Risk behavior amongst adolescents is an ever growing problem in Malaysia. A cross-sectional study involving 815 Form one students of secondary schools in three rural land development schemes in Peninsular Malaysia was conducted in January 2003 to determine the prevalence of risk behaviors amongst the chosen adolescents. The prevalence of low risk behavior was 51.5% and high risk behavior was 10.7%. The most prevalent risk behavior include truancy (34.4%) , loitering in public places (21.5%), bullying (14.4%), stealing (12.9%) and smoking (12.0%). Gender andparents' education level are significant predictors of risk behavior

Hanafiah ,M.S.,

Hidayah N.I.,

Ibrahim, N.M.S.,

Idris,M.N.,

Nonnah, C.D,

Rosnah,S.,

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Jurnal Kesihatan Masyarakat 2003: Jilid 9 RISK BEHAVIOR AMONGST ADOLESCENTS OF A RURAL LAND DEVELOPMENT SCHEME IN PEMNSVLAR MALAYSIA Hidayah N I .  *, Hanafiah,M.S. *, Idris,M.N. *, Rosnah,S. *, Ibrahim, N.M.S. * & Nonnah, C.D. * ABSTRAK Tingkah-laku berisiko di kalangan remaja adalah satu masalah yang kian meningkat di kalangan remaja di Malaysia. Satu kajian keratan-rentas yang melibatkan pelajar Tingkatan Satu di tiga rancangan pembangunan tanah di Semenanjung Malaysia telah dilakukan pada bulan Januari 2003 untuk mengenalpasti prevalens tingkuh-laku berisiko di kalangan remaja yang telah dipilih. Prevalens tingkah-laku berisiko rendah adalah 51.5% dan tingkah-laku berisko tinggi adalah 10.7%. Tingkuh-laku berisiko yang paling prevalen adalah ponteng sekolah (34.4%), melepak (21.5%), membuli (14.4%), mencuri (12.9%) dun merokok (12.0%);). Jantina dun tahap pendidikan ibu-bapa adalah peramal signifikan untuk tingkuh-laku berisiko. Kata kunci : Remaja, tingkah-laku berisiko ABSTRACT Risk behavior amongst adolescents is an ever growing problem in Malaysia. A cross-sectional study involving 815 Form one students of secondary schools in three rural land development schemes in Peninsular Malaysia was conducted in January 2003 to determine the prevalence of risk behaviors amongst the chosen adolescents. The prevalence of low risk behavior was 51.5% and high risk behavior was 10.7%. The most prevalent risk behavior include truancy (34.4%) , loitering in public places (21.5%), bullying (14.4%), stealing (12.9%) and smoking (12.0%). Gender andparents' education level are significant predictors of risk behavior. Key words : Adolescent, risk behavior LNTRODUCTION The stage of adolescent can both be a challenging and rewarding period in a human life time. It can be classified into three stages ; early adolescence ranging from 10 to 15 years of age, middle adolescence ( 15-17 years of age) and late adolescence ( l7  years old to adulthood) (Greydanus 1997). The physical and emotional changes that take place in an adolescent coupled with environmental influences may provoke risk behaviors amongst adolescents. Risk behaviors amongst adolescents have a negative impact on the psychosocial well-being of their adult life. It is therefore essential that these behaviors should be curbed at an early stage of the adolescent life before they become embedded into their style of living. Studies have shown that risk behaviors amongst adolescents are on the rise and crimes committed by adolescents as a consequence of these risk behaviors are alarmingly high ( Morris et al. 1995 and Ministry of Health 1995). In a study by Hanafiah et a1 (2002) it was found that out of 480 adolescents studying in secondary schools in the Gombak District of Selangor, 34.5% were engaged in risk behaviors. However, most of the studies carried out in Malaysia amongst adolescents were focused on urban adolescents. This study was carried out to determine the prevalence of risk behavior amongst secondary school adolescents of three land development schemes in Peninsular Malaysia. METHODOLOGY A cross-sectional study was undertaken in January 2003 amongst all Form One students studying at six secondary schools of three land development schemes in Peninsular Malaysia. The three land development schemes were conveniently sampled and all secondary schools in the land schemes were included in this study. A pre-tested questionaire was administered to all form one students to be filled in individually. Socio-demographic data as well as risk behaviors were collected from each respondents. A score between one to three were given for various risk behaviors which include smoking, watching pornographc films, alcohol and drug abuse, vandalism, gambling, sexual relationshp, truancy, illegal motor racing, gangsterism and disciplinary problem in schools. A total score of zero denote "non-risk" , 1-9 as "low-risk" and ten or more as "high risk". Data was processed and analyzed using the SPSS software, version 10. - * Department of Community Health, Faculty of Medicine, UKM Jurnal Kesihatan Masyarakat 2003: Jilid 9 RESULT distribution of respondents by risk category. A total of 308 students (37,8%) were considered as non- Out of 815 students, 413 (50.7%) wcrc boys and risk, 420 (5 1.5 %) have low risk while 87 (10.7 %) 402 (49.4%) were girls. Figure l shows the were categorized as high-risk. non -risk 37.8% Fig. 1 Distribution of respondents by risk category The following figure (Figure 2) shows the 500 to 749 Ringgit Malaysia (M). The median distribution of respondents by total household household income was 500.00 RM v.ith the income. The majority of the respondents came minimum household income being 30.00 RM and fiom households with total household income of the maximum 9,960.00 RM. JurnaI Kesihatan Masyarakat 2003: Jilid 9 0 - 2 4 9  RM 250-499RM 5 0 0 -7 4 9 R M  7 5 0 -9 9 9 R M  > = I  OOORM Fig.  2 Dis t r ibu t ion  of r e sponden t s  by to ta l  household  i ncome  Table 1 shows the distribution of respondents by type of risk behavior. Truancy (34.4%) was the major risk behavior amongst the adolescents and this was followed by loitering in public places (21.5%). Bullying friends (14.4%) , stealing (12.9%) and smoking (12.0%) were also common amongst the respondents. Forty-two (5.2%) of the respondents had viewed pomographic films before. Only 2 (0.2%) respondents who had experienced taking drugs and alcohol while 10 (1.2%) had engaged in glue sniffing before. Table 1 : Distribution of respondents by type of risk behavior. Risk Behavior No. (%) (n=8 15) Truancy Loitering Bullying friends Stealing Smoking Playing snooker Watching pornographic films Illegal motor racing Special friend Gambling Gangsterism Glue sniffing Drug use Alcohol intake Sexual relationship The following table (Table 2 ) shows the distribution of respondents by risk category and certain socio-demographic factors. Risk behavior was significantly higher amongst boys compared to girls. Amongst the non-risk group, the proportion of their mothers who had no formal education was 5.0% and this increased to 10.0% amongst the low risk group and 16.5% in the high risk group. The differences observed were statistically significant (pC0.05). There was also a significantly higher proportion of the low risk ( 7.2%) and high risk (10.3%) adolescents fathers who had no formal education compared to those in the non-risk (2.0%) group. There was no significant relationship between parents' religious education and level of risk behavior Jurnal Kesihatan Masyarakat 2003: JiIid 9 Table 2 : Distribution of respondents by risk category and socio-demographic factors Risk Category X p-value Socio- demographic - - factors Non-risk Low-risk High-risk Female 213 181 8 11 1.03 0.0000 Male 95 23 9 79 2) Parent's marital status Married Others 3) Mother's Education Secondary & above Primary None 4) Father's Education Secondary & above Primary None 5 )  Mother's religious education Yes No 6 )  Father's religious education Yes No * significant at p < 0.05 Note : Not all respondents responded to all the socio-demograhic questions Jurnal Kesihatan Masyarakat 2003: Jilid 9 DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION In this study the major risk behavior amongst adolescents include loitering in public places, truancy, bullying, stealing, smoking and watching pornographic films. Kirn (2001) in his study amongst adolescent high school students in Korea, showed a high prevalence of risk behaviors amongst them In the same study, 43.0% and 51% of the respondents admitted having viewed pornographic films and smoked before respectively (Kim 2001). These figures are higher then that found in this study. Takamura et a1 (2001) also showed a high prevalence of multiple risk behaviors amongst Japanese adolescents. In a study by Hanafiah et a1 (2001) amongst 1,470 form two students of urban schools in the Gombak District of Selangor in Malaysia, the prevalence of smokmg was found to be 15.2% and h s  was higher than the prevalence of smoking (12.0%) found in ths study. In another study in America , 37.0% of the school going adolescents reported ever trying cigarettes (Fetro et a1 2001). Smoking as a risk behavior amongst adolescents is common in many communities ACKNOWLEDGEMENT We would like to express our gratitude to the Ministry of Science and Technology and Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia for the financial support obtained through the IWA grant 06-02-02-0024- EA092. Our sincere thanks to Officers of the three land development schemes, the community and our beloved adolescents without their help and support this research would not have materialized. REFERENCES Dowdell, E.P. 2002. Urban seventh graders and smokmg:a health risk behavior assessed. Issues Cornpr. Pediatr Nurs. 25(4): 217- 229. Faucher, M.A. 2003. Factors that influence smoking in adolescents girls. J Midwgeely Women Health. 48 (3): 199-205. Fetro, J.V., Coyle, K.K. & Pham, P. 2001.Health risk behaviors among middle school students in a large majority-minority school district. J Sch Health.71(1) : 30-37 Greydanus, E.D. 1997. Caring for Your Adolescent. Oxford Medical Publications, USA. Hanafiah, MS., Rohani, I., Md Idris, M.N., Khalib, A.L. et al. 2002. Perbandingan Persepsi (Dowdell 2002 and Faucher 2003). The overall relatively high prevalence of risk behavior amongst young adolescent is alarming. The presence of multiple risk behaviors amongst the respondents in this study warrants a more pro-active and innovative method of preventive-interventive activities to be initiated in these communities. Although other studes (Hanafiah et a1 2001) showed no significant relationship between risk behavior and parents education, it was evident in this study that parents education had a significant influence on adolescent risk behavior. The right to obtain quality education is essential so that individuals would be able to educate themselves about current social issues that might affect their life and also that of their loved ones. The emphasis on education should be taken seriously since adolescents who engaged themselves in risk behaviors have a hlgher probability of not achieving well in academic performance and thls will set a vicious cycle alike to their parents who were not able to access important information vital for prevention of adolescents risk behaviors. Interaksi antara Anak remaja, Ibu dan Bapa bagi remaja Berisiko Tinggi, paper presented at the 9". National Public health Colloquium, Kuala Lumpur. Hanafiah, MS., Rohani, I., Md Idris, M.N,, Khalib, A.L. et al. 2001. The promoting and preventive factors towards negative behavior among school adolescents, paper presented at the 1" Asean Conference on Medical Sciences, Kota Bharu. Kim, Y.H. 2001. Korean adolescents health risk behaviors and their relationships with the selected psychological constructs. J Adolescent Health.29(4): 298-306. Ministry of Health . 1995. Annual Report Ministry of Health Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur. Morris, R.E., Hamson, E.A., Knox, G.W., Tromanhauser, E. et al. 1995. Health Risk Behavioral Survey from 39 Juvenile Correctional Facilities in the United States. Journal of Adolescent Health .17(6): 334- 344. Takamura,M., Nagayama,T., Sakihara,S & Willcox,C. 200 1 .Patterns of health risk behavior among Japanese high school students. JSch Health.71(1): 23-29. 

Risk behavior amongst adolescents of a rural land development scheme in Peninsular Malaysia

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