AIDSQuest: The HIV/AIDS Survey Library
Survey Summaries

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)—Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS)

Overview
The Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) was designed mainly to assess prevalence of high-risk behaviors among youth in the United States. In the instrument itself, questions are asked regarding smoking, dietary habits, physical activity, alcohol and drug use, and high-risk sexual behaviors. The purpose of the YRBS is to provide data for the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBSS), while doing the following:

1. Determine the prevalence and age of initiation of health-risk behaviors.

2. Focus the nation and relevant agencies on specific health-risk behaviors of young people.

3. Assess whether health-risk behaviors increase, decrease, or remain the same over time.

4. Provide comparable national, state, and local data.

Methodology/validity
The YRBS is conducted every two years, the latest occurring in 2005. Many states, cities, and US territories use the YRBS instrument to assess youth risk behavior.

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This page updated 21 August 2006

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