February is National Children’s Dental Health Month, an important one to recognize for many reasons. Oral health impacts overall health and also affects how children perform and behave in school. It’s hard for a child to sit in class with a severe toothache and learn. Developing good habits at an early age and scheduling regular dental visits help children get a good start on a lifetime of healthy teeth and gums. For this to happen, [...]

All children need safe places to play and get exercise in their communities in order to grow and develop into healthy adults. However, many children do not have safe opportunities to engage in physical activity. In Kentucky, only 49 percent of children live in neighborhoods with recreation centers, community centers, or Boys’/Girls’ Clubs compared to 65 percent of children nationally. In Kentucky in 2009, there were 7.8 recreational facilities per 100,000 Kentuckians. Recreational facilities foster [...]

All children deserve the best possible health opportunities to set the stage for positive health outcomes into adulthood. Unfortunately, childhood obesity has reached epidemic levels, putting thousands of Kentucky children at risk for poor health. Kentucky has the 3rd highest rate in the nation of overweight and obese children ages 10-17 at 37.1 percent. Childhood obesity affects very young children as well. In 2010, the obesity rate for Kentucky children ages 2-4 in the Supplemental [...]