Illinois
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 Illinois were generally positive for the few measure with available data. Rates of overall mortality and homicide mortality improved from baseline. Rates of mortality due to motor vehicle crashes and suicide were flat. Data for other objectives were unavailable.
Rates for most objectives in Illinois were very similar to national rates. Encouraging exceptions include lower rates in Illinois of overall mortality among young adults and mortality due to motor vehicle crashes. On the other hand, the Illinois rate of homicide was higher than the national rate. Rates of overall mortality among younger and older adolescents were similar to national rates, as were the suicide rate and measures for all behavioral objectives.
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 Illinois decreased from baseline across all age groups, with large decreases among older adolescents and young adults. Decreases among Black older adolescent and young adult males were particularly striking; decreases among Hispanic males in these age groups and young adult Black females were also substantial. The one group with a small increase in mortality was older adolescent Black females. Overall mortality rates among males were two to three times the rates for females among older adolescents and young adults. For all age groups, Blacks had the highest rates, followed by Hispanics and Whites, who had similar rates.
Comparison with national data. Mortality rates in Illinois declined much more steeply than national rates for nearly every group, especially older adolescent and young adult Black males. The steep decline among young adults overall in Illinois stands in contrast to an increase for that group nationally. Mortality for older adolescent Black females decreased slightly nationally, in contrast to the increase in Illinois. In 2007, overall mortality rates in Illinois were similar to national rates for younger and older adolescents; the Illinois rate for young adults was lower than the national rate. These national-state differences were fairly consistent across most gender and racial/ethnic groups. One notable exception is that the rate for Black young adult males in Illinois remains higher than the national rate for that group, although this difference narrowed considerably from baseline.
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. This text describes safety belt use.
Adolescent mortality in Illinois due to motor vehicle crashes (MVCs) changed little from baseline; there was a modest decrease among White males. In 2007, males had more than twice the rate of females. Whites had the highest rates; Hispanics and Blacks had similar rates; among males, Hispanics and Whites had similar rates, about twice the rate of Black males.
Comparison with national data. National rates of MVC mortality also changed little from baseline. The national rate for White males was essentially flat, in contrast to the small decrease in Illinois; a small increase among Hispanic males nationally contrasts with the flat rate in Illinois. In 2007, Illinois MVC mortality rates were lower than national rates. As in Illinois, males had much higher rate than females. The overall national racial/ethnic pattern matched the pattern for males in Illinois, with Whites and Hispanics having similar rates and Blacks having the lowest rate.
Females in Illinois had a higher rate of safety belt use than males in 2009. Whites had the highest rate, followed by Hispanics, Asians, Blacks and then adolescents of multiple races; racial/ethnic differences were very small.
Comparison with national data. In 2009, the overall rate of safety belt use in Illinois was similar to the national rate. As in Illinois, females had a higher rate than males and racial/ethnic difference were very small, although the national racial/ethnic pattern was slightly different from the pattern in Illinois.
Reported rates of adolescents in Illinois riding with a driver who had been drinking alcohol were roughly matching among females than males in 2009. Hispanics and adolescents of multiple races had very similar rates, the highest among racial/ethnic groups; Blacks had the next highest rate followed by Whites and Asians, with similar rates for these two groups.
Comparison with national data. In 2009, the Illinois rate of adolescents riding with a driver who had been drinking alcohol roughly matched the national rate; the Illinois rate for Asians was much higher than the national rate for that group. National gender and racial/ethnic patterns matched the patterns noted for Illinois.
Violence
(homicide, physical fighting, weapon carrying)
The overall rate of homicide among older adolescents in Illinois decreased somewhat from baseline, with a striking decline among Black males and sizable but smaller decline among Hispanic males. Most rates were based on fewer than 20 deaths and thus were unsuitable for analyses.
Comparison with national data. National homicide rates among older adolescents were flat from baseline, in contrast to the declines in Illinois. A small increase among Black males and flat rate among Hispanic males nationally contrasts with large declines for those groups in Illinois. In 2007, homicide rates in Illinois remained higher than national rates, although this gap has narrowed since baseline.
Males in Illinois had a much higher rate of engaging in physical fighting than females in 2009. Blacks and adolescents of multiple races had similar rates, the highest among racial/ethnic groups; Hispanics had the next highest rate, followed by Whites.
Comparison with national data. The overall rate of physical fighting in Illinois roughly matched the national rate. National gender and race/ethnicity patterns mostly matched the patterns noted for Illinois; one exception is that Hispanics had a slightly higher rate than adolescents of multiple races nationally.
Males in Illinois were more than three times as likely as females to report weapon carrying in 2009. Adolescents of multiple races had by far the highest rate; Hispanics, Whites and Blacks had very similar rates.
Comparison with national data. The overall rate of weapon carrying in 2009 in Illinois was similar to the national rate. National gender and racial/ethnic patterns roughly matched patterns noted for Illinois; one exception is that Hispanics had a lower rate than adolescents of multiple races nationally.
Substance Abuse and Mental Health
(binge drinking, marijuana use, suicide, suicide attempts requiring medical attention)
Rates of binge drinking in Illinois were slightly higher among males than females in 2009. Whites, Hispanics and adolescents of multiple races had similar rates, the highest among racial/ethnic groups; Blacks had the next highest rate followed closely by Asians.
Comparison with national data. National gender and racial/ethnic patterns mostly matched patterns noted for Illinois; one exception is a slightly higher rate among Asians compared to Blacks nationally.
Rates of marijuana use in Illinois were slightly higher among males than females in 2009. Adolescents of multiple races had the highest rate, followed closely by Hispanics and Blacks, who had roughly matching rates; Whites had the lowest rate. Differences among these groups were relatively small.
Comparison with national data. National gender and racial/ethnic patterns mostly matched the patterns noted for Illinois. One exception is that Whites had a higher rate than adolescents of multiple races nationally; as in Illinois, differences among groups were very small.
Overall suicide mortality was flat from baseline among older adolescents in Illinois. Most rates for subgroups were based on fewer than 20 deaths and thus were unsuitable for analyses.
Comparison with national data. National suicide rates also changed little from baseline among older adolescents. In 2007, the Illinois rate was similar to the national rate for that age group.
In 2009, males and females in Illinois had virtually equal rates of suicide attempts requiring medical attention. Adolescents of multiple races, Blacks and Hispanics had matching rates; Whites had the lowest rate.
Comparison with national data. In 2009, Illinois rates of suicide attempts requiring medical attention were higher than national rates, both overall and for most subgroups. Females had a higher rate than males nationally, in contrast to matching rates in Illinois. National racial/ethnic patterns roughly matched patterns noted for Illinois.
Reproductive Health
(sexual inexperience, no current sexual activity, condom use)
Please note, for the first two objectives, the text and tables present findings about adolescents who are sexually experienced and currently sexually active, the inverse of the actual objective. For the third objective, the table presents findings for lack of condom use, the inverse of the objective. The text describes condom use. (See Data Notes & Limitations).
In 2009, the overall rate of adolescents having engaged in sexual intercourse was much higher for females than males. Blacks had the highest rate, followed by Hispanics and then Whites.
Comparison with national data. In 2009, the overall rate of sexual experience among Illinois adolescents was similar to the national rate; the Illinois rate among Blacks was somewhat lower than the national rate for that group. Males and females had matching rates nationally, in contrast to higher rates for females in Illinois. The national racial/ethnic pattern matched the pattern noted for Illinois.
Rates of sexually experienced adolescents reporting current sexual activity were roughly matching for males and females overall in 2009; among Blacks and Hispanics, males had somewhat higher rates than females. Blacks had the highest rate overall, followed by Hispanics and then Whites.
Comparison with national data. In 2009, the overall rate of adolescents reporting current sexual activity in Illinois was similar to the national rate. Females had a higher rate than males nationally, in contrast to matching rates in Illinois. The national racial/ethnic pattern matched the pattern in Illinois.
In 2009, rates of adolescent condom use in Illinois were much higher among males than females. Whites had the highest rate, followed by Blacks and then Hispanics.
Comparison with national data. In 2009, the Illinois rate of condom use was similar to the national rate. As in Illinois, males reported higher rates than females and Hispanics had the lowest rate nationally. In contrast to Illinois, Blacks had a higher rate than Whites nationally.
Chronic Disease Prevention
(tobacco use)
In 2009, tobacco use in Illinois was much higher among males than females. Adolescents of multiple races had the highest rate, followed by Whites, Hispanics and then Blacks. Females had similar rates across racial/ethnic groups, while rates varied among males.
Comparison with national data. The 2009 Illinois rate for tobacco use was similar to the national rate. National gender and racial/ethnic patterns mostly matched patterns noted for Illinois; one exception is that Whites had a higher rate than adolescents of multiple races nationally.
Additional data may be available at: http://www.dhs.state.il.us/page.aspx?item=32004
