Summary of findings from University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute:
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After nearly a decade of improvement, there are early signs that the percentage of babies born at low birth weight may be on the rise (8.2% in 2016, a 2% increase from 2014). Low birth weight is a key measure of health and quality of life.
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Some places and groups of people have fewer social and economic opportunities, which also limit their ability to be healthy. More than 1 out of every 5 youth in the bottom performing counties do not graduate from high school in four years. For American Indian/Alaskan Native, Black, and Hispanic youth, it is 1 out of 4.
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Residential segregation provides a clear example of the link between race and place. Black residents have higher rates of child poverty, low birth weight, and infant mortality, and lower high school graduation rates than White residents.
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Child poverty rates remain at levels higher than those of the pre-recession era despite declines in recent years.
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Teen birth rates have been declining across community types and racial groups for more than a decade.
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