High Health Status - Children in Vermont

Vermont

Self-reported health status is a measure of how individuals perceive their health and is used as an indicator of a population’s health. Health status is a subjective measure of health-related quality of life and factors in not only certain health conditions or outcomes, but also life experiences, the health of others in a person’s life, support from family and friends and other holistic factors affecting well-being. 

Research shows that those with high self-reported health status (“excellent” or “very good”) have lower mortality rates from all causes compared with those with low self-reported health status (“fair” or “poor”). 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. 

Populations with a higher proportion of children reported as having high health status include:

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

Better self-reported health status is associated with higher educational attainment regardless of age, gender or race. This may be due in part to the fact that those with higher education suffer from fewer chronic conditions. They are also more likely to have better jobs and higher earnings, jobs with healthier working conditions and benefits, higher health literacy and access to resources to pursue a healthy lifestyle, including more nutritious foods, regular exercise and access to healthcare.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shares a number of additional strategies that may promote health in children and adolescents, such as:

• Providing physical activity education and opportunities to attain the recommended 60 minutes a day of exercise.  
• Implementing tobacco prevention programs and materials that educate young people about the risks of using tobacco products.  
• Improving healthy food options and accessibility for young people. 
• Encouraging adequate sleep for children and adolescents.

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 healthcare needs. 

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