	Children 1–14 yrs	Annual: 1985–1999	National
Leading causes of death in children ages 1–14	Children 1–14 yrs	1999	National
Childhood deaths due to external cause, by cause and age	Children 1–14 yrs	1999	National
Adolescent birth rates, by age and race of mother	N/A	1999	National
Percentage of high school students who have ever had sexual intercourse, by grade and gender	Children 9th, 10th, 11th, and 12th grades	1999	National
Sexual activity and condom use in high school students	Children 9th, 10th, 11th, and 12th grades	1999	National
Rates of sexually transmitted disease per 100,000 adolescents by age and race	Young adults 15–24 yrs	1999	National
Adolescent AIDS cases, by race/ethnicity and exposure category for ages 13–19	Children 13–19 yrs	1981–1999	National
Adolescent AIDS cases by gender and exposure category for ages 13–19	Children 13–19 yrs	1981–1999	National
Young adult AIDS cases by gender and exposure category for ages 20–24	Young adults 20–24 yrs	1981–1999	National
Percentage of high school students who carried a gun in the past 30 days, by sex and race	N/A	Annual: 1993–1999	National
Percentage of high school students who participated in vigorous, moderate, or strengthening physical activity, by race	N/A	1999	National

Page 296 Cite

Suggested Citation:"Appendix C: Selected Indicators from National Children's Data Syntheses." National Research Council and Institute of Medicine. 2004. Children's Health, the Nation's Wealth: Assessing and Improving Child Health. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/10886.

×

Measure/Indicator	Age	Frequency Measured	Level
Percentage of high school students who participated in moderate physical activity, by grade	Children 9th, 10th, and 11th grades	1999	National
Long-term trend in 30-days prevalence of cigarette smoking for 8th, 10th, and 12th graders	Children 8th, 10th, and 12th grades	Annual: 1975–2000	National
30-day prevalence of drug use among adolescent ages 12–17	Children 12–17 yrs	Annual: 1988–1999	National
Leading causes of death in adolescent ages 15–19	Children 15–19 yrs	1999	National
Motor vehicles crashes and firearms mortality among adolescents ages 15–19	Children 15–19 yrs	1998	National
Health insurance coverage of children under 18 yrs	Children ≤ 18 yrs	1999	National
Health insurance coverage of children under 18 yrs in poverty	Children ≤ 18 yrs	1999	National
Estimated vaccination coverage among children ages 19–35 months by race/ethnicity	Children 19–45 mos	2000	National
Recommended childhood immunization schedule, United States, January–December 2001	Children ≤ 18 yrs	2001	National
Percentage of children receiving an EPSDT preventive dental service	Children > 2 yrs	Annual: 1988–1998	National
Percentage of children with dental care needs and those receiving dental care in the last 12 months by income	Children > 2 yrs	1997	National
Percentage of children with no physician visits in the past year, by age and race/ethnicity	Children ≤ 19 yrs	1998	National
Usual source of acute care	Children ≤ 19 yrs	1998	National
Physician utilization by children with chronic activity limitation, by age	Children under 5 yrs, over 5 yrs	1998	National
Hospital utilization by income and race	N/A	1998	National

Page 297 Cite

Suggested Citation:"Appendix C: Selected Indicators from National Children's Data Syntheses." National Research Council and Institute of Medicine. 2004. Children's Health, the Nation's Wealth: Assessing and Improving Child Health. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/10886.

×

Measure/Indicator	Age	Frequency Measured	Level
Percentage of mothers beginning prenatal care in the first trimester, by age and race	N/A	1999	National
Percentage of mothers receiving late or no prenatal care, by age and race of mother	N/A	1999	National
Percentage of infants born at low birthweight, women receiving first trimester prenatal care, and births to women under 18, by race of mother and state	N/A	1999	State, national
Medicaid enrollees, expenditures, and reported EPSDT utilization for children under age 21	N/A	FY 1998 FY 1999	State, national
State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) aggregate enrollment statistics	N/A	FY 2000	State, national
Health insurance status for children under age 19	N/A	1999	County
Percentage of children under 19 who are uninsured	N/A	1999	State, national
Infant and neonatal mortality rates, by race of mother and state	N/A	1998	State, national
Percentage of infants born at very low birthweight in U.S. cities with populations over 100,000	N/A	Annual: 1989–1999	National
Percentage of infants born at very low birthweight in U.S. cities with populations over 100,000	N/A	Annual: 1989–1999	National
Infant mortality in U.S. cities with population over 100,000	N/A	Annual: 1989–1998	National
Percentage of pregnant women receiving first trimester prenatal care in U.S. cities with populations over 100,000	N/A	Annual: 1989–1999	National
Percentage of pregnant women receiving late or no prenatal care in U.S. cities with populations over 100,000	N/A	Annual: 1989–1999	National

Page 298 Cite

Suggested Citation:"Appendix C: Selected Indicators from National Children's Data Syntheses." National Research Council and Institute of Medicine. 2004. Children's Health, the Nation's Wealth: Assessing and Improving Child Health. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/10886.

×

KIDS COUNT Data Book

http://www.aecf.org/kidscount/kc2002/

A data book produced by the Annie E. Casey Foundation that tracks national and state-level indicators of the educational, social, economic, and physical well-being of children in the United States, with a focus on 10 core indicators.

Measure/Indicator	Age	Frequency Measured	Level
Number of children under age 18	N/A	2000	State, national
Race and Hispanic origin of children	N/A	2000	State, national
4th grade students who scored below basic reading level	Children 4th grade	1998	State, national
8th grade students who scored below basic reading level	Children 8th grade	1998	State, national
8th grade students who scored below basic writing level	Children 8th grade	1998	State, national
Median income of families with children	N/A	1998	State, national
Female-headed families receiving child support or alimony	N/A	1998	State, national
Children in working-poor families without a telephone at home	N/A	1998	State, national
Children in extreme poverty (income 50% below of poverty level)		1998	State, national
Children without health insurance		1998	State, national
Children in working-poor families who lack health insurance		1998	State, national
2-year-olds who were immunized	Children 2 yrs	1999	State, national
Juvenile violent crime arrest rate	Children 10–17 yrs	1998	State, national

Page 299 Cite

Suggested Citation:"Appendix C: Selected Indicators from National Children's Data Syntheses." National Research Council and Institute of Medicine. 2004. Children's Health, the Nation's Wealth: Assessing and Improving Child Health. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/10886.

×

Measure/Indicator	Age	Frequency Measured	Level
Juvenile property crime arrest rate	Children 10–17 yrs	1998	State, national
Number of children under 18 in working poor families	Children < 18 yrs	1998	State, national
Percentage of children under age 18 in working poor families	Children < 18 yrs	1998	State, national
Percentage change of low-birthweight babies		1990–1998	State, national
Percentage change of infant mortality rates		1990–1998	State, national
Percentage change of child death rates ages 1–14	Children 1–14 yrs	1990–1998	State, national
Percentage change of rate of teen deaths by accident, homicide, and suicide ages 15–19	Young adults 15–19 yrs	1990–1998	State, national
Percentage change of teen birth rate of females ages 15–17	Females 15–17 yrs	1990–1998	State, national
Percentage change of teens who are high school dropouts ages 16–19	Young adults 16–19 yrs	1990–1998	State, national
Percentage change of teens not attending school and not working ages 16–19	Young adults 16–19 yrs	1990–1998	State, national
Percentage change of children living with parents who do not have full-time, year-round employment		1990–1998	State, national
Percentage change of children in poverty		1990–1998	State, national
Percentage change of families with children headed by a single parent		1990–1998	State, national

Page 300 Cite

Suggested Citation:"Appendix C: Selected Indicators from National Children's Data Syntheses." National Research Council and Institute of Medicine. 2004. Children's Health, the Nation's Wealth: Assessing and Improving Child Health. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/10886.

×

Child Trends Databank

http://www.childtrendsdatabank.org/

Child Trends produces this continuously updated web-based bank of data of the latest estimates for indicators relating to child and family health and well-being. The data identifies and tracks trends and population subgroup disparities.

Measure/Indicator	Age	Frequency Measured	Level
Overweight children and youth	Children 6–19 yrs	1999	National
Disordered eating: symptoms of bulimia	Children 9th–12th grades	2001	National
Children with limitations	Children 5–17 yrs	1998–2000	National
Learning disabilities	Children 3–17 yrs	1997–2000	National
Asthma	Children < 18 yrs	1988–1998	National
Children with AIDS	Children < 13 yrs	1985–2001	National
Low- and very-low-birthweight infants		1970–2001	National
Suicidal teens	Children 9th–12th grades	2001	National
Adolescents who feel sad or hopeless	Children 9th–12th grades	1999, 2001	National
Parental symptoms of depression	Children < 18 yrs	2000	National
Vigorous physical activity by youth	Children 9th–12th grades	1993–2001	National
Mothers who smoke while pregnant	N/A	1989–2000	National

Page 301 Cite

Suggested Citation:"Appendix C: Selected Indicators from National Children's Data Syntheses." National Research Council and Institute of Medicine. 2004. Children's Health, the Nation's Wealth: Assessing and Improving Child Health. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/10886.

×

Measure/Indicator	Age	Frequency Measured	Level
Condom use	Children 9th–12th grades	1993–1999	National
Participation in school athletics	Children 8th–12th grades	1991–2000	National
Seat belt use	Children 5–15 yrs	1994–2000	National
Drunk driving	Children 9th–12th grades	1995–2001	National
Physical fighting by youth	Children 9th–12th grades	1993–2001	National
Students carrying weapons	Children 9th–12th grades	1991–2001	National
Adolescents who have ever been raped	Females 9th–12th grades	2001	National
Dating violence	Children 9th–12th grades	1999–2001	National
Child maltreatment	Children < 18 yrs	1990–2000	National
Youth who felt unsafe at school	Children 12–18 yrs	1999	National

In addition, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has identified in Healthy People 2010 a set of health objectives intended to improve the health of the country. Healthy People 2010 specifies 10 leading health indicators and 467 objectives within the overall goals of improving quality and years of healthy life and eliminating health disparities. Several of the objectives relate to children. The objectives are listed and can be searched at http://www.healthypeople.gov/.