YOUTH RISK BEHAVIOR SURVEILLANCE - UNITED-STATES, 1995 (REPRINTED FROM MMWR, VOL 45, 1996)

Priority health-risk behaviors that contribute to the leading causes o f mortality, morbidity, and social problems among youth and adults oft en are established during youth, extend into adulthood and are interre lated. The Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBSS) monitors si r categories of priority health-risk behaviors among youth and young a dults: behaviors that contribute to unintentional and intentional inju ries tobacco use, alcohol and other drug use, sexual behaviors, unheal thy dietary behaviors, and physical inactivity. The YRBSS includes bot h a national school-based survey conducted by CDC and stare and local school-based surveys conducted by state and local education agencies. This report summarizes results from the national survey, 35 state surv eys, and 16 local surveys conducted among high school students from Fe bruary through May 1995. In the United States, 72% of all deaths among school-age youth and young adults result from four causes: motor vehi cle crashes, other unintentional injuries, homicide, and suicide. Resu lts from the 1995 YRBSS suggest that many high school students practic e behaviors that may increase their likelihood of death from these fou r causes: 21.7% had rarely or never used a safety belt, 38.8% had ridd en with a driver who had been drinking alcohol during the 30 days prec eding the survey, 20.0% had carried a weapon during the 30 days preced ing the survey, 51.6% had drunk alcohol during the 30 days preceding t he survey, 25.3% had used marijuana during the 30 days preceding the s urvey, and 8.7% had attempted suicide during the 12 months preceding t he survey. Substantial morbidity and social problems among school-age youth and young adults also result from unintended pregnancies and sex ually transmitted diseases, including HIV infection. YRBSS results ind icate that in 1995, 53.1% of high school students had experienced sexu al intercourse, 45.6% of sexually active students had not used a condo m at last sexual intercourse, and 2.0% had ever injected an illegal dr ug. Among adults, 65% of all deaths result from three causes: heart di sease, cancer, and stroke. Most of the risk behaviors associated with these causes of death are initiated during adolescence. In 1995, 34.8% of high school students had smoked cigarettes during the 30 days prec eding the survey, 39.5% had eaten more than two servings of foods typi cally high in fat content during the day preceding the survey, and onl y 25.4% had attended physical education class daily. YRBSS data are be ing used nationwide by health and education officials to improve natio nal, state, and local policies and programs designed to reduce risks a ssociated with the leading causes of mortality and morbidity. YRBSS da ta also are being used to measure progress toward achieving 21 nationa l health objectives and one of eight National Education Goals.