This month, the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) published a collaborative article between the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and the University of California concerning the trends of children’s health from 2011-2023. The article focused on chronic conditions, obesity, and the functional impacts of these conditions. The authors found a statistically significant increase in multiple chronic conditions, as well as an increase in obesity and associated symptoms.
The study utilised nationally representative data sources specific to chronic conditions in children. The National Survey of Children’s Health (NSCH) records parent-reported conditions, and PEDSnet utilises electronic health records and reports clinical diagnoses in ten children’s hospital systems. The study reported that the prevalence of chronic conditions in children aged three years to 17 years increased from 39.9% in 2011 to 45.7% in 2023.
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A list of 15 conditions detailed by NSCH increased from 25.8% to 31% in that same time. Specific conditions that increased in prevalence included anxiety, autism, behavioural problems, developmental delay, depression, speech disorders, vision problems, and attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The prevalence of asthma significantly decreased during this time. NSCH and PEDSnet presented differing findings on learning disabilities, Tourette’s syndrome, cerebral palsy, deafness, seizure disorders, and diabetes.
PEDSnet identified 97 chronic conditions. Of these, the prevalence of 22 conditions increased by at least 10%, the prevalence of one condition decreased by at least 10%, and six conditions remained unchanged. The eight conditions that most increased in prevalence during 2011-2023 were major depression, sleep apnea, eating disorders, anxiety, autism, obesity, lipid metabolism disorders, and developmental disorders.
The study also investigated obesity trends in the US, noting that the prevalence of obesity in children two years to 19 years increased from 17.0% in 2007-8 to 20.9% in 2021-23. Mirroring this trend of increasing obesity and increasing chronic conditions was an increase in symptoms. Reports of physical symptoms due to chronic conditions in patients five years to 17 years rose from 31.2% in 2010 to 41.2% in 2023. There have also been functional impacts of both chronic conditions and associated symptoms in children. Activity limitation due to chronic conditions increased from 7.7% in 2009 to 9.1% in 2018.
In the US in 2025, GlobalData epidemiologists predict 4.6 million total prevalent paediatric cases of autism, 14.1 million total prevalent paediatric cases of obesity, 5.6 million diagnosed prevalent paediatric cases of ADHD, and 5,900 12-month diagnosed cases of binge eating disorder in patients 13-17 years. These figures may continue to increase in accordance with the JAMA report’s findings.
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By GlobalDataThe study did not investigate the causes of these trends, leaving room for further study. The authors noted that the data did not include racial or socioeconomic factors, which may play a role in chronic illness. Additionally, PEDSnet uses healthcare data, and both access to healthcare and diagnostic practices may have changed over the time studied. Additional research may reveal underlying mechanisms of the increase in chronic conditions in US children and allow for the development of effective mitigation.
