On this page: About the National Data | Methodology | History
About the National Data
Data
Data Source: National Health Interview Survey (NHIS), CDC/NCHS
Baseline: 48.0 per 1,000 children under 17 years had 3 or more ear infections in the past 12 months in 2018
Target: 43.2 per 1,000
Numerator
Number of children under 17 years, who have had 3 or more ear infections in the past 12 months.
Denominator
Number of children under 17 years.
Target-setting method
Percent improvement
Target-setting method details
10 percent improvement from the baseline.
Target-setting method justification
Trend data were not available for this objective. A 10 percent improvement from the baseline was used to calculate a target. This method was used because past data showed a gradual decline in frequent ear infections in American children.
Methodology
Questions used to obtain the national baseline data
(For additional information, please visit the data source page linked above.)
From the 2018 National Health Interview Survey:
In the Child Health Status & Limitations Section of the Sample Child Questionnaire:
Numerator:
DURING THE PAST 12 MONTHS, has [fill: Sample Child's name] had any of the following conditions…Three or more ear infections?
- Yes
- No
- Refused
- Don't know
History
Comparable HP2020 objective
Modified, which includes core objectives that are continuing from Healthy People 2020 but underwent a change in measurement.
Changes between HP2020 and HP2030
This objective differs from Healthy People 2020 objective ENT-VSL-2 in that objective ENT-VSL-2 used data from the National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey (NHAMCS) to track visits with a diagnosis of otitis media (ICD-9-CM codes 3810-3815, 382) among persons under age 18 years, while this objective uses data from the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) to track persons under age 17 who had 3 or more ear infections (based on the NHIS survey questions) in the last 12 months.
