Forum on Child and Family StatisticsPhysical Environment and Safety Figures
Figure PHY1: Percentage of children ages 0–17 living in counties with pollutant concentrations above the levels of the current air quality standards, 1999–2022
NOTE: Percentages are based on the number of children living in counties where measured air pollution concentrations were higher than the level of a Primary National Ambient Air Quality Standard, set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), at least once during the year. The EPA periodically reviews air quality standards and may change them based on updated scientific findings. The indicator is calculated with reference to the current levels of the air quality standards for all years shown. Measuring concentrations above the level of a standard is not equivalent to violating the standard. The level of a standard may be exceeded on multiple days before the exceedance is considered a violation of the standard. Data were revised since previous publication in America's Children. Values have been recalculated based on updated data in the Air Quality System. For more information on the air quality standards that are used in calculating these percentages, please see https://www.epa.gov/criteria-air-pollutants/naaqs-table.
SOURCE: Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Air and Radiation, Air Quality System.
Figure PHY2.A: Percentage of children ages 4–11 with specified blood cotinine levels, selected years 1988–2020
NOTE: Cotinine levels are reported for nonsmoking children only. "Any detectable cotinine" indicates blood cotinine levels at or above 0.05 nanograms per milliliter (ng/mL), the level of cotinine that could be detected in blood in 1988–1994. The average (geometric mean) blood cotinine level in children living in homes in which someone smoked was 1.0 ng/mL in 1988–1994.1
SOURCE: National Center for Health Statistics, National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.
Figure PHY2.B: Percentage of children ages 4–11 with any detectable blood cotinine level by race and Hispanic origin and poverty status, 2017–2020
NOTE: NH = non-Hispanic origin. Cotinine levels are reported for nonsmoking children only. "Any detectable blood cotinine" indicates blood cotinine levels at or above 0.05 nanograms per milliliter (ng/mL), the detectable level of cotinine in the blood in 1988–1994. Beginning in 2007, the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey allows the reporting of both total Hispanics and Mexican Americans; however, estimates reported here are for Mexican Americans to be consistent with earlier years. Persons of Mexican American origin may be of any race.
SOURCE: National Center for Health Statistics, National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.
Figure PHY3: Percentage of children served by community water systems that did not meet all applicable health-based drinking water standards, 1993–2022
NOTE: Revisions to the following standards were made between 2002 and 2006: disinfection byproducts (2002 for larger systems and 2004 for smaller systems), surface water treatment (2002), radionuclides (2003), and arsenic (included in the chemical and radionuclide category, in 2006). Revisions to the Total Coliform Rule took effect in 2016. No other revisions to the standards have taken effect during the period of trend data (beginning with 1993). Indicator values reflect the standards in place for each year depicted. Data were revised since previous publication in America's Children. Values for years prior to 2020 have been recalculated based on updated data in the Safe Drinking Water Information System.
SOURCE: National Center for Health Statistics, National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.
Figure PHY4.A: Percentage of children ages 1–5 with blood lead levels at or above 5 µg/dL, selected years 1988–1994 through 2017–March 2020
NOTE: The reference level of 5 µg/dL is the 97.5th percentile of blood lead levels for children ages 1–5 in 2005–2008. The CDC lowered this reference level to 3.5 µg/dL in 2021 to identify children with elevated blood lead levels. The new reference level has not yet been incorporated into this figure. The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) program suspended field operations in March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, data collection for the 2019–2020 cycle was not completed. Therefore, data collected from 2019 to March 2020 were combined with data from the 2017–2018 cycle to create a 2017–March 2020 pre-pandemic file. This file covers 3.2 years of data collection. For more information, see: https://wwwn.cdc.gov/nchs/nhanes/continuousnhanes/overviewbrief.aspx?Cycle=2017-2020.
SOURCE: National Center for Health Statistics, National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.
Figure PHY4.B: Percentage of children ages 1–5 with blood lead levels at or above 3.5 µg/dl by race and Hispanic origin1 and poverty status, 2017–March 2020
‡ Reporting standards not met; estimate is considered unreliable.
NOTE: NH = non-Hispanic origin. The CDC lowered the reference level from 5 µg/dL to 3.5 µg/dL in 2021 to identify children with elevated blood lead levels. Persons of Mexican American origin may be of any race. For 2011–March 2020, the revised 1997 U.S. Office of Management and Budget standards for data on race and ethnicity were used. Persons could select one or more of five racial groups: White, Black or African American, American Indian or Alaska Native, Asian, or Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander. Included in the total but not shown separately are American Indian or Alaska Native, Asian, Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander, and "Two or more races." Data on race and Hispanic origin are collected separately but combined for reporting. Persons of Hispanic origin may be of any race.
SOURCE: National Center for Health Statistics, National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.
Figure PHY5.A: Percentage of households with children ages 0–17 that reported housing problems by type of problem, selected years 2001–2021
NOTE: Data are available biennially since 1999. All data are weighted using the decennial Census that preceded the date of their collection. The comparability of data over time is limited by questionnaire changes in 2007 and a redesign and new longitudinal sample drawn in 2015.
SOURCE: U.S. Census Bureau and Department of Housing and Urban Development, American Housing Survey. Tabulated by Department of Housing and Urban Development.
Figure PHY5.B: Percentage of households with children ages 0–17 that reported severe housing cost burdens, selected years 2001–2021
SOURCE: U.S. Census Bureau and Department of Housing and Urban Development, American Housing Survey. Tabulated by Department of Housing and Urban Development.
Figure PHY6: Rate of serious violent crime victimization of youth ages 12–17 by gender, 2005–2022
NOTE: Serious violent crimes include aggravated assault, rape, robbery (stealing by force or threat of violence), and homicide. In 2022, homicides represented 0.87% of serious violent crime, and the total number of homicides of juveniles has been relatively stable over the last decade. Beginning in 2021, the number of homicides was estimated using the FBI's National Incident-Based Reporting System. From 1993-2020, the number of homicides were estimated using the FBI's Supplementary Homicide Reports. Due to methodological changes in the 2006 National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS), use caution when comparing 2006 criminal victimization estimates to other years. See Criminal Victimization, 2007, https://bjs.ojp.gov/content/pub/pdf/cv07.pdf, for more information. In 2016, the National Crime Victimization Survey sample was redesigned, so 2016 estimates among youths are not comparable with estimates for other years. The 2020 NCVS weights include an additional adjustment to address the impact of modified field operations due to COVID-19. The 2020 estimate for female youth did not meet reporting standards due to insufficient unweighted sample cases and is excluded from the graphic. For more information on the weighting adjustments applied in 2020, see the Source and Accuracy Statement for the 2020 National Crime Victimization Survey in the NCVS 2020 Codebook (https://www.icpsr.umich.edu/web/NACJD/studies/38090/summary) and Criminal Victimization, 2020 (NCJ 301775, BJS, October 2021).
SOURCE: Bureau of Justice Statistics, National Crime Victimization Survey and Federal Bureau of Investigation, Uniform Crime Reporting Program, National Incident-Based Reporting System.
Figure PHY7.A: Emergency department visit rates for children ages 1–4 and 5–14 by leading causes of injury, 2020–2021
‡ Reporting standards not met; estimate is considered unreliable.
NOTE: Visits are the initial visit to the emergency department for the injury. "Struck" denotes being struck by or against an object or person, "natural or environmental" denotes injuries caused by natural or environmental factors such as insect or animal bites, and "cut or pierced" denotes injuries caused by cutting or piercing from instruments or objects.
SOURCE: National Center for Health Statistics, National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey.
Figure PHY7.B: Death rates among children ages 1–14 by all causes, all injury causes, and age group, 2011–2021
SOURCE: National Center for Health Statistics, National Vital Statistics System.
Figure PHY7.C: Death rates among children ages 1–14 by cause of death and age group, 2021
* Not a cause of death for children ages 1–4. Most suicides in the 5–14 age group are among those ages 10–14.
SOURCE: National Center for Health Statistics, National Vital Statistics System.
Figure PHY8.A: Emergency department visit rates for adolescents ages 15–19 by leading causes of injury, 2020–2021
NOTE: Visits are the initial visit to the emergency department for the injury. "Struck" denotes injuries caused by being struck by or against an object or person, "overexertion" denotes injuries caused by excessive physical exercise or strenuous movements in recreational or other activities, and "cut or pierced" denotes injuries caused by cutting or piercing from instruments or objects.
SOURCE: National Center for Health Statistics, National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey.
Figure PHY8.B: Death rates among adolescents ages 15–19 by all causes and all injury causes and selected mechanisms of injury, 2011–2021
SOURCE: National Center for Health Statistics, National Vital Statistics System.
Figure PHY8.C: Injury mortality rates among adolescents ages 15–19 by manner of intent and gender, 2021
NOTE: The manner of intent involves whether the injury was purposefully inflicted (if it can be determined) or unintentional. If the injury is deemed intentional, it is further classified as self-inflicted (suicide) or inflicted on another person (homicide).
SOURCE: National Center for Health Statistics, National Vital Statistics System.
Federal Interagency Forum on Child and Family Statistics
