Indicator: Physical development and well-being
Definition
Individuals exhibit positive physical development and health.
RECOMMENDED METRIC(S)
- Pre-K: See kindergarten readiness: perceptual, motor, and physical development indicator
- K–12: Percentage of students meeting benchmarks on self-rated surveys of physical health, such as the California Healthy Kids Survey Physical Health & Nutrition module
- Postsecondary and workforce: Percentage of adults who rate their own health as good, very good, or excellent on the Self-Rated Health scale, or percentage of individuals meeting benchmarks on the Health-Related Quality of Life Scale
Type(s) of Data Needed
SurveysWhy it matters
Physical development and well-being is both an outcome in itself and an important contributor to economic mobility and security. Research links healthy behaviors like physical activity to higher academic achievement. At the same time, education affects health outcomes: in the United States, individuals with college degrees have longer life expectancies than those with lower levels of education (for example, one study shows that men with a graduate degree have a life expectancy approximately 16 years longer than those with less than a high school degree). Racial disparities in health outcomes among both children and adults are well documented. For example, Black Americans have a lower life expectancy at birth than White Americans by approximately six years. Data also suggest that racial disparities in life expectancy have been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, with communities of color experiencing higher rates of hospitalization and death.
What to know about measurement
We recommend measuring physical development and well-being using self-reports on surveys. Although physical fitness tests and activity trackers are viable alternatives to self-reports, survey data may be more feasible to collect at scale while mitigating potential concerns about shaming and privacy. As one example, California administers both a survey and a physical fitness test to K–12 students. However, it recently eliminated the Body Composition component of the test amid concerns about its value and risk for unintended consequences and is reassessing whether to continue with the test at all.
E-W Case Studies
Source frameworks
This indicator appeared in seven source frameworks reviewed for this report. Our proposed approach to measuring well-being using self-reports aligns with recommendations by the Urban Institute for how to measure “overall health.”
References
The framework's recommendations are based on syntheses of existing research. Please see the framework report for a list of works cited.