A comparative study to assess the prevalence of aggression and its contributory factors among hostellers and day-scholars studying in institute of nursing education, guru teg bahadur sahib (c) hospital, Ludhiana, Punjab

Background: The present day nursing students are important members of health care profession. A better understanding of student’s attitude including emotional aspects might be useful to teachers in their efforts to provide support to students in every phase of the education. It is critical for nursing faculty to deal constructively with angry students. Aim: The aim of study is to assess prevalence of aggression and its contributory factors among hostellers and day-scholars. Materials & Methods: A comparative study was conducted in Institute of Nursing Education, Guru Teg Bahadur Sahib (C) Hospital, Ludhiana, Punjab on hostellers and day-scholars studying in B.Sc Nursing and Post Basic B.Sc Nursing .All the 286 students were taken as sample using total enumerative sampling technique. Out of 286 students, 176 were Hostellers and 110 were Day-scholars. Data was collected by using Buss-Parry Aggression Questionnaire to assess aggression and self- structured questionnaire to assess contributory factors of aggression. Results: Findings revealed that Prevalence of aggression among hostellers was higher than day-scholars as measured by Buss Perry Aggression Questionnaire at p<0.05 level. It was found that 96.59% hostellers and 90.00% day-scholars were aggressive. Among aggressive hostellers 53.53% subjects had below average aggression and 46.47% subjects had above average aggression while among aggressive day- scholars, 71.72 % subjects had below average aggression and 28.28% subjects had above average aggression. In majority of subjects contributory factors causing aggression were stress, watching violent T.V programmes, high environmental temperature, dishonesty of people, unsupportiveness by people, pre-menstrual syndrome and family history of aggression. In socio demographic variables, class among hostellers & dietary habits among day-scholars was found to be associated with mean aggression score. None of the other variables were found significantly related with aggression. Conclusion: The study concluded that prevalence of aggression among hostellers was higher than day-scholars. The major cause of aggression was stress among hostellers while dishonesty by people among day-scholars.