In recent study published in CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, researchers assessed cardiovascular health among high school students in United States encouragingly. Researchers found approximately four in five students had low or moderate scores on five assessed cardiovascular health measures, highlighting opportunity for early improvement positively.
Cardiovascular diseases leading causes of mortality in US, many risk factors emerge in childhood and adolescence, making adolescence crucial period for behavior development.
Why Adolescence Matters For Heart Health
Data suggest decline in optimal CVH among adults and increase in prevalence of prediabetes, obesity, other risk factors in adolescents requiring attention.
Adolescence crucial period during which health behaviors develop and persist into adulthood, physical activity, BMI, diet, sleep, nicotine exposure interrelated and independently associated.
Youth Risk Behavior Survey 2025 Analysis
Researchers assessed CVH using data from Youth Risk Behavior Survey conducted in 2025, aligned with American Heart Association LE8 scoring system covering eight measures.
CVH examined using five metrics: physical activity, diet, sleep health, BMI, nicotine exposure, survey did not assess blood pressure, glucose, lipid levels. Diet scores reflected reported fruit, vegetable, sugary drink consumption, nicotine scores excluded secondhand smoke exposure, each metric scored from 0 to 100.
Scoring And Demographics Considered
Each metric received score from 0 to 100, higher scores indicating more favorable levels, team calculated overall CVH score averaging individual metric scores. Scores stratified into low 0-49, moderate 50-79, high 80-100 categories based on LE8 and clinical thresholds, demographic variables grade, sex, race ethnicity considered.
Researchers computed weighted mean scores for individual metrics and overall score, plus weighted prevalence estimates for each category, stratified by demographics and tested.
Moderate Overall Score 65.3 With Variations
2025 YRBS included 10710 students, of these 5192 had available data on all five metrics, included and excluded similar distributions by grade and sex. White students accounted for 52.5 percent of analytic sample compared with 41.8 percent of excluded students, potentially affecting generalizability of findings and results.
On average, overall CVH score moderate 65.3, mean scores low for diet 39.3, moderate for sleep 59.1 and physical activity 62, high for BMI 85.4.
BMI And Nicotine Most Favorable, Diet Least
Higher BMI scores indicated more favorable weight status rather than higher BMI, nicotine exposure 80.5, reflecting good news that most students avoid nicotine use.
BMI scores can remain favorable even when dietary quality poor, highlighting need for improvement in diet, sleep, physical activity despite favorable weight and nicotine status.
Differences By Grade Sex And Race Ethnicity
Females had lower overall CVH, sleep health, physical activity scores, but had higher BMI scores than males, showing sex-specific patterns requiring tailored interventions.
Students in grades 10-12 had lower overall scores than those in grade 9, grade 12 also lower than grade 10, reflecting decline as adolescents age.
Asian students had highest mean overall score, Black students lowest, White and multiracial higher than Black and Hispanic, Middle Eastern North African less precisely estimated.
Prevalence Of High Overall Scores
Approximately 21 percent students received high overall score, 61 percent moderate, 18 percent low, showing encouraging one in five achieving high heart health already. There was lower prevalence of high overall scores among females and students grades 10-12 than among males and grade 9 respectively, consistent with prior research.
Prevalence of high overall score also lower in Hispanic and Black students compared to White, multiracial, Middle Eastern North African students, highlighting disparities needing community programs.
80 Percent Moderate Or Low But Improvement Possible
Around 80 percent high school students in US had moderate or low overall CVH score on five-metric assessment, nicotine exposure and BMI most favorable. By comparison, physical activity, diet, sleep health least favorable scores, reflecting need for improvement in these health behaviors for better adult CVH outcomes.
Differences in overall score by grade, sex, race ethnicity consistent with prior research, highlighting importance of promoting healthy behaviors early for supporting better adulthood.
Limitations And Next Steps
Study limitations included reliance on self-reported measures which may introduce reporting bias, absence of certain LE8 components like blood pressure, glucose, lipids.
Approximately 52 percent survey participants excluded because data incomplete, missing data resulted from student nonresponse, invalid responses, differences in questionnaire administration methods.
Analytic sample had higher proportion of White students than excluded sample, which may affect generalizability, five-metric scores should not be interpreted as full clinical assessment.
Q&A
Q: What did CDC MMWR 2025 YRBS study find about cardiovascular health among US high school students?
A: Study of 10710 students, 5192 with complete data, found overall CVH score moderate 65.3, 21 percent high, 61 percent moderate, 18 percent low.
Q: Which cardiovascular health metrics scored most favorable and least favorable among high school students?
A: Nicotine exposure 80.5 and BMI 85.4 most favorable, physical activity 62 moderate, sleep health 59.1 moderate, diet 39.3 low least favorable requiring improvement.
Q: How do heart health scores differ by grade, sex, race ethnicity according to CDC findings?
A: Females lower overall than males, grades 10-12 lower than grade 9, Asian highest, Black lowest, Hispanic and Black lower high-score prevalence than White.
FAQ
Q: Why did CDC assess only five metrics instead of full American Heart Association LE8 eight measures in YRBS?
A: YRBS does not involve physical examination or blood collection, so survey did not assess blood pressure, glucose, lipid levels, focusing on self-reported behaviors.
Q: Can BMI score remain favorable even when diet quality is poor according to study explanation?
A: Yes, higher BMI scores indicated favorable weight status rather than higher BMI, scores can remain favorable even when dietary quality poor and diet score low.
Q: What limitations might affect generalizability of CDC high school cardiovascular health findings?
A: Reliance on self-reported measures, 52 percent excluded due to incomplete data, analytic sample had higher proportion White students than excluded, cross-sectional cannot establish individual changes over time.
Q: What opportunities do researchers identify for improving adolescent cardiovascular health early?
A: Researchers identified opportunities for school and community programs addressing diet, physical activity, sleep, nicotine use, promoting healthy behaviors early supporting better adult CVH.
Q: Does lower prevalence of high scores in grades 10-12 mean individual students health worsens over time?
A: No, because survey cross-sectional, comparisons between grades cannot establish changes in individual students over time, but differences consistent with prior research showing behaviors decrease as adolescents age.
Disclaimer: This article provides educational information based on CDC Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report Youth Risk Behavior Survey 2025 analysis and does not constitute professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment recommendation.
