Blank Children's Hospital is collaborating with Des Moines area homeless shelters to collect data regarding the health of school-aged children experiencing homelessness.

Health and Homeless Youth 

Pediatric Shelter HRA Report

The following graphs represent data collected through a Pediatric Health Risk Assessment from November 2007 to present. Respondents were school-aged children who were homeless in Des Moines.

Graph One: Health Status
This graph shows the perceived health status for the homeless children surveyed based on their impression of their own health along with number of doctor visits and sick days they reported.

The graph shows that 43% of children reported missing over a week of school.

Comparisons of a populations health status over time may prove useful in determining changes in healthcare delivery or in developing prevention programs.

Graph Two: Lifestyle Behavior
This graph shows the lifestyle of participants assessed according to the factors above. Research shows that even small changes in weight or activity can significantly improve health.

Nearly 20% of American children are overweight. This graph shows that over 70% of homeless children surveyed are moderate or high risk for their weight.

72% of the surveyed children reported being "sad" or "very sad" most days. They also reported being teased, called names, or excluded.

A grant from the United Way of Iowa helped to fund the Health Risk Assessments for homeless youth.