Measure Status: Active
Evidence Level: This ESM measures access to/receipt of care, thus doesn't align with a specific evidence-based strategy. Consider developing an ESM for one of the specific strategies in your state action plan to measure performance. Check MCHbest for examples to connect to the evidence.
Measurement Quadrant: Quadrant 2: Measuring quality of effort (% of reach; satisfaction)
Service Type: Enabling services level of pyramid
Essential Public Health Services: 7. Assure effective and equitable health systems
Service Recipient: Activities directed to families/children/youth
Goal: Decrease the high school students who reported distracted driving
Numerator: Number of students who texted or e-mailed while driving a car or other vehicle (on at least 1 day during the 30 days before the survey, among students who had driven a car or other vehicle during the 30 days before the survey)
Denominator: Number of adolescents in grades ages 9 through 12
Significance: Motor-vehicle crashes are a leading cause of death and nonfatal injury among Missouri adolescents, resulting in approximately 75 deaths and 2,000 nonfatal injuries each year. Risk for motor-vehicle crashes and resulting injuries and deaths varies, depending on such behaviors as seat belt use or impaired or distracted driving. Improved understanding of adolescents’ transportation risk behaviors can guide prevention efforts. According to the Missouri 2019 Youth Risk Behavior Survey approximately 8.5% of high school students did not always wear a seat belt, 15.8% rode with a drinking driver, 4.2% of students had driven a car after drinking alcohol and 45.8% had texted or e-mailed while driving during the 30 days before the survey. Traffic safety and public health professionals can use these findings to reduce transportation risk behaviors by selecting, implementing, and contextualizing the most appropriate and effective strategies for specific populations and for the environment.
Data Sources and Data Issues: YRBS
Year: 2021
Unit Type: Percentage, Unit Number: 100
