Top 10 Child Health Concerns

Top parental concerns center on children’s and teens’ use of devices and social media. Over half of parents rate mental health issues as a big problem. Parents in low-income households rate more issues as a big problem for children and teens.

Overuse of social media/screen time and bullying/cyberbullying are the top 2 concerns among parents overall. Black parents rate racism as the top health concern for kids in the US. Almost half of parents rate COVID-19 as a “big problem.”

1 in 3 parents are very concerned about bullying/cyberbullying for their children. Black parents cite racial inequities as the top health concern for their children. Involvement of their child in a motor vehicle accident is a common concern for many parents.

For black adults, racial inequities and school violence are the #2 and #3 health concerns – neither of which appears in the Top 10 list for white adults. Black adults are the only group with gun injuries and hunger ranked in the Top 10. Childhood obesity and drug abuse are in the top three “big problems” for white and Hispanic adults, but lower on the list for black adults.

Adults rate childhood obesity, bullying and drug abuse at the top of the list of big health problems for kids across the U.S. Internet safety rises to the 4th biggest child health concern, up from 8th in 2014.  Sexting rises to #6 on the list of biggest health concerns, up from 13th in 2014.

Adults rate childhood obesity at the top of the list of big health problems for kids in their communities and for kids across the US. Bullying is rated as the #2 health concern for kids across the country. School violence is rated as #5 health concern for kids across the country.

Adults across the US rate childhood obesity at the top of the list of big health problems for children in their communities. Hispanic adults rate bullying as the #2 health concern for children in their communities. Black adults rate school violence as the #3 health concern for children in their communities; Hispanic adults also rate school violence in their top 10.

Adults rate ‘not enough exercise’ at the top of the list of big health problems for children in their communities. Other top health concerns include childhood obesity, smoking, drug abuse and bullying. Top child health concerns differ for black and Hispanic adults compared with white adults.

Drug abuse and childhood obesity are the top health concerns for kids, rated by 33% of adults as big problems. Top 10 health concerns include risks associated with children’s use of technology, including internet safety and sexting. Top health concerns for kids are dramatically different in the eyes of white, black and Hispanic adults.

Childhood obesity is rated by adults as the top health problem for children in their communities for the third year in row. Most adults who rate childhood obesity, stress, & teen pregnancy as big problems for children say these problems are “getting worse”. Among black adults, smoking is rated as the top health problem for children.