The mission of Children’s HealthWatch is to achieve health equity for young children and their families by advancing research to transform policy. In 2024 we continued our work to collect and analyze data to track the impact of policy decisions on the brains and bodies of our children.
Below are some of the peer reviewed publications that we published in 2024:
- Food Insecurity and Weight Faltering – US Multisite Analysis of Young Children’s Weight Trajectory: Child food insecurity was associated with young children’s slow weight gain in the first two years of life. Tracking child food insecurity in addition to household food insecurity is an effective strategy to prevent weight faltering and to support optimal child growth.
- Prevalence and Correlates of Unstable Housing Among US Children: The National Survey of Children’s Health, in consultation with Children’s HealthWatch, added our housing instability questions to their survey. Recognized by JAMA Pediatrics as one of the 23 most important election relevant articles, this study found that 1 in 6 US children experienced unstable housing. This unique analysis was the first to study a nationally representative data set of housing instability among children.
- Moving Because of Unaffordable Housing and Disrupted Social Safety Net Access Among Children: Residential moves, particularly cost-driven moves, are associated with social safety net benefit disruptions, particularly Medicaid, WIC, and SNAP. The results can drive action to ensure consistent safety net access among children facing cost-driven moves.
- Association between Child Tax Credit Advance Payments and Food Insufficiency in Households Experiencing Economic Shocks: Using Census Household Pulse Survey data from January 2021 to July 2022, we evaluated the association between advance Child Tax Credit monthly payments and food insufficiency among households with children experiencing health- or employment-related economic shocks. The expanded Child Tax Credit buffered families from food insecurity but was especially helpful for those experiencing economic shocks.
- A Short Adverse Experiences Measure Among Mothers of Young Children: This study validated an abbreviated ACEs tool which will help in the identification of caregivers with ACEs in a more efficient way allowing clinicians to better integrate this screening into trauma informed care and efforts to support families and mitigate health related social needs.
- Pediatrics Leading the Way: Co-enrollment as the Next Step in Health-Related Social Needs Screening and Referral: This review of current evidence underscores that pediatric providers can add a unique and credible voice to seeking changes to the safety-net that could reduce administrative burden, address patients’ health related social needs, and improve health.
- Linking Household Members and Defining Relational Networks using Routine Health Data: Linking individuals together into households using rich electronic health record data and large health databases holds promise for providing family-level care and studying intergenerational epidemiology, but also comes with challenges and limitations.