Name of Report: 2003 Rhode Island KIDS COUNT Factbook (Health Indicators)
Organizational Affiliation: Rhode Island KIDS COUNT
Author: Rhode Island KIDS COUNT
Date: 2003
Contact Information: Rhode Island KIDS COUNT,
One Union Station, Providence RI 02903
Telephone: 401-351-9400 Fax: 401-351-1758
Email: rikids@rikidscount.org Website: http://www.rikidscount.org
Pages: 132
Content Summary
The 2003 KIDS COUNT Factbook provides statistical data
on the status of children in cities and towns across the state of
Rhode Island, and is an important resource for community leaders and
policy-makers. This ninth annual work also includes an aggregate
profile based on data from five core cities (Providence, Pawtucket,
Woonsocket, Newport, and Central Falls) in which more than fifteen
percent of children are impoverished. Using the most current available
data, The 2003 KIDS COUNT Factbook presents 52 indicators in the
areas of Family and Community, Economic Well-Being, Health, Safety,
and Education. A new health indicator for 2003 is “Childhood Immunizations.”
Major Findings
All data is specific to the state of Rhode Island, unless otherwise mentioned.
Children’s Health Insurance
Rhode Island has the lowest rate of uninsured children in the country;
it has been reduced by more than half in the past six years.
Childhood Immunizations
Rhode Island is one of only a few states that purchases
all vaccines for children and distributes them to providers.
Immunization rates increased by 40% between 1995 and 2001.
Despite improvements in overall vaccination rates, racial and
economic disparities exist.
Access to Dental Care
Minority families, low-income families, and
families with low education levels are most likely to be
uninsured for dental care. Impoverished children and
minority children have the greatest extent of untreated
dental problems. The state has increased efforts to encourage
dentists to accept patients with Medicaid coverage
Children’s Mental Health
External risk factors for developing a mental disorder include
poverty, deprivation, and other stressful family situations.
Children with prenatal damage due to low birthweight, and
exposure to alcohol and drugs are at a higher risk of developing
a mental disorder. Mental health systems must move towards
prevention and away from crisis-driven treatment
Children with Special Needs
Services and equipment required by children with special needs
are often a financial burden for families of all income levels.
Needs vary based on population differences, such as family income,
race, ethnicity, primary language, and parents’ educational level.
Women and Children Receiving WIC
WIC is not well funded enough to provide services for all eligible
women, children, and infants. Children in the WIC program are
becoming increasingly overweight, despite the program’s goal of
improving nutrition and healthy eating.
Breastfeeding
Breastfeeding rates for Black and Asian infants are significantly
lower than the rates for other racial and ethnic groups. Black women
have the lowest breastfeeding rates, statewide and nationally. The
most significant obstacle to continuing to breastfeed is a need to
return to work. Nationally, the highest rates of breastfeeding occur
among women who are White or Hispanic, over 30 years old, higher-
income, and college-educated.
Women with Delayed Prenatal Care
Early prenatal care is especially important for women who face multiple
risks for poor birth outcomes. Women who live in the core cities are
less likely to begin prenatal care in the first trimester, despite increased
levels of prenatal care statewide.
Low Birthweight Infants
Increased risk of low birthweight is strongly associated with poverty,
maternal smoking, and low levels of educational attainment. Black women
are twice as likely to have a low birthweight infant than White women, and
the rate is higher than any other racial or ethnic group, due to higher rates
of preterm delivery. Causes of preterm delivery are not well understood.
Infant Mortality
Communities with multiple problems, such as poverty, unemployment, and
illiteracy, tend to have higher infant mortality. The black infant mortality rate
is more than twice the rate for White infants over the past few years. Infant
mortality rates for all racial and ethnic groups except White infants have
been gradually rising since 1995.
Children with Lead Poisoning
Low-income children and minority children are most likely to be affected
by lead poisoning, due to a lack of newer and affordable housing,
inadequate nutrition, and anemia. The core cities have child lead exposure
rates that are three times the statewide levels. In 2002, the state legislature
passed the Lead Mitigation Act, which strongly enforces lead safety in
housing and increases tenants’ rights.
Children with Asthma
Black children are more likely to suffer from asthma than White, non-Hispanic
or Hispanic children, due to associations between the prevalence of asthma
and poverty levels, urban air quality, indoor allergens, and lack of patient
education and adequate medical care.
Births to Teens
Between the late 1980s and the late 1990s, teen birth rates declined for
all racial and ethnic groups except Asian, which increased by 17%. The
rates for Blacks decreased the most, followed by Hispanics, then Whites.
Alcohol, Drug, and Cigarette Use by Teens
The greatest risk factors for cigarette and alcohol use are frequent
academic problems and number of friends who smoke or drink regularly.
Teens who use alcohol are much more likely to have sex than teens who
do not, and are more likely to have sex at a younger age, which puts them
at greater risk of becoming pregnant.
Additional Children’s Health Issues
More information is needed on health risks and risk behavior among
adolescents, safety in schools, and access to health care in schools.
Unaddressed Issues or Concerns
This report notes the exceptional increase in teen birth rates among
Asians. A 2002 report by Hou recommends that sex educational programs
should be developed to address the unique concerns of Asian teenagers.
Further research to understand the cultural values that affect which Asians
become sexually active and which are less likely to be sexually active is needed.
Reference List
Hou, Su-I. “Correlates of Sexual Behaviors among White and Asian High
School Students in the US.” AEP 12.7 (2002): 522
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