Robert Kominski, U.S. Census Bureau Diana B. Elliott, U.S. Census Bureau

1. Risk Factors for Children in the U.S., States, and Metropolitan Areas: Data from the 2007 American Community Survey Robert Kominski, U.S. Census Bureau Diana B. Elliott, U.S. Census Bureau Molly Clever, University of Maryland Session 186: ACS in Applied Demography PAA – 2009 Annual Meeting Detroit, Michigan

2. Estimating Child Well-Being • Lots of research efforts • Annie E. Casey, Child Trends, Federal Interagency Forum • Foundation for Child Development/Ken Land • Many data sources – some integrated, some not

3. What is the goal? • Portraying the status of children • Use indicators – link to “domains” • Some summarize scores (102.5), others do not • See variability over groups, time and space • Geography is a problem – US is often the best we can do

4. Geographic Specificity • Very few data systems at sub-national level • Some sub-national data in administrative systems • But – these sometimes lack definitional comparability

5. Solution? • Consistent data source • Wide variety of measures • Collected routinely • For various subgroups • Across various levels of geography American Community Survey (ACS)?

6. ACS • Part of redesigned 2010 decennial census • Long-form data moved to continuous data collection • 250,000 households/month in sample • Yearly data/estimates for geographic units of 65,000+ (7000) • 3- and 5-yr collections for smaller units (20,000+, tracts) • Data reissued ANNUALLY

7. This Study • Data from the 2007 ACS • 1,055,000 sample kids (73,590,243 weighted), ages 0-17 • Households and Group Quarters • Data for all States and 363 Metro Areas 65K+ • Those 363 MSA’s are 84% of all kids 0-17

8. Indicators • No data set is fully complete • Identified 22 items in ACS data • Focus on ‘risk’ – conditions that might negatively affect children • Four domains: Individual; Familial/Household; Economic; Physical Environment • Some subjectivity and redundancy

9. 22 Risk Factors

10. Figure 1: Number of Children by Number of Risk Factors (2007), in millions Number of Children, in millions Number of Risk Factors Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 2007

11. Figure 2: Percentage of Children with Each Risk Factor (2007) Individual Familial/HH Economic Phys Environ. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 2007

12. Figure 3: Mean Risk Factors for Children by Selected Social Characteristics (2007) 2.18 - Boys Sex 2.18 - Girls 2.37 – 0 to 4 year olds 2.27 – 5 to 9 year olds Age Group 2.06 - 10 to 13 year olds 1.96 - 14 to 17 year olds 1.68 - White 3.24 – Black 3.25 – Amer. Ind./Alaska Nat. Race 2.54 - Asian 3.08 – Nat. Hawaiian/Pac. Isl. 4.03 – Other race 2.29 – Two or more races 1.77 - Not Hispanic Hispanic 3.75 - Hispanic U.S. Mean: 2.18 Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 2007

13. Figure 4: Percentage of Children with No Risk Factors by Selected Social Characteristics (2007) 31.4% - Boys Sex 31.7% - Girls 28.0% - 0 to 4 year olds Age Group 31.9% - 5 to 9 year olds 33.7% - 10 to 13 year olds 33.3% - 14 to 17 year olds 40.0% - White 13.1% – Black 12.3% – Amer. Ind./Alaska Nat. Race 19.2% - Asian 9.8% – Nat. Hawaiian/Pac. Isl. 6.5% – Other race 25.7% – Two or more races 37.4% - Not Hispanic Hispanic 9.1% - Hispanic Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 2007 U.S.: 31.5%

14. Figure 5: Percentage of Children with 8 or More Risk Factors by Selected Social Characteristics (2007) 3.0% - Boys Sex 3.0% - Girls 2.7% - 0 to 4 year olds Age Group 3.8% - 5 to 9 year olds 3.0% - 10 to 13 year olds 2.5% - 14 to 17 year olds 1.9% - White 4.0% – Black 4.2% – Amer. Ind./Alaska Nat. Race 4.1% - Asian 5.4% – Nat. Hawaiian/Pac. Isl. 10.0% – Other race 2.4% – Two or more races 1.5% - Not Hispanic Hispanic 8.6% - Hispanic U.S.: 3.0% Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 2007

15. Mean risk factors: States and Metros Metros States U.S. Mean: 2.2 Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 2007

16. No risk factors: States and Metros Metros States U.S. Average: 31.5% Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 2007

17. 8+ risk factors: States and Metros Metros States U.S. Average: 3.0% Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 2007

18. Individual risk factors: States and Metros Metros States U.S. Average: 17.0% Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 2007

19. Familial and household risk factors: States and Metros Metros States U.S. Average: 52.0% Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 2007

20. Economic risk factors: States and Metros Metros States U.S. Average: 27.1% Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 2007

21. Physical risk factors: States and Metros States Metros Less than 40% U.S. Average: 44.1% 40.0 to 49.9% 50.0 to 54.9% 55.0 to 59.9% 60% or more Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 2007

22. Summary • Analysis shows risk is not evenly distributed across groups or space • High geography (state) hides variability at lower levels (metros) • While the ACS is not perfect, content comparability, geographic specificity and temporal regularity are BIG plusses

23. Contact Information U.S. Census Bureau Housing and Household Economic Statistics Division Robert Kominski robert.a.kominski@census.gov Diana B. Elliott diana.b.elliott@census.gov