55 Percent of Adults Believe Kids’ Health Worse Today Than When They Were Children

Most U.S. Adults Say Today's Children Have Worse Health Than in Past Generations

Higher stress, diminished quality family time linked to worse health for children

More than half of adults believe children today are more stressed, experience less quality family time and have worse mental and emotional health.

“We have seen major advances in medicine and public health over the last century that have greatly reduced children’s illness and death. On the other hand, conditions like childhood obesity, asthma and behavior problems have become more common,” said Matthew M. Davis, M.D., M.A.P.P., director of the poll and professor of pediatrics and internal medicine at the University of Michigan’s C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital. The poll also found generational differences in adults’ perceptions of children’s health: Pre-baby boomers ages 70 and older were most likely to perceive that children’s physical health today is better than when they were growing up. Baby boomers (ages 51-69), generation Xers (ages 35-50) and millennials in the 18-34 age group were less likely to perceive that children’s physical health is better now. Source: Newswise