Vanderbilt Child Health Poll

(photo by Erin O. Smith)
April 30, 2026

Parents trust health care providers on safety and injury prevention, but few discuss firearms

Tennessee parents have consistently ranked community violence near the top of their list of concerns since questions related to violence and firearms were added to the annual Child Health Poll

By Jake Lowary
April 22, 2026

Child Health Poll: Vast majority of Tennessee parents say their kids get regular immunizations, support school-based immunization requirements

Roughly 8 in 10 parents surveyed across the state said they are concerned about communicable diseases like measles if others are not immunized and agreed that immunizations are important to protect their children from serious infections.

By Jake Lowary
March 11, 2026

Poll: Tennessee parents are worried about the future for their kids; 1 in 3 say their child has been diagnosed with a mental health condition

Teen mental health, social media, bullying, screen time and school quality top list of parental concerns

By Jake Lowary
March 4, 2025

Poll: Parents report challenges accessing care, concerns about influenza and HPV vaccines

Nearly half (47%) of Tennessee children had public health insurance (TennCare or CoverKids) in 2024. This was the same percentage as private insurance (47%) and an increase from previous years of the poll.

By Jake Lowary
March 19, 2024

Over 40% of Tennessee Families With Children Say They Are Food Insecure; 70% Have Changed Spending on Food

This year’s Vanderbilt Child Health Poll shows that over 40% of Tennessee families report they are food insecure ― a similar proportion from last year. Most families (71%) say they have continued to change food spending habits due to high prices.

By Jake Lowary
February 27, 2024

Lack of Insurance among Tennessee children remains low, while mental health concerns persist

The latest analysis of the 2024 Tennessee Child Health Poll has found that the proportion of uninsured kids in Tennessee held steady from the 2023 poll, and the rates of mental health diagnoses and associated concerns from Tennessee parents remain high.

By VUMC News and Communications