It’s a shocking new statistic.
A recent study shows that nearly one in three children in the United States is living with a chronic condition, a figure that has risen significantly since 1999. By 2018, over 30% of children aged 5 to 17 were affected by chronic illnesses, up from around 23%. This increase translates to approximately 130,000 more children being diagnosed with chronic conditions each year.
Conditions such as ADHD/ADD, autism, asthma, prediabetes, and mood disorders like depression and anxiety have driven this rise. Lauren Wisk, the study’s lead researcher and an assistant professor at UCLA’s David Geffen School of Medicine, pointed out that children from socioeconomically vulnerable backgrounds, including those with lower incomes and public insurance, are more likely to develop chronic illnesses than their peers with more advantages.
The study, published in Academic Pediatrics, examined data from over 236,000 people aged 5 to 25 who participated in the National Health Interview Survey between 1999 and 2018. The research also found that chronic illnesses increased among young adults aged 18 to 25, with their rates rising from 19% to 29% over the same period, which means an additional 80,000 young adults are being diagnosed each year.
While many of these chronic conditions are treatable with proper healthcare, Wisk highlighted the challenges children face in accessing high-quality care. She emphasized that the healthcare system is not well-equipped to guide young people from pediatric to adult-focused care, putting them at risk of worsening health conditions. Wisk stressed the need for investments in healthcare support to ensure that these young people can manage their conditions and fully participate in society as they grow.
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