Child health linked to parental education, income levels

The health of children is affected by the degree of income and education their parents have attained, according to a study published by the Commission to Build a Healthier America at the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

According to the report, in almost every state, infant mortality rates of babies born to mothers 20 and older were lowest for mothers with the most education, and increased with the level of maternal education. In addition, children in higher-income families experienced better health than all other children in families with lower incomes in almost every state.

Texas had the highest percentage of children in lower-income families (22.8%), while Vermont had the lowest (6.9%). States in the South and Southwest had the largest gaps between children in lower-income families and higher-income families who were not at optimal health, while the smallest gaps were seen in the northern Midwest, northern Great Plains, and Northeast, according to the study.

The full report can be accessed here.