Louisiana

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 Louisiana were limited to a few objectives and findings were mixed. Encouraging findings include decreases in overall mortality for younger and older adolescents. Rates of mortality due to motor vehicle crashes and suicide remained flat. However, rates increased for overall mortality among young adults and homicide mortality. Baseline data were not available for most objectives.

Final rates for objectives in Louisiana compared unfavorably with most national rates. The state had higher rates of overall mortality, and mortality due to motor vehicle crashes and homicide, as well as riding with a driver who had been drinking alcohol, physical fighting, and suicide attempts requiring medical attention. The state also had a lower rate of safety belt use. Louisiana rates of weapon carrying and suicide were comparable to national rates. The state’s rate of tobacco use compared favorably to the national rate.

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 Louisiana increased somewhat from baseline for younger and older adolescents, as well as young adults; these increases were consistent for males and females overall and for Whites overall. However, rates decreased dramatically among Black young adults, with smaller decreases occurring among, Black older adolescent males and females. In 2007, males in Louisiana had three times the mortality rate of females, and Blacks had higher rates than Whites.

Comparison with national data. The increase in mortality for younger and older adolescents in Louisiana stands in stark contrast with decreases among those groups nationally. As in Louisiana, mortality increased among young adults nationally overall, but decreased among Black young adult males and females. Louisiana mortality rates were higher than national rates overall and for almost every group in 2007, with especially large differences among older adolescents and young adults. National gender and racial/ethnic patterns were mostly similar to patterns in Louisiana.

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 Louisiana due to motor vehicle crashes (MVCs) was essentially flat from baseline. Rates increased slightly among Whites, with a moderate increase among White males; by contrast, the rate decreased among Blacks, especially Black males. In 2007, males had nearly three times the motor vehicle mortality rate of females, and Whites had more than twice the rate of Blacks.

Comparison with national data. National rates were also flat from baseline overall, as in Louisiana. Unlike Louisiana, however, rates were fairly flat among most groups. In 2007, MVC mortality was higher in Louisiana overall and for all groups; the rate for White males in Louisiana was twice the national rate for that group. National gender and racial/ethnic patterns were similar to patterns in Louisiana; however, group differences were much smaller nationally than in Louisiana.

In 2009, rates of safety belt use in Louisiana were higher among females than males. Blacks had a slightly higher rate than Whites.

Comparison with national data. The rate of safety belt use in Louisiana in 2009 was slightly lower than the national rate; the Louisiana rate for Blacks matched the national rate for that group, while the Louisiana rate for Whites was much lower. As in Tennessee, females had a higher rate than males. However, Whites had a higher rate than Blacks nationally, the reverse of the pattern noted in Louisiana.

Reported rates of riding with a driver who had been drinking alcohol were very similar among males and females in Louisiana in 2009. Racial/ethnic differences were also very small, with the Whites and Blacks reporting similar rates.

Comparison with national data. In 2009, the Louisiana rate of riding with a driver who had been drinking alcohol was much higher than the national rate; the state rate for Whites was much higher than the national rate for that group. As in Louisiana, differences between males and females were very small. Nationally, Blacks had a slightly higher rate than Whites, in contrast to fairly similar rates in Louisiana.

Violence

(homicide physical fighting)

Homicide rates among older adolescents in Louisiana increased from baseline; the rate among Black males in this age group nearly doubled. Rates for most groups were based on fewer than 20 deaths, and thus were unsuitable for analyses.

Comparison with national data. The rise in the Louisiana homicide rate among older adolescents stood in contrast to a flat rate nationally. Homicide mortality increased nationally among Black older adolescents, although to a much smaller extent than in Louisiana. In 2007, Louisiana homicide rates were substantially higher than national rates, both overall and among Black older adolescent males.

The Louisiana rate of physical fighting for males in 2009 was much higher than the rate for females. Blacks had a higher rate than Whites.

Comparison with national data. The Louisiana rate of physical fighting in 2009 was higher than the national rate; the Louisiana rate for White females was much higher than the national rate for that group. The national gender and racial/ethnic patterns matched the patterns noted in Louisiana, although the national gender difference was larger than the gap in Louisiana.

Rates of adolescent weapon carrying in Louisiana in 2009 were more than three times higher among males than females. Whites had a much higher rate than Blacks.

Comparison with national data. The overall rate of weapon carrying in Louisiana in 2009 was very similar to the national rate; the rate for Whites in Louisiana was slightly higher than the national rate for that group. The national gender and racial/ethnic patterns matched the patterns noted in Louisiana, although the national racial/ethnic difference was smaller than the gap in Louisiana.

Substance Abuse and Mental Health

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

Final rates of binge drinking in Louisiana were slightly higher among males than among females. This gender gap was especially large among Whites, while there was virtually no gender difference among Blacks. Whites had more than three times the rate of Blacks.

Comparison with national data. The national patterns gender and racial/ethnic patterns roughly matched the patterns noted for Louisiana.

In 2009, rates of marijuana use in Louisiana were slightly higher among males than females. Whites had a higher rate than Blacks.

Comparison with national data. The national patterns gender and racial/ethnic patterns roughly matched the patterns noted for Louisiana.

The rate of adolescent suicide in Louisiana was flat among older adolescents, with data suggesting a small decrease among White older adolescent males. Rates for most groups were based on fewer than 20 deaths, and thus were unsuitable for analyses.

Comparison with national data. Rates of change in suicide were essentially flat at the state and the national level.  The Louisiana rate roughly matched the national rate in 2007.

In 2009, Louisiana rates of suicide attempts requiring medical attention were equal for males and females; among Blacks, females had a slightly higher rate, while the reverse was true among Whites. Blacks had a slightly higher rate than Whites.

Comparison with national data. In 2009, the rate of adolescent suicide attempts requiring medical attention in Louisiana was somewhat higher than the national rate. Nationally, females had a slightly higher rate than males, in contrast to matching rates in Louisiana. As in Louisiana, Blacks had a slightly higher rate than Whites nationally.

Reproductive Health

(no data)

Chronic Disease Prevention

(tobacco use)

Rates of tobacco use in Louisiana in 2009 were higher among males than among females. This gender gap was especially large among Whites, while there was virtually no gender difference among Blacks. Whites had nearly three times the rate of Blacks.

Comparison with national data. The 2009 rate for tobacco use in Louisiana was lower than the national rate. The national gender and racial/ethnic patterns generally matched the patterns noted for Louisiana.

Additional data may be available at: http://www.dhh.louisiana.gov/Reports.asp?ID=1&CID=33