The problems of access, adequacy, and affordability of health insurance for persons with severe chronic conditions are analyzed. Part 1 defines the target population by considering conceptual and methodological issues, and examines statistics from various national surveys. Part 2 examines the distribution of health insurance throughout the…

This report examines the nature of the conditions presented by adolescents and the health care provided by office-based physicians. The characteristics of patients are noted and the reason for the visit to the doctor and the length of the visit are summarized. Tables present information on: (1) average annual rate of office visits of adolescents…

This report provides estimates of the lifetime and annual incidence of certain infectious diseases of children in various demographic groups. Data on the social and health care impact of the diseases in terms of limited activity, days spent in bed, school days lost, contacts with physicians, hospitalizations, surgery, and use of medication are…

This document presents a statistical study of hospital use by children in the United States and Canada designed to determine why the hospital discharge rate of children in the United States is lower than many other Western industrialized nations, although the discharge rate for the general U.S. population is higher. Several reasons for the lower…

This Kids Count report consists of four issues in a series of fact sheets that examine specific indicators of the well-being of children in South Dakota. Issue one focuses on teens and motor vehicle crashes. The fact sheet notes that teen death rates from car crashes have been higher than the national rate for 4 of the 5 years between 1992-1996.…

This report describes trends and differentials in births and birth rates for teenagers since 1970, and examines the demographic characteristics of the mothers and the health of their newborn children. A brief introduction and a review of highlights of the findings from National Vital Statistics System data is followed by discussions in several…

In 1981, information on births of Hispanic parentage was available for 22 States. The completeness of reporting of Hispanic origin continued to increase, with somewhat greater improvements measured for origin of the mother than of the father. The fertility rate of the Hispanic population continued to be very high: 97.5 births per 1,000 women, aged…

This newsletter issue focuses on the basic sliding fee child care program, outlining the need for child care assistance, explaining how the program costs less than public assistance, examining the effects on families waiting for the program, providing an overview of how the program currently works with a county-by-county analysis (a 2-page chart…

This study investigated characteristics of secondary school health education, examining 36 state surveys and 10 local surveys conducted among representative samples of school principals and lead health educators. From February-May 1998, most schools in participating states and cities required health education in grades 6-12. Of these, a median of…

In the United States, approximately three-fourths of all deaths among persons aged 10-24 years result from only four causes: motor-vehicle crashes, other unintentional injuries, homicide, and suicide. Results from this 1999 national Youth Risk Behavior Survey demonstrate that numerous high school students engage in behaviors that increase the…

This report presents revised birth and fertility rates for 1991-1999, plus previously published rates for 2000-2001, based on populations consistent with the April 1, 2000 census. Revised rates for Hispanic subgroups are also included. Rates are presented by age, race, and Hispanic origin of mother; by age, race, Hispanic origin, and marital…

Presented are highlights of U.S. Federal research and development (R&D) funding during fiscal years 1978-80. Data are presented in terms of budget authority for 16 selected Federal budget functions. Data show that the 4 leading functions are national defense, space research and technology, health, and energy. No significant change is seen during…

This report presents data on dietary intake obtained to assess the nutritional status of the United States population, aged 1-74 years. Age, sex, race, and income level differences in dietary intake are among the variables considered. Data are analyzed for certain groups at high risk of malnutrition (e.g., the poor, preschool children, women of…

This report presents 2001 data on U.S. births according to maternal demographics (age, live-birth order, marital status, race, Hispanic origin, and educational attainment); maternal characteristics (medical risk factors, weight gain, and tobacco and alcohol use); pregnant women's medical care utilization (prenatal care, obstetric procedures,…

This newsletter issue focuses on welfare reform and programs that help low-income children in Minnesota, including articles on the basic values which should guide welfare reform; current welfare reform proposals; the cost of welfare; the role of charities and the religious community; an overview of programs in Minnesota which assist low-income…