Maine

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 Maine were limited to a few objectives and these findings were mixed. Encouraging findings include decreases in overall mortality for older adolescents and motor vehicle crash mortality. However, the rate increased for overall mortality among young adults. Baseline data were not available for most objectives.

Maine compared favorably to the national rates on some objectives, with Maine having lower rates of overall mortality among older adolescents, motor vehicle crash mortality, physical fighting, and tobacco use. Maine rates were similar to national rates for the reproductive health objectives. However, the state’s rate of overall mortality among young adults was higher than 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 Maine decreased slightly among older adolescents and increased somewhat for young adults, with a large increase among young adult White males. In 2007, young adult males had more than twice the mortality rate of females in that age group.

Comparison with national data. As in Maine, national mortality rates decreased among older adolescents. Also, the national mortality rate increased among young adults, including young adult White males, although the magnitude of this increase was larger in Maine. In 2007, the Maine mortality rate for older adolescents was lower than the national rate for that age group. However, the state’s mortality rate for young adults was higher than the national young adult rate; this difference was especially large among White males and females.

Unintentional Injury

(motor vehicle crashes)

Mortality in Maine due to motor vehicle crashes (MVC) decreased substantially from baseline, with data suggesting a particularly large decrease among older adolescents and White females.

Comparison with national data. National MVC mortality was essentially flat from baseline, in contrast to the decline in Maine. In 2007, Maine rates of MVC mortality were similar to national rates.

Violence

(homicide, physical fighting)

Rates of homicide in Maine were based on fewer than 20 cases and were thus unsuitable for analysis.

Males in Maine engaged in physical fighting at nearly twice the rate of females in 2009. Hispanics had by far the highest rate, followed by Blacks and Native Americans, and then adolescents of multiple races. Whites and Asians had similar rates, the lowest among racial/ethnic groups.

Comparison with national data. The overall rate of physical fighting in 2009 in Maine was much lower than the national rate. The national gender and racial/ethnic patterns mostly matched the pattern noted in Maine. One difference is that Hispanics had a lower rate than Blacks and Native Americans nationally, in contrast to having the highest rate in Maine.

Substance Abuse and Mental Health

(marijuana use, suicide)

In 2009, rates of marijuana use in Maine were slightly higher among males than females. Hispanics had by far the highest rate, followed by Native Americans and Blacks, who had similar rates. Whites and adolescents of multiple races had matching rates, the next highest among racial/ethnic groups, and Asians had the lowest rate.

Comparison with national data. The national gender pattern of marijuana use rates matched the pattern in Maine. National racial/ethnic differences were relatively small and followed a different pattern than in Maine. Nationally, Native Americans had the highest rate, followed by Whites, adolescents of multiple races, Blacks, and then Hispanics. As in Maine, Asians had the lowest rate nationally.

Rates of suicide in Maine were based on fewer than 20 cases and were thus unsuitable for analysis.

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).

The overall rate of adolescents in Maine who have engaged in sexual intercourse was equal among males and females in 2009. Hispanics had the highest rate, followed by Blacks and Native Americans, with fairly small differences among these three groups. Whites had the next highest rate, followed by adolescents of multiple races and Asians.

Comparison with national data. The overall rate of sexually experienced adolescents in Maine matched the national rate in 2009. As in Maine, males and females had matching rates. The national racial/ethnic pattern mostly matched the pattern noted for Maine, with a few exceptions. Nationally, Hispanics had a lower rate than Blacks and Native Americans and adolescents of multiple races had a higher rate than White – both the reverse of the patterns in Maine.

Rates of sexually active adolescents in Maine reporting current sexual activity were higher among females than males in 2009. Hispanics had the highest rate, followed by Blacks and Native Americans, who had matching rates. Whites had the next highest rate, followed by adolescents of multiple races and Asians.

Comparison with national data. The overall rate of currently sexually active adolescents in Maine roughly matched the national rate.  As in Maine, females had a slightly higher rate than males nationally. The national racial/ethnic pattern mostly matched the pattern noted for Maine, with a few exceptions. Nationally, Hispanics had a lower rate than Blacks and Native Americans, the reverse of the pattern in Maine; adolescents of multiple races and Whites had matching rates, in contrast to higher rates among adolescents of multiple races in Maine.

Rates of adolescent condom use in Maine were higher among males than among females. Whites had a higher rate than Hispanics.

Comparison with national data. Rates of condom use in Maine roughly matched the national rate in 2009; the rate for Hispanics in Maine was much lower than the national rate for that group. National gender and racial/ethnic patterns matched the patterns noted for Maine.

Chronic Disease Prevention

(tobacco use)

Tobacco use in Maine was higher among males than females in 2009. Hispanics had the highest rate, followed by Native Americans and Blacks; Whites, Asians and adolescents of multiple races had very similar rates, the lowest among racial/ethnic groups.

Comparison with national data. In 2009, the rate of tobacco use in Maine was slightly lower than the national rate. As in Maine, males had a higher rate of tobacco use than females. However the national racial/ethnic pattern differed somewhat: Native Americans had the highest rate, followed by Whites, adolescents of multiple races, Hispanics, Blacks and then Asians.

Additional data may be available at: http://www.maine.gov/dhhs/bohdcfh/tya/