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National YRBS: 2009
Health Risk Behaviors by Sex
The national Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) monitors priority health risk behaviors
that contribute to the leading causes of death, disability, and social problems among
youth and adults in the United States. The national YRBS is conducted every two years
during the spring semester and provides data representative of 9th through 12th grade
students in public and private schools throughout the United States.
Females Males
Female Male
More Likely More Likely No
Health Risk Behaviors and Health Outcomes Students Students Than Than Difference1
(%) (%) Males1 Females1
Behaviors that Contribute to Unintentional Injuries
Rarely or never wore a seat belt 7.7 11.5
(when riding in a car driven by someone else) (6.3—9.4)2 (9.6—13.8)
●
Behaviors that Contribute to Violence
Carried a weapon on at least 1 day 7.1 27.1
(for example, a gun, knife, or club during the 30 days before the survey) (6.3—7.9) (24.3—30.2)
●
Tobacco Use
Ever tried cigarette smoking 46.1 46.3
(even one or two puffs) (43.7—48.6) (42.6—50.0)
●
9.4 11.8
Smoked a whole cigarette for the first time before age 13 years
(8.2—10.8) (10.3—13.4)
●
Females Males
Female Male
More Likely More Likely No
Health Risk Behaviors and Health Outcomes Students Students Than Than Difference1
(%) (%) Males1 Females1
Tobacco Use (Continued)
10.6 11.7
Ever smoked at least one cigarette every day for 30 days
(9.1—12.3) (10.4—13.1)
●
Smoked cigarettes on at least 1 day 19.1 19.8
(during the 30 days before the survey) (17.2—21.0) (17.8—21.9)
●
Smoked cigarettes on 20 or more days 6.4 8.0
(during the 30 days before the survey) (5.4—7.6) (7.1—9.0)
●
Alcohol and Other Drug Use
Ever had at least one drink of alcohol on at least 1 day 74.2 70.8
(during their life) (72.4—76.0) (68.4—73.2) ●
Alcohol and Other Drug Use (Continued)
Ever used ecstasy use one or more times 5.5 7.6
(also called “MDMA”, during their life) (4.7—6.4) (6.4—9.1)
●
Sexual Behaviors that Contribute to Unintended Pregnancy and STDs, Including HIV Infection
45.7 46.1
Ever had sexual intercourse
(43.0—48.5) (41.5—50.9)
●
Had sexual intercourse with four or more persons 11.2 16.2
(during their life) (10.1—12.4) (13.7—19.1)
●
12.2 13.7
Were never taught in school about AIDS or HIV infection
(10.9—13.7 (12.2—15.3)
●
Dietary Behaviors
Ate fruits and vegetables less than five times per day
(100% fruit juices, fruit, green salad, potatoes [excluding French fries, fried 79.5 76.1
potatoes, or potato chips], carrots, or other vegetables, during the 7 days before (77.8—81.2) (74.6—77.6) ●
the survey)
Ate fruit or drank 100% fruit juices less than two times per day 67.8 64.7
(during the 7 days before the survey) (65.5—70.0) (62.3—66.9) ●
Physical Activity
Physically active at least 60 minutes per day on less than 7 days 88.6 75.2
(doing any kind of physical activity that increased their heart rate and made
(87.1—89.9) (73.7—76.6) ●
them breathe hard some of the time during the 7 days before the survey)
Did not participate in at least 60 minutes of physical activity on
any day 29.9 17.0
(doing any kind of physical activity that increased their heart rate and made (28.1–31.7) (15.1—19.1) ●
them breathe hard some of the time during the 7 days before the survey)
Used computers 3 or more hours per day 21.2 28.3
(played video or computer games or used a computer for something that was
(19.4—23.1) (25.1—31.8)
●
not school work on an average school day)
Females Males
Female Male
More Likely More Likely No
Health Risk Behaviors and Health Outcomes Students Students Than Than Difference1
(%) (%) Males1 Females1
Physical Activity (Continued)
Watched television 3 or more hours per day 32.1 33.5
(on an average school day) (29.9—34.4) (29.9—37.2)
●
Did not attend physical education classes in an average week 45.0 42.3
(when they were in school) (37.3—53.0) (34.2—50.9)
●
Attended physical education classes on less than 5 days in an
68.1 65.4
average week
(62.1—73.5) (58.6—71.7)
●
(when they were in school)
Did not play on a sports team 47.7 36.2
(run by their school or community groups during the 12 months before the
(45.3—50.1) (32.1—40.5) ●
survey)
Obesity, Overweight, and Weight Control
Obese 8.3 15.3
(students who were ≥ 95th percentile for body mass index, by age and sex,
(7.5—9.1) (13.3—17.5)
●
based on reference data)
Overweight 15.9 15.7
(students who were ≥ 85th percentile but < 95th percentile for body mass index,
(14.8—17.0) (14.4—17.2)
●
by age and sex, based on reference data)
Went without eating for 24 hours or more to lose weight or to 14.5 6.9
keep from gaining weight (13.4—15.7) (6.0—7.9) ●
(during the 30 days before the survey)
Vomited or took laxatives to lose weight or to keep from 5.4 2.6
gaining weight (4.8—6.0) (2.1—3.2) ●
(during the 30 days before the survey)
Other Health—Related Topics
21.1 22.8
Ever told by a doctor or nurse that they had asthma
(19.7—22.6) (21.1—24.5)
●
Ever told by a doctor or nurse that they had asthma and still 11.6 10.0
have asthma (10.6—12.7) (8.9—11.2) ●
Where can I get more information? Visit www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth or call 800−CDC−INFO (800−232−4636).
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion
Division of Adolescent and School Health