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The YRBSS focuses on risk behaviors, not underlying risk OR protective factors. All of the items relate to behaviors and NOT to the youth, peer, parent, or community attitudes or beliefs. So, in short, the YRBSS gets at what youth are doing but not why they are doing it.

The upside of YRBSS is that it does encompass a lot more topics related to health behaviors - diet, exercise, sexual activity, suicide attempts.

In terms of behaviors, PAYS is more specifically focused on behaviors related to violence, substance use, and mental health domains. The risk and protective factors surveyed in PAYS are known to be associated with substance abuse, delinquency, violence, teen pregnancy, school dropout, depression and anxiety.

Download the matrices of risk factors and the protective factors profiles. Coming soon