Asthma, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and anxiety are the most commonly diagnosed chronic conditions among children in the Greater Cincinnati region, according to data collected through the 2017 Child Well-Being Survey.

The survey asked parents and guardians whether a doctor or other health care provider said their child had one of five chronic conditions: asthma, ADHD, anxiety, depression or diabetes. About 1 in 10 reported that their child had been diagnosed with asthma (13%, compared with 12% nationally), ADHD (13%, compared with 10% nationally) or anxiety (12% compared with 8% nationally).

Rates of depression and diabetes among children in the region were lower, with just 5% of children being diagnosed with the former (compared with 4% nationally) and 1% with the latter (compared with 0.4% nationally). National data are from the 2016 National Survey of Children’s Health, conducted by the National Center for Health Statistics at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

“Chronic conditions can have lasting impacts on a child, affecting his or her overall health, ability to learn and family life,” said O’dell Moreno Owens, M.D., M.P.H., President and CEO of Interact for Health. “Thus, it’s important for children to have access to quality health care, and one reason Interact for Health partners to improve kid’s health via school-based health centers in areas of need.”

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The 2017 Child Well-Being Survey is funded by Interact for Health and Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, with support from the United Way of Greater Cincinnati.

It was conducted March 5-Aug. 9, 2017, by the Institute for Policy Research at the University of Cincinnati. A random sample of 2,757 adult caregivers from a 22-county region in Southwest Ohio, Northern Kentucky and Southeast Indiana was interviewed by telephone. In 95 of 100 cases, the estimates will be accurate to ± 1.9 percent There are other sources of variation inherent in public opinion studies, such as non-response, question wording or context effects that can introduce error or bias.

Asthma Rates Vary by Geography, Demographics  

Survey data show that the burden of asthma is higher among certain populations. Children living in the City of Cincinnati (18 percent) or the Hamilton County suburbs (17 percent) were more likely to be diagnosed with asthma than those living in other areas of Southwest Ohio, Northern Kentucky and Southeastern Indiana, with rates ranging from 9 to 12 percent.

Asthma rates also varied by race. Rates of asthma among African American children at 20 percent and among children of other races at 19 percent were almost double the 11 percent rate of asthma reported in White children. The other race category included children of Asian, Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander or Native American decent.

Other data of note

  • ADHD diagnoses were more commonly reported among boys, at 16%, compared to girls at 10%.
  • While rates of childhood depression were low overall, with only 5% of parents or caregivers in the region reporting it, depression was more common among children living in households earning 100% or less of the Federal Poverty Guidelines, with 10% reporting that their child had been diagnosed.

For more information about the Child Well-Being Survey, click here.

Interact for Health works to promote health equity through grants, education, research, policy and engagement. To amplify the impact of its work, Interact for Health focuses on three strategic priorities: reducing tobacco use, addressing the opioid epidemic and ensuring that children have access to health care through school-based health centers.

Interact for Health is an independent foundation that serves 20 counties in Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana. More information is available here.

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