Study title

Abstract copyright UK Data Service and data collection copyright owner.

The Young Persons' Behaviour and Attitudes Survey (YPBAS) is a school-based survey carried out among 11-16 year olds and covers a wide range of topics relevant to the lives of young people today. The main aim of the YPBAS is to gain an insight into, and increase understanding of, the behaviours and lifestyles of adolescents. It also aims to influence various government policies and practices relating to young people and to facilitate access to research findings and expertise.

YPBAS was introduced in 2000 as an omnibus survey of post-primary school children which replaced a number of previous surveys. It is a triennial study, conducted once every three years. Repeating this survey on a regular basis will allow government to continue to identify and monitor any significant changes, and if necessary, new policies and strategies will be developed and implemented as a result. Therefore to ensure comparability, the same methodology has been applied over the all rounds to date and the questionnaires were of a similar format.

Further information is available on the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA) Young Persons' Behaviour and Attitudes Survey webpages.

Main Topics:
The main topics covered in most years of the YPBAS include:

• demographics
• school
• travelling to school
• nutrition and sports
• smoking
• alcohol, solvents and drugs
• personal safety
• sexual experience and relationships
• health
• education