The CS Mott Children’s Hospital National Survey on Children’s Health asked a national sample of parents to rate their level of concern on various health topics. Parents rated each topic as a big problem, a bit of a problem, or not a problem for children and adolescents in the United States. The main concerns considered by parents to be a major problem for children and adolescents are presented below.
Parents’ top 10 child health concerns in 2023:
- Device overuse/screen time (67%)
- Social media (66%)
- Internet security (62%)
- Depression/suicide (57%)
- Intimidation (53%)
- Stress/anxiety (52%)
- Unhealthy diet (52%)
- Health care/health insurance costs (50%)
- School violence (49%)
- Smoking/vaping (48%)
Just outside the Top 10 are obesity (48%), firearm injuries (47%), lack of mental health services (47%), poverty (45%), drug use alcohol/drug abuse (44%), child abuse/neglect (42%), followed by unequal access to health care (35%), parental stress (35%), inaccurate/misleading health information (31%), teenage pregnancy/sexual activity (31%), discrimination (31%). , unsafe neighborhoods (30%), gay/gender (LGBTQ) issues (29%), and health risks from polluted water and air (23%). At the bottom of the list are vaccine safety (16%), overinvolved parents/overdoing parents (13%), and COVID (12%).
Several issues are considered a major problem by a higher proportion of parents living in low-income households (<$50,000); these include depression/suicide, bullying, school violence, unsafe neighborhoods, alcohol/drug use, smoking/vaping, pregnancy/teen sexual activity , child abuse/neglect, parental stress, discrimination, COVID and pollution-related health risks. In contrast, overuse of devices and social media is seen as a major problem by a higher proportion of parents in middle-income ($50,000 - $99,999) and high-income (≥$100,000) households. Parents across income groups have similar ratings of poor diet, obesity, health care costs and lack of mental health services.
Strong points
- Parents’ biggest concerns are around children’s and teens’ use of devices and social media.
- More than half of parents consider mental health issues to be a major problem.
- Parents from low-income households consider more problems a major problem for children and adolescents.
Consequences
Since 2007, the Mott Poll has published periodic reports on parents’ level of concern about various issues related to the health of America’s children and adolescents. The top questions were around the role of social media and the internet in children’s lives, with two-thirds of parents expressing concerns about their children’s increased use of social media, as well as screen time in general. These topics have become more important during the pandemic, and this report shows that parents’ concerns have not lessened. As previous Mott survey reports show, children are using social media at younger ages and parents are struggling to know how to appropriately monitor this area and help their children avoid the negative aspects of its use.
The survey results also demonstrate parents’ ongoing concern about their children’s mental health. More than half of parents cited mental health topics as big problems for American children, such as depression/suicide and stress/anxiety, as well as related topics like bullying. Notably, nearly half of parents cited a lack of mental health services as a major problem. The mismatch between the growing number of young people with mental health problems and limited access to mental health services has short- and long-term implications for children’s well-being.
Parents also expressed a high level of concern about school violence, which may reflect direct experience of school shootings or fights as well as media coverage of these events. Additionally, changes to the school environment (e.g., metal detectors, armed guards, locked doors) and active shooter drills can remind children and parents of the potential for violence at school. Parents may struggle to manage their own stress and anxiety while trying to reassure their child. They may want to talk periodically with their child about how they perceive their safety at school and their feelings about dangerous incidents at school. Parents can speak with their child’s teacher or principal to ensure proper protocols are in place if a dangerous situation arises.
New to the Top 10 is concern about health care costs for children, including the costs of obtaining health insurance. In recent years, federal policies required states to maintain Medicaid enrollment for the duration of the pandemic. As these requirements end, families who no longer qualify will face the challenge of finding affordable coverage for their children.
Poor diet and obesity remain significant problems, but have been overtaken by concerns about mental health and time spent in front of screens and social media. Whether these are current or emerging concerns, parents may find that their child’s health care provider can be an effective partner in helping them resolve these issues.
This Mott poll also highlights the greater level of concern over a host of issues among parents in low-income households. This may reflect their daily experiences facing environmental challenges such as unsafe neighborhoods, as well as bullying or discrimination that may be more commonly experienced by children from low-income families. Additionally, low-income parents reported higher levels of concern about mental health and substance use. Although these problems affect children and adolescents of all incomes, low-income parents may feel more vulnerable to these problems. Overall, parents from lower-income households rated a greater number of topics as big problems; Concern about more health problems among children may contribute to more children reporting parental stress as a major problem.
