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Overview of YARD Youth Risk Behavior Data

Since health-risk behaviors among youth contribute to sickness, disease and death, the Center for Disease Control (CDC) began conducting the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBSS) survey of high school students in partnership with states and 21 large, urban school districts in 1995. This bi-annual survey conducted on the odd numbered years collects information related to nine categories of health risk behaviors among youth and young adults: 1) Unintentional Injury Behaviors; 2) Violence Behaviors; 3) Alcohol Use Behaviors ; 4) Drug Use Behaviors; 5) Sexual Behaviors; 6) Tobacco Use Behaviors; 7) Unhealthy Dietary Behaviors; and 8) Inadequate Physical Activity. The prevalance of obesity, overweight, and asthma among youth and young adults is also monitored.

The most frequently asked question of the CDC relates to geography - is the data available for census tracts, counties and places. Because this survey has state-wide and national results (with the exception of the 21 urban school districts) data is not available for smaller geographies. The Youth-At-Risk Data (YARD) dataset was developed to fill that gap.

YARD provides current data for more than 100 individual youth-at-risk behaviors. By applying sophisticated “big data” analytics to the biannual Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBSS) survey produced by the CDC, the YARD dataset delivers reliable estimates of risky behaviors among youth and young adults. Our documentation gives additional data about the YARD dataset together with a methodological summary. 

The dataset has been grouped by behavioral categories with 8 categories and 173 individual variables. For each of these variables, the dataset includes three complete sets of information:

YARD Variables by Risk Behavior Categories

The YARD variables span across these 8 risk behavior categories:

UNINTENTIONAL INJURY BEHAVIORS

Risk behaviors leading to unintentional injury include never wearing a bicycle helmet, never wearing a seat belt, riding with a driver who had been drinking alcohol, driving when drinking alcohol, and texting or emailing while driving.  

VIOLENCE BEHAVIORS

Risk behaviors and victim situations associated with violence include carrying a weapon, threatening or injurying with a weapon on school property, physical fighting, electronically bullied, bullied on school property, forced to have sexual intercourse, physical dating violence, sexual dating violence, seriously considered attempting suicide, making a suicide plan, and attempting suicide. 

ALCOHOL USE BEHAVIORS

Risk behaviors associated with youth alcohol use include ever drinking alcohol, drinking alcohol before age 13, currently drinking alcohol, receiving alcohol from someone, drinking five or more drinks in a row, and drinking ten or more drinks in a row. 

DRUG USE BEHAVIORS

Risk behaviors associated with drug use include having ever used marijana, trying marijuana before age 13, currently using marijuana, having ever used cocaine, hallucinogenic drugs, inhalents, ecstasy, heroin, methamphetamines, or steriods without a prescription; taking a prescription without a doctor's prescription, injecting any illegal drug; and offering, selling, or giving an illegal drug on school property.  

SEXUALLY RISKY BEHAVIORS

Risk behaviors associated with sexual risk include having sexual intercourse before age 13, having sexual intercourse with four or more persons, being currently sexually active, not using condoms, not using birth control pills, IUD or implants; shots, patches or birth control rings; not using any method to prevent pregnancy, drinking alcohol or using drugs during sexual intercourse, not being taught in school about AIDS or HIV infection, and being tested for HIV.  

TOBACCO USE BEHAVIORS

Risk behaviors associated with tobacco use include having ever smoked cigarettes, smoking before age 13, currently using cigarettes, using cigarettes frequently, smoking more than 10 cigarettes a day, trying to quit smoking cigarettes, smoking cigarettes on school property, buying cigarettes in a store or gas station, having ever smoked cigarettes daily, currently smoking cigarettes daily, currently using smokeless tobacco, currently using cigars, currently using tobacco.  

UNHEALTHY DIETARY BEHAVIORS

Risk behaviors related to unhealthy diets include not eating fruit or drinking fruit juices; eating and drinking fruit juices once, twice or three times or more daily; not eating vegetables; eating vegetables once, twice, or three or more times daily; not drinking milk; drinking milk once, twice or three or more times daily; not drinking soda or pop; or drinking soda or pop once, twice, or three or more times daily; not eating breakfast. 

INADEQUATE PHYSICAL ACTIVITY

Risk behaviors associated with inadequate physical activity include not participating in physical activity for 60 minutes daily; using computers three or more hours per week; watching television three or more hours per day; not attending physical education classes; and not playing on at least one sports team.