SURVEY TITLE: Youth Risk Behavior Survey - California
ACRONYMN: YRBS - CA
SPONSOR: National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, United States Department of Health and Human Services.
SURVEY PURPOSE: The YRBSS was developed in 1990 to monitor priority health risk
behaviors that contribute markedly to the leading causes of death, disability, and social problems among youth and adults in the United States. These behaviors, often established during childhood and early adolescence, include: tobacco use, unhealthy dietary behaviors, inadequate physical activity, alcohol and other drug use, sexual behaviors that contribute to unintended pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases (including HIV infection), and behaviors that contribute to unintentional injuries and violence.The California Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) is funded by the U.S Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The survey will be implemented statewide for the first time in spring 2009.
LOCATION SAMPLED: Los Angeles, San Bernardino, San Diego, and San Francisco.
YEARS SEXUAL ORIENTATION DATA COLLECTED: Los Angeles: 2003; San Bernardino:
2001; San Diego: 1999, 2003, 2007; San Francisco: 1997, 1999, 2001, 2003,2005, 2007
SAMPLE SIZE: unknown/unavailable.
METHOD OF SEXUAL ORIENTATION DATA COLLECTION: Self-completed questionnaire.
SEXUAL ORIENTATION QUESTIONS:
SAN BERNARDINO 2001:
Which of the following best describes you? a) Heterosexual (straight); b) Gay or lesbian; c) Bisexual; d) Not sure; e) None of the above”
SAN DIEGO 1999, 2003, and 2007:
"With whom have you had sexual intercourse? a) I have not had sexual intercourse with anyone; b) Females; c) Males; d) Females and males”
LOS ANGELES 2003:
"With whom have you had sexual intercourse? a) I have not had sexual intercourse with anyone; b) Females; c) Males; d) Females and males”
SAN FRANCISCO:
1997:
Q62: “Have you ever had sexual intercourse with a male? a)Yes b) No”
Q63: “Have you ever had sexual intercourse with a female? a) Yes b) No”
1999:
Q67: “With whom have you had sexual intercourse? a) I have not had sexual intercourse with
anyone b) Females c) Males d) Females and males
2001:
Q80. “How would you describe your sexual orientation/preference? a. Heterosexual, attracted to the opposite sex; b. Bisexual, attracted to both sexes; c. Homosexual, gay or lesbian, attracted to the same sex; d. Not sure.”
Q?. “During the past 30 days, have you been the victim of a verbal slur because of your gender or sexual orientation/preference? a. Yes; b. No; c. Not sure”
2003:
Q80. "How would you describe your sexual orientation? a. Heterosexual, attracted to the opposite sex; b. Bisexual, attracted to both sexes; c. Homosexual: gay/lesbian, attracted to the same sex; d. Not sure
Q24. During the past 30 days, have you been the victim of a verbal slur because of your gender or sexual orientation? a. Yes; b. No; c. Not sure
RESULTS:
DATA ACCESS:
San Diego: http://old.sandi.net/depts/sex_ed/youthriskbehaviorsurvey.htm
San Francisco: San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD) 2011 Middle School YRBS & 2011 High School YRBS Results
ACRONYMN: YRBS - CA
SPONSOR: National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, United States Department of Health and Human Services.
SURVEY PURPOSE: The YRBSS was developed in 1990 to monitor priority health risk
behaviors that contribute markedly to the leading causes of death, disability, and social problems among youth and adults in the United States. These behaviors, often established during childhood and early adolescence, include: tobacco use, unhealthy dietary behaviors, inadequate physical activity, alcohol and other drug use, sexual behaviors that contribute to unintended pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases (including HIV infection), and behaviors that contribute to unintentional injuries and violence.The California Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) is funded by the U.S Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The survey will be implemented statewide for the first time in spring 2009.
LOCATION SAMPLED: Los Angeles, San Bernardino, San Diego, and San Francisco.
YEARS SEXUAL ORIENTATION DATA COLLECTED: Los Angeles: 2003; San Bernardino:
2001; San Diego: 1999, 2003, 2007; San Francisco: 1997, 1999, 2001, 2003,2005, 2007
SAMPLE SIZE: unknown/unavailable.
METHOD OF SEXUAL ORIENTATION DATA COLLECTION: Self-completed questionnaire.
SEXUAL ORIENTATION QUESTIONS:
SAN BERNARDINO 2001:
Which of the following best describes you? a) Heterosexual (straight); b) Gay or lesbian; c) Bisexual; d) Not sure; e) None of the above”
SAN DIEGO 1999, 2003, and 2007:
"With whom have you had sexual intercourse? a) I have not had sexual intercourse with anyone; b) Females; c) Males; d) Females and males”
LOS ANGELES 2003:
"With whom have you had sexual intercourse? a) I have not had sexual intercourse with anyone; b) Females; c) Males; d) Females and males”
SAN FRANCISCO:
1997:
Q62: “Have you ever had sexual intercourse with a male? a)Yes b) No”
Q63: “Have you ever had sexual intercourse with a female? a) Yes b) No”
1999:
Q67: “With whom have you had sexual intercourse? a) I have not had sexual intercourse with
anyone b) Females c) Males d) Females and males
2001:
Q80. “How would you describe your sexual orientation/preference? a. Heterosexual, attracted to the opposite sex; b. Bisexual, attracted to both sexes; c. Homosexual, gay or lesbian, attracted to the same sex; d. Not sure.”
Q?. “During the past 30 days, have you been the victim of a verbal slur because of your gender or sexual orientation/preference? a. Yes; b. No; c. Not sure”
2003:
Q80. "How would you describe your sexual orientation? a. Heterosexual, attracted to the opposite sex; b. Bisexual, attracted to both sexes; c. Homosexual: gay/lesbian, attracted to the same sex; d. Not sure
Q24. During the past 30 days, have you been the victim of a verbal slur because of your gender or sexual orientation? a. Yes; b. No; c. Not sure
RESULTS:
- Rice, E., Fulginiti, A., Winetrobe, H., Montoya, J., Plant, A., Kordic, T., Corliss, H.L., Goodenow, C.S. & Austin, S. (2012). Sexuality and homelessness in Los Angeles public schools. American Journal Of Public Health, 102(2), 200-202. The authors collected data on sexuality and homelessness experiences in conjunction with the 2011 administration of the Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) in the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD). Among LAUSD students, 37% of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or unsure-identifying youths and 22% of heterosexual youths reported having spent at least one night homeless in the previous 12 months. Researchers created a supplemental questionnaire administered in conjunction with the 2011 YRBS to LAUSD students. One item assessed sexual orientation: What do you consider your sexual orientation? 1) Homosexual (gay or lesbian), 2) bisexual, 3) heterosexual (straight), 4) transgender, 5) questioning/unsure. A second item addressed homelessness, using the questions from the landmark study by Ringwalt et al. that assessed the national prevalence of youth homelessness. Their results indicated that non-heterosexually identifying youths reported significantly more homelessness when compared to heterosexually identifying youths.
- Shields, J.P., Whitaker, K., Glassman, J., Franks, H.M. & Howard, K. (2011). Impact of victimization on risk of suicide among lesbian, gay, and bisexual high school students in Fan Francisco Journal of Adolescent Health, Volume 50, Issue 4, Pages 418-420. OBJECTIVE: This study investigated the association between sexual orientation, victimization, and suicide risk-related outcomes among youth attending public high schools in San Francisco. METHODS: Data from the 2009 Youth Risk Behavior Survey were analyzed using bivariate and logistic regression methods for complex samples to examine the relationship between sexual orientation, victimization, and three suicide risk-related outcomes (sadness/depression, suicide planning, and attempting suicide) while controlling for demographics and substance use. RESULTS: Lesbian, gay, or bisexual (LGB) youth reported significantly higher rates of substance use, victimization, and suicide risk-related outcomes than heterosexual youth. However, in the controlled regression models, victimization was a significant predictor of sadness/depression and suicide attempts, regardless of sexual orientation. There was a significant interaction effect between sexual orientation and victimizationon suicide planning, with heterosexual youth more affected than LGB youth. CONCLUSIONS:Results underscore the deleterious effect of victimization on suicide risk-related outcomes,regardless of sexual orientation. As LGB youth continue to report higher rates of victimization, effective violence prevention approaches must focus on reducing violence among youth, specifically LGB youth. Additional research should focus on identification of other factors that may help further explain elevated suicide risk among LGB youth.
DATA ACCESS:
San Diego: http://old.sandi.net/depts/sex_ed/youthriskbehaviorsurvey.htm
San Francisco: San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD) 2011 Middle School YRBS & 2011 High School YRBS Results
