(Gallup) A new Survey tool finds half of U.S. teens are missing at least one necessity

The Gallup study found that roughly half of U.S. adolescents lacked at least one necessity measured by the ANI. Neighborhood safety was the least common (about 76% reported having it), followed by the ability to afford extracurricular activities (about 78%). The most common were access to medical care (about 97%) and having an adult who offers encouragement (about 96%).

Analysis of the Character Lab data revealed two underlying dimensions — material necessities (transportation, housing, nutrition, safety, medical care, quiet space, and extracurriculars) and social necessities (academic support, emotional support, and encouragement). Because the two dimensions are highly correlated, the authors combined them into a single metric that they call “Access to Necessities,” appropriate for most research and screening applications.

Across both the Character Lab and Gallup studies, students with higher ANI scores consistently showed better outcomes: higher GPAs; greater emotional, social and academic thriving; better physical and mental health; and greater life satisfaction. Critically, the ANI predicted these outcomes even after accounting for traditional measures of socioeconomic status. In other words, the ANI didn’t merely replicate what SES captured — it added meaningfully to it.

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(Gallup) Makes the heart sad–A New Way to Gauge Students' Basic Needs
Survey tool finds half of U.S. teens are missing at least one necessity https://t.co/cqOxiwzWTO #culturewatch #usa #teens #children #personalfinance #foodinsecurity #poverty #basicneeds

— Kendall Harmon (@KendallHarmon6) July 2, 2026