Social aspects of behavioural problems in rural school age children

Abstract

Introduction: Social problems are the result of the failure of society to adapt to its social institutional culture to its growing needs. Social problems, therefore, are man-made. They are one of the major sources of social suffering. Aim: The study was aimed to find out the prevalence of behavioural problems in rural school-age children and to study social factors associated with behavioural problems in children. Methods: A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted in a rural field practice area. All children of age 6-15 years were included in the study, Mothers were the informant. A manual for the Behaviour Checklist and Revised Child Behaviour profile was used to collect data. Data were summarized in number and percentages. Chi-square test was applied to assess as-sociation if exists between social factors and behavioural problems. Results: Total 456 children were studied from the age group of 6-15 years. Majority of the children were from the age group of 12-15 i.e. 254 (55.7%) children. Male children constituted 298 (65.35%). Majority of the children were enrolled in school 449 (98.5%), Major proportion of study group constitute children from joint families i.e. 410(89.9%) and only 46 (10.1%) were from nuclear families. There were 138(30.3%) children with behavioural problems coming from two children families. Majority of the parents were from high school grade education 158(34.6%). Occupation of the father was 264 (57.89%) farmer in the majority of the children. Prevalence of the behavioural problem were Conduct disorder 358(78.5%), Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder 309(67.8%), Anxiety disorder 415(91.8%), Oppositional defiant disorder 367(80.5%), Depressive disorder 355(77.7%), Obsessive-compulsive disorder 33(7.2%), Gender Identity Disorder 2(0.4%). Conclusion: Timely prevention and timely intervention of these behaviour problems can decrease the burden of future psychiatric morbidity or criminality on society.