A Comparative Study of Social Introversion in Obese and Non-Obese Adolescent Boys

 

Dr. Sheikh Shahid

Sports Officer, Chouksey Engineering College, Bilaspur (C.G.)

 

ABSTRACT:

The aim of this paper is to show the comparison of social introversion in adolescent boys on the basis of obese-non obese boys. For present study, 200 obese adolescent boys (Av. age 15.25 yrs.) and 200 normal weight adolescent boys (Av. age 15.12 yrs.) from various govt. and private schools of Chhattisgarh were selected to serve as sample for the present study. The criteria for selection of subjects was based on WHO (1995) classification of body mass index (BMI) which BMI between 18.0-24.99 is considered to be normal weight while BMI >30 is considered to be obese. To assess social introversion, Jodhpur Multiphasic Personality Inventory prepared by Joshi and Malik (1981) was preferred. Results reveal that obese adolescent boys displayed more magnitude of social introversion as compared to normal adolescent boys. It can be concluded that obesity is a major contributory factor in social marginalization among obese adolescent boys.

 

 

INTRODUCTION:

Personality disorders are often being linked with someone’s physical appearance. It is more so in the age of adolescence where physical appearance counts a lot to a boy or girl. It is more so because if a boy or girl becomes obese, he/she has often been teased about their weight in the society which makes a boys shun from social gatherings.

 

The DSM-IV-TR (APA, 2000) identifies and describes ten specific diagnoses of personality disorders that represent ten specific enduring patterns or constellations of personality traits, and characteristic ways of thinking, feeling and behaving that rise to level of a disorder. Social introversion is a major variable in this list. The person suffering from social introversion exhibit mood swing, anxiousness, doubts over his/her own abilities and cannot interact properly in the society. People suffering from social introversion tend to be socially isolated and don't seem to seek out or enjoy close relationships. They almost always chose solitary activities, seem to take little pleasure in life, and appear indifferent to both criticism and praise. Emotionally, they tend to appear aloof, detached, and cold. Whether this social introversion develops due to obesity among adolescent boys, that is what has been explored by the researcher in the present investigation.

 

Researchers such as Horton, L.N. (2008), Petry et al. (2008); Ternouth, A. et al. (2009) and quite a few attempted to establish relationship between obesity and its psychological consequences but so far social introversion in adolescent boys have not been studied in the light of obesity. Hence, the present study was conducted to find out the effect of obesity upon social introversion in adolescent Indian boys.

 

HYPOTHESIS:

It was hypothesized that obese adolescent boys will show more magnitude of social introversion as compared to non-obese adolescent boys.

 

Methodology :-

The following methodological steps were taken while conducting the present research work.

Sample :-

For present study, 200 obese adolescent boys and 200 normal weight adolescent boys from various govt. and private schools of Chhattisgarh were selected to serve as sample for the present study. The criterion for selection of subjects was based on WHO (1995) classification of body mass index (BMI) in which BMI between 18.0-24.99 is considered to be normal weight while BMI >30 is considered to be obese. To select the desired number of subjects for the present study, in all 1200 school children between age ranges 11-15 years was screened and from this population 200 obese and 200 normal weight adolescent subjects were selected.

 

Tools:

Following tools were used to fulfil the objectives of the study -

 

(a) Body Mass Index:

In order to classify subjects into normal and obese categories, WHO’s classification for Body Mass Index was preferred in the present study.

 

The international classifications of overweight and obesity proposed by the World Health Organization (WHO, 2000, p. 8-9) and by the Expert Panel on the Identification, Evaluation, and Treatment of Overweight and Obesity in Adults (1998) are based on an increased risk of morbidity and mortality in different populations.

 

According to the WHO, a BMI <18.5 kg/m² is defined as underweight, 18.5-24.9 kg/m² as normal weight, 25.0-29.9 kg/m² as overweight, and >30.0 kg/m² as obesity. Obesity can be further stratified into moderate obesity (BMI 30-34.9 kg/m²), severe obesity (35-39.9 kg/m²), and very severe obesity (<40 kg/m²). BMI was calculated by the formula wt (kg) / Ht (m)²

 

(b) Jodhpur Multiphasic Personality Inventory:

To assess social introversion, one of the dimensions of personality disorder, Jodhpur Multiphasic Personality Inventory prepared by Joshi and Malik (1981) was preferred. This inventory consist of 283 items and its psychoneurotic scale consist of 12 items i.e. anxiety, phobia, obsessive-compulsive reaction, conversion reaction, hysteria dissociate, neurotic depression, neurosthenia, social introversion and awareness scale.

 

Procedure:

First of all height and weight of the selected samples were recorded as per the method described under the caption tools. Body mass index was calculated by using the formula given by WHO (1997). Afterwards subjects were classified into two categories i.e. normal weight and obese.

 

Jodhpur Multiphasic Personality Inventory prepared by Joshi and Malik (1981) was administered to all 400 selected subjects as per their convenience, availability and with prior permission from the head of the concerned institution. After scoring of the responses for social introversion dimension as per author’s manual, obtained data was tabulated according to their respective groups.

 

‘t’ test was used to compare the data between two study groups. The results are presented in table 1.

 

Table No. 1. Comparison of social introversion among obese and normal weight adolescent boys

t_{(df =398)}=2.60

** Significant at .01 level

ANALYSIS, RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:

From the analysis of table 1, it can be stated that obese adolescent boys are socially introvert (M=53.01) as compared to normal weight adolescent boys who are much more social, outgoing and optimistic (M=41.70). The reported t=10.35, which is statistically significant at .01 level, indicate that passim towards life events, anxiousness, moody and reserved nature which are exhibited by the obese adolescent boys significantly differentiates them with normal adolescent boys who showed aggressiveness, outwardness, and optimism towards  life events as their behavioral characteristics.

 

RESULTS:

Analysis of data indicate that social introversion is markedly on higher side among obese adolescent boys as compared to normal adolescent boys.

 

CONCLUSION:

In the present study social introversion was found to be significantly higher in obese adolescent boys as compared to normal adolescent boys. The results of the present study are somewhat consistent with the previous research done by Strauss and Pollock. They reported that obese adolescents were less liked as friends by other normal weight students, this result in isolation and social marginalization of obese adolescents. Hence, it can be concluded that social interaction and activities may be hampered during adolescence among boys due to their weight status.

 

REFERENCES:

1.       American Psychiatric Association. (2000). Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. 4th ed. (text revision). (DSM-IV-TR). Arlington, VA.

2.       Horton, L.N. (2008). Childhood Obesity and Depression. Unpublished Master’s Dissertation, Marshal University.

3.       Joshi, M.C. and Malik, A.K. (1981). Jodhpur Multiphasic Personality Inventory (J.M.P.I.). Part I, Rupa Psychological Centre, Varanasi.

4.       Petry, N. M. (2008). Overweight and Obesity Are Associated With Psychiatric Disorders: Results From the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions. Psychosomatic Medicine 70:288-297.

5.       Ternouth, A.; Collier, D. and Maughan, B. (2009). Childhood emotional problems and self-perceptions predict weight gain in a longitudinal regression model. BMC Med.; 7: 46.

6.       World Health Organization (2000). Obesity: preventing and managing the global epidemic: Report of a WHO consultation. Geneva, Switzerland.

 

 

 

Received on 11.11.2017       Modified on 18.12.2017

Accepted on 26.12.2017      © A&V Publication all right reserved