Data Points

As we wrap up National Children’s Mental Health Awareness Week (May 5-11), we’re seeing a striking increase in mental health-related hospitalizations of California kids.

This chart shows that the number of hospitalizations of California children ages 5-14 for mental health reasons has risen about 30% since 2007, even as the state’s child population has dipped slightly in that time period. In 2011, there were 11,687 hospitalizations for mental health issues among children ages 5-14 in California and 23,514 among youth ages 15-19. Mental health issues are the most common reason for hospital stays among California’s children.

At the same time, California cut its state mental health budget by about $750 million, or about 20%, between 2009 and 2012 according to a report by the National Alliance on Mental Illness. The result, the NAMI report suggests, is that California has seen a decrease in the availability of preventive and community-based mental health treatment options.

And as mental health services become harder for kids and teens to obtain amid budget cuts, the burden of mental health care shifts to hospital emergency departments, Dr. Mark Pearlmutter of the American College of Emergency Physicians said during a recent Congressional briefing sponsored by the National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors. Nationally, the demand for mental health services is rising at the same time that states continue to cut budgets.

According to a 2010 federal report on mental health in the United States, nearly half of children who met criteria for having any mental disorder did not get the treatment they needed.

Interested in learning more? Check out our other measures of California children’s mental and emotional health here.

Children’s Mental Health in the News

More U.S. Kids Diagnosed with Mental Health Disabilities, Study Finds
(U.S. News, 5/5/13, by Gordon)
http://health.usnews.com/health-news/news/articles/2013/05/05/more-kids-diagnosed-with-mental-health-disabilities-study-finds

Many Suicidal Children Have Access to Guns at Home, Study Finds
(USA Today, 5/6/13, by Szabo)
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/05/06/suicidal-children-access-guns-home/2136931/?sf12472167=1

Prolonged Fatigue Linked to Mood and Anxiety Disorders in Teens, Study Finds
(Scope, 5/1/13, by Steakley)
http://scopeblog.stanford.edu/2013/05/01/prolonged-fatigue-and-mood-disorders-among-teens/

Abused Children Get Unique form of PTSD
(TIME, 4/30/13, by Szalavitz)
http://healthland.time.com/2013/04/30/abused-children-may-get-different-form-of-ptsd/

Although California’s public school enrollment rose nearly 20% in the past two decades, it has been on a slight but consistent decline since 2005, in a reflection of California’s shrinking child population.

Approximately 6.2 million K-12 students were enrolled in public school in 2012, down about 2% since 2005, according to new data available from kidsdata.org.

Some counties have seen sharper declines, including Los Angeles County, where public school enrollment dipped 9% between 2005 and 2012. Some rural counties with small student populations shrank by as much as 32% during that period.

The data also show a striking shift in the racial/ethnic composition of public school students. The percentage of Latino students enrolled in California public schools continues to rise, with Latino students comprising 52% of all public school students in 2012.

In contrast, the proportion of white students continues to shrink: they made up 31% of public school children in 2005, compared to 26% in 2012. African American student enrollment also declined by nearly 20% between 2005 and 2012.

In general, as school enrollment decreases, so does average daily attendance (ADA). Declines in ADA result in decreased per pupil funding from the state.

This interactive motion chart highlights trends in public school enrollment across California. By default, the number of children in each racial/ethnic group is shown. Press play to see changes over time.

Hints:

- To follow the progression of a particular racial/ethnic group, hover over or click a bar.
- Change view from “number” to “percent” by clicking on the left axis.

For more information on public school enrollment, including county- and school district-level data, click here. For more information on the racial and ethnic composition of public school students, click here. For our complete data advisory on public school enrollment, click here.

As National Public Health Week gets under way this week with observances around the nation, we’re thinking a lot about children’s health data.

Why is data so important for public health? Ever since British physician John Snow mapped the location of water pumps he thought might contribute to a cholera outbreak in the 1850s, the researchers and health professionals he inspired have used data to identify and prevent disease and ill health.

Here at kidsdata.org, we offer many indicators that provide insight into classic public health issues affecting children and adolescents, including lead contamination, immunizations, air quality, sexually transmitted diseases, smoking and drug and alcohol use. You can examine data statewide or at the local level. Here’s a sampling of key public health indicators affecting children and youth:

Air Quality

Alcohol Use in Past Month

Asthma

Cigarette Use in Past Month

Immunizations

Lead Poisoning

Injuries

Overweight/Obese Students

Sexually Transmitted Infections

We’re happy to help you use these data in your work. Contact Barbara.FederOstrov@lpfch.org for more information and resources.

Today, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation is releasing its 2013 County Health Rankings, which examine the health of adults and children in the nation’s 3,141 counties on such measures as insurance coverage, obesity, exercise, community safety and smoking.

This year’s rankings show that rates of premature deaths have dropped to their lowest level in two decades. Nevertheless, residents of the nation’s unhealthiest counties have premature death rates that are twice the rates of those in the healthiest counties. Violent crime has dropped 50 percent in the past 20 years, but one in five children live in poverty, imperiling their health.

Here’s how the RWJ Foundation describes the goals for its rankings:

We know that much of what influences our health happens outside of the doctor’s office—in our schools, workplaces and neighborhoods. County Health Rankings & Roadmaps help communities create solutions that make it easier for people to be healthy in their own communities, focusing on specific factors that we know affect health, such as education and income. Having health insurance and quality health care are important to our health, but we need leadership and action beyond health care.

Here at kidsdata.org, we applaud the RWJ Foundation and its research partner, the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute, for drawing national attention to the complex economic, environmental, behavioral and social factors that influence Americans’ health.

Kidsdata.org has additional information on California children’s and adolescents’ health – not included in the County Health Rankings – that nonprofit organizations, children’s advocates and policymakers can use in their work, including:

* Statewide data on children with special health care needs: demographics, conditions, quality of care and more.

* Children’s emotional and behavioral health data, including tobacco and alcohol use, suicide rates, school connectedness, and other measures available for counties and local school districts.

* Child safety and welfare statistics, including bullying, child abuse and neglect, and foster care at the local level.

We invite you to explore our data and welcome your questions and comments!

We’re also offering a free, in-person training session on how to use kidsdata.org in San Francisco on April 9, 2013. For more information, click here.

Please contact Barbara Feder Ostrov, communications officer, at Barbara.FederOstrov@lpfch.org or 650-721-6044 or share in the comments section below.

Image credit: Calsidyrose via Flickr

Following are some recent news highlights about children and families, along with related data from kidsdata.org:

Alcohol & Tobacco Use (see related data)

Living in Caring Community May Help Curb Teen Alcohol Use, Research Finds
(PsychCentral, 1/13/13, by Wood)

CDC: Binge Drinking Important Health Issue for Girls and Young Women
(CNN, 1/8/13, by Curley)

Rate of Youth Smokers Decreases as Use of Smokeless Tobacco Increases, Report Finds
(California Healthline, 12/14/12)

Children’s Mental Health (see related data)

GAO Report: Improvements Needed in Mental Health Care for Children
(Huffington Post, 1/10/13, by Resmovits) 

About Half of Suicidal Teens Have Access to Therapy Prior to Ideation and Attempt, Research Finds
(NY Times, 1/8/13, by Carey)

Children Special Health Care Needs (see related data)

California Ranks Low Nationally in Providing Health Care and Social Services to Children with Special Health Care Needs
(LA Times, 1/17/13, by Gorman)

Study: Children with Chronic Conditions Regularly Treated with Alternative Therapies
(Huffington Post, 1/14/13, by Pearson)

Report: U.S. Child Cancer Death Rates Drop
(WebMD, 1/7/13, by Mann)

Children with Complex Chronic Diseases Taking Up Increasing Amount of Pediatric Hospital Resources
(HealthDay, 1/2/13, by Mozes)

Report: Federal Funding to California for Special Education Falling Short
(SF Chronicle, 1/3/13, by Tucker)

Study: Some Children Diagnosed with Autism as Young Children Lose Symptoms as They Age
(Disability Scoop, 1/15/13, by Heasley)

Demographics (see related data)

Shrinking California Child Population Signals Major Changes for State
(Wall Street Journal, 1/8/13, by Jordan)

Dental Health (see related data)

Report Finds State Facing Dental Crisis for Medi-Cal Children
(California Healthline, 1/18/13)

Affordable Care Act Offers Expanded Dental Coverage for Some Children
(Kaiser Health News, 1/14/13, by Andrews)
Also See: http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2013/01/15/169419717/law-expands-kids-dental-coverage-but-few-dentists-will-treat-them

California Gets “C” in Report on Basic Preventive Dental Procedure for Kids
(California Healthline, 1/8/13, by Gorn)

Exercise and Physical Fitness (see related data)

Reducing Kids’ Screen Time Alone May Not Promote Exercise, Study Suggests
(SJ Mercury, 1/10/13, by Pittman)

Study: 3 Out of 5 Elementary Schoolers Do Not Meet Physical Activity Goals
(MedPage Today, 1/7/13, by Neale)

Academic, Social, and Physical Benefits of Recess Make it ‘Crucial’ for School Kids, Pediatricians Say
(LA Times, 12/31/12, by Brown)

Infant and Maternal Mortality (see related data)

Disparities in Infant Mortality Require Deep, Complex Solutions
(HealthyCal.org, 1/14/13, by Gilligan)

Report: Racial Disparities in Maternal Mortality Persist; Overall Rate Increases
(Healthycal.org, 1/9/13, by Fulton)

San Francisco Works to Combat Black Infant Mortality Rate, Which Is Six Times That of White Infants
(SF Chronicle, 12/29/12, by Gonzales)

School Health Centers (see related data)

More than $14 Million in Funding to Go to California School Health Centers Under ACA
(California Healthline, 1/7/13)

American Academy of Pediatrics Urges Having Doctors for Every School District, Nurse in Every School
(Reuters Health, 12/31/12, by Seaman)

School Health Centers Partner with Existing Community Organizations to Increase Access to Health Services
(Reporting on Health, 1/15/13, by Plevin)

Weight (see related data)

Study: Parents Who Harshly Criticize Their Overweight Teens Do More Harm than Good
(NY Times, 1/9/13, by Brown)

Obesity Rates Decline Among Young, Low-Income Children, According to Study
(Reuters, 12/25/12, by Pittman)

California is trailing many other states when it comes to providing health and social services for children with special health care needs.

Our new study, Children with Special Health Care Needs in California: A Profile of Key Issues, analyzes the most recent data from a survey of parents by the U.S. Maternal and Child Health Bureau. California ranks in the bottom six of states on key health measures such as access to pediatric specialists and coordination of care.  Data from the study are available at http://www.kidsdata.org/cshcn/.

Among the key findings:

• An estimated one in 10 – approximately one million – California children under age 18 has a special health care need, ranging from mild to life-threatening.
More than four in five children with special health care needs in California do not receive care that meets federal minimum quality standards.
• Among the estimated 270,000 children with special health care needs in California with Medi-Cal or other public insurance coverage, only 6 percent receive health care that meets the federal quality standards. California ranks last in the nation on this measure, tied with Nevada.
  

Children are considered to have special health care needs if they have a chronic health problem and use more health care services than typical children.  These children may have asthma or diabetes, conditions that can be controlled with medication and lifestyle changes, or be dependent on sophisticated medical equipment to get through each day. They account for more than 40 percent of all health care costs among children nationwide, despite making up only about 16 percent of the U.S. child population.

Low-income families and families of children with the most complex needs usually have the most difficulty in finding medical and dental care, child care, transportation, educational assistance, medical equipment, consistent health insurance, and a range of other services.

We can and must do better by our children. Here are some possible solutions:

• Strengthen and expand care coordination efforts
• Facilitate access to community-based therapeutic and family support services.
• Improve availability, comprehensiveness, and affordability of insurance
• Improve access to specialist care
• Emphasize family-centered care

To that end, we have established the California Advocacy Network for Children with Special Health Care Needs, which brings together individuals and organizations to press for policy changes to improve the system. More than 450 individuals are Network members, representing families, young adults, care providers, insurers, advocates, researchers, and more. To find out more about the Network or join, click here.