Summary of Surveillance Activities
Data users can examine prevalence estimates and long term trends on health-risk behaviors and experiences that contribute to the leading causes of death and disability among youth and adults. Users can view data by health topic, location, and year. Filter and sort data by race/ethnicity, sex, academic grade, sexual orientation, age, location, and year (going back to 1991).
Youth Online allows users to access YRBSS data, perform statistical tests, and create customized tables, maps, and graphs. The YRBS Explorer provides YRBSS data in pre-created tables and graphs, allowing users to examine national, state, and local data without conducting analyses. The YRBS Analysis Tool allows users to run a real-time data analysis that generates frequencies, cross tabulations, and stratified results.
Youth Online, the YRBS Explorer, and the YRBS Analysis Tool are valuable tools for monitoring trends, setting research priorities, and planning programs and initiatives.
| Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBSS) | School Health Profiles (Profiles) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| National | State/Territorial/Tribal/District | Other | ||
| What is the surveillance system’s purpose? |
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To provide data on health policies and activities in schools for states, large urban school districts, and territories | ||
| What does the surveillance system monitor? |
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| Which population(s) are represented? | Public and private high school students | Public high school students in each jurisdiction | Middle school and alternative school students | Public middle and high schools in each state, territory, or school district |
| How are the surveys administered? | Self-administered paper-and-pencil questionnaires, conducted in classrooms | Self-administered or web-based questionnaires, conducted in classrooms | Self-administered or web-based questionnaires, conducted in classrooms | Self-administered, mailed or web-based questionnaires |
| When are the surveys administered? | Biennially, since 1991 | Varied | Biennially, since 1994 | |
| Example of key results? | In 2019, 40.3% of Hispanic female high school students in the U.S. had ever had sexual intercourse. |
The percentage of high school students in Kentucky who had ever had sexual intercourse decreased from 48.3% in 2009 to 39.2% in 2019. |
In 2019, 7.2% of middle school students in Broward County, FL had ever had sexual intercourse. |
In 2018, 76.8% of secondary schools in Alabama had teachers who taught HIV prevention in a required course. |
| How can I access the data? | Data available upon request | |||
| Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBSS) website | School Health Profiles (Profiles) website | |||