A closer look: UC study: Rural youth more at risk than urban counterparts

Adolescents from rural areas are four times more likely to smoke
cigarettes frequently or ride in a car with an intoxicated driver
than youth from urban regions, according to a recently released
report by researchers at the University of California.

The discovery, which was part of a larger study conducted by the
4-H Center for Youth Development at UC Davis, concluded that rural
youth are more susceptible to taking part in risky behavior than
their urban counterparts.

When looking at youth from ages 12 to 17, the study reported
that 4.6 percent of rural teenagers said they were frequent smokers
““ having smoked on at least 20 of the past 30 days ““ as
opposed to 1.2 percent of teenagers from Californian cities.

“The higher rates of smoking among rural youth are of
great concern,” said Katherine Heck, an associate specialist
for the center and lead author of the report, in a UC press release
statement.

“In the future, many of these young people will face
health problems because of smoking,” she added.

In addition to frequent smoking and dangerous driving choices,
rural youth are also more likely to consume alcohol at a young
age.

Thirty-nine percent of rural adolescents in the same age level
of 12 to 17 years reportedly have drank alcohol, compared with 29
percent of urban youth.

To second-year student Hilary Lucas, who comes from the rural
town of Oakhurst, CA, the results of the study come as no
surprise.

Lucas said almost all her friends in high school consumed
alcohol on a nightly basis.

“Urban teens might do more hardcore drugs, but people in
rural areas can get alcohol and don’t have much else to
do,” she said.

But while they are more likely to engage in risky behavior, the
report also found that rural students are less likely to drop out
of school.

The drop-out rate for students in rural areas is less than half
the drop-out rate for students in urban areas.

Living in an urban or rural area also has an effect on college
admissions for youth. When reviewing applications, the UC takes
into consideration life challenges, including the applicants’
environment.

The UCLA Undergraduate Admissions Web site lists that factors in
this review may include, but are not limited to, disadvantaged
neighborhoods or rural settings.

According to UCOP Admissions, UCLA has the received the lowest
percentage of applications from students of rural areas than any of
the other UC campuses.

Ramona Carlos, a research associate with the 4-H Center for
Youth Development, said the study was important because it focused
on a lesser researched demographic ““ that of the rural
teenager.

“(This report) is a representation of numbers that will
hopefully lead other groups to fund research that looks into how
this kind of behavior can be changed,” she said.