Secondary analysis of one State's Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBSS) data by Individualized Education Program (IEP) status.

Background: Children with disabilities may be at increased risk for engaging in health risk behaviors compared to their peers without disabilities.

Objective: This secondary analysis aims to assess if Individualized Education Program (IEP) status, a proxy for having a disability, is a risk factor for youth to engage in health risk behaviors such as alcohol use, marijuana use, other substance use, bullying or cyberbullying victimization, and sexual activity.

Methods: Data from Connecticut Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBSS) 2013, 2015, 2017, and 2019 were combined for a representative sample of 9243 students, 850 reporting having an IEP.