Survey Results

Survey Items: K7Q84; K7Q85; K7Q86

Denominator: Children age 6-17 years

Numerator: Met 0-1 flourishing items; Met 2 flourishing items; Met all 3 flourishing items

Revisions and Changes: New in the 2011/12 NSCH.

Additional Notes: Positive health items, “flourishing items” (also know as thriving), were newly included in the 2011/12 NSCH to provide information on childhood well-being and resilience. Flourishing as a concept contains multiple dimensions of physical health, mental and emotional health, caring, empathy and resilience, therefore items are organized by domains within thriving. Questions were developed based on a review of positive health indicators by a Technical Expert Panel. This TEP includes a representative group of experts in the field of survey methodology, children's health, community organizations, and family leaders. Additionally, there was a public comment period which yielded more interesting in this concept. From the collection of input from the Technical Expert Panel and Public Comment, two sets of flourishing items were developed for children age 6 months-5 years and a separate set for children 6-17 years based on developmentally appropriate experiences for each age group. For children age 6-17 years, three questions were asked that aimed to capture curiosity and discovery about learning, resilience, and self-regulation. These were captured through: (1) child shows interest and curiosity in learning new things, (2) child stays calm and in control when faced with a challenge, (3) child finishes tasks and follows through with plans. Additional positive health indicators included in the 2011/12 NSCH include: overall health status, school engagement (cares about doing well in school and completes all required homework), self-care and healthy decisions (physical activity, adequate sleep), participation in activities (extracurricular activities, volunteering, work for pay outside home), and relationship with family and peers (parent-child relationship, family eats meals together) among others.

Treatment of Unknown Values: Unknown values (responses coded as 'refused', 'don't know', or system missing) are not included in the denominator when calculating prevalence estimates and weighted population counts displayed in the data query results table. In nearly every case, the proportion of unknown values is less than 1% and the exclusion of these values does not change the prevalence estimates (%) and only marginally affects the weighted population counts (Weighted Est.). Exceptions are noted in the form of a “Data Alert” at the bottom of a results table.

History and Development: The Maternal and Child Health Bureau leads the development of the NSCH survey and indicators, in collaboration with the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) and a national technical expert panel. The expert panel includes representatives from other federal agencies, state Title V leaders, family organizations, and child health researchers. Previously validated questions and scales are used when available. Respondents’ cognitive understanding of the survey questions is assessed during the pretest phase and revisions made as required. All final data components are verified by NCHS and DRC/CAHMI staff prior to public release. The samples in 2003 and 2007 were drawn by random digit dial telephone sampling. The 2011/12 survey included the addition of cell phones to the sample. This has implications for the comparability of items between 2007 and 2011/12. More information can be found in the “Learn About the Surveys” section of this website.