The Kidsdata News Roundup
News, Research, and Data About Children's Health and Well Being
January 2011

What Do California Parents Say About Their Kids? See Data From New Statewide Survey Results from a wide-ranging survey that asked California parents how they view their children's health and well being provide a wealth of current data that can inform and support the work of organizations across California that serve kids. Some data from the 2010 California Parent Survey now are available on kidsdata.org, and more will be added to the site in the coming months.

Homelessness
Article Chronicles Impact of Homelessness on Parenting
(SF Chronicle, 1/4/11, by Gurley)

See the Data:
In 2007, people in families with children comprised about 26 percent of homeless people in California.



Low Birthweight
More Tiny Newborns Survive, but Often Face an Array of Health Problems as They Grow Up, Study Finds
(Reuters, 12/28/10, by Peeples)

See the Data:
In 2009, about 1 percent of CA babies were born at very low birthweight, weighing under 1500 grams.



Mental Illness
Majority of U.S. Adolescents with Severe Mental Disorders Have Never Received Treatment for Their Conditions, Study Finds
(Medical News Today, 1/19/11)

See the Data:
In 2007, 2 in 5 California children with special health care needs did not receive the mental health care they needed; California fares worse than the rest of the country.



Physical Fitness
Court Ruling Allows California Parents to Sue if Child’s School Doesn’t Offer Minimum Amount of Physical Education
(SF Chonicle, 12/1/10, by Tucker)

See the Data:
Only about 3 out of 5 California students meet state aerobic fitness standards; many counties are below that mark.



Sexual Health
Study Finds More Than 10% of ‘Abstinent’ Teens Test Positive for STDs, and Urges More Screenings for All Teens
(Washington Times, 1/3/11, by Wetzstein)

See the Data:
In 2007, about 80 percent of California teens ages 14-17 reported that they had not had sex.



Sleep
Kids Who Don’t Sleep Enough Are at Greater Risk for Depression and Anxiety Later in Life, Studies Show
(Wall Street Journal, 1/18/11, by Petersen)

See the Data:
In 2006, 1 in 5 Bay Area parents said their child did not get an adequate amount of sleep.



Smoking
Kindergarten-Age Kids with Parents Who Smoke Have Higher Blood Pressure, Study Finds
(LA Times, 1/14/11, by Brown)

See the Data:
About 15 percent of California kids live in households with smokers, according to a 2010 parent survey; rates are similar in the Bay Area and LA County.



Special Health Care Needs
Prenatal Blood Test for Down Syndrome Shows High Level of Accuracy, Study Finds
(LA Times, 1/11/11, by Roan)

See the Data:
Survey data show that about 1 percent of California children with special health needs are diagnosed with Down Syndrome.



Weight
Federal Government Plan Aims to Make School Meals More Healthful
(SF Chronicle, 1/14/11, by Finz)

See the Data:
Over half of California students were enrolled in the Free/Reduced Price Meal Program in 2009.

Other Research and Reports

The 2011 California Report Card
Children Now’s annual report card analyzes and grades key aspects of child health and well being, including oral health, safety, obesity, and more. The report card gives California an overall grade of C-, “largely due to disproportional state budget cuts to children,” and it provides a Children’s Agenda with 10 key policy goals for the state. Read the full report at http://www.childrennow.org/uploads/documents/reportcard_2011.pdf.




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