Nevada Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System

On behalf of the Nevada Department of Education and the Nevada Division of Public and Behavioral Health (DPBH), the University of Nevada, Reno's School of Public Health administers the Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS). The YRBS is a survey of adolescent health behaviors and provides critical information to help us understand the health and well-being of youth in Nevada. The YRBS was designed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in cooperation with federal agencies and numerous state and local departments of education and health. The YRBS has been conducted every other year since 1993.

Nevada Senate Bill 69 was signed into law by Governor Sisolak in 2021 and requires that the board of trustees of each school district and the governing body of each charter school that operates a middle school, junior high school, or high school shall ensure that the school district or charter school participates in the biennial YRBS.

How is the survey administered?

The Nevada YRBS is a pencil and paper survey that is administered to youth in randomly selected middle and high school classrooms throughout Nevada. The survey is CONFIDENTIAL, ANONYMOUS, and OPTIONAL for students. Before survey administration, parents and guardians will receive a letter describing the survey and can refuse to provide consent to the administration of the survey by completing and submitting a form stating they do not want their child to participate. They can also submit any other written refusal of consent to the principal or other person in charge of the public school in which the student is enrolled. The survey is administered during one class period. Students can decline participation at any time or skip any questions they do not wish to answer. The survey has been designed to protect the privacy of students who participate. Therefore, students will not put their names or identifying information on the survey.

How are the results of the survey used?

The purpose of the YRBS is to better understand the health and well-being of youth throughout Nevada and the findings are used to help set the national and state agenda for prevention and intervention programming. Schools and service providers also use YRBS data to develop programs and policies designed to improve health outcomes of teenagers. Many organizations rely on the data to secure funding for valuable resources that help ensure the safety and well-being of all students.

Who will have access to the results of the survey?

The survey data will be stored on a protected computer server at the University of Nevada, Reno (UNR) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Only UNR and CDC YRBS team members will have access to the data. Survey results will be combined to ensure that no single student, classroom or school can be identified. Numerous reports will be developed and distributed throughout the state to guide decision-making. Reports are also publically available on this website.

What questions are on the survey?

The survey asks middle school and high school students about nutrition, physical activity, injuries, mental health, and tobacco, alcohol, and other drug use. High school students will also be asked about sexual behaviors that cause sexually transmitted diseases and pregnancy.

2023 Nevada Youth Risk Behavior Survey Questionnaires

View the 2023 middle school and high school surveys.

2023 Nevada High School Youth Risk Behavior Survey

2023 Nevada Middle School Youth Risk Behavior Survey