| Course | HLTH 8573 Child and Adolescent Health Issues |
|---|---|
| Week | Week 4 |
| Paper type | Population profile |
| Length | About 520 words, 4 pages |
| Format | APA 7 student paper |
| School | Walden University |
| Program | PhD in Public Health |
| Updated | October 2026 |
Free sample paper for HLTH 8573 Week 4
Population Profile of U.S. High-School-Age Youth, Counted Three Ways: What Students, Parents and the Census Each Report, With Every Figure Tied to Its Survey, Collection Year and Ages Covered
Student Name
Walden University
HLTH 8573: Child and Adolescent Health Issues
Instructor Name
Month Day, Year
Population Profile of U.S. High-School-Age Youth, Counted Three Ways: What Students, Parents and the Census Each Report, With Every Figure Tied to Its Survey, Collection Year and Ages Covered
Why Three Sources
High-school-age youth can be counted by asking them, by asking their parents or by counting households. Each method sees something the others miss, and each covers a slightly different set of ages and a different year. This profile uses one source of each kind and labels every figure with its survey, its collection year and its age range, so a reader never compares two numbers that describe different people.
The Census Count: How Many and How Many Are Poor
The American Community Survey 1-year estimates for 2024 count 13,411,160 young people aged 15 to 17 in the United States, 6,884,490 boys and 6,526,670 girls (U.S. Census Bureau, 2025). Among the 13,327,164 in that age range for whom poverty status was determined, 1,931,092, or 14.5%, lived in households with incomes below the federal poverty level. These are household survey estimates, and they cover ages 15 to 17, not the whole high school range.
The Students' Own Report: Behavior and Mood
The national Youth Risk Behavior Survey asks students in grades 9 through 12 in public and private schools to report on themselves. In 2017, 31.5% (95% CI 29.6-33.4) described a stretch of two weeks or longer during the past year in which near-daily sadness or hopelessness made them stop some usual activities, and 17.2% had seriously considered attempting suicide (Kann et al., 2018). Only 26.1% had been physically active for at least 60 minutes on all seven days before the survey, and 74.6% reported fewer than eight hours of sleep on an average school night. Measured from self-reported height and weight, 14.8% had obesity, and 13.2% currently used an electronic vapor product.
The Parents' Report: Diagnosed Conditions
The National Survey of Children's Health asks a parent or caregiver about one child in the household. In 2016, parents reported that 7.1% of children aged 3 to 17 currently had anxiety problems and 3.2% currently had depression, each after being told by a provider that the child had the condition (Ghandour et al., 2019). The authors note that prevalence rose with age, so the share among teenagers is higher than these all-ages figures.
Reading the Three Together
The gap between 31.5% of students describing persistent sadness and 3.2% of children whose parents report diagnosed depression is not a contradiction. The two figures count different things, reported by different people, about different age ranges, collected seven and eight years before the census count. A profile that put them in one sentence without these labels would mislead its reader.
Table 1
What Each Source Reports, for Whom and When
| Source | Reporter | Ages or grades | Year | Example figure | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| American Community Survey | Household respondent | Ages 15-17 | 2024 | 14.5% below poverty | |
| Youth Risk Behavior Survey | Student | Grades 9-12 | 2017 | 31.5% persistent sadness or hopelessness | |
| National Survey of Children's Health | Parent or caregiver | Ages 3-17 | 2016 | 3.2% current depression | |
Sources differ in reporter, age coverage and year; figures are not directly comparable.
References
Ghandour, R. M., Sherman, L. J., Vladutiu, C. J., Ali, M. M., Lynch, S. E., Bitsko, R. H., & Blumberg, S. J. (2019). Prevalence and treatment of depression, anxiety, and conduct problems in US children. The Journal of Pediatrics, 206, 256-267. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpeds.2018.09.021
Kann, L., McManus, T., Harris, W. A., Shanklin, S. L., Flint, K. H., Queen, B., Lowry, R., Chyen, D., Whittle, L., Thornton, J., Lim, C., Bradford, D., Yamakawa, Y., Leon, M., Brener, N., & Ethier, K. A. (2018). Youth risk behavior surveillance: United States, 2017. MMWR Surveillance Summaries, 67(8), 1-114. https://doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.ss6708a1
U.S. Census Bureau. (2025). American Community Survey 1-year estimates, 2024: Tables B01001 and B17001, United States [Data set]. https://data.census.gov/
Reading the HLTH 8573 Week 4 instructions
This assignment asks students to profile a child or adolescent population using available data. Faculty expect more than one source, and they expect each figure to be labeled clearly with its source, year and the ages or grades it covers. The strongest profiles explain how different reporters, such as young people, parents and household respondents, see different aspects of the same population. A profile should not place figures from different sources in one sentence as though they were comparable without explaining how they differ. A summary table that lists each source's reporter, coverage and year is common. Most rubrics also look for at least one measure of social conditions, such as poverty, alongside health measures, and for a short discussion of what the combination reveals.
How the HLTH 8573 Week 4 example is put together
An opening section explains why three sources are used and sets the labeling rule. The census section reports the 2024 American Community Survey count of young people aged 15 to 17, the number and share below poverty, and the age coverage. The student report section gives 2017 Youth Risk Behavior Survey estimates for persistent sadness, suicidal ideation, daily activity, sleep, obesity and vaping, citing Kann and colleagues, and paraphrases the survey's own definition of the mood item. The parent report section gives 2016 National Survey of Children's Health estimates for current anxiety and depression among ages 3 to 17, citing Ghandour and colleagues. Table 1 compares the three sources, and a final paragraph explains why 31.5% and 3.2% are not contradictory.
Where the marks sit in the HLTH 8573 Week 4 rubric
Faculty grade the profile on accuracy and on the discipline of its labels. Figures that are correct but unlabeled earn less than labeled ones, because an unlabeled figure invites misuse. Credit rises when the profile explains the differences between reporters and age ranges and shows awareness that years differ across sources. A table summarizing each source's coverage earns credit when it helps the reader avoid false comparisons. Faculty also reward profiles that include social conditions alongside health measures and that state what the figures can and cannot show. Using the survey's own wording for sensitive items, rather than turning them into diagnoses, is valued. The final discussion should draw a usable conclusion about the population, not simply restate the numbers.
Common HLTH 8573 Week 4 mistakes, and how to avoid them
Population profiles often gather figures from several sources into a single paragraph, which leaves readers comparing numbers that describe different people in different years. To write a stronger profile, list each source you plan to use and note who reported, which ages or grades were covered and when the data were collected. Put that label beside every figure. Use the survey's own wording for items about mood or behavior, and avoid calling a screening item a diagnosis. Include at least one measure of social conditions. Build a short table comparing your sources. Then explain any large differences between figures as differences in what was measured. A profile of the youth population in your own county or state can be prepared from the sources you name.
Get a HLTH 8573 Week 4 example written to your instructions
Tell the desk which county, state or population your Week 4 prompt specifies, and send the rubric; the profile comes back with each figure tied to its collection system, the year and the ages it covers. No charge for a first custom sample, delivered in 24-48 hours, with every number left for you to verify.
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HLTH 8573 Week 4 questions, answered
Where can I find a free HLTH 8573 Week 4 sample paper?
The full Week 4 population profile appears on this page, describing U.S. high-school-age youth through census, student and parent reports with every figure labeled by survey, year and ages, and citing three sources.
Why do students report so much more sadness than parents report depression?
The two figures measure different things. Students described a two-week stretch of sadness or hopelessness, while parents reported a provider-diagnosed condition that the child currently has, and the parent figure also covers children as young as 3.
Why are the sources from different years?
Each survey runs on its own schedule. The profile uses the most suitable release of each and labels the year beside every figure, so a reader can see that the census count is from 2024 while the student and parent surveys are from 2017 and 2016.
Does the profile cover all high school students?
The census figures cover ages 15 to 17, the student survey covers grades 9 to 12 in public and private schools, and the parent survey covers ages 3 to 17. No single source matches the high school population exactly, which is why each is labeled.
Can these national figures be used for a local profile?
Only as context. A county or state profile should use local or state estimates where they exist, labeled in the same way, and should say when national figures stand in for missing local data.