LEONARDTOWN, MD (May 19, 2016) – The St. Mary’s County Health Department (SMCHD) and St. Mary’s County Public Schools (SMCPS) will jointly host a Town Hall Meeting to present key findings from the 2014 Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) for St. Mary’s County, Maryland. This Town Hall Meeting is scheduled to take place on June 22, 2016 from 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the SMCPS, Central Administration Office located at 23160 Moakley Street in Leonardtown.
The YRBS is a national school-based survey conducted by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in partnership with state and local-level education, health and governmental agencies. This survey monitors health-risk behaviors of the nation’s high school students which contribute to the leading causes of death, disability, and social issues among youth and young adults. Monitored behaviors include suicide; tobacco use; alcohol and other drug use; sexual behavior; violence; and diet, nutrition, and exercise.
The 2014 Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) was administered to students in the public high schools in St. Mary’s County. Participating students voluntarily completed an anonymous self-administered questionnaire about their health behaviors. Survey procedures were designed to protect the privacy of students and adhered to local parental permission procedures.
“The aggregate YRBS data will help us identify the most pressing health concerns affecting our adolescent youth,” said Dr. Meenakshi Brewster, Health Officer for St. Mary’s County. “This information then guides community-wide efforts to provide our youth and families the services they really need.”
Community members are encouraged to attend the upcoming Town Hall Meeting for a review of the results from this survey as well as information on local action to address health issues. For more information on the YRBS, visit the CDC website at www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/data/yrbs/ or the SMCHD website at www.smchd.org/data.
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