Report: Number of uninsured kindergartners down 40 percent

By Scott Lucas

Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2015 | 12:24 p.m.

Although Nevada often lags behind other states in health care statistics, there is reason to cheer, based on the results of a new survey.

An annual study by UNLV found the number of Nevada kindergartners lacking health insurance declined by 40 percent from 2013 to 2014.

The study credited increasing rates of enrollment in Medicaid. The rate of insured children was the highest the study has found in any year since its inception in 2008.

The survey of 7,500 parents representing 32,000 kindergarteners was conducted by the Nevada Institute for Children’s Research and Policy, a nonpartisan research center. The study is conducted annually. The most recent figures reflect the 2014-2015 school year.

“If children are healthy, mentally and physically, they are better able to focus on learning in the classroom,” said Amanda Haboush-Deloye, chief research associate for the NICRP.

The study also found the obesity rate among kindergartners had climbed 5.4 percent to 31.5 percent, while the share of those who played three or more hours of computer or video games on school days increased from 3.9 percent to 5.2 percent.

The number who reported 30 minutes or more of physical activity three or more times a week rose slightly to 20 percent.