Assessment of Health-impacting Behaviours among Youth in Rural Karnataka

Background: Youth and youth development has received the much-needed attention in the state of Karnataka. However, a lack of comprehensive understanding of the various health-impacting behaviours among youth in the state and among rural youth, in particular, has been a barrier to developing effective evidence-based policies for them. Methods: A cross-sectional study was undertaken exclusively among youths (16-30 years) in Srinivasapura taluk of Kolar district during 2017- 2018. A stratified two-stage cluster sample with probability proportionate to population size (PPS) sampling technique was employed to interview 940 youths. Information on various health-impacting behaviours was collected using structured and standardised questionnaires. Results: A considerable proportion of young people in the study area engage in one or more health-impacting behaviours. The prevalence of various health-impacting behaviours ranged from 0.1% for gamblingrelated activities to 99% for having less than five daily servings of fruits and/ or vegetables. Verbal or emotional abuse was the most common form of violence among youth in the study area. The risk of depression (0.40%) and anxiety (5.20%) was also common among study participants. Hazardous use and alcohol dependence among current alcohol users was 25.8% and 17.7% respectively. Conclusion: Several health-impacting behaviours are commonly observed among youth in Srinivasapura taluk of Kolar district which is concerning and needs immediate attention. However, a more comprehensive study focusing on overall youth health and its determinants is recommended at the state level for effective programme and policy planning. How to cite this article:Arvind BA, Rao GN, Pradeep BS, Saraswat N, Srivastava A, Roy A, Akashanand. Assessment of Health-impacting Behaviours among Youth in Rural Karnataka. Epidem Int. 2023;8(1):22-34. DOI: https://doi.org/10.24321/2455.7048.202306