U.S. — The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention published the results of its latest Youth Risk Behavior Survey on Monday, September 21, 2026. The survey showed improvements in youth mental health and physical activity while omitting data on teen smoking, sexual behaviors, violence exposure, and LGBTQ-specific breakdowns.

The survey queried high school students nationwide in 2025 to gather information on their health risk behaviors. The 2026 survey emphasized nutrition, physical activity, sleep, screen time, and mental health as key areas of focus for the agency.

In 2025, 33% of high school students reported persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness, down from 40% in 2023 and 42% in 2021. Rates of suicidal ideation also declined during this period, with 14% of high school students seriously considering suicide in 2025, down from 22% in 2021. Additionally, 12% of high school students made a suicide plan in 2025, a decrease from 18% in 2021.

Physical activity metrics showed an upward trend among respondents. In 2025, 58% of high school students played on a sports team, an increase from 52% in 2023. Dietary habits also improved, as more high school students ate fruits and vegetables daily and drank water at least three times per day compared with 2023. Approximately one in three high school students reported using social media at least every hour in 2025.

Dr. Jennifer Shuford, CDC chief medical officer, said the findings align with the Make America Healthy Again initiative led by President Trump and Secretary Kennedy. Mike Underwood, acting director for the CDC’s Division of Adolescent and School Health, said the intent of the survey was to provide a high-level snapshot of youth health behaviors for all youth.

The 2026 survey did not include data on teen smoking, vaping, sexual behaviors, or exposure to violence. It also did not mention LGBTQ youth or provide detailed breakdowns by race and ethnicity. These omissions mark a departure from previous iterations of the survey, which have tracked a broader range of risk factors.

Ariel Beccia, an instructor at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, said mental health trends are not the same for every demographic group. Dr. Aaron Reliford, clinical director of the Child Study Center at NYU Langone, appreciated the survey's focus on physical health and nutrition.

Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. restored the presidential fitness test in public schools in 2026. He also released new dietary guidelines limiting ultraprocessed food consumption in 2026.

What's New

In 2023, the CDC’s Youth Risk Behavior Survey included questions about transgender identity for the first time. The CDC’s Youth Risk Behavior Survey has been conducted at high schools across the country every two years since 1991.

The 2025 Youth Risk Behavior Survey omitted data on gun access and school climate, which are key factors influencing teen safety and well-being, despite being included in previous surveys. In 2025, the CDC removed transgender identity data from its public datasets following an executive order issued by the Trump administration, which directed federal agencies to end support for gender-affirming care for minors under 19. Survey data on gender identity, which was included for the first time in the 2023 survey, was removed in 2025 in order to comply with President Trump’s executive order requiring the federal government to recognize only two sexes, male and female.

Why It Matters

The exclusion of data on smoking, violence, and LGBTQ-specific demographics limits the ability of public health officials to track certain risk behaviors comprehensively. The 2025 Youth Risk Behavior Survey included a question about transgender identity, yet the final survey did not provide breakdowns for these groups. The Trump administration removed references to transgender identity from a CDC webpage in 2025, and a federal judge ordered the Trump administration to restore the CDC webpage containing transgender identity data.

The survey’s focus on nutrition and physical activity aligns with recent administrative priorities. Ariel Beccia said that mental health trends vary across populations not fully represented in the data. The omission of detailed racial and ethnic breakdowns further restricts the understanding of how health outcomes differ among student groups. This selective reporting provides a snapshot of specific health improvements while leaving gaps in other critical areas of adolescent well-being.