The school-based 1995 National Youth Risk Behavior Survey (1995 National YRBS) was conducted 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 National YRBS is one component of the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBSS), an epidemiological surveillance system that was established by CDC to monitor the prevalence of major risk behaviors among American youth. The 1995 National 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. This data set contains information on 92 variables from the nationally representative sample of 10,904 students in grades 9-12 who were surveyed during 1995.

Results from the National 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 relevant national health objectives for the year 2000. Results also are 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.