Measure Status: Active
Evidence Level: This ESM measures access to/receipt of care, thus doesn't align with a specific evidence-based strategy. Consider developing an ESM for one of the specific strategies in your state action plan to measure performance. Check MCHbest for examples to connect to the evidence.
Measurement Quadrant: Quadrant 4: Measuring quality of effect (% of "is anyone better off")
Service Type: Enabling services level of pyramid
Essential Public Health Services: 4. Support and mobilize partners
Service Recipient: Activities directed to families/children/youth
Goal: Increase the percentage of youth reporting a connection to at least one caring adult, as a measure of positive youth development (PYD) and a protective factor against injury.
Numerator: Estimated number of youth in Texas (grades 9-12) reporting a connection to at least one caring adult during a specific year.
Denominator: Total number of youth (grades 9-12) in Texas during a specific year
Significance: Research shows that adolescents who have positive connections to at least one
adult in their life have increased protective factors and are less likely to participate in risky behaviors that can lead to injury and death. PYD focuses on the development of relationships with caring adults, supportive relationships with parents, supportive peer networks, promoting positive connections to school, supportive communities, and opportunities to experiment in healthy ways.
Data Sources and Data Issues: Data Source: Texas Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBSS). Texas YRBSS is a school-based survey of representative samples of 9th through 12th grade students in Texas. The survey monitors priority health risk behaviors that contribute to the
leading causes of death, disability, and social problems among youth and adults. The
YRBSS survey is conducted every two years. Starting with 2017 YRBSS data, this estimate will be the percentage of youth who reported that they either ate dinner at home with parents or guardians 4 of the last 7 days or they felt comfortable seeking help from an adult other than their parents if they had an important question affecting their life.
Data Issues: All data collected by YRBSS are self-reported and subject to self-reporting bias. Furthermore, response rates to the YRBSS are lower than ideal and have seen a decline since 2011. YRBSS findings are intended for population surveillance and have only limited generalizability to specific geographic subgroups such as counties or cities. In 2019, Texas YRBSS worked with CDC to utilize available data for results to be considered representative of youth across the state, so 2019 YRBSS data is the baseline to estimate annual objectives. There is also the potential that future YRBSS may not collect information about whether youth ate dinner at home with parents/guardians 4 of the last 7 days due to the states question selection process.
Year: 2021
Unit Type: Percentage, Unit Number: 100
