High Health Status - Children in Montana

Montana

Self-reported health status is a measure of how individuals perceive their own health. Health status is a subjective measure of health-related quality of life that is not limited to specific health conditions or outcomes, but factors in social support, ability and ease of functioning, and other socioeconomic, environmental and cultural components. 

Research shows that those with “poor” self-reported health status have a mortality risk double that of those with “excellent” self-reported health status. The association between health status and mortality makes this measure a good predictor of future mortality rates and future use of health care.

Chronic illnesses such as ADHD, anxiety, cancer and kidney disease are often associated with lower quality of life and lower self-reported health status in children. More years of schooling are associated with better self-reported health status, which may be related to the fact that those with higher education are more likely to have fewer chronic conditions.

According to data from the National Survey of Children’s Health, the prevalence of children described as being in “very good” or “excellent” health is higher among:

• Non-Hispanic white children compared with American Indian/Alaska Native, Asian, Black and Hispanic children.
• Children living in higher-income households.
• Children of parents with a college degree or higher compared with those whose parents have lower levels of educational attainment. 

A study of high school dropouts found that the link between lower education and negative health outcomes was even more pronounced for children who grew up in low-income households. Research has found that a good self-perception of one’s financial security and economic situation is further associated with better health status.

The Community Preventive Services Task Force recommends implementing high-quality center-based early childhood education programs in order to improve health. These programs promote health equity and narrow the educational achievement gap, especially for children in low-income or racial/ethnic minority communities.

Additional strategies that promote children’s health include:

• Scheduling regular well-child visits.
• Getting immunizations in a timely manner.
• Encouraging healthy eating by incorporating more fruits and vegetables into their diets.
• Providing physical education and opportunities to attain the recommended 60 minutes of exercise a day.
• Developing healthy sleep habits.

The Title V Maternal and Child Health Services Block Grant Program has several goals for children’s health, including:

• Supporting access to quality health care for low-income mothers and children.
• Increasing health assessments and follow-up services, especially for low-income children. 
• Fostering family-centered, community-based care systems for children with special health care needs.

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