Fewer High School Students Engage in Health Risk Behaviors
Centers for Disease Control
Fewer U.S. high school students are engaging in health risk behaviors compared to their counterparts from 15 years ago, according to the 2005 National Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS), released today by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Despite an overall decrease in health risk behaviors among high school students since 1991, racial and ethnic differences continue to be evident.
The 2005 National YRBS found only 10 percent of high school students said they rarely or never wore a seat belt when riding in a car, a dramatic decline from the 18 percent in 2003 and 26 percent in 1991.
The percentage of students who report current alcohol use has also declined dramatically (43 percent in 2005 vs. 51 percent in 1991) since the first YRBS survey.
Other improvements seen during the past 15 years include a decline in the percentage of high school students reporting ever having sexual intercourse.
White students are less likely than black or Hispanic high school students to report physical fighting, sexual risk behaviors and being overweight, but more likely to engage in frequent cigarette smoking and episodic heavy drinking.
These surveys monitor health risk behaviors that lead to unintentional injuries and violence; tobacco, alcohol and other drug use; and sexual behaviors that can lead to unintended pregnancy or sexually transmitted diseases.
The National YRBS is one of three HHS-sponsored surveys that provide data on substance abuse among youth.
