Students leave William H. Wells Community High School at the end of the school day in Chicago. The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s latest national survey of high school students focuses on diet, physical activity, sleep, digital behavior and mental health. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images)
The health and behavior of American teenagers have been under the lens of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for over three decades. Every two years, they conduct the Youth Risk Behavior Survey, a comprehensive study tracking various health-related issues among high schoolers. The latest edition, however, takes a new direction in its focus.
A New Focus in the Survey
Launched in 1991, the Youth Risk Behavior Survey examines a wide array of issues affecting students from grades 9 through 12, including substance use, sexual behavior, and mental health. The 2025 report, however, shifts its emphasis to five main areas: diet, physical activity, sleep, digital behavior, and mental health and suicide risk. This shift aligns with the Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s “Make America Healthy Again” agenda, which centers on preventing chronic diseases among children.
The latest report, spanning 36 pages, is significantly leaner than its 88-page predecessor from 2023. While the previous report included extensive findings on substance use and sexual behavior, these topics have been largely omitted from the key findings of the new publication. Despite this, the underlying data remains accessible on the CDC’s website.
Improvements and Challenges
The 2025 survey presents some heartening trends in student health. For instance, 39% of students reported eating fruit daily, up from 33% in 2023. Similarly, vegetable consumption increased, and daily soda intake dropped. Physical activity saw a positive shift with 58% of students participating in sports teams, a rise from previous years.
Encouragingly, mental health indicators also show improvement. The percentage of students experiencing persistent feelings of sadness decreased to 33% in 2025, down from 40% in 2023. Moreover, those considering suicide fell to 14% from 22% in 2021. Despite these gains, female students continue to report higher rates of mental health challenges than their male counterparts.
However, the report indicates some areas of concern. Physical activity levels have not improved significantly, with only 25% engaging in at least 60 minutes of daily activity, and the number of students getting adequate sleep has declined. Social media usage remains high, with 36% of students using it hourly or more.
Missing Elements
This latest report marks a departure from the 2023 survey, which delved into subjects like sexual behavior, violence, and substance use. Notably, alcohol and marijuana consumption among teens are at their lowest in decades, yet these trends are not highlighted in the current report. Similarly, the significant decline in vaping, from a high of 33% in 2019 to 16% in 2025, goes unmentioned in the key findings.
Despite the absence of these topics in the 2025 report, the CDC continues to collect and provide data on such issues through its online data tools. This shift in reporting reflects a new presentation strategy rather than a change in data collection practices.
Ongoing Data Collection
While the report’s focus has narrowed, the CDC has not ceased gathering detailed data on various health risks. The 2025 report excludes specific demographic comparisons and discussions on issues like LGBTQ+ student experiences, which were part of the 2023 survey. However, these details remain available to the public through the CDC’s datasets, ensuring that comprehensive data continues to inform policies and interventions.
