Frequently Asked Questions about the
Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS)
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Q. Why
is the survey being done?
A. YRBS survey results will
help measure how many youth engage in health-risk behaviors and how many
practice health-promoting behaviors. The survey results will be used to
create school and community programs to encourage health and safety and
to reduce risk behaviors. This year’s results will be compared with
previous results to see trends over time.
Q. How
was my child selected to be in the survey?
A. Your child was selected
because s/he is enrolled in a classroom that was randomly selected to
participate. These classrooms include more than 1,000 students from each
school district, in grades 7 through 12.
Q. Do
students take the survey more than once to see how their behaviors
change?
A. No. Every other year, a
new sample of students is picked. Students who take part one year cannot
be tracked because their names are not on the survey.
Q. How
long does it take to fill out the survey? Does the survey include a
physical test?
A. The YRBS survey requires
45 minutes to complete. It does not include a physical test or exam.
Q. What
types of questions are included in the survey?
A. The YRBS survey focuses
on health-related behaviors that often begin during childhood and
adolescence. The questions pertain to personal safety, unintentional
injuries, violence, tobacco use, alcohol and other drug use, sexual
behavior, physical activity and body weight, social interaction and
support, and other health-related topics. All questions are related to
national health objectives.
Q. Are
sensitive questions asked?
A. Yes, some questions are
sensitive. To help solve health problems among our youth, we must first
understand them. For instance, AIDS is a major health problem. Sexual
intercourse and injecting drug use are behaviors that increase the risk
of getting AIDS. The only way to learn if youth are at risk of getting
AIDS is to ask questions about these behaviors. Attempted suicide,
tobacco use, alcohol and other drug use, and weapon-carrying are also
sensitive issues that are included in the survey. Survey questions are
written in a direct but sensitive way.
Q. Can
answering these questions cause my child to engage in the behavior?
A. A common concern is
whether youth who are exposed to survey questions that ask about
health-related behaviors, such as drug use or sexual behavior, show
increases in these behaviors. Researchers have explored this topic
across a variety of behaviors, such as sexual behavior, drug use, and
suicide ideation, and have not found any evidence that questionnaire
completion affects behavior. This holds true even when the survey is
given repeatedly. Additionally, trend data shows that the prevalence of
many health-related behaviors (including sexual behaviors, tobacco use,
and many violence-related behaviors) has declined since 1991, even
though many students nationwide have taken surveys about health-related
behaviors.
Q. The
students in the school my child(ren) attend do not engage in risky
behaviors. Why is this survey needed?
A. It is great that the
children in your school are healthy, and this is why we need their input
to make a positive impact in the data collected. To have an accurate
picture of health-related behaviors of students in Boulder County, we
need all students in sampled classrooms to participate, even if some
students do not practice these behaviors. To make sure we develop
programs that will be the most beneficial, we must understand what kids
are really doing, rather than speculate as adults about the prevalence
of these behaviors.
Q. Will
kids really tell the truth about health-related behaviors?
A. Yes. Evidence tells us
that kids do tell the truth on the YRBS. The survey environment,
questionnaire design, and administration procedures help make students
comfortable and most likely to tell the truth. Further, the Boulder
County YRBS results are consistent with other results from other surveys
and data, indicating that youth are telling the truth.
Q. Will
students’ names be used or linked to the surveys?
A. No. The YRBS survey has
been designed to protect your child’s privacy. Students do not put their
names on the survey, nor are they assigned identification numbers. When
students finish the survey, they place it in an envelope, which is
sealed before they leave the classroom. The envelopes are then placed in
a large box and sent to a third-party research company for processing.
No school officials, teachers, or other students have the opportunity to
view any responses. Individual student responses are never reported; all
reports are based on a school district or Boulder County as a whole.
Q. Is
my child required to participate?
A. No. Students can choose
at any point to refuse to take or complete the YRBS survey. Survey
administrators are trained about how to communicate this choice to
students to eliminate any fears they may have about not participating.
Additionally, parents can choose to decline their child from
participation by following instructions on the informational letter that
they receive for each student selected.
Q. Who
supports the survey?
A. The YRBS survey is
supported by many state and local organizations interested in the health
of our youth. It is also supported by many national organizations.
People from over 100 state and local health and education agencies and
19 federal agencies helped develop the survey.
Q. May I
see a copy of the survey?
A. Yes. Copies of the
survey are available below:
If you have any questions about the YRBS, please call:
303.441.1530 or
Submit a question or comment.
