Oklahoma failing at children’s health care

Oklahoma ranks third from the bottom when it comes to children’s health care, according to a new report from the financial website Wallethub.

This would be troubling news at any time, but it is especially worrisome with kids back in school in the middle of a pandemic.

“In order to determine which states offer the most cost-effective and highest-quality health care for children, Wallethub compared the 50 states and the District of Columbia across 35 key metrics,” the company stated. “The data set ranges from share of children aged 0 to 17 in excellent or very good health to pediatricians and family doctors per capita.”

With 1 being the best and 51 the worst, Oklahoma came in at 46 for “Kids’ Health & Access to Health Care,” 50 for “Kids’ Nutrition, Physical Activity & Obesity,” and 34 for “Kids’ Oral Health.”

Oklahoma ranked 47th in states with the highest percentage of uninsured children.

The District of Columbia had the best overall ranking, with only Georgia and Texas scoring below the Sooner State.

Statistics used to create the rankings include “Share of Children 19 to 35 Months Old with All Recommended Vaccines,” “Share of Children Aged 0 to 17 in Excellent/very Good Health,” “Pediatricians & Family Doctors per Capita,” “Cost of Doctor’s Visit,” “Infant and Child Death Rate,” “Share of Children Aged 1 to 17 with Excellent/very Good Teeth,” and “Dentists per Capita.”

Also considered were children’s nutritional habits, kids’ access to healthy food, fast-food restaurants per capita, and whether or not local schools meet nutritional health standards.

Sasha A. Fleary, PH.D., is Associate Professor of Community Health and Social Sciences at City University of New York. Fleary said there are important steps parents can take to help their children grow up healthy, but their ability to do this often depends on their economic and social status, as well as race.

“There are things that parents should do (e.g., well-visits, provide opportunities for physical activity, social-emotional development, engage in positive parenting strategies, provide a safe and secure environment),” Fleary said, “however, parents’ capacity for engaging in these behaviors vary widely due to socioeconomic and racial disparities. For parents to help their children grow up healthy, they need to have access to secure housing, realistic and flexible work hours, living wages, and safe built and social environments.” (La Semana)