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CWI

The Foundation
for Child Development
Child and Youth Well-Being Index (CWI)
1975 to 2005 with Projections for 2006
A Social Indicators Project Supported by the
Foundation for Child Development
New American Foundation Presentation, April 4, 2007
Kenneth C. Land, Ph.D., Project Coordinator
Duke University
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CWI

What is the CWI?

• It is a composite measure of trends in the
quality of life, or well-being, of America’s
children and young people since 1975.
• It consists of 28 social indicators organized
in seven quality-of-life domains.

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What Does the CWI Tell Us?

• Did overall child and youth well-being in the United
States improve or deteriorate over the last two
generations?
• By how much?
• In which domains or areas of social life?
• For which age groups?
• For boys and girls equally?
• For which racial and ethnic groups?
• Did disparities between groups increase or decrease?
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Methods of CWI Construction

• The CWI places 28 national level indicators into
seven quality-of-life domains
– Family Economic Well-Being
– Health
– Safety/Behavioral Concerns
– Educational Attainment
– Community Connectedness
– Social Relationships (with Family and Peers)
– Emotional/Spiritual Well-Being
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• Each of the 28 indicators uses annual time

series data from vital statistics and sample
surveys
• Each indicator is indexed by percentage change
from the base year, 1975.
• The base year is assigned a value of 100.
– A value greater than 100 in subsequent years means
the social condition measured has improved. A
value less than 100 means the social condition has
deteriorated.
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• The 28 indicators are grouped together into

seven domains to construct domain-specific
summary well-being indices.
– Within these summary indices, each indicator is
equally weighted.
• The seven domain indices are combined into
the Child and Youth Well-being Index (CWI).
– Each domain is equally weighted in the construction
of the CWI.

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Composite Index of Child and

Youth Well-Being

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Figure 1: Child Well-Being Index, 1975-2005, with Projections for 2006

110

105
Percent of Base Year

100

95

90

85

Year
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Domain-Specific Indices

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Figure 2. Domain-Specific Summary Indices, 1975-2005, with Projections for 2006.

150
Family Economic Well-Being
Health
140
Safety/Behavioral Concerns
Educational Attainment
130 Community Connectedness
Social Relationships
Emotional/Spiritual Well-Being
120
Percent of Base Year

110

100

90

80

70

60

Year
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Trends in Child and Youth

Well-Being by Race and Ethnicity

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Figure 3. Total and Race/Ethnic-Group Summary CWIs as a Percent of Total

CWI for all Children and Youth at Base Year, 1985-2005
120
White
115 African American
Percent of Base Year for All Children and Youth

Hispanic
110 Total CWI

105

100

95

90

85

80

75

70

12
Year
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Figure 3a. Suicide Rates, Ages 15-19, 1985-2005.

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White Suicide Rates
Black Suicide Rates
12 Hispanic Suicide Rates

10
Deaths per 100,000

Year 13
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Figure 3b. Rates of Cigarette Smoking Prevalence in the Past 30 Days, Grades 12, 10, and 8,
1985 (or 1992)-2005.

55
White 12th Graders Black 12th Graders Hispanic 12th Graders
50
White 10th Graders Black 10th Graders Hispanic 10th Graders
45 White 8th Graders Black 8th Graders Hispanic 8th Graders

40

35
Percent

30

25

20

15

10

Year 14
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Figure 3c. Median Family Incomes for Families with Children in 2005 Dollars,
1987-2005.
90,000
White Median Income for Families with Children 0-17

80,000 Black Median Income for Families with Children 0-17

Hispanic Median Income for Families with Children 0-17

70,000
Year 2005 Dollars

60,000

50,000

40,000

30,000

20,000

15
Year
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Figure 4. Race/Ethnic Group-Specific Summary Indices of Child and Youth

Well Being, 1985-2005
115

White
Black
Hispanic
110
Percent of Group's Base Year

105

100

95

90

16
Year
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Conclusions
 The CWI shows that children and youth in the United States
are doing slightly better today than in 1975.
 But, progress in child and youth well-being has stalled.
 The gap in overall quality of life between white, African
American, and Hispanic children narrowed between the
mid-90s and 2002. That progress, too, has stalled.
Disparities among the groups remain.
 We are doing better in areas of social life that reflect
cultural values and over which parents and community
institutions can exercise some influence and control.
 America’s children are doing less well in areas that have to
do with policy and the role of government. 17
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The CWI on the Web:

http://www.soc.duke.edu/~cwi/

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