Success in life often depends on success in the classroom. One of the factors associated with achievement in the classroom is making sure kids are healthy and well.

The Nevada Institute for Children's Research and Policy (NICRP) at UNLV is the first to comprehensively track the health of Nevada kindergartners down to the school level. The research will help administrators target parent outreach and provide the right resources to ensure kids are healthy in school.

The NICRP report establishes the baseline data for tracking health trends in Nevada's schools. "We now have a tool to identify and remediate health disparities, which may ultimately increase both the well-being and academic success of children in our state," said Denise Tanata Ashby, NICRP executive director.

11,073 Surveys Collected

The Nevada Kindergarten Health Survey was distributed in English and Spanish to parents of the estimated 30,744 students. With a 36 percent response rate, the survey found:

• Approximately 36 percent of kindergartners are either overweight or at-risk of being overweight
• More than 18 percent have no health insurance
• More than 32 percent have not received routine dental care in the past 12 months
• Nearly 25 percent indicated using the emergency room or urgent care for non-life threatening illnesses in the past 12 months.

The survey was distributed to all of the state's 17 school districts last fall. It included information about:

• Insurance status
• Routine care
• Immunizations
• Access to care
• Weight
• Healthy behaviors

Not surprisingly, money was the primary barrier to health care access among those surveyed. For example, 16 percent said they either cannot or do not follow doctor's recommendations in dealing with their child's medical care because of cost. Also, nearly 60 percent of those surveyed that were uninsured were Hispanic, most of whom cited a lack of financial resources.

The research team included Tanata Ashby, Amanda Haboush, Tara Phebus, Jennifer Waddoups, and Enrique Lopez from the NICRP in the School of Community Health Sciences. The Southern Nevada Health District, the Clark County School District, the Nevada State Health Division, and Nevada School District Superintendents also participated in the project.

The full report can be obtained by contacting the NICRP at 702-895-1040 or by visiting nic.unlv.edu. Researchers expect to distribute the survey annually.