title: Are the adolescent behaviors too risky? A school-based study in a district of West Bengal, India.
abstract: A cross-sectional study was undertaken among 2068 school-going adolescents of a subdistrict area of West Bengal, India for assessment of entire array of risk behaviors and their correlates. Aggressive, suicidal, substance use and sexual risk behaviors were measured using a self-administered, multi-item, validated questionnaire in the local vernacular. Prevalence of physical fights, weapon carrying in the last 30 days and gang fights in the last 12 months were 27.1%, 7.3% and 13.0%, respectively. Current users of tobacco, alcohol and illicit substances were 7.1%, 3.4% and 2.0%, respectively. Suicidal ideation and attempts were reported by 11.7% and 3.5% of students. Almost one-tenth of respondents had premarital sexual intercourse. Male gender, low subjective economic status, exposure to electronic media and poor academic achievements were associated with most of the studied risk behaviors, except that females showed more propensities to suicidal behavior. The magnitude and pattern of adolescent risk behaviors, though less studied in India, warrants urgent, coordinated actions.
authors.affiliation: BS Medical College, Bankura, West Bengal, India. diptakanti@gmail.com
authors.forename: Dipta K
authors.initials: DK
authors.lastname: Mukhopadhyay
authors.forename: Sujishnu
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mukhopadhyay
authors.forename: Apurba
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sinhababu
authors.forename: Akhil B
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Biswas
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000453:epidemiology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007194:India / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D012309:Risk-Taking; D012424:Rural Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012574:Schools; D017678:Sex Distribution; D012737:Sex Factors; D012725:Sexual Behavior / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014505:Urban Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D014754:Violence / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data