Trends in the Prevalence of Behaviors that Contribute to Unintentional Injury National YRBS: 1991—2019
The national Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) monitors health 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.
| Percentages | Trend from 1991–20191 | Change from 2017–20192 | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 1993 | 1995 | 1997 | 1999 | 2001 | 2003 | 2005 | 2007 | 2009 | 2011 | 2013 | 2015 | 2017 | 2019 | ||
| Rarely or never wear a seat belt (when riding in a car driven by someone else) |
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| 25.9 | 19.1 | 21.7 | 19.3 | 16.4 | 14.1 | 18.2 | 10.2 | 11.1 | 9.7 | 7.7 | 7.6 | 6.1 | 5.9 | 6.5 | Decreased 1991—2019 | No change |
| Rode with a driver who had been drinking alcohol (in a car or other vehicle one or more times during the 30 days before the survey) |
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| 39.9 | 35.3 | 38.8 | 36.6 | 33.1 | 30.7 | 30.2 | 28.5 | 29.1 | 28.3 | 24.1 | 21.9 | 20.0 | 16.5 | 16.7 | Decreased 1991—2019 Decreased 1991—2009 Decreased 2009—2019 |
No change |
| Drove when they had been drinking alcohol (in a car or other vehicle one or more times during the 30 days before the survey, among students who drove a car or other vehicle during the 30 days before the survey) |
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| —3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 10.0 | 7.8 | 5.5 | 5.4 | Decreased 2013—2019 | No change |
| Texted or e-mailed while driving (in a car or other vehicle one or more times on at least 1 day during the 30 days before the survey, among students who drove a car or other vehicle during the 30 days before the survey) |
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| — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 41.4 | 41.5 | 39.2 | 39.0 | No change 2013—2019 | No change |
- Based on linear and quadratic trend analyses using logistic regression models controlling for sex, race/ethnicity, and grade, p < 0.05. Significant linear trends (if present) across all available years are described first followed by linear changes in each segment of significant quadratic trends (if present).
- Based on t-test analysis, p < 0.05.
- Not available.
Page last reviewed: August 20, 2020