Letter of Invitation - States

2021 and 2023 National Youth Risk Behavior Survey

Attachment P1

Letter of Invitation to States

Public Health Service

Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention (CDC)
Atlanta GA 30341-3724

D EPARTMENT OF HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES

{DATE}

{Agency Head SAL FIRST.NAME LAST.NAME}

{STATE AGENCY NAME}

{ADDRESS}

{CITY, ST ZIP}

Dear {TITLE LAST.NAME}:

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will be conducting the {YEAR} National Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) during the {YEAR-YEAR} school year. The YRBS was designed in cooperation with federal agencies and numerous state and local departments of education and health. It is conducted biennially in odd-numbered years.

The purpose of this letter is to inform you that {#} schools in {STATE} are among the {#} schools randomly selected across the United States to participate in the {YEAR} national YRBS and to thank you for your recent letter of support. Your support for this survey will help encourage the voluntary participation of the schools selected in your State.

The YRBS is a survey of students in grades 9 through 12 that assesses priority health-risk behaviors, including: (1) behaviors that result in unintentional injuries and violence; (2) tobacco use; (3) alcohol and other drug use; (4) sexual behaviors that contribute to HIV infection, other sexually transmitted diseases, and unintended pregnancies; (5) unhealthy dietary behaviors; and (6) physical inactivity.

The national YRBS has become the primary source of information on the most important health-risk behaviors of high school students and is used by leading educators, public health officials, the media, and others to advocate for and improve school health policies and programs. In parallel to the national survey, the YRBS questionnaire is used independently by many state and local departments of education and health to conduct their own surveys. Results from the national survey serve as an index against which state- and local-level data can be compared and are used by states to support the design, implementation, and evaluation of effective prevention and control programs.

The CDC respects the educational mission of schools; for that reason, only a small number of classes in each school, one or two at each selected grade level, are chosen randomly to participate. Data collection will occur during {MONTH} through {MONTH} {YEAR}. Questionnaires will be administered by specially trained field staff during one normal class period. Survey administration procedures are designed to protect student privacy and allow for anonymous participation. States, counties, cities, school districts, schools, and students will not be identified in any published reports.

As a symbol of appreciation for contributing their time and support, the CDC will provide each participating school with a monetary token of appreciation. One option is to use these funds for prevention curriculum and educational materials. However, no restrictions will be placed on how schools may use these funds.

Enclosed are a list of schools selected in your State, the {YEAR} national YRBS questionnaire, a fact sheet, parental permission forms, and letters of support from national health and education organizations. Within one week, a representative from ICF International, a nationally recognized survey research firm contracted by CDC to conduct the national YRBS, will contact you to confirm your receipt of this information and answer any questions you may have. If you have any immediate questions, please call Ms. Alice Roberts of ICF at (800) 675-9727 or Dr. Nancy Brener of CDC at 404-718-8133. Thank you again for your support for this survey, which will help assess and improve efforts to reduce priority health-risk behaviors among adolescents throughout our Nation.

Sincerely yours,

Kathleen A. Ethier, Ph.D.

Director, Division of Adolescent and School Health

National Center for HIV, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Enclosures

cc: Nancy Brener, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

{STATE PRECONTACT}

Alice Roberts, ICF

{RECRUITER}, ICF