Want to Raise Happy & Healthy Kids? These are the States to Avoid, Research Reveals
June 20 2024 - 2:42PM
New research finds that Connecticut (1), Massachusetts (2), and New
York (3) have the happiest and healthiest child populations, while
Mississippi (50) and South Carolina (49) have the least.
VocoVision released the Happy Child Index, which ranks all 50
states on ten factors that impact children’s mental and physical
health, to better understand the disparities in mental and physical
health support for children in communities and schools
nationwide.
Connecticut (1), the overall happiest and healthiest
state for children, has the fifth highest rate of children living
in neighborhoods with a library. In addition, children in the state
have the sixth best access to parks and recreation facilities in
the nation.
Connecticut has the fifth lowest youth suicide rate and the
seventh best mental health provider per population ratio, meaning
children and teenagers in the state have the support they need to
stay in school, start careers, and live healthy lives.
The Top 10 Happiest & Healthiest States for
Children
- Connecticut
- Massachusetts
- New York
- Maryland
- Rhode Island
- Illinois
- Utah
- New Jersey
- Nebraska
- Minnesota
Mississippi (50) ranked last in the happiest and
healthiest states for children with the second worst access to
healthy foods and the second worst access to parks and recreation
facilities.
The state’s rate of children who live in neighborhoods with
access to a library is also the second lowest in the nation.
Mississippi also has the second lowest rate of children in the
state receiving the recommended age-appropriate hours of sleep.
The state has the seventh highest disconnected youth rate, with
8.73% of teens and young adults ages 16-19 who are neither working
nor in school, therefore at an increased risk of violence and
emotional deficits.
Additional Findings:
- Massachusetts
(2) has the highest number of mental health providers per
population ratio, with one provider for every 145 residents.
- New Jersey
(8) has the highest rate of children living in neighborhoods with a
library, at 83.9%.
- Children in
Utah (7) get the most sleep, with 74.9% of children
receiving the recommended age-appropriate hours of sleep each
night.
- Louisiana
(43) is the easiest state to find mental healthcare treatment or
counseling for children in. However, Louisiana has the fourth
highest disconnected youth rate in the nation at 10%, and the state
has the third worst access to healthy food.
- Alaska (44)
has the highest youth suicide rate and disconnected youth rate in
the country.
- Children in New
York (3) have the best access to healthy foods in the nation.
The state also offers the third best access to libraries, the
eighth best access to parks, and the fourth lowest youth suicide
rate.
The analysis is based on the following ten categories: access to
neighborhood libraries; child sleep quality; access to mental
healthcare providers and counselors for children; mental health
provider to population ratio; youth suicide rate; disconnected
youth rate; access to parks and recreation facilities, such as a
YMCA; access to healthy foods; level of difficulty children
experience when making friends; and air pollution.
VocoVision Vice President Jessica Marlow commented:
“At VocoVision, we believe that every child, regardless of their
geographical location, deserves equal access to resources, care,
and opportunities to cultivate their overall well-being. The Happy
Child Index provides an in-depth analysis of the crucial aspects
affecting our children's daily lives, such as access to quality
healthcare, nutritious food, and emotional support networks. By
examining these factors, we aspire to spark a nationwide
conversation on the importance of understanding and addressing the
varying needs of children in different communities," said
Marlow.
For a full breakdown of where each state ranked in the index,
please visit the Happy Child Index here.
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About VocoVisionFounded in 2011, VocoVision’s mission is
to find imaginative solutions to ensure that education and special
services are more accessible. VocoVision offers a state-of-the-art
network that makes it possible for schools and school districts to
connect with highly qualified educators and therapists in any part
of the country. VocoVision teleservice solutions empower students
to experience the face-to-face connections they need to break down
barriers and go further than they ever imagined. For more
information, visit vocovision.com.
MethodologyFor the full methodology, please visit the
Happy Child Index. The ten categories and data sources utilized in
the Happy Child Index include:
- Limited Access to
Healthy Foods: Percentage of the population who are low-income and
do not live close to a grocery store in 2019. Retrieved from USDA
Food Environment Atlas.
- Mental Health
Provider Ratio: Ratio of population to mental health providers,
retrieved from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
(CMS) National Provider Identification Registry.
- Suicide Rate of
15-24 Age Group: The average number of intentional self-harm deaths
per 100,000 in the 15-24 age group from 2018-2021, retrieved from
the CDC National Center for Health Statistics National Vital
Statistics System.
- Disconnected Youth
Rate: Percentage of teens and young adults ages 16-19 who are
neither working nor in school, therefore at an increased risk of
violence, smoking, alcohol consumption and marijuana use, and may
have emotional deficits and less cognitive and academic skills than
their peers who are working and/or in school, retrieved from the
U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS), 5-year
estimates.
- Access to Exercise
Opportunities: Percentage of population with adequate access to
locations for physical activity, such as public parks and exercise
facilities, retrieved from Business Analyst, ESRI, YMCA & U.S.
Census Tigerline Files.
- Air Pollution:
Average daily density of fine particulate matter in micrograms per
cubic meter (PM2.5), retrieved from the CDC’s National
Environmental Public Health Tracking Network.
- Access to
Friendships: Percentage of respondents choosing “No Difficulty
Making or Keeping Friends” in response to the question, “Compared
to other children their age, how much difficulty does this child
have making or keeping friends, age 6-17 years?” Retrieved from the
Child and Adolescent Health Measurement Initiative. 2022 National
Survey of Children’s Health (NSCH) data query.
- Child Sleep Quality:
Percentage of children (age 3-17 years) receiving the recommended
age-appropriate hours of sleep each night, retrieved from the Child
and Adolescent Health Measurement Initiative. 2022 National Survey
of Children’s Health (NSCH) data query.
- Access to
Neighborhood Libraries: Percentage of children who live in
neighborhoods with a library or bookmobile. Retrieved from the
Child and Adolescent Health Measurement Initiative. 2022 National
Survey of Children’s Health (NSCH) data query.
- Access to Mental
Healthcare for Children: Percentage of respondents who say getting
the mental health treatment or counseling that this child (age 3-17
years) needed was not difficult. Retrieved from the Child and
Adolescent Health Measurement Initiative. 2022 National Survey of
Children’s Health (NSCH) data query.
- Best States for Children's Mental Health
Naomi Griffin
VocoVision
904-360-2186
info@vocovision.com