The federal survey that parents, schools, and health departments rely on to track teen health had the lowest participation in its more than 35-year history. The 2025 Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) had an overall response rate of 30.6%, according to a CDC methods report on the survey dated Oct. 15 in the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
The main driver was schools. Of 230 schools selected for the national sample, 108 agreed to participate, a school response rate of 47.0%. Among students in those schools, 65.2% completed the survey, a figure the CDC said remained comparable to previous cycles.
