Settlement location and school size as determinants of subjective well-being and behavioral attitudes among adolescents

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Empirical data on the effect of infrastructural and geographical factors on the subjective well-being of residents of small urban and rural communities are scarce. AIM: To identify indicators of subjective well-being among adolescents, as well as their behavioral attitudes and subjective assessments of the school environment. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We analyzed data collected from 1164 respondents residing in 25 rural and urban settlements across Siberia and the European part of Northern Russia between 2016 and 2018. The Cronbachs alpha values for the dependent variables ranged from 0.654 to 0.811. The variables used to differentiate the comparison groups included the school size, the distance of the settlement from the regional centers infrastructure, and its geographic location in relation to the Arctic zone. RESULTS: Various characteristics of the school environment demonstrated the effect of differentiating variables. These characteristics included the friendliness within the school environment, the attitudes of teachers, the preparedness for self-defense, and the attitudes towards the use of psychoactive substances and illegal behavior. The attitudes towards the use of psychoactive substances and the readiness for self-defense were particularly sensitive to differentiating variables. CONCLUSION: The results of this study can be used to develop solutions that effectively manage the risks associated with the social and personal development of adolescents residing in small urban and rural settlements within sparsely populated regions of the Russian Federation.