Mississippi

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 Mississippi were largely encouraging as rates either improved or remained stable for all objectives. Positive changes include decreases in overall mortality for younger adolescents, homicide, riding with a driver who had been drinking, weapon carrying, binge drinking, and tobacco use; rates of safety belt use and condom use increased. Rates remained flat for overall mortality among older adolescents and young adults, motor vehicle crash mortality, suicide, physical fighting, marijuana use, suicide attempts requiring medical attention, sexual experience, and current sexual activity.

Despite encouraging findings, Mississippi compared unfavorably to national rates on many objectives, including overall mortality, motor vehicle crash mortality, suicide, safety belt use, suicide attempts requiring medical attention, sexual experience, and current sexual activity. Mississippi rates were similar to national rates for homicide, riding with a driver who had been drinking, physical fighting, weapon carrying, and tobacco use. The state compared favorably to the national rate for condom use.

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 Mississippi decreased among younger adolescents. However, rates were essentially flat for older adolescents and young adults overall with notable subgroup variations. Among older adolescents, rates decreased considerably among Black males, and increased among White males and Black females. Among young adults, rates decreased substantially for Black females and also decreased somewhat for White males; the rate increased among White females. In 2007, males had higher mortality rates than females; this gender gap was two to threefold among older adolescents and young adults. Whites and Blacks had similar rates among younger adolescents; among older adolescents, Whites had a higher rate than Blacks; among young adults, Blacks had a higher rate than Whites.

Comparison with national data. The national mortality rate also declined among young adolescents, to a lesser extent than in Mississippi. However, a national decrease for older adolescents and an increase for young adults contrast with flat rates for those groups in Mississippi. Similarly, national decreases in mortality for older adolescent White males and Black females stand in contrast to increases for those groups in Mississippi. Among young adults, national mortality rates increased for White males, compared to a decrease in Mississippi. In 2007, Mississippi rates of overall mortality were higher than national rates, overall and for most subgroups. The state-national difference was especially large among Whites. The national gender pattern matched the pattern noted for Mississippi. However, Blacks had higher rates than Whites across all age groups, in contrast to the pattern noted for Mississippi.

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 Mississippi due to motor vehicle crashes (MVC) was flat from baseline overall, with variation by race/ethnicity. MVC mortality increased among Whites, but decreased among Blacks. In 2007, males had more than twice the rate of females, and Whites had nearly twice the MVC mortality of Blacks.

Comparison with national data. As in Mississippi, national rates of motor vehicle mortality overall were flat from baseline. There was little variation among subgroups, unlike the differences by race/ethnicity in Mississippi. In 2007, the Mississippi MVC mortality rate was more than two times the national rates. As in Mississippi, males had a higher rate than females. Also similar to Mississippi, Whites had a higher rate than Blacks nationally, although the difference was smaller nationally than in Mississippi.

Rates of safety belt use in Mississippi increased significantly from baseline, with large increases across almost all subgroups. In 2009, females had higher rates than males and Whites had just a slightly higher rate than Blacks.

Comparison with national data. National rates of safety belt use also increased from baseline, overall and for most subgroups. In 2009, the overall rate of safety belt use in Mississippi was lower than the national rate. The national gender and racial/ethnic patterns matched the patterns noted for Mississippi.

Rates of adolescents in Mississippi who reported riding with a driver who had been drinking declined substantially from baseline overall and among most subgroups. In 2009, males and females had roughly matching rates; Blacks had a slightly higher rate than Whites.

Comparison with national data. The national overall rate of adolescents riding with a driver who had been drinking also declined from baseline, overall and for Whites, but, unlike Mississippi, not for Blacks. In 2009, the rate for Mississippi adolescents roughly matched the national rate for this behavior. The national gender and race/ethnicity patterns matched the patterns noted for Mississippi.

Violence

(homicide, physical fighting, weapon carrying)

The rate of homicide among older adolescents decreased somewhat from baseline, with data suggesting a decrease among Black males in that age group.  Rates for other groups were based on fewer than 20 deaths; thus unsuitable for analyses.

Comparison with national data. The national homicide rate was flat for older adolescents, compared to a decrease in Mississippi; the national rate for Black males increased in contrast to a suggested decrease for that group in Mississippi. In 2007, the older adolescent homicide rate in Mississippi roughly matched the national rate.

The Mississippi rate of physical fighting was flat from baseline. In 2009, males had much higher rates than females and Blacks had a higher rate than Whites.

Comparison with national data. The national rate of physical fighting decreased from baseline, in contrast to a flat rate in Mississippi. In 2009, the rate for Mississippi roughly matched the national rate. The national gender and racial/ethnic patterns matched the patterns noted for Mississippi.

Mississippi rates of weapon carrying decreased from baseline, with a particularly large decrease among White males. In 2009, the rate of weapon carrying among males was four times the rate for females. Whites had a higher rate than Blacks.

Comparison with national data. The national rate of weapon carrying was flat from baseline, in contrast to a decrease in Mississippi. In 2009, the rate of weapon carrying for Mississippi matched the national rate. The national gender and racial/ethnic patterns matched the patterns noted for Mississippi.

Substance Abuse and Mental Health

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

The overall rate of binge drinking in Mississippi decreased from baseline, with a particularly large decrease among White females. The rate for Blacks was flat. In 2009, males had a higher rate of binge drinking than females. The overall rate for Whites was more than two times the rate for Blacks.

Comparison with national data. The national rate of adolescent binge drinking changed little from baseline in contrast with a decrease in Mississippi. Nationally males and females had roughly matching rates in contrast to higher rates for males in Mississippi. The national racial/ethnic pattern roughly matched the pattern noted for Mississippi.

The overall rate of marijuana use in Mississippi was flat from baseline. In  2009, males had higher rates than females. The rate for Blacks was just slightly higher than the rate for Whites.

Comparison with national data. National rates of marijuana use declined slightly from baseline, similar to no change in Mississippi. The national gender and racial/ethnic patterns roughly matched the patterns noted for Mississippi.

The suicide rate for older adolescents was essentially flat from baseline. Rates for subgroups were based on fewer than 20 deaths and were thus unsuitable for analyses.

Comparison with national data. The national suicide rate for older adolescents changed little from baseline, similar to Mississippi. In 2007, the suicide rate for Mississippi was slightly higher than the national rate.

The rate of adolescent suicide attempts in Mississippi requiring medical attention was flat from baseline, overall and across subgroups. In 2009, females had a higher rate than males. The rate for Blacks roughly matched the rate for Whites.

Comparison with national data. The national rate of adolescent suicide attempts requiring medical attention decreased from baseline, in contrast to a flat rate in Mississippi. In 2009, the rate for Mississippi was higher than the national rate. As in Mississippi, females had a higher rate than males nationally. Blacks had a slightly higher rate than Whites, similar to roughly matching rates in Mississippi.

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 Mississippi adolescents having engaged in sexual intercourse was flat from baseline. In 2009, the rate for males was higher than for females. Blacks had a much higher rate than Whites.

Comparison with national data. The national rate of sexually experienced adolescents also did not change significantly from baseline. In 2009, the overall rate of sexual experience in Mississippi was much higher than the national rate. Males and females had matching rates nationally, in contrast to higher rates among males in Mississippi. The national racial/ethnic pattern matched the pattern noted for Mississippi.

The rate of sexually active adolescents in Mississippi reporting current sexual activity was flat from baseline. In 2009, males and females had roughly matching rates. Blacks had a much higher rate than Whites.

Comparison with national data. The national rate of currently sexually active adolescents was also flat from baseline. In 2009, the overall rate of this behavior in Mississippi was higher than the national rate. Nationally, females had a slightly higher rate than males, similar to roughly matching rates in Mississippi. The national racial/ethnic pattern matched the pattern noted in Mississippi.

Rates of adolescent condom use in Mississippi increased from baseline, with a particularly large increase among White females; the rate for Blacks was flat. In 2009, males had a higher rate of condom use than females. Blacks had a higher rate than Whites.

Comparison with national data. The national rate of condom use was flat from baseline, in contrast to an increase in Mississippi. As in Mississippi, the national rate for White females increased significantly, although to a lesser extent than in Mississippi. The national rate for Blacks decreased, in contrast to flat rates in Mississippi. In 2009, the Mississippi rate of condom use was higher than the national rate. The national gender pattern matched the pattern noted for Mississippi. Nationally, Blacks and Whites had roughly matching rates, in contrast higher rates among Blacks in Mississippi.

Chronic Disease Prevention

(tobacco use)

Tobacco use among adolescents in Mississippi decreased substantially from baseline, with a particularly large decrease for White females. In 2009, males had a higher rate of tobacco use than females; Whites had nearly twice the rate of Blacks.

Comparison with national data. National rates of tobacco use among adolescents also decreased considerably from baseline. In 2009, the rate for Mississippi roughly matched the national rate. The national gender and racial/ethnic patterns roughly matched the patterns noted for Mississippi.

Additional data may be available at: MS Department of Health