2011 NH Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS)

Youth Tobacco Survey (YTS)

Fact Sheet

Q. Why is the survey being done?

A. The Departments of Education and Health and Human Services will use survey results to help measure how many youth practice health-risk behaviors. Survey results also will be used to create school and community health programs to help reduce these behaviors.

Q. Are sensitive questions asked?

A. Yes. Some questions are sensitive. To help solve health problems among our youth, we must first understand them. For example, AIDS is a major health problem. Sexual intercourse and injecting illegal drugs are behaviors that increase the risk of getting AIDS. The only way to learn if youth are at risk of getting AIDS is to ask questions about these behaviors. Attempted suicide, tobacco use, alcohol and other drug use, and weapon carrying are also sensitive issues. Therefore, survey questions are written in a direct but sensitive way.

Q. Will students’ names be used or linked to the surveys?

A. No. The surveys have been designed to protect each student’s privacy. Students do not put their name on the survey. When students finish the survey, they place the survey in an envelope, which is sealed and placed in a big box.

Q. Do students take the survey more than once to see how their behaviors change?

A. No. Each year a new sample of schools and classrooms is picked. Students who take part one year cannot be tracked because their names are not on the survey.

Q. How was my child picked to be in the survey?

A. Classrooms of students in grades 9 through 12 in over 60 N. H. schools were randomly selected to participate. Some schools have elected to survey all their students. Each selected student will complete either the YRBS or the YTS, not both.

Q. How long does it take to fill out the survey? Does the survey include a physical test?

A. One class period is needed to fill out the written survey, which has either 73 or 100 questions. The survey does not include a physical test or exam.

Q. Who supports this survey?

A. These surveys were created by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and are supported by many NH organizations interested in the health of youth including the N.H. Pediatric Society. People from over 100 state and local health and education agencies and 19 federal agencies helped develop the survey.