Virginia plans to implement the Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) and the School Health Profiles (Profiles). The YRBS survey will be administered to middle and high school students and will be used to monitor behaviors, which may include those that contribute to unintentional injuries and violence, tobacco use, alcohol and other drug use, dietary behaviors, and physical activity. The Profiles will monitor school health policies and practices among secondary schools.
Virginia requests $112,500 for Component 3: $100,000 during the first budget year to partially fund a YRBS coordinator and YRBS epidemiologist positions; and $12,500 for inclusion of Tier 2 Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and Positive Childhood Experiences (PCEs) on the 2025, 2027, and 2029 YRBS questionnaires. The first year will be spent administering the YRBS in a random sample of middle and high schools in Virginia's five public health regions. The first year will also be spent developing and monitoring the survey administration of the Profiles after the first-year administration of the YRBS, which will continue in the fall of 2025, 2027, and 2029 to obtain weighted data according to established YRBS questionnaire, sampling, and data collection procedures. The Profiles will be administered in the spring of 2026 and 2028. Virginia is collaborating on the Essentials for Childhood: Preventing ACEs Data to Action Grant through the YRBS by collecting 16 questions, developed by the CDC, related to Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and Positive Childhood Experiences (PCEs) on the 2025, 2027, and 2029 YRBS questionnaires.
The data gathered from these surveys will ultimately be used to improve school health programs and policies, and other relevant programs and policies, as well as identify health disparities impacting youth. Successful implementation of the Virginia YRBS and Profiles will undoubtedly improve the health and well-being of youth in Virginia and prepare them to be healthy adults.