SURVEY TITLE: Youth Risk Behavior Survey - Vermont
ACRONYMN: YRBS - VT
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.
LOCATION SAMPLED: Vermont.
YEARS SEXUAL ORIENTATION DATA COLLECTED: 1995, 1997, 1999, 2001, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2009
SAMPLE SIZE:
1995: 21,297
1997: 14,623.
1999: 9,096
2001: 9,337
2003: 8,081
2005: 9,342; Response rate 72%
2007: 8,452
2009: 11,427
METHOD OF SEXUAL ORIENTATION DATA COLLECTION: Self-completed questionnaire.
SEXUAL ORIENTATION QUESTIONS:
1995:
Q55: “During your life, with how many males have had sexual intercourse?”
Q56: “During your life, with how many females have had sexual intercourse?”
Q57: “During the past three months, with how many males have had sexual intercourse?”
Q58: “During the past three months, with how many females have had sexual intercourse?”
1997:
Q78: “The persons you have had sexual activity with are: (1) I have not had sexual activity with anyone; (2) females; (3) males; (4) females and males”
1999:
Q69: “The persons you have had sexual intercourse with are: (1) I have never had sexual
intercourse; (2) females; (3) males; (4) females and males”
2001:
Q67: “With whom have you had sexual intercourse?: (1) I have never had sexual intercourse; (2) females; (3) males; (4) females and males”
2003:
Q70. “With whom have you had sexual intercourse? a. I have never had sexual intercourse; b.
Females; c. Males; d. Females and Males”
2005, 2007, 2009:
Q9. “ Which of the following best describes you? a. Heterosexual (straight); b. Gay or Lesbian; c. Bisexual; d. Not sure.
Q69. “ With whom have you had sexual intercourse? a. I have never had sexual intercourse; b.
Females; c. Males; d. Females and Males”
RESULTS:
ACRONYMN: YRBS - VT
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.
LOCATION SAMPLED: Vermont.
YEARS SEXUAL ORIENTATION DATA COLLECTED: 1995, 1997, 1999, 2001, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2009
SAMPLE SIZE:
1995: 21,297
1997: 14,623.
1999: 9,096
2001: 9,337
2003: 8,081
2005: 9,342; Response rate 72%
2007: 8,452
2009: 11,427
METHOD OF SEXUAL ORIENTATION DATA COLLECTION: Self-completed questionnaire.
SEXUAL ORIENTATION QUESTIONS:
1995:
Q55: “During your life, with how many males have had sexual intercourse?”
Q56: “During your life, with how many females have had sexual intercourse?”
Q57: “During the past three months, with how many males have had sexual intercourse?”
Q58: “During the past three months, with how many females have had sexual intercourse?”
1997:
Q78: “The persons you have had sexual activity with are: (1) I have not had sexual activity with anyone; (2) females; (3) males; (4) females and males”
1999:
Q69: “The persons you have had sexual intercourse with are: (1) I have never had sexual
intercourse; (2) females; (3) males; (4) females and males”
2001:
Q67: “With whom have you had sexual intercourse?: (1) I have never had sexual intercourse; (2) females; (3) males; (4) females and males”
2003:
Q70. “With whom have you had sexual intercourse? a. I have never had sexual intercourse; b.
Females; c. Males; d. Females and Males”
2005, 2007, 2009:
Q9. “ Which of the following best describes you? a. Heterosexual (straight); b. Gay or Lesbian; c. Bisexual; d. Not sure.
Q69. “ With whom have you had sexual intercourse? a. I have never had sexual intercourse; b.
Females; c. Males; d. Females and Males”
RESULTS:
- Bontempo DE, D'Augelli AR. Effects of at-school victimization and sexual orientation on lesbian, gay, or bisexual youths' health risk behavior. J Adolesc Health. 2002 May;30(5):364-74. PURPOSE: To examine the link between victimization at school and health risk behaviors using representative data comparing lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) youths and heterosexual youths. METHODS: Data from the 1995 Youth Risk Behavior Survey taken in Massachusetts and Vermont were examined. This sample included 9188 9th through 12th grade students; 315 of these students were identified as LGB. Analyses of variance were used to examine health risk behaviors by sexual orientation by gender by victimization level. RESULTS: The combined effect of LGB status and high levels of at-school victimization was associated with the highest levels of health risk behaviors. LGB youths reporting high levels of at-school victimization reported higher levels of substance use, suicidality, and sexual risk behaviors than heterosexual peers reporting high levels of at-school victimization. Also, LGB youths reporting low levels of at-school victimization reported levels of substance use, suicidality, and sexual-risk behaviors that were similar to heterosexual peers who reported low at-school victimization. CONCLUSIONS: The findings provide evidence that differences in health risks among LGB youth are mediated by victimization at school. Such victimization of LGB youth is associated with health risk behaviors.
- Robin L, Brener ND, Donahue SF, Hack T, Hale K, Goodenow C. Associations between health risk behaviors and opposite-, same-, and both-sex sexual partners in representative samples of Vermont and Massachusetts high school students. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. 2002 Apr;156(4):349-55. OBJECTIVE: To examine associations between health risk behaviors and sexual experience with opposite-, same-, or both-sex partners in representative samples of high school students. DESIGN: We used 1995 and 1997 data from the Vermont and Massachusetts Youth Risk Behavior Surveys. Logistic regression and multiple regression analyses were used to compare health risk behaviors among students who reported sex with opposite-sex partners only (opposite-sex students), with same-sex partners only (same-sex students), and with both male and female sexual partners (both-sex students). SETTING: Public high schools in Vermont and Massachusetts. PARTICIPANTS: Representative, population-based samples of high school students. The combined samples had 14 623 Vermont students and 8141 Massachusetts students. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Violence, harassment, suicidal behavior, alcohol and other drug use, and unhealthy weight control practices. RESULTS: In both states, both-sex students were significantly more likely to report health risk behaviors than were opposite-sex students. For example, both-sex students had odds 3 to 6 times greater than opposite-sex students of being threatened or injured with a weapon at school, making a suicide attempt requiring medical attention, using cocaine, or vomiting or using laxatives to control their weight. In both states, same-sex students were as likely as opposite-sex students to report most health risk behaviors. CONCLUSION: Relative to opposite- and same-sex students, both-sex students may be at elevated risk of injury, disease, and death by experiencing serious harassment and engaging in violence, suicidal behavior, alcohol and other drug use, and unhealthy weight control practices.
- DuRant RH, Krowchuk DP, Sinal SH. Victimization, use of violence, and drug use at school among male adolescents who engage in same-sex sexual behavior. J Pediatr. 1998 Jul;133(1):113-8. OBJECTIVE: To examine the relationship between the number of male sexual partners of adolescent males and the frequency of victimization at school, missed school because of fear, used drugs at school, and engagement of fighting and weapon carrying both in and out of school. STUDY DESIGN: Sexually active male adolescents (N = 3886) in 8th through 12th grades were administered the 1995 Vermont Youth Risk Behavior Survey. RESULTS: A total of 8.7% of male adolescents reported one or more male sexual partners. Alcohol, marijuana, and smokeless tobacco use at school, not attending school because of fear, having been threatened or injured with a weapon at school, and weapon carrying at school accounted for 15.8% of the variation in the number of male sexual partners (p < 0.0001). Suicide attempts, school absence because of fear, cigarette smoking, alcohol use, and smokeless tobacco use at school, frequency of fighting requiring medical treatment, carrying a weapon,and carrying a weapon at school accounted for 17.2% out of 100% of the variation in the number of male sexual partners (p < or 0.00001). CONCLUSION: The number of male sexual partners reported by sexually active male adolescents correlated with a higher frequency of victimization, use of violence and drug use at school. Frequency of suicide attempts and fighting outside of school were also correlated with the number of same-sex sexual partners.
- See Vermont YRBS Statewide Report: 1997
- See Vermont YRBS Statewide Report: 2001
- See Vermont YRBS Statewide Report: 2003