2012 Youth Risk Behavior Survey Results
Nebraska High School Survey
Survey Summary
 
The 2012 Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) was completed by 1,885 students in 73 public high schools
in Nebraska during the fall of 2012. The school response rate was 89%, the student response rate was
79%, and the overall response rate was 70%. The results are representative of all students in grades 9-12.
The weighted demographic characteristics of the sample are as follows:
 
Female                48.5%
Male                  51.5%
9th grade             24.6%
10th grade            24.5%
11th grade            24.3%
12th grade            26.3%
Other                 0.2%
Black (Non-Hispanic)  6.4%
Hispanic/ Latino      15.2%
White (Non-Hispanic)  72.0%
All other races       3.2%
Multiple races        3.3%
 
Students completed a self-administered, anonymous, 94-item questionnaire. Survey procedures were designed
to protect the privacy of students by allowing for anonymous and voluntary participation. Local parental
permission procedures were followed before survey administration.
 
The YRBS is one component of the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBSS) developed by the Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention in collaboration with representatives from state and local departments
of education and health, other federal agencies, and the national education and health organizations.
The Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System was designed to focus the nation on behaviors among youth
related to the leading causes of mortality and morbidity among both youth and adults and to assess how
these risk behaviors change over time. The Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System measures behaviors that
fall into six categories:
 
1. Behaviors that result in unintentional injuries and violence;
2. Tobacco use
3. Alcohol and other drug use;
4. Sexual behaviors that result in HIV infection, other sexually transmitted diseases, and unintended pregnancies;
5. Dietary behaviors; and
6. Physical activity.
 
The YRBS also measures asthma and self-reported height and weight to allow calculation of body mass index for
assessment of overweight and obesity. More information about the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System can
be obtained from http://www.cdc.gov/yrbss.