High Risk Behaviors but Low Injury-Related Mortality Among Hispanic Teens in Missouri

Our objective was to examine racial/ethnic disparities in injury-related risk behaviors and deaths among teens in Missouri, with a focus on Hispanic people-the fastest-growing racial/ethnic group in the state.

We used data from the 2013 Missouri Youth Risk Behavior Survey, which included 1616 students in grades 9 through 12 from 32 public and charter high schools. The overall response rate was 69%. We compared the prevalence of 10 injury-related risk behaviors among racial/ethnic groups and used multivariate logistic regression models to control for respondent age and sex. Using data from the 2000-2014 Missouri death records, we also compared injury-related death rates among racial/ethnic groups of teens aged 15 to 19 years.

Hispanic students had a significantly higher prevalence than non-Hispanic white students for 9 of 10 risk behaviors and a significantly higher prevalence than non-Hispanic black students for 6 of the 10 risk behaviors included in the study. However, Hispanic teens aged 15 to 19 years had a significantly lower death rate from suicide, homicide, and unintentional injury combined (39.8 per 100000 population, 95% confidence interval [CI], 32.2-48.5) when compared with their non-Hispanic white (54.3 per 100000 population, 95% CI, 52.3-54.6) or non-Hispanic black (94.1 per 100000 population, 95% CI, 87.9-100.3) counterparts.

Injury-related risk behaviors were more prevalent among Hispanic students than non-Hispanic white or non-Hispanic black students. Further efforts are needed to understand risk behaviors among Hispanic teens to guide intervention efforts.