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Abstract: 

The national school-based Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBSS), conducted by CDC with the assistance of education and health agencies, has been undertaken biennially since 1991. The YRBSS projects the direction of long-term health trends. Since its inception, measurable progress has been made in lowering the risk-related behaviors of high school students nationwide in areas as diverse as sober driving, safe sex, and avoiding cigarettes. The current report summarizes results from the 2011 national survey, 43 state surveys, and 21 large urban school district surveys. Responses from approximately 15,000 questionnaires (overall response rate of 71%), weighted according to gender, race/ethnicity, and grade in school, provided detailed information about risky behavior among young people in the United States, which will be explored in this article and future issues of IDU.

Keywords: unintentional injuries and violence; Tobacco use; Alcohol and other drug use; Sexual behaviors; pregnancy; sexually transmitted diseases (STDs); HIV; dietary behaviors; Physical inactivity and technology

Affiliations:  1: Co-Editor.