Category: children
CDC Extends Tool to Monitor Severe Obesity Among Children and Adolescents

CDC has added to its BMI-for-age growth charts to enable consistent, meaningful tracking of growth in the nearly one in five U.S. children and adolescents who have obesity. The percentage of children and adolescents with severe obesity has nearly quadrupled over the last five decades, from 1% in the early 1970s to 6.1% in 2017-18. Read More >
Posted on byQuickStats: Percentage of Children and Adolescents Aged 6–17 Years Who Have Roads, Sidewalks, Paths, or Trails Where They Can Walk or Ride a Bicycle, by Urban-Rural Status and Family Income
During 2020, 88.7% of children and adolescents aged 6–17 years had roads, sidewalks, paths, or trails in their neighborhood or near their home where they could walk or ride a bicycle. Availability of these spaces was less common among children and adolescents who lived in families with incomes <200% of FPL (85.6%) than among those Read More >
Posted on byTelemedicine Use in Children Aged 0–17 Years: United States, July–December 2020
Questions for Maria Villarroel, Health Statistician and Lead Author of “Telemedicine Use in Children Aged 0–17 Years: United States, July–December 2020.” Q: Why did you decide to look at telemedicine among U.S. children during the pandemic? MV: We know that telemedicine use expanded during the COVID-19 pandemic. Telemedicine became a key practice in health care Read More >
Posted on byQuickStats: Percentage of Children and Adolescents Aged 5–17 Years Who Reported Being Tired Most Days or Every Day, by Age Group and Hours of Screen Time
In 2020, 3.5% of children aged 5–11 years and 10.9% of adolescents aged 12–17 years reported being tired on most days or every day. Among adolescents aged 12–17, the percentage reporting being tired was higher (12.0%) for those who reported >2 hours of screen time (in addition to that for schoolwork) per weekday than for Read More >
Posted on byStressful Life Events Among Children Aged 5–17 Years by Disability Status: United States, 2019
Questions for Heidi Ullman, Health Statistician and Lead Author of “Stressful Life Events Among Children Aged 5–17 Years by Disability Status: United States, 2019.” Q: Why did you decide to do a report on stressful life events for children with a disability? HU: Children with disabilities are an important population group that has experienced disadvantage Read More >
Posted on byQuickStats: Percentage of Children Aged 2–17 Years With >2 Hours of Screen Time Per Weekday, by Sex and Age Group — National Health Interview Survey, United States, 2020
Overall, 65.7% of boys and 64.6% of girls aged 2–17 years spent >2 hours of screen time per weekday, in addition to screen time spent for schoolwork. Among both boys and girls, the percentage of children who spent >2 hours of screen time increased with increasing age group from 47.5% for those aged 2–5 years Read More >
Posted on byQ & A with Author: Dental Care Utilization Among Children Aged 1–17 Years: United States, 2019 and 2020
Questions for Dzifa Adjaye-Gbewonyo, Health Statistician and Lead Author of “Dental Care Utilization Among Children Aged 1–17 Years: United States, 2019 and 2020.” Q: Why did you decide to look at children’s dental examinations and cleanings during the pandemic? DAG: We know that the COVID-19 pandemic required dental providers to make changes to their services, Read More >
Posted on byConcussions and Brain Injuries in Children: United States, 2020
A new NCHS report presents national estimates of lifetime symptomatology and health care professional diagnoses of concussions or brain injuries as reported by a knowledgeable adult, usually a parent, in children aged 0–17 years using data from the 2020 National Health Interview Survey. Key Findings: In 2020, 6.8% of children aged 17 years and under Read More >
Posted on byQ & A with Author: Rural-urban Differences in Unintentional Injury Death Rates Among Children Aged 0-17: United States, 2018-2019
Questions for Matthew Garnett, Health Statistician and Lead Author of “Rural-urban Differences in Unintentional Injury Death Rates Among Children Aged 0-17: United States, 2018-2019.” Q: Can you describe what unintentional injury deaths are? MG: Unintentional injury deaths include fatal injuries that were unintended, unplanned, and did not occur on purpose. In contrast, intentional injuries include Read More >
Posted on byFACT OR FICTION VIDEO: Stressful Life Events Among Children
https://youtu.be/hkJdjnB3NY8 https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/pressroom/videos/2021/september2021/fof_Sept2021.htm Read More >
Posted on byQuickStats: Percentage of Children and Adolescents Aged 0–17 Years Who Have Experienced a Specified Stressful Life Event, by Type of Event and Poverty Status
In 2019, 20.7% of children and adolescents in families with incomes <200% of the poverty threshold and 12.6% of children and adolescents in families with incomes ≥200% of the poverty threshold had experienced at least one specified stressful life event. Children and adolescents in families with incomes <200% of the poverty threshold were more likely Read More >
Posted on byNew Report on Children and Adolescent Body Measurements
NCHS releases a new report, “Mean Body Weight, Height, Waist Circumference, and Body Mass Index Among Children and Adolescents: United States, 1999–2018” that presents trends in mean weight, recumbent length, height, waist circumference, and body mass index (BMI) among children and adolescents in the United States from 1999 through 2018. Key Findings: No significant trends Read More >
Posted on byPODCAST: Drowning Deaths Among U.S. Children
https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/pressroom/podcasts/2021/20210716/20210716.htm HOST: We’re joined today by Merianne Spencer, the author of a new study on accidental drowning deaths among children in the United States. HOST: So briefly describe to us the scope of the problem. MERIANNE SPENCER: Sure. So unintentional drowning deaths are the second leading cause of injury death among children, those aged zero to 17, Read More >
Posted on byQuickStats: Percentage of Children† Aged 2–17 Years Who Wear Glasses or Contact Lenses, by Sex and Age Group — National Health Interview Survey, United States, 2019
In 2019, 25.3% of children aged 2–17 years wore glasses or contact lenses, and the percentage increased with age among both boys and girls. Among boys, 3% wore glasses among those aged 2–5 years, 20.0% among those aged 6–11 years, and 35.3% among those aged 12–17 years. Among girls, the corresponding percentages are 3.1, 26.4, Read More >
Posted on byPODCAST: Children and Mental Health: Part Two
STATCAST, MAY 2021: DISCUSSION WITH BENJAMIN ZABLOTSKY, STATISTICIAN, ABOUT CHILDREN AND MENTAL HEALTH. https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/pressroom/podcasts/2021/20210521/20210521.htm HOST: We now continue our conversation with Ben Zablotsky, health statistician with the Division of Health Interview Statistics on children’s mental health in the United States. HOST: You mentioned social media and the Internet – what about more traditional environmental issues Read More >
Posted on byPODCAST: Children and Mental Health: Part One
STATCAST, MAY 2021: DISCUSSION WITH BENJAMIN ZABLOTSKY, STATISTICIAN, ABOUT CHILDREN AND MENTAL HEALTH. https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/pressroom/podcasts/2021/20210514/20210514.htm HOST: May is Mental Health Month in the United States. In recent years, mental health awareness has grown as a major public health issue, with suicide being one of the leading causes of death in the country. The arrival of the Read More >
Posted on byInfluenza Vaccination in the Past 12 Months Among Children Aged 6 Months–17 Years: United States, 2019
Questions for Lindsey Black, Health Statistician and Lead Author of “Influenza Vaccination in the Past 12 Months Among Children Aged 6 Months–17 Years: United States, 2019.” Q: Is this the most recent data you have on this topic? If so, when will you release 2020 vaccination data? LB: Yes, this is the most recent data. Read More >
Posted on byNCHS UPDATES”STATS OF THE STATES” PAGE WITH LATEST FINAL DATA
The CDC National Center for Health Statistics web page “Stats of the States” has been updated to include the latest state-based final data on selected vital statistics topics, including: General fertility rates Teen birth rates Selected other maternal and infant health measures Marriage & divorce rates Leading causes of death Other high profile causes of Read More >
Posted on byQuickStats: Rate of Unintentional Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)–Related Deaths Among Persons Aged 24 Years and Under, by Age Group
From 1999 to 2018, death rates for unintentional TBI among persons aged 24 years and under declined across all age groups. During the 20-year period, TBI-related death rates declined from 3.7 per 100,000 to 1.5 among children aged 0–4 years, from 3.0 to 0.9 for children and adolescents aged 5–14 years, from 14.7 to 4.4 Read More >
Posted on byFast Food Intake Among Children and Adolescents in the United States, 2015–2018
Questions for Cheryl Fryar, Health Statistician and Lead Author of “Fast Food Intake Among Children and Adolescents in the United States, 2015–2018.” Q: Why does NCHS conduct studies on fast food consumption among children and adolescents? CF: We focus on fast food for this report because fast food continues to play an important role in Read More >
Posted on byQuickStats: Prevalence of Obesity and Severe Obesity Among Persons Aged 2–19 Years — National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 1999–2000 through 2017–2018
From 1999–2000 to 2017–2018, the prevalence of obesity among persons aged 2–19 years increased from 13.9% to 19.3%, and the prevalence of severe obesity increased from 3.6% to 6.1%. Source: National Center for Health Statistics, National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 1999–2000 to 2017–2018. https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nhanes.htm. Read More >
Posted on byQuickStats: Percentage of Children and Adolescents Aged 4–17 Years with Serious Emotional or Behavioral Difficulties by Sex and Urbanization Level
During 2016–2018, the percentage of children and adolescents aged 4–17 years with serious emotional or behavioral difficulties was higher among those living in nonmetropolitan areas (6.7%) than among those living in metropolitan areas (5.3%). Among boys, those living in nonmetropolitan areas (8.5%) were more likely to have serious emotional or behavioral difficulties than those living Read More >
Posted on byRacial and Ethnic Differences in the Prevalence of Attention-deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder and Learning Disabilities Among U.S. Children Aged 3–17 Years
Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and learning disabilities are the most commonly diagnosed neurodevelopmental disorders in children and often coexist. Previous research has suggested that the prevalence of these conditions may differ by race and Hispanic origin. Using timely, nationally representative data, this report examines the reported prevalence of ADHD and learning disabilities by race and ethnicity Read More >
Posted on byPrevalence of Children Aged 3–17 Years With Developmental Disabilities, by Urbanicity: United States, 2015–2018
Questions for Ben Zablotsky, Ph.D., Health Statistician and Lead Author of “Prevalence of Children Aged 3–17 Years With Developmental Disabilities, by Urbanicity: United States, 2015–2018.” Q: Why did you decide to focus on urbanicity among children with developmental disabilities? BZ: Thanks to previous research, we know that children with developmental disabilities typically require more health Read More >
Posted on byBirths: Final Data for 2018
Questions for Joyce Martin, Health Statistician and Lead Author of “Births: Final Data for 2018” Q: What is new in this report from the 2018 provisional birth report? JM: In addition to providing final numbers and rates for numerous birth characteristics such as fertility rates, teen childbearing, cesarean delivery and preterm and low birthweight, this Read More >
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