Georgia

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 only discuss data for selected subgroups.

Overview of Findings

Findings for Georgia from baseline to final were relatively positive among adolescents, but of concern for young adults. Suicide rates and overall mortality decreased for adolescents, motor vehicle mortality decreased among older adolescents, and the homicide rate remained basically flat.  However, overall mortality increased for young adults, as did motor vehicle crash mortality.  Baseline data were not available for most objectives.

Overall, Georgia objectives compared unfavorably to national objectives, with higher rates of overall mortality, mortality due to motor vehicle crashes, homicide, weapon carrying, suicide attempts requiring medical attention, and tobacco use.  Georgia rates compared favorably to national rates for riding with a driver who was drinking alcohol, and suicide.

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 Georgia from baseline to final declined among younger and older adolescents, but increased among young adults, particularly among Whites and Hispanics.  At final, males in Georgia had more than twice the overall mortality rate of females. Among older adolescents, Blacks had the highest rates, followed by Whites, and then Hispanics; among young adults, Blacks also had the highest rates, followed very closely by Hispanics; Whites had the lowest rates.

Comparison with national data. Georgia adolescent mortality overall was somewhat higher than the national rates.  Decreases in mortality from baseline for groups in Georgia generally matched national decreases for those groups; however overall mortality for young adults nationally essentially remained flat with a very small increase, compared with the larger increase in Georgia among young adults.  While there was an increase in rates for Hispanic young adults nationally, it was far below the substantial increase noted in Georgia.

Unintentional Injury

(motor vehicle crashes, safety belt use, & riding with a driver who has been drinking alcohol)  Please note the data for safety belt use are presented as “not wearing safety belt,” the inverse of the objective.

Adolescent mortality in Georgia due to motor vehicle crashes (MVCs) decreased from baseline among older adolescents, but increased among young adults.  Among 15-24 year olds, there were increases across all racial/ethnic groups except for Hispanics, for whom rates decreased.  At final, the MVC mortality rate in Georgia was twice as high among males as females. Whites had the highest rates followed by Hispanics, and then Blacks.  

Comparison with national data. The MVC mortality in Georgia was higher than the national rate. The discrepancy in gender rates noted in Georgia was even more extreme nationally.  National racial/ethnic patterns were similar to patterns noted in Georgia.

Females in Georgia reported higher rates of safety belt use at final than males.  Among racial/ethnic groups, Blacks had the highest rates followed by Whites and then Hispanics.

Comparison with national data. Safety belt use among adolescents in Georgia was equal to the national rate. The gender pattern noted for Georgia was similar nationally, although the racial/ethnic pattern varied.  Nationally, Hispanics had the highest rates of seatbelt use followed by Whites and then by Blacks.

In Georgia, males and females reported close to equal rates of riding with a driver who had been drinking alcohol at final. Whites, Hispanics and Blacks reported similar rates of this behavior.

Comparison with national data. The overall rate of riding with a driver who had been drinking alcohol was lower in Georgia at final than nationally. Nationally, as in Georgia, males and females had nearly equal rates.  Nationally, Hispanics had the highest rates, followed by Blacks and then by Whites in contrast to the racial/ethnic patterns noted in Georgia.

Violence

(homicide, physical fighting, weapon carrying)

The homicide rate among adolescents in Georgia stayed basically flat from baseline to final, with a very small increase among older adolescents.  This overall slight increase is reflected in a small increase among older adolescent males and Black males. Rates for other groups were based on fewer than 20 deaths and thus were unsuitable for analysis.

Comparison with national data. Overall homicide rates nationally also showed little change between baseline and final; there was no increase nationally in overall older adolescent rates, as in Georgia.  At final, the homicide rate in Georgia was somewhat higher than national rates.

At final, males in Georgia engaged in physical fighting at nearly twice the rate of females.  Among racial/ethnic groups, Blacks and then Hispanics had the highest rates with similar rates, followed by Whites.

Comparison with national data. The overall rate of physical fighting among adolescents in Georgia was very similar to the national rate.  The gender pattern nationally was similar to Georgia, as was the racial/ethnic pattern: Nationally, Blacks had the highest rates, followed by Hispanics and then Whites.

Overall, males in Georgia were over three times as likely to report weapon carrying than females at final. Whites had the highest rates, followed by Hispanics, and then Blacks.

Comparison with national data. The overall rate of weapon carrying in Georgia was very similar to the national rate.  The gender discrepancy was similar nationally, as were the racial/ethnic patterns.

Substance Abuse and Mental Health

(binge drinking, marijuana use, suicide, suicide attempts requiring medical attention)

Rates of binge drinking were higher at final among males in Georgia than females. Whites were the most likely to engage in binge drinking, followed by Hispanics and then Blacks; Whites reported rates that were twice as high as rates reported by Blacks.

Comparison with national data.  Nationally as in Georgia, males reported rates that were higher than females. As in Georgia, Whites had the highest rates, followed by Hispanics and then by Blacks.

Rates of marijuana use in Georgia at final were higher among males compared with females.  Rates were highest among Blacks, followed by Whites and then Hispanics, with rates that were close to one another.

Comparison with national data. The gender pattern of rates of marijuana use in Georgia at final matched the pattern nationally; however, the racial/ethnic pattern was somewhat different nationally with Whites reporting the highest rates, followed by Blacks, and then Hispanics.

Suicide rates in Georgia among older adolescents decreased overall from baseline to final, as did rates for older adolescent males and White older adolescents. Rates for other groups are absent or are based on fewer than twenty deaths and thus were not suitable for analysis.

Comparison with national data. The suicide rate among adolescents overall in Georgia was lower than the national rate.  National rates also showed declines although not to the same extent as Georgia.

The rate of suicide attempts requiring medical attention in Georgia was higher among females than males.  Hispanics reported the highest rates, followed by Blacks and then Whites; however White females reported the highest rates of any group.

Comparison with national data. Georgia’s adolescents had an overall rate of suicide attempts at final that was higher than the national rate. There was a similar gender disparity nationally as in Georgia. Nationally Blacks reported the highest rates, followed by Hispanics and then Whites; in contrast to the high rate among White females in Georgia, Hispanic females reported the highest rates nationally.

Reproductive Health

(no data for Georgia at final)

Chronic Disease Prevention

(tobacco use)

Tobacco use in Georgia at final was higher for males than females.  Whites had substantially higher rates than Hispanics or Blacks, with rates that were relatively close to one another.

Comparison with national data.  At final, rates of tobacco use were slightly higher nationally than in Georgia.  The gender discrepancy was similar nationally as in Georgia, as were the racial/ ethnic patterns, with Whites reporting the highest rates of tobacco use, followed by Hispanics and then Blacks.

Additional data may be available at: http://health.state.ga.us/publications/datasummaries.asp