America's Children: Key National Indicators of Well-Being, 2007
Activity Limitation
Activity limitation refers to a person's inability, due to a chronic physical, mental, emotional, or behavioral condition, to participate fully in age-appropriate activities. Age-appropriate activities for children ages 5–17 consist of a child's ability to perform regular school work and other activities, including self-care and walking. Activity limitation is a broad measure of health and functioning affected by a variety of chronic health conditions. The causes of activity limitation most often reported by parents of children ages 5–17 include learning disabilities, speech problems, and other mental, emotional, and behavioral problems.121
Indicator HEALTH4: Percentage of children ages 5–17 with activity limitation resulting from one or more chronic health conditions by gender, 1999–2005
NOTE: Children are identified as having activity limitation by asking parents (1) whether children receive special education services and (2) whether they are limited in their ability to walk, care for themselves, or participate in other activities. "Activity limitation indicated by participation in special education" only includes children identified solely by their use of special education services. "Activity limitation indicated by all other limitations" includes limitations in self-care, walking, or other activities; children in this category may also receive special education services. Chronic health conditions are conditions that once acquired are not cured or have a duration of three months or more.
SOURCE: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics, National Health Interview Survey.
- In 2005, approximately 8 percent of children ages 5–17 were reported by parents to have activity limitation due to chronic conditions. Six percent were identified as having activity limitation solely by their participation in special education, and 2 percent had limitations in their ability to walk, care for themselves, or participate in other activities.
- Activity limitations, particularly those identified only by participation in special education, were reported more often for male children than for female children.
- In 2005, 11 percent of children in poor and 9 percent of children in near-poor families (those with family incomes of less than 100 percent and 100–199 percent of the poverty level, respectively) had activity limitation, compared with 7 percent of children in non-poor families (those with family incomes of 200 percent or more of the poverty level).
- Among children of different races and ethnic origins, Hispanic children were less likely than White, non-Hispanic and Black, non-Hispanic children to have a parental report of activity limitation.3
3 Federal surveys now give respondents the option of reporting more than one race. Therefore, two basic ways of defining a race group are possible. A group such as Black may be defined as those who reported Black and no other race (the race-alone or single-race concept) or as those who reported Black regardless of whether they also reported another race (the race-alone-or-in-combination concept). This report shows data using the first approach (race alone). Use of the single-race population does not imply that it is the preferred method of presenting or analyzing data. The Census Bureau uses a variety of approaches. Data on race and Hispanic origin are collected separately. Persons of Hispanic origin may be of any race.
121 National Center for Health Statistics. (2006) Chartbook on Trends in the Health of Americans. Limitation of Activity: Children (pp. 44–45). Hyattsville, MD: Author.