What is YRBS?
The Youth Risk Behavior Survey is a
surveillance tool
used by the US Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to monitor health
behaviors among American Teens. The
Kentucky
Department of Education -Program Resources is the agency
that conducts this study within the Commonwealth of Kentucky
utilizing the skills of the UK Center for Prevention Research. The
CDC annually urges KDE to survey 60 high schools in
Kentucky. The subsequent surveys are returned to the CDC where they
are analyzed by Westat, a
private company contracted with the CDC. The UK Center for
Prevention Research also does secondary analysis with the Kentucky
data.
Introduction
When it comes to effectively safeguarding
the children of Kentucky, knowledge is power. The Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention surveyed 1,492 Kentucky high
school students in 41 public schools in 1999 to gather
information on risk behaviors in the areas of alcohol, tobacco,
drugs, school safety, sexual behaviors, and nutrition. This
unweighted sample of 1,492 students consists of:
- 52% female & 48% male
- 87% White, 9% African-American, 1%
Latino/Hispanic, & 3% all other races
- 30% 9th graders, 36% 10th graders, 21% 11th
graders, & 13% 12th graders
This data for behaviors among 9th-12th
graders is summarized as a guide for parents, educators, and
decision makers regarding our Commonwealth's most precious
resource, our children.
Contacts
Address: 500 Mero
Street, 8th Floor, Frankfort, KY 40601
Phone:
502-564-3791
Fax: 502-564-8149
Email:
Lisa McHenry and Julie Zlatos
,
Kentucky Department of Education
Data
Links
