The U.S teen birth rate has dropped for another consecutive year, adding to the long-term decline in teen pregnancy, according to a federal report on trends in child health and well being.
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In 2014, the teen birth rate was 11 births per 1,000 girls’ aged 15-17 years, down from 12 per 1,000 in 2013. Racial and ethinic disparities in the teen birth rate have also dropped significantly since 1995 – with the difference between the highest and lowest rates dropping from 55 points in 1995 to 17 points in 2014. But substantial disparities persist.
The report also found that the percentages of 10th and 12th-graders in all racial and ethnic groups who binge-drink were the lowest in 2015 since the report started in 1980. The percentage of uninsured children also declined, falling from 7% in 2013 to 5% in 2014. However, there was no improvement in the rate of childhood obesity. During 2011-2014, 19% of children aged 6-17 years were obese.
The annual report is published by the Federal Interagency Forum on Child and Family Statistics, a working group of 23 federal agencies that collect, analyze and report data on conditions and trends related to child and family well-being. The report tracks 41 health and social indicators.
Read the full 2016 America’s Children Report here.