Youth Risk Behavior Surveys: 1992, 1993, 1995, 1997, 1999, and 2001
Investigators: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

The Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBSS) is an epidemiologic surveillance system that was established by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to monitor the prevalence of youth behaviors that most influence health. The results from the YRBS are used by CDC to (1) monitor how priority health-risk behaviors among high school students (grades 9-12) increase, decrease, or remain the same over time; (2) evaluate the impact of broad national, state, and local efforts to prevent priority health-risk behaviors; and (3) monitor progress in achieving three leading health indicators and 15 Healthy People 2010 national health objectives. Results are also used to help focus programs and policies for comprehensive school health education on the behaviors that contribute most to the leading causes of mortality and morbidity. The Child Welfard and Poverty Data Archive offers six years of YRBS data in a single self-extracting file.

The YRBS is sponsored by the Division of Adolescent and School Health, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The school-based YRBS focuses on priority health-risk behaviors established during youth that result in the most significant mortality, morbidity, disability, and social problems during both youth and adulthood. These include: behaviors that result in unintentional and intentional injuries; tobacco use; alcohol and other drug use; sexual behaviors that result in HIV infection, other sexually-transmitted diseases (STDs) and unintended pregnancies; dietary behaviors; and physical activity.

• The 1992 Youth Risk Behavior Survey was conducted as a followback to the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) 1992 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS). Data were collected from 10,645 respondents on 178 variables.
  
• The 1993 National Youth Risk Behavior Survey contains information on 91 variables from a nationwide sample of 16,296 students in grades 9-12, who were surveyed during February through May 1993.
  
• The 1995 National Youth Risk Behavior Survey contains information on 92 variables from the nationally representative sample of 10,904 students in grades 9-12 who were surveyed during 1995.
  
• The 1997 National Youth Risk Behavior Survey contains information on 93 variables from a nationally-representative sample of 16,262 students in grades 9-12.
  
• The 1999 National Youth Risk Behavior Survey contains information on 97 variables from a nationally-representative sample of 15,349 students in grades 9-12.
  
• The 2001 National Youth Risk Behavior Survey contains information on 100 variables from a nationally-representative sample of 13,601 students in grades 9-12.