Children's Health, the Nation's Wealth

Children's health has clearly improved over the past several decades. Significant and positive gains have been made in lowering rates of infant mortality and morbidity from infectious diseases and accidental causes, improved access to health care, and reduction in the effects of environmental contaminants such as lead. Yet major questions still remain about how to assess the status of children's health, what factors should be monitored, and the appropriate measurement tools that should be used. Children's Health, the Nation's Wealth: Assessing and Improving Child Health provides a detailed examination of the information about children's health that is needed to help policy makers and program providers at the federal, state, and local levels. In order to improve children's healthand, thus, the health of future generationsit is critical to have data that can be used to assess both current conditions and possible future threats to children's health. This compelling book describes what is known about the health of children and what is needed to expand the knowledge. By strategically improving the health of children, we ensure healthier future generations to come. Table of Contents Front Matter Executive Summary 1 Introduction 2 Children's Health: A New Conceptual Framework 3 Influences on Children's Health 4 Measuring Children's Health 5 Measuring Influences on Children's Health 6 Developing State and Local Data Systems 7 Conclusions and Recommendations References Appendix A: Datasets for Measuring Children's Health and Influences on Children's Health Appendix B: Gaps Analysis of Measures of Children's Health and Influences on Children's Health in Select National Surveys Appendix C: Selected Indicators from National Children's Data Syntheses Appendix D: Glossary Appendix E: Acronyms Appendix F: Biographical Sketches of Committee Members and Staff Index