Data Summary & Trends Report for Dietary, Physical Activity, and Sleep Behaviors

Adolescence is a time of rapid growth and development. Eating healthy foods is important for physical growth, immunity, brain health, and cognition. It can also prevent chronic disease later in life.

The report describes whether students:

• Eat fruits and vegetables daily.
• Eat breakfast daily.
• Drink plain water.
• Avoid soda and sports drinks.

Regular physical activity benefits adolescents' physical health, aids cognitive functioning, and may reduce the risk of depression.

Being more active, participating in team sports, and attending physical education daily have also been linked with school connectedness.

The report describes whether students met the following five physical activity behaviors:

• Had been physically active for at least 60 minutes daily.
• Had strengthened or toned muscles on at least 3 days each week.
• Had met both physical activity guidelines.
• Had attended physical education classes daily in an average school week.
• Had played on a sports team during the 12 months before the survey.

The report describes if adolescents are getting the recommended 8 or more hours of sleep.

Getting enough sleep is linked with better emotional regulation, physical and mental health, attention, learning, and behavior. Not getting enough sleep increases the risk of chronic disease.

In 2023:

• Just over half of high school students ate fruit daily, ate vegetables daily, and drank plain water at least 3 times per day.
• Less than one-third of students did not drink soda and less than half of students did not drink sports drinks.
• Female and Asian students were more likely than their peers to not drink soda and sports drinks.
• About 1 in 4 students ate breakfast daily.
• Male students were more likely than female students to eat fruit daily, eat breakfast daily, and drink plain water at least 3 times per day.
• Female students were more likely than male students to not drink soda and sports drinks.

Trends

From 2013 to 2023:

• There was a decrease in the percentage of high school students eating fruit, vegetables, and breakfast daily.
• There was an increase in the percentage of students who drank plain water at least 3 times per day and did not drink soda and sports drinks.
• There was an increase in the percentage of male and Hispanic students who did not drink sports drinks.

From 2021 to 2023:

• The percentage of high school students who ate fruit daily increased, but there were no changes in the other dietary behaviors.
• The percentage of Hispanic students who ate fruit daily and vegetables daily increased.
• The percentage of Black students who ate breakfast daily increased.

• The percentage of Asian students who drank plain water at least 3 times per day and who did not drink soda both decreased.

In 2023:

• About 1 in 4 high school students were physically active for at least 60 minutes daily.
• Just over half of students strengthened their muscles at least 3 days per week.
• About 1 in 6 students met federal recommendations for both aerobic physical activity and muscle-strengthening activity.
• Nearly 1 in 4 students attended physical education daily.
• Just over half of students played on a sports team.
  
• Male students were more likely than female students to engage in all five physical activity behaviors.
• Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and questioning (LGBTQ+) students were less likely than their peers to engage in all five physical activity behaviors.

Trends

From 2013 to 2023:

• The percentage of high school students engaged in all five of the physical activity behaviors decreased.
  
• The percentage of Hispanic students who engaged in all five physical activity behaviors decreased.
• The percentage of Black students who engaged in most of the physical activity behaviors decreased.

From 2021 to 2023:

• The percentage of high school students who strengthened muscles at least three times per week and attended physical education daily increased.
• There was an increase in the percentage of Hispanic students who strengthened muscles at least three times per week, attended physical education daily, and played on a sports team.

In 2023:

Sleep behaviors on an average school night:

• About 1 in 4 students got at least 8 hours of sleep.
• Male students were more likely than female students to get at least 8 hours of sleep.
• LGBTQ+ students were less likely than their peers to get at least 8 hours of sleep.

Trends

From 2013 to 2023:

Sleep behaviors on an average school night:

• The percentage of students who got at least 8 hours of sleep decreased.
• The percentage of Hispanic students who got at least 8 hours of sleep decreased.
• The percentage of Black students who got at least 8 hours of sleep decreased.