DATA HUB
The child population in Indiana contains many different characteristics. Recognizing the various demographics that make up the youth population in Indiana is a vital component of all work being done with youth throughout the state. While it is important to recognize the diverse populations and backgrounds that many of our youth come from, it is also important to establish a collective understanding of how youth-serving agencies and Indiana Youth Institute define these demographics.
Children and youth who live in nurturing families and safe, supportive communities generally have stronger personal connections, higher educational achievement, and better mental health. Parents also need adequate resources to help foster their children’s development. Similarly, children and youth are more likely to thrive in neighborhoods with strong schools, support services, and opportunities for community engagement.
Measure of social support in a community, social associations one piece of the whole picture, measuring the number of membership associations per 10,000 population. These include civic, political, religious, sports and professional organizations. Years included: 2020 | Source: County Health Rankings
Quality air is generally considered to be clean and safe, meaning that it has no harmful levels of chemicals, pollutants, or bacteria and represents no significant health risks over a lifetime of ingestion or breathing. The national average is 7.8 fine particulate matter in micrograms per cubic meter (PM2.5). Years included: 2019 | Source: County Health Rankings
Children’s good physical and mental health is fundamental to their development, and ensuring kids are born healthy is the first step. Children and youth of color and those who face disadvantages such as inadequate family or community resources, exposure to traumatic events, or other family stress tend to experience worse health outcomes. Leaders can address these disadvantages and ensure equitable access to quality health insurance and care.
Mental health services are any interventions—assessment, diagnosis, treatment, or counseling—offered in private, public, inpatient, or outpatient settings for the maintenance or enhancement of mental health or the treatment of mental or behavioral disorders in individual and group contexts. Mental health provider ratios are for total population, adults and children. Years included: 2022 | Source: County Health Rankings
Oral health refers to the health of the teeth, gums, and the entire oral-facial system that allows us to smile, speak, and chew. Oral health can often serve as an indicator for other chronic diseases such as diabetes and heart disease. It’s also associated with risk behaviors such as smoking, drinking, and consuming sugary foods and beverages in excess. Years included: 2021 | Source: County Health Rankings
Vaccination is the act of introducing a vaccine into the body to produce protection from a specific disease. A vaccine is a preparation that is used to stimulate the body’s immune response against diseases. Vaccines train your body to create antibodies, just as it would if it were exposed to a disease, by introducing dead or weakened forms of a virus or bacteria. Immunization is the process through which a person becomes protected against a disease through vaccination and is often used interchangeably with vaccination. Years included: 2022, 2023 | Source: Indiana Department of Health
Preventative care is routine health care that includes screenings, check-ups, and patient counseling to prevent or manage illness, disease, or other health problems. Years included: 2020 | Source: County Health Rankings
Family economic success provides a critical foundation for healthy child development, which in turn is related to more positive outcomes in adulthood. Ongoing exposure to economic stress and hardship can negatively affect children’s physical and mental health, academic achievement, and social-emotional well-being.
Students experiencing homelessness are any students who are enrolled in an Indiana school and do not have a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence. Years included: 2023 | Source: Indiana Department of Education via IYI Data Request
Measure of the food environment accounts for both proximity to healthy foods and income. Access to healthy foods, locations for health food purchases, and the lack of access to healthy food due to cost barriers are included. Years included: 2020 | Source: County Health Rankings
The annual food budget shortfall is calculated by taking the average of the total annualized additional dollar amount that food-insecure populations report needing to cover just enough food to meet their needs. Years included: 2020, 2021 | Source: Feeding America, Map the Meal Gap
Food insecurity is defined as a lack of consistent or dependable access to enough food or a disruption in routine nutrition so that every person in a household can live an active and healthy lifestyle. Food insecurity can be caused by long-term circumstances such as lack of income and resources or by external and sudden financial changes. Hunger is a feeling when an individual does not have food, whereas chronic hunger is a direct result of food insecurity and is a state of long-term undernourishment. Years included: 2020, 2021 | Source: Feeding America
Free and reduced-price lunches at school are provided to income-eligible families through the National School Lunch Program (NSLP). Years included: 2023 | Source: Indiana Department of Education via IYI Data Request
Establishing conditions to promote children’s educational achievements begins before birth and continues into the elementary school years. With a strong beginning – followed by ongoing quality education, learning environments, and support – children are more likely to stay on track in school and graduate, pursue post-secondary education and training, and successfully transition to adulthood.
College enrollment, also called the college-going rate, is the number of students registered to attend a college or university in Indiana. Enrollment is generally calculated as a snapshot in time, usually in the fall, but can also be determined using the percentage of high school graduates in a given year who are registered to attend a postsecondary program. College enrollment can be measured by degree type, demographics, full-time enrollment vs part-time enrollment, and institution type. Years included: 2021 cohort | Source: Indiana Commission for Higher Education
The IREAD-3 assessment was developed and implemented to measure student reading skills based on Indiana Academic Standards, through the third grade. Assessment data is used to ensure that every student receives appropriate reading instruction based on their individual needs. Years included: 2023 | Source: Indiana Department of Education, IYI Data Request
Indiana educators retained the previous school year. Years included: 2023 | Source: Indiana Department of Education via IYI Data Request
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