Prevalence and Knowledge of High Risk Behaviours among College Students
Abstract
Introduction: Youth is a critical period for the initiation and sustenance of high risk behaviours, as they knowingly or unknowingly indulge in alcohol use, drug use and tobacco use which leads to lifestyle diseases and significant health problems, emerging as a global threat in the future. Hence the investigator step forward for the youth, by conducting a descriptive study to identify the prevalence of high risk behaviours and to assess knowledge on its various health consequences among college students in selected colleges of Thrissur district in Kerala, India.
Materials and Methods: A quantitative non-experimental approach and descriptive study design were used for the study with a sample size of 610 college students who were selected by multi stage random sampling. High risk behaviour inventory and knowledge questionnaire were the tools used. Data were organized, tabulated and analysed with descriptive and inferential statistics.
Result: Overall prevalence of high risk behaviours was 30.1%. Among the respondents, 28.7% were using alcohol, 1% was using drugs, 9.7% and 2.5% reported the use of tobacco and smokeless tobacco in their life respectively. About 42.1% of male students and 16.1% of female students reported high risk behaviours. Majority (63.6%) of them reported average level of knowledge related to high risk behaviours.
Conclusion: The study concluded that early identification of high risk behaviours and assessment of knowledge help to plan effective risk reduction and health promotive strategies.
How to cite this article:
Chiyedath JM, Vijayakumari S, Riaz KM. Prevalence and Knowledge of High Risk Behaviours among College Students. Int J Nurs Midwif Res 2019; 6(4): 52-56.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.24321/2455.9318.201933
Chiyedath JM, Vijayakumari S, Riaz KM. Prevalence and Knowledge of High Risk Behaviours among College Students. Int J Nurs Midwif Res 2019; 6(4): 52-56.
References
Website of Kerala state beverages (manufacturing and marketing 2008-2013) corporation and alcohol and
drug information centre of India (ADIC). 20% liquor users under aged’, The Indian express correspondence
report. January 2014. Available from: www.kbsc.kerala.gov.in/reports.
Rajiv Theodore. Kerala becoming devil’s own country. 74% children uses tobacco, highest liquor consumption,
most cancer cases in India. American bazaar, India bureau chief Feb 27 2014. Available from: https://
www.americanbazaaronline.com/2014/02/27/keralabecoming-devils-country-74-children-use-tobaccohighest-
liquor-consumption-cancer-cases-india/.
Global Youth Tobacco Survey (GYTS). Tobacco Free Initiative (TFI) tobacco Control 11:252-270. Available
from: https://www.who.int/tobacco/surveillance/gyts/en/.
Johnston LD et al. Monitoring the future national survey results on drug use, 1975 –2007 , MD, National Institute on Drug Abuse. NIH Publication 2008; No. 08 (6418A.).
World Health Organization (WHO). The global burden, management of substance abuse , 2012. Available from:
www.who.org/substanceabuse/pages/acknowlege/html.
Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India. Non communicable diseasesrisk factors
survey. Available from: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22710529.
Kerala State Beverages (Manufacturing and Marketing) Corporation, Alcohol and Drug Information Centre
OfIndia (ADIC). The Indian Express Correspondence Report march 2015.
Indian Institute of Population Sciences and Macro International. National Family Health Survey (NFHS
, 2007. Mumbai. Available from: http://www.nfhs_youth_statistics/html.
Soni Preetil, Raut D K. VMMC and Safarjung hospital AIIMS New Delhi India. prevalence and pattern of
tobacco consumption in India,Ist November 2013. Available from: www.isac.in.
Goel N, Khandelwal V, Pandya K, Kotwal A. Alcohol and tobacco use among undergraduate and postgraduate
medical students in India: A Multicentric Cross-sectional Study. Central Asian Journal of Global Health 2015: 4(1):
Available from: http://www.tandfoline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/088581VX0k4. [PubMed/ Google Scholar].
Das S, Ghosh M, Sarkar M, Joardar S, Chatterjee R, Chatterjee S. Adolescents Speak: Why do we
Smoke? Journal of Tropical Pediatrics 2011; 57(6): 476-480. Available from: https://www.cabdirect.org/
globalhealth/abstract/20113405324.
Bajwa HZ, Al-Turki ASA, Dawas AMK, Behbehani MQ, Al-Mutairi AMA, Al-Mahmoud S etal.Prevalence and
Factors Associated with the Use of Illicit Substances among Male University Students in Kuwait. Med
PrincPract 2013; 22(5): 458-463. [PubMed/ Google Scholar].
