Montana

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 Montana were mostly positive, with rates either improving or remaining stable. Encouraging changes include an increase in safety belt use and decreases in overall mortality among older adolescents and young adults, riding with a driver who had been drinking, binge drinking, condom use, and tobacco use. Rates remained essentially unchanged for physical fighting, weapon carrying, marijuana use, suicide attempts requiring medical attention, sexual experience, and current sexual activity. However, the rate of motor vehicle crash mortality increased slightly.

Comparisons with national findings were mixed, with Montana having comparable or worse rates for most objectives. Montana rates were similar to national rates for riding with a driver who had been drinking, physical fighting, suicide attempts requiring medical attention, sexual experience, and current sexual activity. Montana compared unfavorably to national rates of overall motor vehicle crash mortality, safety belt use, weapon carrying, and tobacco use. However, the Montana rate of condom 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 Montana decreased from baseline for older adolescents and increased for young adults. Rates for most groups were based on fewer than 20 deaths; thus were unsuitable for analyses.

Comparison with national data. As in Montana, national mortality rates decreased for older adolescents, and increased among young adults. In 2007, Montana rates were substantially higher than national rates.

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 Montana due to motor vehicle crashes increased slightly from baseline. A large increase among young adults was largely offset by a decrease among older adolescents. Rates for most groups were based on fewer than 20 deaths; thus were unsuitable for analyses.

Comparison with national data. The national rate of motor vehicle mortality was flat from baseline, similar to the small change in Montana rate. Unlike Montana, rates changed little among older adolescents and young adults. In 2007, the overall rate for Montana was nearly twice as high as the national rate.

The rate of safety belt use in Montana increased from baseline, with a particularly large increase among White males. In 2009, females had higher rates than males. Whites had a much higher rate than Hispanics.

Comparison with national data. The national rate of safety belt use also increased. In 2009, the rate in Montana remained lower than the national rate and the Montana rate for Hispanics was much lower than the national rate for that group. As in Montana, females had a higher rate than males nationally. The national rates for Hispanics and Whites were roughly equal, compared to a much higher rate for Whites in Montana.

Rates of adolescents in Montana who report riding with a driver who had been drinking alcohol decreased substantially from baseline. In 2009, males and females had very similar rates. Hispanics had a higher rate than Whites.

Comparison with national data. The rate of riding with a driver who had been drinking alcohol also declined nationally, although to a lesser extent than in Montana. In 2009, the overall rate in Montana matched the national rate. The national gender and racial/ethnic patterns matched the patterns noted for Montana.

Violence

(homicide, physical fighting, weapon carrying)

The homicide rate in Montana was based on fewer than 20 deaths, and thus was unsuitable for analyses.

The Montana rate of physical fighting was flat from baseline; there was a moderate, significant decrease among White males. In 2009, males had substantially a higher rate of fighting than females. Hispanics had a much higher rate than Whites.

Comparison with national data. The national rate of physical fighting decreased from baseline, in contrast to a flat rate in Montana. In 2009, the Montana rate matched the national rate; however the Hispanic rate in Montana was much higher than the national rate for that group.  The national gender and racial/ethnic patterns matched the patterns noted in Montana, with a much larger difference between the Hispanic and Whites rates.

The rate of weapon carrying among adolescents in Montana did not change significantly from baseline. In 2009, the rate among males was nearly five times the rate of females. Hispanics had a much higher rate than Whites.

Comparison with national data. The national rate of weapon carrying nationally was also flat from baseline. In 2009, the rate for Montana was higher than the national rate; the Montana rate for Hispanics was nearly twice the national rate for that group. As in Montana, males had a much higher rate than females nationally. Whites and Hispanics had matching rates nationally, in contrast to much higher rates for Hispanics in Montana.

Substance Abuse and Mental Health

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

Rates of binge drinking in Montana decreased substantially from baseline, with an especially large decline among males. In 2009, males and females had matching rates.  Hispanics had a slightly higher rate than Whites.

Comparison with national data. National rates of binge drinking were essentially flat from baseline. Similar to Montana, males and females had roughly matching rates nationally. Nationally, Whites had a higher rate than Hispanics, the reverse of the pattern in Montana; however, similar to Montana, racial/ethnic differences were very small.

The rate of marijuana use in Montana was flat from baseline. In 2009, males and females had roughly matching rates, and Hispanics had a much higher rate than Whites.

Comparison with national data. National rates decreased very slightly from baseline, similar to the flat rate in Montana. Nationally, males had a slightly higher rate than females, similar to roughly matching rates in Montana. The final national rate for Whites was slightly higher than the rate for Hispanics, in contrast to a much higher rate among Hispanics in Montana.

Suicide rates were based on fewer than 20 deaths; thus were unsuitable for analyses.

The rate of suicide attempts in Montana requiring medical attention was flat from baseline. In 2009, females had a slightly higher rate than males. The rate for Hispanics was nearly six times the rate for Whites.

Comparison with national data. The national rates of adolescent suicide attempts requiring medical attention decreased slightly from baseline, in contrast to no change in Montana. The overall rate for Montana in 2009 was higher than the national rate; the rate for Hispanics in Montana was substantially higher than the national rate for that group. As in Montana, females had a slightly higher rate than males nationally. Also similar to Montana, Hispanics had a higher rate than Whites; however, this Hispanic-White difference was much larger in Montana than nationally.

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 having engaged in sexual intercourse was flat from baseline. In 2009, females and males had equal rates. Hispanics had a much higher rate than Whites.

Comparison with national data. The national rate of sexual experience was also flat from baseline. In 2009, the rate in Montana roughly matched the national rate. As in Montana, males and females had similar rates nationally. Also similar to Montana, Hispanics had a higher rate than Whites nationally; however, this Hispanic-White difference was much larger in Montana than nationally.

The rate of sexually experienced adolescents in Montana reporting current sexual activity was flat from baseline. In 2009, females had just a slightly higher rate than males. Hispanics 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 for Montana roughly equaled the national rate. As in Montana, females had a slightly higher rate than males nationally. Also similar to Montana, Hispanics had a higher rate than Whites; however, this Hispanic-White difference was much larger in Montana than nationally.

Rates of adolescent condom use in Montana increased from baseline, with an especially large increase among White males. In 2009, males had a much higher rate than females.

Comparison with national data. The national condom use rate was flat from baseline, in contrast to the increase in Montana. In 2009, the Montana rate was higher than the national rate. As in Montana, males had a much higher rate than females nationally.

Chronic Disease Prevention

(tobacco use)

Tobacco use in Montana decreased considerably from baseline. In 2009, males had a much higher rate than females, and Hispanics had a much higher rate than Whites.

Comparison with national data. The national rate of tobacco use also decreased considerably from baseline. In 2009, the Montana rate was higher than the national rate, with the state rate for Hispanics much larger than the national rate for that group. As in Montana, males had a higher rate than females nationally. Nationally, Whites had a higher rate than Hispanics, in contrast to a much higher rate among Hispanics in Montana.

Additional data may be available at: http://www.dphhs.mt.gov/statisticalinformation/index.shtml