Celebrating Children’s Strength: International Childhood Cancer Day

February 15th, 2013

Today is International Childhood Cancer Day, hosted by the International Confederation of Childhood Cancer Parent Organizations (ICCPO) which is represented by the American Childhood Cancer Organization in the United States. ICCPO describes the day as one in which “the strength, courage and resiliency of children with cancer and their families are celebrated.”

Advances in the treatment of childhood cancers during the past 50 years have led to remarkable improvements in survival rates. Despite these advances, more children from birth to age 14 die of cancer than any other disease. Only accidents account for a larger number of childhood deaths. It’s estimated that more than 1,100 children under age 15 are diagnosed with cancer each year in California. Approximately one of every 340 children in California will develop some form of cancer before they reach 20 years old.

From 2005-2009, 9,101 children ages 0-19 in California were diagnosed with cancer, a rate of 17.4 diagnoses per 100,000 children/youth, according to kidsdata.org. The rate of cancer diagnoses increased from 16.4 in 2000-2004 to 17.4 in 2005-2009. Youth ages 15-19 generally have higher rates of cancer diagnoses than children ages 0-14. In California, white children also tend to have the highest rate of cancer diagnoses among all ethnic groups with available data, although Latino children have the greatest number of diagnoses.

Find out more about childhood cancer in California and the U.S. by checking out these resources:

California Cancer Facts and Figures, 2012, California Cancer Registry & American Cancer Society
Outcomes for Children and Adolescents with Cancer: Challenges for the 21st Century, 05/20/2010, Journal of Clinical Oncology, Smith et al.
National Cancer Institute: Childhood Cancers, U.S. National Institutes of Health

Posted by Roselyn Thomas

Tags: International Childhood Cancer Day, pediatric cancers

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Children and Environmental Health: New Insights from Environmental Protection Agency and Kidsdata.org

February 6th, 2013

A new update to a landmark Environmental Protection Agency study on children and the environment finds both good and bad news for America’s kids. And we’re seeing a similarly complex picture in California, according to kidsdata’s recently updated environmental health data.

First the good news from the EPA report, America’s Children and the Environment: the levels of toxins such as lead and cotinine (a marker of second-hand smoke exposure) in kids’ bodies have declined significantly since the 1970s. Kids increasingly are breathing less-polluted air in many communities as well.

Still – and this remains a mystery to scientists – despite nationwide improvements in air quality, asthma rates have risen slightly in U.S. children, particularly children of color.

Here are some highlights of kidsdata’s new environmental health data, which focus on conditions for California’s children:

Air Quality

In 2010, the annual average level of “fine particulate matter,” or soot, in the air exceeded the concentration considered potentially harmful in only two California counties (out of 30 with available data): Kern and Riverside.

That same year, San Bernardino County had the most recorded days (103) with ozone levels above the regulatory standard, among counties with available data, followed by Riverside (93), Tehama (78), Kern (69), and Los Angeles (69). The state as a whole averaged 15 days in which ozone concentrations exceeded regulations in 2010.

Measures of air quality on kidsdata.org also indicate improvements in some areas. For example, the recorded number of days with high ozone levels in Fresno County decreased by 99 days in the past decade. In 2001, the county had 145 documented days in which ozone levels were above regulatory standards. In 2010, that number decreased to 46 days.

Lead Exposure

In 2010, almost one-third (30%) of California children and youth identified with elevated blood levels resided in Los Angeles County. The vast majority of children screened for lead poisoning are under age 6 because Medicaid and state regulations require that every child covered by a government-funded health program be preventively screened for lead poisoning twice, once at 12 months old and again at age 2 (or at the next opportunity up until age 6).

Water Contamination

California had 1,730 violations indicating that contaminant levels in drinking water exceeded public health limits in 2009. Nearly two-thirds of these violations occurred in seven counties: Fresno (254 violations), Tulare (208), Kern (198), Madera (132), San Joaquin (110), Monterey (101), and Sonoma (100).

For more information and a deeper data dive, click here.

Posted by Barbara Feder Ostrov

Tags: environmental health, pollution

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Recent Children’s Health News Roundup: Mental Health, Infant Mortality, School Health Centers, and More

January 25th, 2013

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

Posted by kidsdata.org

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Health Care System for Chronically Ill Children in California Lags Behind Many States, New Study Shows

January 17th, 2013

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.

California ranks 50th in the nation on the percentage of children with special health care needs who have problems getting needed referrals for specialty care.

Families of children with special health care needs in California are more likely than families in all other states to cut back or stop working due to their child’s condition.

California ranks last in the nation on the percentage of children with special health care needs whose families experience shared decision making with health care providers.

Although most California children with special health care needs are insured, just 59% of those who are insured have consistent and adequate health insurance coverage to meet their health needs.

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.

Posted by kidsdata.org

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California’s Shrinking Child Population Signals Major Changes for State

January 8th, 2013

California’s population of children is shrinking, and that means some big changes ahead for the Golden State.

In 1970, children made up 33 percent of California’s population, but by 2030 they’re expected to comprise just 20 percent, according to a new demographic analysis commissioned by the Lucile Packard Foundation for Children’s Health and conducted by University of Southern California researchers.

The growing imbalance between children and retirees means that the economic role of a child born in 2015 will be nearly twice as important as that of a child born in 1985, the report suggests.

“These trends are not yet widely recognized, but they should be a wake-up call for policymakers. Policymakers are making decisions about public resources and budget allocations based on what they think the child population used to be, and not what it really is,” said report author Dowell Myers, professor of policy and demography and director of the Population Dynamics Research Group at USC. “We will be increasingly dependent economically and socially on a smaller number of children. They are more important to the state’s future success than ever before.”

Why exactly is California’s child population shrinking? Far-reaching demographic changes, including declining birth rates, fewer newcomers to the state and a smaller population of women of childbearing age all play a role, Myers said.

The state’s birth rate has declined in every major racial and ethnic group since 2000 and has fallen below what demographers call the necessary “replacement level” of 2.1 births per woman. The loss of California’s children coincides with the expected retirements of the state’s over-65 population whom these children will replace as workers, taxpayers, voters and consumers.

“Our hope is that this report will encourage policymakers to recognize the population trends identified in this report and address the issues they raise,” said David Alexander, M.D., CEO of the Lucile Packard Foundation for Children’s Health. “As children become an increasingly rare and precious resource, the case becomes even more compelling to provide them with best health care and education possible.”

You can read the report and get more information here.

Posted by David Alexander, MD

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Sparking the Connection: School Connectedness in California

December 19th, 2012

Finding their way in school can be difficult for many children. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) identifies one factor, school connectedness, that can be a protective factor to help students to avoid negative outcomes. The CDC defines school connectedness as “the belief by students that adults and peers in the school care about their learning as well as about them as individuals.” Research shows that students with higher levels of school connectedness are more likely to succeed in school and have lower rates of emotional and behavioral problems.

Here’s some of what we know about school connectedness among California’s children.

• 87-90% of 7th, 9th, and 11th graders, and 82% of students in non-traditional schools, report medium or high levels of school connectedness, according to 2008-10 data.
• While school connectedness varies by county/school district and by racial/ethnic group, from 2004-06 to 2008-10, the statewide percentage of students with high levels of school connectedness rose for all racial/ethnic groups, as well as for all grade levels and for both boys and girls.
• In 2008-10, only 12-17% of California students surveyed reported a high level of agreement that they have opportunities for meaningful participation at school, such as doing interesting activities, helping to make decisions, and doing things that make a difference at school.

On kidsdata.org, school connectedness is measured by student reports of being treated fairly, feeling close to people, feeling happy, feeling part of, and safe at, school. Find more information about these and other key findings from the California Healthy Kids Survey in our recently released data advisory.

Increasing school connectedness involves programs and policies that involve all stakeholders in schools: families, faculty and staff, community members, and, perhaps most importantly, students themselves. The CDC describes several strategies to improve school connectedness. Here are three of their strategies that focus on students and their families.

1. Engage students and families in the decision-making processes in schools.
2. Promote families’ involvement in their children’s academic and school life. Schools may need to provide specific opportunities for engagement as well as educate family members about how they can participate.
3. Develop positive learning environments in classrooms. Train and support teachers in utilizing classroom management and teaching methods that create this environment.

What do schools do in your local community to promote school connectedness?

Posted by Roselyn Thomas

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Students Speak Up: Bullying is Widespread in California Schools

December 17th, 2012

Recently updated data on student reports of bullying and harassment in California schools suggest that bullying is an issue of widespread concern in the Golden State. The data come from the California Healthy Kids Survey (CHKS), a survey of students developed and administered by WestEd for the California Department of Education (CDE). Forty-two percent of 7th graders in California reported being bullied or harassed at school in the past year. Percentages were lower among 9th and 11th graders; 35% of 9th graders and 28% of 11th graders reported being bullied. Student reports of bullying and harassment are available at the school district and county level, providing a local lens on an issue of statewide concern and focus. Data also are available at the state level.

To tackle this issue, the U.S. Department of Justice recently coordinated a Bay Area “Stop Bullying” Summit in San Francisco with local officials. Using data from kidsdata.org, this summit sought to bring more attention to the prevalence of bullying and harassment in California. Moreover the conference highlighted bullying prevention efforts being utilized around the Bay Area. Bullying and harassment are important issues and many Californians including schools, parents, youth, and governmental officials are stepping up to promote bullying prevention and student safety in schools.

Have you checked out the amount of student-reported bullying in your area? What are people and schools in your community doing to prevent bullying?

Posted by Roselyn Thomas

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Celebrate National Adoption Month

November 29th, 2012

November is National Adoption Month. Data indicate that in 2011 there were 56,138 children in foster care in California. Though the percentage of children who are adopted within four years of entry into the foster care system in California has increased since 1998, most children are reunited with their family. Data also indicate adoption takes time; according to 2011 data, 66% of foster care youth in California who were eventually adopted waited over two years until they were placed into a permanent residence. And oftentimes, that stay in foster care is marked by instability; 2011 data show that 15.6% of California children in foster care for less than one year experienced three or more placements.

For a perspective on helping adopted children overcome adversity, please see our October 2011 guest blog post. You also can help raise awareness this month about youth in foster care using more data from kidsdata.org. Finally, spread the word about National Adoption Month through Child Welfare Information Gateway’s social media initiative.

Posted by Lindsey Nguyen

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November Is American Diabetes Month

November 26th, 2012

This November, help raise awareness about childhood diabetes by promoting American Diabetes Month, sponsored by the American Diabetes Association.

Diabetes continues to be one of the leading causes of death in America, according to a 2011 report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and its death rate has increased in recent years.

In California, an estimated 2% of children under age 18 with special health care needs has diabetes, according to 2009-2010 data.

Diabetes also is one of the 10 most common primary diagnoses for hospital stays among children under age 18, accounting for around 1% of all hospital discharges in California between 2002 and 2009.

For more information and resources for children and parents affected by diabetes, please refer to these guides provided by the American Diabetes Association.

Posted by kidsdata.org

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