2021 YRBS Data and Reports

Explore United States 2021 Youth Risk Behavior Survey

The 2021 Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) was completed by 1,551 students in 24 public high schools in San Diego Unified School District during the fall of 2021. The school response rate was 100%, the student response rate was 80.3%, and the overall response rate was 80.3%. The results are representative of all district students in grades 9-12.

The weighted demographic characteristics of the sample are as follows:

Female

47.9%

9th grade

31.0%

Asian

15.7%

Male

52.1%

10th grade

24.5%

Black*

6.3%

11th grade

22.8%

Hispanic/ Latino

45.4%

12th grade

21.4%

White*

23.4%

Other

0.3%

All other races*

1.6%

Multiple races*

7.6%

*Non-Hispanic

Students completed a self-administered, anonymous, 99-item 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.

The YRBS is one component of the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBSS) developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in collaboration with representatives from state and local departments of education and health, other federal agencies, and national education and health organizations. The Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance 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 San Diego Unified High School Youth Risk Behavior Survey will measure the following behaviors:

Effects of COVID-19 on student mental health and academic performance;
Protective factors in students lives;
Adverse childhood experiences;
Experiences with health education;
Alcohol, nicotine, and other drug use;
Relationship violence;
Sexual behaviors that can result in HIV/STI infection and unintended pregnancy;
Other behaviors that can result in intentional and unintentional injury and violence.

The YRBS also measures asthma and self-reported height and weight to allow calculation of body mass index for assessment of overweight and obesity. More information about the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System can be obtained from http: //www.cdc.gov/yrbss .