Effect of Gender and Area of Residence on Youth Problem among Students

The present study investigates the effect of gender and area of residence on youth problems among college students. A total of 100 students (50 male and 50 female), aged between 18 and 25 years, were selected from urban and rural areas of Aurangabad City, Maharashtra. The “Youth Problem Scale,” developed by M. Verma, was used to measure youth problems across four dimensions: family, school, social, and personal. A 2×2 factorial design was employed, with gender and area of residence as independent variables and youth problems as the dependent variable. Statistical analysis using two-way ANOVA revealed significant differences in youth problems based on gender and area of residence. Female students reported higher youth problem scores (M = 84.79, SD = 8.51) compared to male students (M = 79.56, SD = 7.26), with an F-value of 11.17 (P < 0.01). Similarly, rural students exhibited higher youth problem scores (M = 83.93, SD = 9.25) than urban students (M = 80.42, SD = 6.86), with an F-value of 5.03 (P < 0.05). The interaction between gender and area of residence was not statistically significant (F = 1.04, P > 0.05). The findings highlight the need for targeted interventions to address gender-based and area-specific youth problems, particularly for female and rural students. These results emphasize the importance of considering social, cultural, and environmental factors in mental health and youth development initiatives.