January 15, 2025
This post is cross-posted from a CDC email.
Earlier this week, the Center for Disease Control (CDC) released Youth Risk Behavior Survey Data Summary & Trends Report for Dietary, Physical Activity, and Sleep Behaviors: 2013-2023. The report is part of CDC’s Healthy Schools Program to prevent chronic disease among children and adolescents. The latest report underscores the need for more work at all levels to ensure our nation’s youth have the opportunity for better health and well-being. We know that adolescents who engage in physical activity, healthier nutrition and better sleep do better academically and have better mental and physicalhealth.
This report is a companion to the Youth Risk Behavior Survey Data Summary & Trends Report: 2013–2023, released in August 2024, which documents trends in mental health, sexual behavior, substance use, and violence experiences in young people. The Division of Adolescent and School Health (DASH) has conducted the Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) since 1991. These data are linked to the leading causes of death and disability in the U.S. and are vitally important to understand youth health behaviors and experiences over time.
Some specific trends from 2013 to 2023 to which we want to draw your attention include:
- Declines in students eating fruit (63% to 55%), vegetables (61% to 58%), and breakfast (38% to 27%).
- Declines in physical activity and sleep, including daily physical activity (27% to 25%), daily physical education (22% to 16%), and a significant decline in students getting at least eight hours of sleep (32% to 23%).
- From 2015 to 2023, we saw slight improvements in students drinking fewer sugary drinks (26% to 31%) and drinking water at least three times a day (49% to 54%).