1. 2015 Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance Survey Results

2. General Information Developed by CDC (standard YRBS questions)
Added questions from partners/Committee
HS and MS versions
3rd administration in BPS (2011, 2013, 2015)
Analysis conforms to CDC guidelines
Validity checks
Logical Consistencies
Comparable Results

3. Similar Patterns at MS and HS
The Upshot
High Response Rates
Risky Behaviors Down
Similar Patterns at MS and HS
High Response Rate (12,000 students or nearly ¾ of all eligible 6th through 12th grade students) means highly representative of student body – probably very accurate profile of risk behaviors in district.
Generally, risky behaviors down. Summary merges lots of large topics where risk is very low and continuing to fall, such as tobacco, alcohol, and drug use. VERY FEW areas where BPS is higher than state/national levels and very few areas of increased risk from 2013.
Similar patterns at MS and HS – different surveys, different populations – again indicates validity of results, and shows us important areas of need/interest, because we see the “same” type of increases across both groups.

4. Response Rates are Up
3rd administration of YRBS in BPS. A total of 74% of BPS 6-12th graders completed a valid survey, an increase of 9% from the 2013 administration. 85% of MS completed a survey – VERY high response rate; highly representative of BPS MS population. HS lower, but still good.
2011
2013

5. Number of Respondents is Up
Almost 12,000 students completed a valid survey in 2015, up from about 11,300 in 2013 and 10,700 in About 6,000 kids at each level.

6. “Low” Levels of Risky Behaviors
Compared to NYS high schoolers, BPS high schoolers have lower risk of:
Being bullied
Tobacco and Alcohol Use
Drug Use
Being threatened with weapons at school
Carrying weapons at school
Compared to NYS, BPS HS students have lower risk in these areas – all these areas also were declines from 2013, except for steroid use
Comparisons for High School Students only. The CDC does not release national or state-level Middle School data for comparison

7. “High” Levels of Risky Behaviors
Compared to NYS high schoolers, BPS high schoolers have higher risk of:
Suicide Attempts
Physical Fighting
Early Initiation of Sexual Activity
Not being taught about HIV/AIDS
Excessive TV and Computer Use
Skipping Breakfast
Where BPS HIGH SCHOOL students are at higher levels than students statewide. Suicide, physical fighting, early sex, and TV use declined, but still higher than NYS. Very little to no changes in skipping breakfast, HIV/AIDS education. Large increase in computer use.
Comparisons for High School Students only. The CDC does not release national or state-level Middle School data for comparison

8. DISTRICT-WIDE, there were reductions in:
What’s Better since 2013
DISTRICT-WIDE, there were reductions in:
Tobacco Use
Alcohol Use
Drug Use
Physical Fighting
Excessive TV
Sexual Activity:
ever had sex
early age
multiple partners
Where there have been decreases (decreases are GOOD – indicates LESS risk, more positive, healthy behaviors) – Tobacco, Alcohol, and drug use (except steroids) are LOW and on continual decline. Ever used marijuana is now lower than NYS and recent use is about same as NYS – this was a problem in prior years. Physical fighting and excessive TV use are still higher than NYS, but have declined. Risky sexual behaviors have declined, and are now similar to NYS at HS level (where comparison data are available).

9. At HIGH SCHOOL, there were reductions in:
What’s Better since 2013
At HIGH SCHOOL, there were reductions in:
Suicide Attempts, especially serious attempts
Lack of Seatbelt Use
Electronic bullying
Being threatened with weapons at school*
Carrying weapons at school*
Being physically forced to have sex*
*not asked on MS survey
At HS, there were declines in all dimensions of suicidality, including attempts and serious attempts. Though carrying weapons increased, being threatened or carrying weapons on school grounds declined. Suicide (-1%, +.4%), seatbelt use (-3%), and e-bullying (+6%) asked at MS, but did not get better.

10. DISTRICT-WIDE, there were increases in:
What’s Worse since 2013
DISTRICT-WIDE, there were increases in:
Carrying a Weapon (overall; not specifically at school)
Lack of Condom Use
Steroid Use
Increases are BAD – show more risk, more unhealthy behaviors. These increased on BOTH surveys from 2013 admin.
Lack of condom use increased 11% at HS and 9% at MS
Small number use steroids, but it was an increase at both MS (20%) and HS (11%)
Carrying a weapon HS (21%) and MS (17%) – this is generally carrying a weapon – carrying ON SCHOOL GROUNDS was a decline.

11. What’s Worse since 2013 At MIDDLE SCHOOL, there were increases in:
Skipping Breakfast
Sedentary Behavior
No HIV/AIDS education*
*most likely due to the earlier administration of the survey in 2015
MS are increasingly skipping breakfast (37%) and NOT engaging in vigorous PA (24%). There was also an increase in the lack of learning about HIV/AIDS (10%).
HS had increases in excessive computer and video game use (25%) and carrying a gun (9%).
At HIGH SCHOOL, there were increases in:
Excessive Computer/Video Game Use (non-school)
Carrying a Gun

12. Not Being Taught about HIV/AIDS
Change is most likely due to change in date of survey administration.

13. New Items – “Vaping”
E-vapor products more widely used than cigarettes.
Added by CDC in 2015 – no comparison data available yet. IN BPS, about 6% have recently used cigarettes, compared to 15% who recently used e-vap products. Almost 1/3 have tried e-vap products, compared with only 1 in 5 who’ve tried at least one puff of a cigarette. Similar pattern at MS.

14. New Items – ACES (Trauma)
Adapted from Adverse Childhood Experiences Scale screening tool; first use anywhere (Monroe County, NY plans to also administer in 2015). Yes/No questions for HS ONLY. Over 1/3 reported that they’ve been sworn at, insulted or put down by a parent or seen someone violently attacked in their neighborhood. Almost ¼ have lived with someone who was struggles with addiction.

15. Areas of Note Thoughts of Suicide among Middle Schoolers:
Down at HS but no change at MS
Lack of Condom Use:
Increased while all other risky sexual behaviors declined
Steroid Use:
Very few users, but numbers are up at both MS and HS, despite decreases in all other drug use
Technological Shift:
TV watching down, computer use/gaming up
Thoughts of suicide and attempts at HS are considerably above NYS averages, but did decline from MS has no comparison data, but it is about the same as at HS (16% seriously considered it, 10% made a plan, and 8% attempted – 13%, 11%, 9% at HS) and did not change at all from However, there were declines at HS level.
All risky sex behaviors, including ever had sex, early sex, and multiple partners, had declines at both MS and HS. ONLY increase in the sexual behavior indicators was on lack of condom use, which rose 13% at HS and 9% at MS. Almost 1/3 of sexually active MS and 40% of HS did not use a condom the last time they had sex.
VERY FEW students use steroids – about 100 MS and 150 HS – BUT there was substantial increase at both MS (20%) and HS (11%), even though there were decreases in the use of all other types of drugs.
Reflective of societal changes, there were increases in the use of non-school-related excessive computer use, which includes online gaming and social media among both MS (4%) and HS (25%). About half of all students report using a computer for non-school uses for three or more hours a day on an average school day. The 2015 NYS/national data not yet available, but will probably also show an increase.

16. Caroline Taggart, MPH caroline@viaeval.com viaevaluation.com
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