Obesity and Helplessness-Pessimism: A Study of Psychological Well-Being and Reaction Injustice among Students
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.37506/0f2dx090Keywords:
Obesity, Helplessness, Pessimism, Self-concept, General Morale.Abstract
Background: Obesity is one of the major concerns among adolescents, and various factors play a
significant role in determining the status of being obese. The sense of helplessness-pessimism is
one of them which involves feelings of incompetence, hopelessness, and resignations due to repeated
failures. There is a need to determine the role of helplessness-pessimism about obesity as a
moderator of those negative effects.
Methods: A cross-sectional study design was used to collect the data for the present study. A total
of 28 female students with obesity were enrolled following the BMI general guidelines. All had
faced verbal indecent comments. Participants were given a self-administered, pre-tested
questionnaire with helplessness-pessimism, self-concept, depressive affect, general distress, and
general morale. Descriptive analysis with proportion was used to analyze the data.
Results: Result findings revealed a significant difference between high helplessness-pessimism and
low helplessness-pessimism on self-concept competence, positive attitude, potency power,
creativity, anger, depressive affect, general distress, and general morale of the participants.
However, no significant difference was found between self-rated physical and perceived health
change.
Conclusion: A higher sense of helplessness-pessimism does have significantly m oderated
psychological consequences of obesity for the female respondents.
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