Washington, D.C.

Please be sure to read the data notes & limitations page. This explains many aspects of these comments, including how only changes over time can be discussed as statistically significant, and why the comparisons with national rates discuss data for selected subgroups.

Overview of Findings

Findings for Washington, D.C. were encouraging with large decreases in overall mortality and homicide, due to dramatic declines among Black males. However, Washington DC rates remain much higher than national rates of overall mortality and homicide. Data for other objectives were unavailable.

Highlights of Findings by Objective

Jump To: Mortality; Unintentional Injury; Violence; Substance Use and Mental Health; Reproductive Health; Chronic Disease Prevention

Mortality

The rate of overall mortality in Washington, D.C. declined substantially from baseline among older adolescents and young adults; rates among Black males in these age groups decreased dramatically. Rates for other groups were based on fewer than 20 deaths and thus unsuitable for analyses.

Comparison with national data. Similar to Washington, D.C., national mortality rates decreased for older adolescents, and Black males in that age group. However, the national decreases were very small compared to the striking decreases in Washington, DC. The national rate for young adults increased, in contrast to the decrease in Washington, DC. As in Washington, DC, rates among young adult Black males decreased nationally; this national change was also very small compared to the decrease in Washington, DC. Despite the large decreases, mortality rates in Washington, DC remained substantially higher than national rates, both overall and among Black males.

Unintentional Injury

(motor vehicle crashes)

Rates of motor vehicle crash mortality were based on fewer than 20 deaths and thus were unsuitable for analyses.

Violence

(homicide)

The overall rate of homicide among older adolescents in Washington, DC decreased by over half from baseline, with a decreased of nearly two thirds among Black males. Most rates were based on fewer than 20 deaths and thus were unsuitable for analyses.

Comparison with national data. National homicide mortality rates among older adolescents were flat from baseline, in contrast to large declines in Washington, DC. A small increase among Black males stands in stark contrast to the large decline in Washington, DC. In 2007, homicide rates in Washington, DC remained much higher than national rates, although this gap has narrowed from fourteen-fold to five-fold since baseline. Similarly, the Washington DC rate among Black males remains much higher than the national rate, although this difference has also narrowed since baseline.

Substance Abuse and Mental Health

(suicide)

Suicide rates were based on fewer than 20 deaths and thus were unsuitable for analyses.