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Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBSS)

Teen girl and boyYOUTH RISK BEHAVIOR SURVEILLANCE SYSTEM (2019 - ongoing)

The Iowa Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System is an ongoing, two-part survey of Iowa teens and Iowa educators, which collects data on 1) youth health, 2) school health policies, and 3) school health education. This longitudinal study is conducted in all fifty states, and is composed of two bi-annual questionnaires: The Youth Risk Behavior Survey and The School Health Profiles. The YRBSS is a source of nationally comparable adolescent health data.

The Youth Risk Behavior Survey is a bi-annual questionnaire targeting randomly-selected 9 - 12 grade students in roughly 35 randomly-sampled schools throughout the state of Iowa. The YRBS aims to identify health behavioral trends in Iowa teens.

The School Health Profiles is a bi-annual survey of principals and lead health teachers at up to 350 randomly-selected Iowa junior high and high schools. The SHP aims to identify current health practices, policies, and educational programs at schools across the state. For information on the importance of the SHP, please view our 2020 School Health Profile video.

For 2019 Iowa YRBS data highlights, please view the video data report created by SRS below.

For more information, visit the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services webpage for the survey.

Primary Investigators: Iowa Department of Public Health
Project Partners/Funders: Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
SRS Project Manager: Ellen McIntosh
Modes: Mail/web surveys
Keywords: Mixed-mode, mail/web, survey, infographics, video data reports