A STUDY OF SOCIAL PHOBIAS AMONG URBAN AND RURAL ADOLESCENT BOYS: WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO OBESITY

Abstract

The aim of the present study is to analyze the effect of obesity upon social phobias among urban and rural adolescent boys. For the 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 operational in rural and urban areas were selected to serve as a sample for the present study. The criteria for selection of subjects were based on WHO (2000) 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 phobia or unrealistic fear of social activities, Jodhpur Multiphasic Personality Inventory prepared by Joshi and Malik (1981) was preferred. To conduct the study, a 2X2 factorial design was set up in which grades of BMI automatically have two levels i.e. normal and obese. Similarly, urban-rural belongingness also has two levels i.e. boys of urban and rural areas. 2X2 ANOVA results showed that obese adolescent boys had a significantly higher level of social phobia as compared to normal adolescent boys. Phobic personality disorder was not found to be significantly different in a group of urban and rural adolescent boys. The two-factor interaction effect of obesity and urban-rural belongingness upon phobic personality disorder i.e. social phobia among adolescent boys was not found to be statistically significant. It was concluded that obesity in adolescence may lead to unrealistic fear about social circumstances i.e. phobic personality disorder.