Extent of engagement in risk-taking behaviors of senior high school students of Tuguegarao City

Abstract

This descriptive study assessed and correlated senior students’
extent of engagement in risk-taking behaviors and their mental health.
Participants were randomly selected senior high school students
(N=1145) from selected schools in the city. Results showed that most
of the participants were females, 17 years old, first-born children,
Catholics and enrolled in public schools. Results also revealed that the
participants had a low extent of engagement in risk-taking behaviors
either in non-self and self-harm risk-taking behaviors. A marked
difference was observed in the participants’ extent of engagement in
risk-taking behaviors when they were grouped according to sex and
age. In support of this result, male participants scored higher in nonself-
harm risk behaviors than the females while the female participants
scored higher in self-harm risk behaviors than males. Among age
groups, participants who are 17 years old showed high extent of
engagement in risk-taking behaviors. Along with mental health,
participants manifested increasing mental health symptoms derived
from stress, starting from moderate anxiety to moderate depression.
t-Test results revealed that female participants experienced more
stress, anxiety, and depression than males. Test of correlation revealed
that risk-taking behaviors significantly relates to mental health.