Despite Improvements, Delaware County Still has Highest Rates of Key Child Health Issues
PHILADELPHIA, PA (February 5th, 2013) – PCCY’s latest report “The Bottom Line is Children: Children’s Health Status in Delaware County” finds that Delaware County has made great strides in improving child health, but the County still struggles with providing coverage for children and reducing childhood obesity.
Positive trends from the report:
- Teen birth rate decreased 16% over the past 5 years; however Delaware County has the highest teen birth rate among the four suburban counties.
- Asthma hospitalizations decreased 14%, yet Delaware County has the highest asthma hospitalization rate among the four suburban counties.
- Infant mortality rate decreased 8%, yet Delaware County has the highest rate among the four suburban counties.
The report also identified troubling trends:
- While 96% of children have health insurance, there are still more than 4,700 Delaware County children who are uninsured.
- 5,000 fewer children are overweight or obese than five years ago, yet 1 in 3 Delaware County children are still overweight or obese.
- Only 19% of children under six were tested for lead, while 75% of Delaware County homes may contain lead-based paint.
“Research proves healthy children are more likely to grow up to become healthy, successful adults. Better childhood health is linked to improved educational attainment, better employment opportunities and higher income in adulthood,” according to a study from the Robert Wood Foundation.
“Delaware County has made great strides in improving the health of its children,” said Colleen McCauley, Health Director for PCCY. “While great progress has been made, more work still needs to be done to make sure all Delaware County children grow up healthy.”
Of the more than 4,700 Delaware County children who do not have health insurance, more than a quarter (1,276) can not obtain health insurance because they do not have qualifying immigration status. Every child in Pennsylvania is eligible for Medical Assistance or CHIP except children who are undocumented. Delaware County is not the only County facing this issue. Of the nearly 20,000 children in Bucks, Chester, Delaware and Montgomery counties who are uninsured, more than a quarter (5,692) are undocumented and do not have access to health insurance.
“No child should have to suffer because of a lack of health insurance,” said Karen Breitmayer, Advocacy Director for ChesPenn Health Centers. “Regardless of their immigration status, every child in Delaware County should be able to see a doctor when they are sick or hurt.”
The number of overweight and obese children in the county dropped 16% over the last five years (5,040 fewer children), making Delaware County the only suburban county with a drop in overweight and obese children. However, approximately one in three Delaware County children is overweight or obese. Childhood obesity is not just contained to Delaware County. Combined there are more than 114,000 children in Bucks, Chester, Delaware and Montgomery Counties who are overweight or obese. In Delaware County, PCCY’s report shows disparities persisted between children of different races, ethnicities and income levels.
“We are proud to provide programs that help to improve the health of women and children, especially those living in poor communities,” said Joanne Craig, Administrative Director of Women and Children’s Health Services for Crozer-Keystone Health System. “The healthier our children are, the better off they will be when they grow up.”
To improve overall child health in Delaware County, PCCY recommends that officials:
- Launch a county-wide campaign to get every eligible child health insurance
- Push the Commonwealth to remove the barrier to health coverage faced by undocumented children
- Encourage the State Department of Public Welfare to increase the quality of provider networks where necessary and improve efforts to reduce the incidence of obesity among the children served by the Medicaid Managed Care companies
- Improve county reporting on children without dental insurance and the number of children diagnosed and receiving treatment for behavioral health conditions
- Identify new funds to test and remediate homes and eliminate childhood lead poisoning
PCCY’s report, “The Bottom Line is Children: Children’s Health Status in Delaware County,” is the latest in a four-part series looking at issues affecting children in each of Philadelphia’s suburban counties. PCCY’s previous reports on education and family economic security can be viewed at www.childrenfirstpa.org/bottomlinecountyreports
The full report “The Bottom Line is Children: Children’s Health Status in Delaware County” can be viewed online at www.childrenfirstpa.org/userfiles/file/BottomLineCountyReports/Delaware/Health/PCCYBLHealthDelCo2013.pdf