Kansas
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
Data indicating changes for Kansas included sizable decreases in overall mortality and mortality due to motor vehicle crashes. Baseline data were not available for most objectives.
Kansas had lower rates of overall mortality for young adults, physical fighting and tobacco use. State rates were similar to national rates for several objectives, including homicide, safety belt use, riding with a driver who had been drinking alcohol, weapon carrying, suicide attempts requiring medical attention, sexual experience, current sexual activity and condom use. Kansas compared unfavorably to national rates of suicide and overall mortality for younger and older adolescents.
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 Kansas decreased substantially from baseline for subgroups with available data, with data suggesting particularly striking declines among Blacks overall and Black males in particular. However, data also suggest an increase among older adolescent Hispanics. In 2007, males had more than twice the mortality of females; Hispanic older adolescents had a somewhat higher rate than Whites in that age group.
Comparison with national data. As in Kansas, overall mortality declined among younger and older adolescents nationally; however, these declines were much steeper in Kansas. The decrease in young adult mortality in Kansas contrasts with an increase for that group nationally; national rates declined for Black young adults, similar to the suggested decline in Kansas. In 2007, Kansas rates of mortality were slightly higher than national rates for younger and older adolescents; the Kansas rate for Hispanic older adolescents was much higher than the national rate for that group. The state’s mortality rate for young adults was lower than the national rate. The national gender pattern matched the pattern in Kansas. Nationally, White and Hispanic older adolescents had roughly matching rates, in contrast to the higher rate among Hispanics in Kansas.
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 Kansas due to motor vehicle crashes (MVCs) decreased considerably from baseline, overall and across all groups with available data. In 2007, males had more than twice the rate of MVC mortality as females.
Comparison with national data. The national MVC mortality rate was essentially flat from baseline, in contrast to sizable declines in Kansas. In 2007, the overall Kansas rate matched the national rate; the Kansas rate for older adolescents was slightly higher than the national rate and the state’s young adult rate was slightly lower. As in Kansas, males had higher rates than females.
Females in Kansas had higher rates of safety belt use than males in 2009. Whites had the highest rates, followed by adolescents of multiple races, Blacks, and then Hispanics.
Comparison with national data. The overall rate of safety belt use in Kansas roughly matched the national rate in 2009; the Kansas rate for Hispanics was much lower. National gender and racial/ethnic patterns in Kansas generally matched patterns in Kansas. One notable exception is that Hispanics had the highest rate nationally, in contrast to having the lowest rate in Kansas.
Reported rates of adolescents riding with a driver who had been drinking alcohol in Kansas were roughly equal for males and females in 2009. Hispanics had by far the highest rate, followed by Blacks, Whites and adolescent of multiple races, with fairly small differences among these three groups.
Comparison with national data. The overall rate in Kansas of riding with a driver who had been drinking was slightly lower than the national rate in 2009. National gender and racial/ethnic patterns in Kansas generally matched patterns in Kansas. One exception is that adolescents of multiple races had the highest rate nationally relative to other groups, whereas this group had the lowest rate in Kansas.
Violence
(homicide, physical fighting, weapon carrying)
Baseline and 2007 subgroup homicide rates were based on fewer than 20 deaths; because these rates were unstable, no comparisons could be made.
Comparison with national data. In 2007, Kansas homicide rate for older adolescents roughly matched the national rate.
Kansas males engaged in physical fighting at a much higher rate than females in 2009. Adolescents of multiple races had by far the highest rate, followed by Blacks, Hispanics, and then Whites.
Comparison with national data. The overall rate of physical fighting in Kansas was lower than the national rate in 2009. National gender and racial/ethnic patterns were mostly similar to patterns noted for Kansas. One exception is that adolescents of multiple races had low rates nationally relative to most other groups, in contrast to Kansas.
The overall rate of weapon carrying among adolescents in Kansas was four times higher among males than females in 2009. Adolescents of multiple races had the highest rate, followed by Hispanics, Whites, and then Blacks; racial/ethnic differences were very small, especially among the last three groups.
Comparison with national data. The overall rate of weapon carrying in Kansas roughly matched the national rate, and the national gender pattern matched the state pattern. Although the national racial/ethnic pattern differed slightly from the pattern in Kansas, the groups differences were also very small.
Substance Abuse and Mental Health
(binge drinking, marijuana use, suicide, suicide attempts requiring medical attention)
In 2009, rates of binge drinking in Kansas were higher among males than females. Hispanics had the highest rate, followed by Whites, adolescents of multiple races, and then Blacks.
Comparison with national data. Males and females had roughly equal rates of binge drinking nationally, in contrast to higher rates for males in Kansas. In contrast to Kansas, Whites had the highest rate nationally, followed by Hispanics and then adolescents of multiple races. As in Kansas, Blacks had the lowest rate.
Males had a higher rate of marijuana use than females in Kansas in 2009. Blacks, adolescents of multiple races and Hispanics all had very similar rates. Whites had the lowest rate.
Comparison with national data. The national gender pattern matched the pattern noted for Kansas. Also similar to Kansas, racial/ethnic differences were small; however Whites had a relatively high rate nationally compared to other groups, whereas Whites had the lowest rate in Kansas.
Baseline and 2007 subgroup suicide rates were based on fewer than 20 deaths; because these rates were unstable, no comparisons could be made.
Comparison with national data. In 2007, Kansas homicide rate for older adolescents was slightly higher than the national rate.
The female rate of suicide attempts requiring medical attention in Kansas was twice the rate of males in 2009. Hispanics had the highest rate, followed by Blacks and then Whites.
Comparison with national data. The Kansas rate of adolescent suicide attempts requiring medical attention roughly matched the national rate in 2009. National gender and racial/ethnic patterns mostly matched patterns in Kansas; one exception is that Blacks had a higher rate than Hispanics nationally the reverse of the pattern in Kansas.
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, reported rates of having engaged in sexual intercourse were roughly equal for males and females in Kansas. Blacks had the highest rate, followed by Hispanics, adolescents of multiple races, and then Whites.
Comparison with national data. The Kansas rate of being sexually experienced roughly matched the national rate in 2009. National gender and racial/ethnic patterns matched the patterns noted for Kansas.
For sexually experienced adolescents in Kansas reporting current sexual activity, females had just a slightly higher rate than males in 2009. Blacks had the highest rate, followed closely by Hispanics; adolescents of multiple races had the next highest rate followed closely by Whites.
Comparison with national data. The overall 2009 rate of currently sexual activity among sexually experienced adolescents in Kansas matched the national rate. National gender and racial/ethnic patterns matched the patterns noted for Kansas.
Rates of adolescent condom use in Kansas were higher among males than females in 2009. Whites had a higher rate than Hispanics.
Comparison with national data. The 2009 rate of condom use in Kansas roughly matched the national. National gender and racial/ethnic patterns matched the patterns noted for Kansas.
Chronic Disease Prevention
(tobacco use)
Tobacco use in Kansas was higher among males than females in 2009. Adolescents of multiple races had the highest rate, followed by Whites. Hispanics and Blacks had roughly matching rates, the lowest among racial/ethnic groups.
Comparison with national data. In 2009, the Kansas rate of tobacco use was slightly lower than the national rate. The national gender and racial/ethnic patterns of tobacco use mostly matched the pattern noted for Kansas. One exception is that Whites had a higher rate than adolescents of multiple races nationally, the reverse of the pattern in Kansas.
Additional data may be available at: http://kic.kdhe.state.ks.us/kic/
