Top 10 Child Health Concerns

More adults rate obesity as the top health problem for children in 2009 than in prior years. Beyond obesity, Hispanics, blacks, and whites disagree on top child health problems. More than one-quarter of adults now rate stress as a big child health problem.

Obesity is now rated by adults as the top health problem for children, after being rated third in 2007. New health concerns in the top 10 include: bullying, attention deficit disorder, chemicals in the environment, and not having enough opportunities for physical activity. According to black adults, teen pregnancy remains the #1 health problem for children in their community.

Smoking ranked as #1 health problem for children. Childhood obesity ranked as #3 health problem overall. Teen pregnancy ranked as #1 health problem for youth by blacks. Internet safety more likely to be reported as a big problem by women.