2021 National Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) Results Now Available

https://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/data/yrbs/pdf/YRBS_Data-Summary-Trends_Report2023_508.pdf

Hot off the presses…sharing the latest data release from CDC Healthy Schools on the national Youth Risk Behavior Survey of high school students. 

Read below for more info. Click here to go straight to the results, and see attached for a table comparing US High School Student results in 2019 and 2021. Some promising data on substance abuse, and more concerning on mental health, physical activity and dietary behaviors.

April 27, 2023

Dear Partners,

Today, CDC released the 2021 Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) data that provides the most recent information on ongoing and emerging health behaviors and experiences among a nationally representative sample of U.S. high school students. The 2021 YRBS data show dietary and physical activity behaviors among high school students did not improve during the pandemic. For example:

Daily consumption of fruits, vegetables, and breakfast remained low or worsened from 2019 to 2021.

• About half (47%) of students had low fruit intake (i.e., ate fruit or drank 100% fruit juice less than once per day) (an increase from 42% in 2019).
• Almost 1 in 2 (45%) students had low vegetable intake (i.e., ate vegetables less than once per day) (an increase from 41% in 2019).
• About 3 in 4 (75%) students skipped breakfast each day (an increase from 67% in 2019). 
• About 1 in 7 (15%) students drank soda or pop one or more times per day, and 1 in 10 (11%) drank a sports drink one or more times per day (no changes since 2019).

Physical activity behaviors remained low or worsened from 2019 to 2021.

• Roughly 1 in 6 (16%) students met both aerobic and muscle-strengthening guidelines (no change from 2019).
• About 1 in 4 students (24%) got the recommended 60 minutes or more of daily aerobic physical activity (no change from 2019).
• Almost 1 in 2 (45%) students met the guideline for muscle-strengthening activity of 3 or more days per week (a decrease from 50% in 2019).
• Only about 1 in 5 (19%) students attended physical education (PE) classes daily (a decrease from 26% in 2019) and about half of students (49%) played on one or more sports teams (a decrease from 57% in 2019).

While there is still more work to do to help students build lifelong healthy behaviors, we found students who attended PE class daily or who played sports were more likely to meet the aerobic (60 minutes or more daily) and muscle-strengthening (3 or more days per week) physical activity guidelines. We know from other studies that physical activity can help students feel more connected, valued, and supported in school. Additionally, healthy eating and physical activity are known to be important factors to improving students’ mental health and minimizing the negative effects of anxiety, stress, and depression.

Working together, schools, families, and communities can support opportunities for youth to learn about and practice making healthy choices. Visit our website to learn more about a multi-component, coordinated approach to support student health and well-being. For more information about CDC’s 2021 YRBS results and additional YRBS tools and resources, visit the YRBS website.

Thank you.

Holly Hunt, Branch Chief
CDC Healthy Schools