Received: 16 Sep, 2025; Accepted: 13 Oct, 2025; Published: 24 Nov, 2025.

Citation: Satheesh Chandra A M & Krishnamurthy V.S. “ General Well-Being among High School Students: Influence of Gender, Grade Level, and Residential Status” J Gynecol Matern Health 1 (2025): 103. DOI: 10.59462/3068-3696.1.1.101

Copyright: © 2025 Krishnamurthy V. S. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribu tion, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.

Abstract

The present study examined general well-being among high school students with a focus on gender, grade level (8th and 9th standard), and residential status (residential vs. non- residential). General wellbeing was conceptualized as a multidimensional construct comprising physical, emotional, social, and school well-being. Using a descriptive survey design, data were collected from 200 students (100 boys and 100 girls) from selected schools in Karnataka, India. The General Well-Being Scale [1] was used to measure well-being. Descriptive statistics and independent-samples t-tests were applied for data analysis. Results showed that most students reported average well-being, with boys scoring higher than girls on overall and social well-being. Class-wise analysis indicated that 8th standard students had significantly higher general, social, and school well-being than 9th standard students. Residential students reported higher overall well-being and significantly greater physical, social, and school well-being compared to non-residential peers. The findings highlight the importance of gender-sensitive, grade-specific, and residence-aware interventions to enhance adolescent well-being.

Keywords

General Well-Being, Adolescents, High School Students,Gender, Residential schooling

Introduction

Adolescence is a critical stage of development characterized by rapid physical, emotional, and social changes. During this period, well-being strongly influences students’ academic engagement, interpersonal relationships, and long-term psychological health [2]. General well-being is multidimensional and includes physical vitality, emotional stability, social connectedness, and school-related satisfaction [1].

Gender differences in adolescent well-being have been widely studied. Boys and girls may experience and express well-being differently due to socialization patterns, emotional coping styles, and cultural expectations [3,4]. Similarly, class level may influence well-being, as students transitioning to higher grades often face greater academic demands and psychosocial stress [5]. Residential schooling is another contextual factor; structured routines and immersive peer environments may provide advantages for residential students compared to non-residential peers [6].

Despite its significance, little empirical research in India has examined adolescent well-being in relation to these variables. This study aims to fill this gap by assessing general well-being among high school students, with a focus on differences across gender, class level, and residential type.

Objectives

1. To study the general well-being among high school students.
2. To examine the influence of gender on overall and dimension-wise well-being.
3. To compare general well-being between 8th and 9th standard students.
4. To investigate differences in well-being based on residential status.

Hypotheses

• H1: There is a significant difference in general well-being between boys and girls.
• H2: There is a significant difference in general well-being between 8th and 9th standard students.
• H3: There is a significant difference in general well-being between residential and non-residential students.

Method

Research design: A descriptive survey design was used to assess well-being and examine group differences. Participants: The sample consisted of 200 students: 100 boys and 100 girls. Of these, 57 were in 8th standard and 143 in 9th standard. Equal representation was drawn from residential (n=100) and non-residential (n=100) schools in Karnataka, India.

Measures

• General well-being scale: A standardized 55-item Likert- type instrument measuring four dimensions of well-being (physical, emotional, social, and school). Reliability was high (α=0.99) [1].
• Semi-structured interview schedule: Collected demographic and school-related details.

Procedure

Permissions were obtained from school authorities, and informed consent was secured from participants. Data were collected during regular class hours in a group-administered format.
Data analysis: Data were analyzed using SPSS. Descriptive statistics (mean, SD, frequency, percentage) were computed, and independent-samples t-tests were conducted to test group differences.

Results

Overall Levels of Well-Being Most students (82%) reported average well-being, while 15.5% reported high and 2.5% reported low well-being (Table 1).

Gender differences

Boys scored significantly higher than girls on overall well-being, t (198)=3.96, p < .001. Differences were also significant for social well-being, t (198)=3.42, p=0.001, favoring boys. No significant gender differences were found in physical, emotional, or school well-being (see Tables 2–3).

Class-level differences

Eighth standard students reported higher overall well-being than ninth standard students, t (198) = 2.75, p=0.006. Significant differences were observed in social (p=0.002) and school (p< 0.001) well-being, favoring 8th standard students (Tables 4–5).

Residential status differences

Residential students scored significantly higher than non-residential peers on overall well- being, t (198)=4.75, p<0.001. They also reported higher physical (p=0.012), social (p<0.001), and school (p<0.001) well-being. Emotional well-being differences were not significant (Tables 6–7).

Table 1:Levels of general well-being among high school students (N=200)

Table 2:Gender differences in overall general well-being

Table 3:Gender differences across dimensions of general well-being

Table 4:Class Differences in overall general well-being

Table 5:Class differences across dimensions of general well-being

Table 6:Residential status and overall well-being

Dimension	Residence	n	M	S.D	t	p
Physical Well-Being	Residential	100	47.15	3.43	2.52	0.012
	Non-Residential	100	45.70	4.61
Emotional Well-Being	Residential	100	53.28	35.48	1.24	0.218
	Non-Residential	100	48.81	7.13
Social Well-Being	Residential	100	69.76	5.53	3.91	<0.001
	Non-Residential	100	66.02	7.80
School Well-Being	Residential	100	51.37	5.22	5.64	<0.001
	Non-Residential	100	46.65	6.55

Table 7:Residential status differences across dimensions of general well-being

References

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