Maryland

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 Maryland were limited to a few objectives and these findings were mixed. Encouraging findings include decreases in overall mortality for older adolescents, motor vehicle crash mortality and homicide. Rates remained flat for suicide and overall mortality among younger adolescents and young adults. Baseline data were not available for most objectives.

In 2007, Maryland had very similar rates to national rates for most objectives, including suicide, safety belt use, riding with a driver who had been drinking, and weapon carrying. Maryland’s rate of motor vehicle crash mortality compared favorably to the national rate. However, state compared unfavorably to national rates of overall mortality, homicide, and suicide attempts requiring medical attention.

Highlights of Finding 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 Maryland was flat from baseline among younger adolescents and young adults; the rate decrease somewhat among older adolescents, with a substantial decrease among Black males in that age group. Rates for Black young adult males and females also decreased substantially. In 2007, males had more than three times the mortality rate of females among older adolescents and young adults. Blacks had substantially higher rates than Whites across all the age groups; among young adults, Hispanics had a lower mortality rate than Blacks and Whites.

Comparison with national data. As in Maryland, overall mortality decreased among older adolescents. However, national rates decreased among younger adolescents and increased among young adults, in contrast to flat rates for those age groups in Maryland. The national rate among Black male older adolescents also decreased from baseline, although to a lesser extent than in Maryland. Similarly, the national decrease among Black young adult males and females was smaller than the decrease in Maryland. In 2007, mortality rates in Maryland were higher than national rates overall, with especially large state-national differences among Black older adolescents and young adults; Maryland rates for Whites were mostly similar to national rates for Whites and the Maryland rate for Hispanic young adults was lower than the national rate for that group. As in Maryland, males had higher rates than females and Blacks had higher rates than Whites. However, nationally, Hispanic young adults had a higher rate than Whites, the reverse of the pattern in Maryland.

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 Maryland due to motor vehicle crashes decreased slightly with a particularly large decrease among White males; the rate increased slightly among Black males. In 2007, males had more nearly three times the rate of females, and Whites had a slightly larger rate than Blacks, narrowing a much larger gap at baseline.

Comparison with national data. While overall motor vehicle mortality in Maryland decreased, the national rate remained flat. Very small national decreases among Whites and Blacks contrast with the large decrease for Whites and small increase for Blacks in Maryland. In 2007, Maryland had slightly lower rates than national rates overall and for most groups. The national gender and racial/ethnic patterns were similar to the patterns noted for Maryland, with the differences between White and Black rate smaller in Maryland than nationally.

Females in Maryland had a slightly higher rate of safety belt use than males in 2009. Whites had the highest rate and Blacks had the second highest rate, followed very closely by Hispanics and adolescents of multiple races, who had matching rates.

Comparison with national data. The overall rate of safety belt use in Maryland was very similar to the national rate in 2009. As in Maryland, females had a slightly higher rate than males nationally. Nationally, Hispanics had the highest rate, followed by Whites, adolescents of multiple races, and then Blacks. As in Maryland, racial/ethnic differences were very small.

Reported rates of riding with a driver who had been drinking alcohol were equal among females and males. Adolescents of multiple races had the highest rate, followed by Hispanics, Whites and then Blacks.

Comparison with national data. The overall rate of riding with a driver who had been drinking in Maryland roughly matched the national rate. As in Maryland, males and females had similar rates nationally. Hispanics had the highest rates, nationally, followed by adolescents of multiple races, Blacks and then Whites, in contrast to the pattern noted for Maryland.

Violence

(homicide, physical fighting, weapon carrying)

The overall rate of homicide declined among older adolescents from baseline, with a large decrease among Black males in that age group.

Comparison with national data. The national homicide rate for older adolescents was flat from baseline, in contrast to the decrease in Maryland; the rate for older adolescent Black males increased slightly nationally, in contrast to the sizable decrease for that group in Maryland. Despite this decrease, the 2007 rate for Black older adolescent males in Maryland remained much higher than the national rate for that group. Similarly, the national overall homicide rate in Maryland was higher than the national rate.

In 2009, Maryland males engaged in physical fighting at higher rates than females. Hispanics and Blacks had roughly matching rates, followed by adolescents multiple races. Whites had by far the lowest rate of physical fighting.

Comparison with national data. In 2009, the overall rate of physical fighting roughly matched the national rate. The national gender and racial/ethnic patterns mostly matched patterns noted for Maryland; one exception is that Hispanics had a lower rate than Blacks nationally, in contrast to roughly matching rates in Maryland.

The overall rate of weapon carrying among adolescents in Maryland was three times higher among males than females in 2009. Adolescent of multiple races had the highest rate, followed by Hispanics and Whites, who had similar rates; Blacks had the lowest rate of weapon carrying.

Comparison with national data. The overall rate of weapon carrying in Maryland roughly matched the national rate, although females in Maryland had a higher rate than females nationally.  The national gender matched the pattern noted for Maryland. Also similar to Maryland, Blacks had the lowest rate nationally. However, Whites had a highest rate nationally, followed by adolescents of multiple races, then Hispanics, which differs from the pattern in Maryland.

Substance Abuse and Mental Health

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

Males and females in Maryland had roughly matching rates of binge drinking in 2009. Whites had the highest rate, followed closely by adolescents of multiple races and Hispanics, who had very similar rates. Blacks had by far the lowest rate among racial/ethnic groups.

Comparison with national data. The national gender and racial/ethnic patterns roughly matched those patterns in Massachusetts.

In 2009, males in Maryland had a slightly higher rate of marijuana use than females. Adolescents of multiple races had the highest rate, followed by Blacks, then Hispanics and Whites, who had similar rates. Racial/ethnic differences were very small.

Comparison with national data. The national gender pattern roughly matched the pattern in Maryland. Although the national racial/ethnic pattern differed somewhat from those noted for Maryland, the differences were also very small.

Suicide rates in Maryland were essentially flat from baseline. Rates for most subgroups were based on fewer than 20 deaths, and thus were unsuitable for analyses.

Comparison with national data. The national suicide rate was also essentially flat from baseline. In 2007, the Maryland rate virtually matched the national rate.

The rate of adolescent suicide attempts in Maryland requiring medical attention was higher for males than females. Hispanics had the highest rate, followed by Blacks and then Whites.

Comparison with national data. In 2009, Maryland’s overall rate of suicide attempts requiring medical attention was nearly twice the national rate, due to a higher rate among males. The Maryland rate for Black males was twice the national rate for that group. Nationally, females had a slightly higher rate than males, the reverse of the pattern in Maryland. As in Maryland, Whites had the lowest rate among racial/ethnic groups; however, Blacks had a higher rate than Hispanics nationally, the reverse of the pattern in Maryland.

Reproductive Health

(no data)

Chronic Disease Prevention

(tobacco use)

Tobacco use in Maryland was slightly higher among males than females in 2009. Whites had the highest rate, followed by Hispanics, and then Blacks.

Comparison with national data. In 2009, the rate of tobacco use in Maryland was somewhat lower than the national rate. As in Maryland, males had a higher rate of tobacco use than females, although this gender difference was smaller nationally than in Maryland. The national racial/ethnic pattern matched the pattern noted for Maryland.

Additional data may be available at: http://fha.maryland.gov/mch/reports.cfm