Adults: Obesity is Top Kid Health Concern

Childhood obesity is the top health concern for U.S. children in 2008, topping smoking and drug abuse, The National Poll on Children’s Health indicates.

The University of Michigan C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital’s poll asked adults to rank 20 different health problems for children living in their communities, Dr. Matthew M. Davis said.

Thirty-five percent of adults ranked childhood obesity as their top overall health concern for children. Drug abuse is viewed as the second-highest concern, followed by 32 percent of U.S. adults rating smoking as a major health concern.

New to this year’s list, bullying was rated highly by both adults with and without children in their homes.

Adults with household incomes of $100,000 or more per year were more likely to view Internet safety as a big problem. Thirty-five percent of black adult respondents rate teen pregnancy as the top health concern for youth, compared to 33 percent of Hispanic adults and 21 percent of white adults asked. Twenty-three percent listed alcohol abuse as a health concern.

Attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder tied for ninth place with sexually transmitted infections as a health concern followed by environmental toxins.

The survey was administered to a random sample of 2,064 adults, part of Knowledge Network’s online KnowledgePanelSM.