(abriged version)
First report in a series.

INTRODUCTION

This report is the first in a series presenting results from the 2000 Iowa Child and Family Household Health Survey. The 2000 Iowa Child and Family Household Health Survey is the first comprehensive statewide attempt to evaluate the health status, access to health care, and social environment of children in families in Iowa. This report presents results for Iowa children in families at the state level. Future reports in this series will include results for eight regions of Iowa as well as focus on specific issues such as Children with Special Health Care Needs (CSHCN) and minority populations.

The 2000 Iowa Child and Family Household Health Survey included questions about:

  • Children's functional health status including the identification of children with special health care needs
  • Children's access to and utilization of health care services including:
    • Medical care
    • Dental care
    • Behavioral and emotional health care
  • Health insurance coverage of the child and parent
  • School performance
  • Child care
  • Socialization and self-esteem of the child
  • Family environment

The study is a collaborative effort of the University of Iowa Public Policy Center, the Iowa Department of Public Health and the Child Health Specialty Clinics. The intent of the study is to provide information for policymakers and health planners about the status of families with children in Iowa from a social health perspective. It was funded by a competitive grant from the Maternal and Child Health Bureau, Health Resources and Services Administration, US Department of Health and Human Services.