HJAR Jul/Aug 2025

MAHA REPORT 16  JUL / AUG 2025 I  HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF ARKANSAS   hus/2019/012-508.pdf. 40 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2019). Health conditions among children under age 18, by selected characteristics: United States, average annual, selected years 1997–1999 through 2016–2018 (Health, United States, 2019, Table 12). National Center for Health Statistics. https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/hus/data-finder. htm?year=2019&table=Table%20012. 41 Catassi, C., Gatti, S., & Fasano, A. (2014). The new epidemiology of celiac disease. Journal of pediatric gastroenterology and nutrition, 59, S7-S9. 42 McGowan, K. E., Castiglione, D. A., & Butzner, J. D. (2009). The changing face of childhood celiac disease in North America: impact of serological testing. Pediatrics, 124(6), 1572-1578. 43 Kappelman, M. D., Brensinger, C., Parlett, L. E., Hurtado-Lorenzo, A., & Lewis, J. D. (2025). Prevalence of pediatric inflammatory bowel disease in the United States: Pooled estimates from three administrative claims data sources. Gastroenterology, 168(5), 980–982. https://doi.org/10.1053/j.gastro.2024.11.015. 44 Clemente-Suárez, V. J., Beltrán-Velasco, A. I., Redondo-Flórez, L., Martín-Rodríguez, A., & Tornero-Aguilera, J. F. (2023). Global Impacts of Western Diet and Its Effects on Metabolism and Health: A Narrative Review. Nutrients, 15(12), 2749. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu15122749. 45 Martini, D., Godos, J., Bonaccio, M., Vitaglione, P., & Grosso, G. (2021). Ultra-Processed Foods and Nutritional Dietary Profile: A Meta-Analysis of Nationally Representative Rates of Neurodevelopmental Disorders are Increasing • Autism spectrum disorder impacts 1 in 31 children by age 8 and is estimated to be 3.4 times more common in boys than girls, according to the CDC. 22 Rates also vary signifi- cantly by state – from 9.7 per 1,000 in Texas (Laredo) to 53 per 1,000 in California. 23 In 1960, autism occurred in less than 1 in 10,000 children. 2425 In the 1980s, autism occurred at rates of 1 to 4 out of 10,000 children. 26 • Over 10% of children have been diagnosed withAttention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), with approximately 1 million more children diagnosed in 2022 compared to 2016. 27 • Rates of other neurodevelopmental disorders and learning impairments are also increas- ing. 28 29 Over 7.5 million K-12 students received special education services in 2023-24. 30 Childhood Cancer Incidence Has Risen Dramatically • Childhood cancer incidence has risen over 40% since 1975. 31 According to CDC, kids in Arkansas are more likely to be diagnosed with ADHD than the U.S. average, about as likely to be medicated for ADHD and get behavioral treatment. Source: https://www.cdc.gov/adhd/data/state- profiles-diagnosis-and-medication-treatment. html Arkansas ranks third for risk of developmental Delay for children under 6 (32.1% vs the national average of 26.4%). Source: https://www.academicpedsjnl.net/article/ S1876-2859(10)00250-0/fulltext#supplementary- material In Arkansas 2005-2019, the crude childhood cancer incidence yearly rates increased for both Arkansas and the U.S., with Arkansas having an overall lower trend than the U.S. The rate of childhood cancer deaths was slightly higher in the US than Arkansas from 2005 through 2019. Caution is suggested in interpretation due to Arkansas data varying by year of death. Source: https://healthy.arkansas.gov/wp-content/ uploads/Arkansas-Cancer-Facts-Figures- 2024-Booklet-compressed.pdf According to CDC, ASD prevalence varies widely across geographic areas. Currently, no research has shown that living in certain communities increases the chance that a child will have ASD. Geographic variation could, however, be related to differences in how children with ASD are identified and/or served in their local communities and how this information is collected and reported. ASD data for many states is available.