HomeandCommunityFactors
ThatImpactHealthandLearning
Per100U.S.Students
KEY:
Hunger
English not
spoken at
Home
Single
Parent
Home
Parent without
HS Diploma
Cannot
Afford
Healthcare
No Vehicle
No Home
Copyright
2015
National Association of School Nurses
HomeandCommunityFactors
ThatImpactHealthandLearning
Per100U.S.Students
HUNGER(21%)
16millionchildrenintheU.S.strugglewithhunger.1Undernourishmentaffectsachild’sphysical,emotionalandcognitive
development.Achildcanbeoverweightandundernourished.Childrenwhosufferfromhungergetsickmoreoftenand
facechallengesconcentratingorperformingwellinschool.1
ENGLISHNOTSPOKENATHOME(21%)
SpeakingalanguageotherthanEnglishcanimpactafamily’sabilitytonavigatesocial,healthcareandeducational
systems.Thisbarriermayalsoaffectaparent’sabilitytoparticipateinschoolandothercommunityevents.
PARENTWITHOUTAHIGHSCHOOLEDUCATION(13%)
Educationalattainmentcontributestofutureearningsandemployment.2Parentswithoutahighschooleducation
experiencechallengestoadequatelyprovidingforachild’seducational,childcare,andhealthcarecosts.2Researchhas
alsoshownlinksbetweenparentaleducationandchildacademicandbehavioraloutcomes.3
SINGLEPARENTHOUSEHOLDS(28%OFU.S.CHILDRENAGES0‐17YEARS)
Childrenfromsingle‐parenthouseholdshaveanincreasedriskfordroppingoutofschool,becomingteenparents,and
facebarrierstosuccessintheworkforce.4Althoughmanychildrenfromsingleparenthomesfarewell,othersface
challengesintheireducational,occupational,andsocialwell‐being.
CANNOTAFFORDTOSEEAHEALTHCAREPROVIDER(8%)
Individualswholackaccesstohealthcareareatincreasedriskfordelayingtoseekappropriatecareandarelesslikelyto
receivepreventivecareservices.Asaresult,individualswhocannotaffordseeingahealthcareproviderwhensick(lack
insurance)haveinferiorhealthstatusandoutcomes.Datashowsthatuninsuredchildrenachievelowereducational
outcomesthanthosewithinsurance.Childrenwhocannotaffordtoseeamedicalproviderwithoutmissmoredaysof
school,experienceincreasedseverityofillness,andsufferfromdisparitiesinhealth.5
NOVEHICLEATHOME(6%)
Lackoftransportationcanbeamajorbarrierforsomefamilies,especiallyforthoselivinginurbanorruralareaswhere
publictransportationislimited.Lackoftransportationcanlimitafamily’saccesstoemployment,medicalcare,and
qualityfoods.Inaddition,italsopreventsaparentfromengaginginachild’sschoolorothercommunity
services/programs.6
NOHOME(2%)
Morethan1.6millionchildrenexperiencehomelessnesseachyearintheUnitedStates.Homelesschildrendevelop
increasedratesofacuteandchronichealthconditions,andthestressoftheirlivingsituationcannegativelyaffecttheir
developmentandabilitytolearn.7
Thechartonthereversesidedepictstheprevalenceofsomeofthesocial,cultural,andeconomicconditions,whichmay
influenceaschool‐agechild’shealthandlearningoutcomes.Thischartisnotmeanttoimplythateverystudentis
affectedornegativelyimpactedbyoneormoreoftheseissues.Instead,itillustratestheprevalence,inpercentages,
amongthetotalU.S.childpopulation.Itisimportanttoconsiderthesevariableswhenengagingwithstudentsand
familiesinanefforttoensureeffectivecommunicationandenhancethequalityofcareprovided.Thesocial
determinantsofhealthare“conditionsintheenvironmentsinwhichindividualsareborn,live,learn,work,play,worship,
andagethataffectawiderangeofhealth,functioning,andquality‐of‐lifeoutcomesandrisks.”8Schoolnurses,educators,
andhealthandeducationpolicymakersmusttakeintoaccountthesocialdeterminantswhichmayimpactachild’shealth
andlearningpotential.
References:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
NoKidHungry.org(2011).2013HungerFactsSheet.Retrievedfrom:http://www.nokidhungry.org/pdfs/Facts‐Childhood‐Hunger‐in‐
America‐2013‐grid.pdf
NationalCenterforEducationStatistics(NCES).(2010).StatusandTrendsintheEducationalAttainmentofRacialandEthnicGroups.
Mather,M.(2010).U.S.ChildreninSingle‐MotherFamilies.PopulationReferenceBureau(PRB).
Davis‐Kean,P.E.(2005).Theinfluenceofparenteducationandfamilyincomeonchildachievement:Theindirectroleofparental
expectationsandthehomeenvironment.JournalofFamilyPsychology.19.294‐304.
InstituteofMedicine.(2002).HealthInsuranceisaFamilyMatter.Washington,D.C.TheNationalAcademiesPress.
AthensCountyJobandFamilyServices.(2012).LackofTransportation:anotherhardshipfacingpeoplelivinginpoverty.
NationalCenteronFamilyHomelessness.(2011).TheCharacteristicsandNeedsofFamiliesExperiencingHomelessness.Retrievedfrom:
http://www.familyhomelessness.org/media/306.pdf
HealthyPeople2020.(2012).SocialDeterminantsofHealth.Retrieved
from:http://www.healthypeople.gov/2020/topicsobjectives2020/overview.aspx?topicid=39
StatisticsData:
Hunger:NoKidHungry.org(2013).2013ChildhoodHungerinAmericaFactSheet.RetrievedApril2,2015from:
http://www.nokidhungry.org/pdfs/Facts‐Childhood‐Hunger‐in‐America‐2013‐grid.pdf
EnglishNotSpokenatHome:U.S.DepartmentofEducation.NationalCenterforEducationStatistics(2012).EnglishLanguageLearners.Retrieved
December10,2012from:http://nces.ed.gov/fastfacts/display.asp?id=96
Single‐ParentHouseholds:Childstats.gov.(2013).FamilyandSocialEnvironmentTable.RetrievedApril2,2015from:
http://www.childstats.gov/americaschildren/tables.asp ParentwithoutH.S.Education:U.S.DepartmentofEducation.(2010).StatusandTrendsintheEducationofRacialandEthnicGroups.
December10,2012from:http://nces.ed.gov/pubs2010/2010015.pdf
CannotAffordtoSeeaHealthcareProvider:U.S.CensusBureau.(2012).Income,PovertyandHealthInsuranceCoverageintheU.S.:2011.Retrieved
December10,201from:http://www.census.gov/newsroom/releases/archives/income_wealth/cb12‐172.html
NoVehicleatHome:AnnieE.CaseyFoundation.(2012).Childrenwithoutavehicleathome–2011.RetrievedDecember10,2012from:
http://datacenter.