2009 NH Youth Risk Behavior Survey Results Released

December, 28 2009

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and Prevention's Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) results were collected from 1,496 students in 53 of 68 (78%) randomly selected public high schools in New Hampshire during the spring of 2009. Randomly selected classes of students completed a self-administered, anonymous, questionnaire. Survey procedures were designed to protect the privacy of students by allowing for anonymous and voluntary participation. Local parental permission procedures were followed before survey administration. Because there was sufficient participation, the results were statistically weighted to represent the general population of NH high school students.

The 2009 NH Youth Risk Behavior Survey achieved the CDC's weighted status, so the results of the survey could be generalized to all students in grades 9-12 in NH public high schools. NH is now able to look at trends in the data from 1993, 1995, 2003, 2005, 2007, and 2009. This information is available on the NH Department of Education's Web site at www.education.nh.gov. Additionally, the specific survey questionnaire, as well as the 2009 responses by gender are available on the Web site.

Many public high schools and other schools not randomly chosen for the state report participated in an additional survey administration which used the 2009 YRBS questions to collect data from the majority of the students in their individual schools. The administration of these community school surveys was accomplished through an interagency agreement between the NH Department of Health and Human Services (NH DHHS) and the NH Department of Education. NH DHHS will be producing community reports for the community surveys. Over 30,000 high school students participated in the 2009 Community surveys.

The YRBS is one component of the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This system was designed to focus the nation on behaviors among youth related to the leading causes of mortality and morbidity among both youth and adults and to assess how these risk behaviors change over time. The Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System measures behaviors that fall into six categories: (1) behaviors that result in unintentional and intentional injuries; (2) tobacco use; (3) alcohol and other drug use; (4) sexual behaviors that result in HIV infection, other sexually-transmitted diseases, and unintended pregnancies; (5) dietary behaviors; and (6) physical activity.

More information about the NH Youth Risk Behavior Survey, and the state survey, may be obtained from Mary Bubnis, Education Consultant, HIV/Health Program, New Hampshire Department of Education (DOE) at (603) 271-3889, e-mail mbubnis@ed.state.nh.us, or on the DOE Web site.

For information about the NH DHHS community reports, please contact Jeffrey L. Metzger, Ph.D., M.Ed., Senior Management Analyst, SPF Epidemiologist / Evaluator, Bureau of Drug and Alcohol Services, Division of Community Based Care Services, Department of Health and Human Services, 105 Pleasant Street, Concord, NH 03301, at (603) 271-6740, or e-mail Jeffrey.L.Metzger@dhhs.state.nh.us.