Comparative Study of Attitude of Adolescents Studying in Junior Colleges of Rural and Urban Areas of Vijayapura towards Social Aspects of Life
BACKGROUND Adolescent period is that part of exciting period of life which marks the transition from being a dependent kid to an independent and responsible adult. It is recognised as a fascinating period that poses specific challenges and has a great impact on the physical, social and emotional behaviour in the family and society. METHODS A comparative cross-sectional survey of a total of 1000 adolescents, 16 - 18 years of age – 250 each from 4 PU colleges (2 urban + 2 rural) were interviewed using a pretested questionnaire. Based on responses, their attitude towards social aspects of life were assessed, analysed and compared. RESULTS There were significant differences in attitude of adolescents residing in urban areas on various social aspects of life as compared to the adolescents residing in rural areas. Significant differences were observed in personality development traits like selfesteem and self-concept, shrewdness, tender mindedness, internal restraint and individual capacities. Risk taking behaviour was more common in urban adolescents and academic underachievement was more common in rural adolescents. There were no significant differences between the two groups with respect to home / college environment, safety at home / college, relationships with parents, siblings and friends, depression and social ideation. CONCLUSIONS We observed that rural and urban adolescents differed significantly in their attitude towards development of personality traits. Rural adolescents were academically underachievers because of poor facilities, less opportunities and lack of motivation. Urban adolescents exhibited high risk-taking behaviour compared to rural adolescents because of high peer-pressure, curiosity and more exposure to mass media. KEY WORDS Adolescent, Attitude, Rural, Urban, Social