Assessment of Adolescent Risk Behaviours in Junior High Schools in the Cape Coast Metropolis of Ghana

Abstract

The study investigated adolescent risk behaviours in public junior high schools of the OLA circuit in the Cape Coast Metropolis using the descriptive survey design. Five research questions and two hypotheses were formulated to guide the study. The target population of the study was all students in the OLA Circuit of the Cape Coast Metropolis. The accessible population was all students from the three selected schools in the OLA Circuit. The Multi-stage sampling procedure was used to select 155 students for the study. Proportional stratified sampling and simple random sampling techniques were employed.  The data were analysed using means, standard deviations and independent samples t-test. The study revealed that students’ engagement in any of the adolescents risk behaviours thus violence-related behaviour, alcoholism, smoking, risky sexual behaviours and suicidal tendencies were very minimal. There was a significant difference between male and female risky sexual behaviours. However, there was no significant difference between male and female on the basis of suicidal tendencies. Based on these findings, it was recommended that the Ministries of Health, Education, Youth and Sports, National population Council (NPC), among others continue to intensify their campaigns against adolescents risk behaviours. Keywords: assessment, adolescence; adolescent; risk behaviours; junior high school students DOI: 10.7176/JEP/10-25-05 Publication date:September 30th 201