Every year 1.3 million U.S. high school students drop out of school with one quarter of female students failing to graduate on time. Female dropouts are more likely to be unemployed, to earn less when they are employed, to become pregnant before the age of 20, to become obese, to smoke, and to drink more heavily than their male counterparts. This…

Problem/Condition: Autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) are a group of developmental disabilities characterized by atypical development in socialization, communication, and behavior. ASDs typically are apparent before age 3 years, with associated impairments affecting multiple areas of a person's life. Because no biologic marker exists for ASDs,…

In the United States, nearly two-thirds of all deaths among young people 10-14 years of age result from only five causes: motor-vehicle crashes (22.1%), other unintentional injuries (16.7%), cancer (12.9%), suicide (6.8%), and homicide (4.7%). Leading causes of illness and death in all age groups in the United States are related to the following:…

This factbook presents statistical data and examines trends for 10 indicators of children's well-being in Georgia. The indicators are: (1) low birthweight infants; (2) infant mortality; (3) death rate of children ages 1 to 14 years; (4) violent death rate of teenagers aged 15 to 19 years; (5) rate of child abuse and neglect; (6) juveniles…

This factbook examines trends during the 1980s on 11 indicators of Georgia children's well-being. The indicators are: (1) low birthweight infants; (2) infant mortality; (3) death rate of children ages 1 to 14 years; (4) violent death rate of teenagers aged 15 to 19 years; (5) rate of child abuse and neglect; (6) juveniles committed to state…