Child and Adolescent Health Data
Children are exposed to and react to environmental and physical exposures differently than adults. Adolescents are entering a time in their lives when they are establishing health patterns and behaviors. Ensuring their safety and knowledge of health behaviors is vital to their overall health.
In 2017, we updated the 2015 Central Oregon Regional Health Assessment (RHA) with new data. This page provides an overview of updated data on child and adolescent health. Please read through the information below, or download the child and adolescent health overview handout from the supporting documents section at the bottom of the page.
You can find additional data related to child and adolescent health, as well as information on a variety of other health topics in the Regional Health Assessment Midpoint Update document.
Percent of babies breastfed (CLICK FOR LARGER IMAGE)
Oregon vital statistics allow us to monitor topics related to births in our community, including what percent of newborn babies are breastfed. In Deschutes County, around 82% of all newborns between were breastfed. Since the RHA was published in 2015, the percent of all babies who were breastfed at birth decreased in all three Central Oregon counties. The percent of babies who were breastfed at birth by mothers enrolled in WIC, however, increased in Crook and Jefferson Counties, and remained around the same in Deschutes County.
Rate of child victims of abuse or neglect per 1,000 children under age 18 (CLICK FOR LARGER IMAGE)
Each year, Children First for Oregon releases a report with detailed data about the health of children in each county in Oregon. This report includes data estimating how many children under 18 are abused or neglected in our community. In Deschutes County, around 11 out of every 1,000 children under 18 were abused or neglected, which is a slight increase from when the RHA was published in 2015.
Percent of students who graduated high school in four and five years (CLICK FOR LARGER IMAGE)
The Oregon Department of Education collects data related to high school graduation rates, which allows us to see if high school graduation rates are increasing or decreasing over time. In the Bend-La Pine School District, Redmond School District, and Sisters School district, the four-year graduation rates were 86.1%, 78.8%, and 86.4%, respectively, during the 2015-2016 school year. Since the 2015 RHA was published, the four- and five-year high school graduation rates improved in Crook County and in the Bend-La Pine and Redmond school districts.
Risk Factors
We use data from the Oregon Healthy Teens survey to monitor a variety of topics. We monitor topics like alcohol and drug use, sexual behaviors, and mental health, among others, to learn the best ways to intervene and improve the health and well-being of our community's youth. Since the 2015 RHA was published:
- The percent of 11th graders who reported ever having sexual intercourse decreased in all three Central Oregon counties.
- The percent of 11th graders who drove a vehicle at least once after drinking alcohol in the past 30 days increased in all three Central Oregon counties.
- The percent of 8th and 11th graders who reported drinking alcohol in the past 30 days decreased in Crook and Deschutes Counties, but increased in Jefferson County.
- Marijuana use among 11th graders increased in Crook and Deschutes County, but decreased in Jefferson County.
- The percent of 11th grade students who reported smoking in the past month decreased in all three Central Oregon counties.
