Indian Journal of Health and Wellbeing

Pages: 222-224
Suman Singh and Shaila Parveen (Department of Psychology, Smt. G. K. G. Kanya, Mahavidyalya, Jaysingpur, Maharashtra )

The purpose of the present study is to find out the Noise Effect on Short Term Memory among Traffic Personnel. It was hypothesized that, (i) There will be significant difference between high noise (high db) and low noise (low db) among Short Term Memory (ii) There will be no significant difference between male and female traffic personnel among Short Term Memory. The Sample (n = 40) for this study consisted traffic personnel in Sangli and Kolhapur districts. Data was collected through Short Term Memory scale and Sound Meter application. Obtained data analyzed by student 't' test. Result reveled that, (i) there are strongly differ on high noise and low noise among Short Term Memory and (ii) there are no difference between male and female traffic personnel among Short Term Memory. That means both hypotheses was accepted.

Pages: 228-233
Neelima Chopra and Bindiya Narang (Centre for Early Childhood Development and Research, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi)

Research studies on health and disease have been recurrently inclined towards demographic and medical perspectives. Lately the importance of 'emic' perspective has been realized in this field so as to understand from the viewpoints, perceptions and opinions of the concerned subjects. With the 'new sociology of childhood' emphasizing the agency of children, it is imperative to consider children's acuity and listen to their assertions in the matters that affect their life and living. The foregoing paper derives its stance from an interpretative research with Type 1 Diabetic children and features their perceptions related to ongoing health condition and treatment seeking, the stressors encountered, impact on their daily activities as well as coping patterns. Thirty children, aged 6-12 years, seeking treatment in a public hospital setting were enrolled for the study with due consent from the guardians and after seeking assent from children themselves. To obtain relevant data, child friendly methods such as storytelling and personalized informal interviews were used and the narratives obtained were analyzed and interpreted thematically. The findings ascertained that children were aware of their condition and found it highly disturbing and stressful. The most cited problems were restricted diet, daily multiple insulin injections and associated pain, episodes of hypoglycemia, constant fatigue, incessant parental vigil and missed school. Besides, it was noted that incongruity with distressed care givers negatively impacted children's own self esteem as well as treatment adherence. A repertoire of positive strategies such as learning to self administer insulin injections, maintaining self written journal of daily blood glucose levels, and self motivated observance of dietary and treatment regimen were also noted in a few children. The study purports engaging opportunities for diabetic children to express their views, integrating their perspectives in healthcare delivery and a deliberate strategy to assist them tide over their condition.

Pages: 237-241
Hilawe Kinfemichael and M.V.R. Raju (Department of Psychology and Parapsychology, Andhra University, Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh)

Dreams are generally thought of as either messages of good things to come, encouragement and guidance or warnings of threats, danger or bad news. Dreams in some cultures signify the death of close relatives and still others believe dreams are the opposite of what is dreamt. Thus, in this study a rigorous attempt has been made to examine the cultural interpretations and uses of dreams at a glance in Amhara region native Amharic language speakers. Key informants and people who are believed to have a skill in interpreting dreams are interviewed. Then, the various types of dreams were first collected in the source language (Amharic Language) and then transcribed in to English language. This study used qualitative design mainly content analysis approach. After an in-depth reading and rereading of the various types of dreams, nineteen dreams were selected and arranged in to three major themes by using thematic coding. Numerous types of dreams interpretation and uses were analyzed in relation to the cultural values, beliefs and norms of the society. Thus, the findings of the study showed dreams with good fortunes, bad fortunes and those that signify the death of close relatives. In conclusion, the people in this region have established their own set of social and cultural values. Dreams, their use and interpretations in this part are mainly derived from the religious and traditional values and beliefs of the society. Finally, the study recommended to study dreams scientifically and systematically to help in the therapeutic process.

Pages: 246-249/
Akrm Alwasel and Osama Mansour Alateeq (Medical Intern, Imam Mohammad bin Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia)

A remarkable increasing concern in obesity prevalence in Saudi community. Obesity problem had been reported in different regions of the kingdom. Dietary behaviours have been reported as a contributing factor to overweight and obesity prevalence. yet data still needed regarding dietary behaviours and individuals lifestyle. Current study aims to investigate the prevalence of overweight and obesity and the satisfaction level towards the dominant dietary behaviours among Saudi school children ranging in age between 6 to 12 years old in Riyadh city. A cross sectional study will be performed on 150 school children students ranging in age between 6 and 12 years, data will be collected regarding socio-demographic factors, and dietary behaviours. study revealed that there is a dramatic increase in overweight and obesity prevalence rates among 6-12 school children (52% & 25.3%, respectively) besides to the somehow satisfying level towards their dietary behaviours. Study pointed out to the strong association of the dominant dietary behaviours and the sedentary lifestyle of the school children to the increasing prevalence of overweight and obesity and mandate the need for an awareness campaign to adopt the healthy dietary habits and lifestyles.

Pages: 258-262
Neha Kishor Pednekar and Suninder Tung (Department of Psychology, Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar, Panjab)

Internet is occupying an important place in the life of today's youth. While listing the advantages of internet, the negative side of this technology in the form of excessive use among the adolescents cannot be refuted, Considering the changes an individual experiences during this phase, the present study was conducted to find the role of identity style, emotional autonomy, attachment, family environment and well-being in predicting PIU among adolescents. A sample of 611 (Boys = 208, Girls = 303) in the age group of 13-18 years were assessed using PIUQ (Demetrovics et al., 2008), Identity Style Inventory (Berzonsky, 1992); Emotional Autonomy Scale (Steinberg & Silverberg, 1986); IPPA (Armsden & Greenberg, 1987); FES (Moos & Moos, 1983); and FWBS (1994). The results obtained indicate that the selected variables contributed 28.5% and 45.9% variance in PIU among boys and girls respectively.

Pages: 268-271
Ishina Bagga and Sarita Saini (Department of Human Development and Family Studies, Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana, Punjab)

Values are the beliefs and ideals of a person that guide a person's actions and are the basis for all decisions, interests, behaviours and goals in life. Inter-generational conflicts arise due to discrepancies in values, interests and needs of two generations. The most talked about inter-generational conflict in present day society is between the parents and their adolescent children. The present research was taken up to investigate and analyze the differences in the value system of adolescents and their parents. The sample for the study comprised of 100 school going adolescents (boys=50 & girls=50) in the age group of 16 to 18 years of age and their parents (fathers=100 & mothers=100) selected from two schools of Ludhiana city, during the session 2015-2016.The value system of adolescents and their parents was assessed by using Personal Values Questionnaire (PVQ) developed by Sherry and Verma (1971). The analysis of the data revealed that parents valued religion and health more than their children, whereas, adolescents surpassed their parents in economic and hedonistic values. Daughters were found to be more appreciative of aesthetics and sons were found to be more power oriented than their mothers. However, mothers had higher aesthetic value than fathers.

Pages: 283-286
Dinesh Niaz (N.V.P. Mondals Arts, Commerce, & Sciences College, Lasalgaon, Nasik, Maharashtra)

The aim of the present study is to see relationship between quality of life and suicidal ideation HIV/AIDS patients. Human Immunodeficiency Virus/ Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (HIV/AIDS) is a global health problem which has brought new dimensions to some of the already complex issues threatening India. We all know the impact HIV/AIDS has had on the World, but what people don't realize is the impact it is having on other serious health issues in the country. Quality of life is a phrase used to refer to an individual's total well-being. Suicidality may be the direct physiological result of HIV (e.g., owing to the impact of HIV in the brain), a reaction to chronic pain, an emotional reaction to having a chronic and life-threatening illness (e.g., major depression as a result of physical illness or psychiatric side effects caused by medications used to treat HIV infection & associated co morbidities). Many events may trigger suicidal thoughts among people with HIV. The sample size of the study is 100 HIV/AIDS patients and the tools used for assessing the variables are WHO quality of life (WHOOL-BRIEF) and Scale of Suicidal Ideation (Beck, 1979). All the domains of quality of life had no significant relationship with suicidal ideation.

Pages: 294-296
Navya Shree G.C. and M.Y. Manjula (Department of Post Graduate Studies and Research in Psychology, SDM College, Ujire)

Adolescence is the stage where important psychosocial changes and development takes place. An individual's experience as a child or an adolescent contributes to her identity development. Those experiences can be pleasant or unpleasant, tragic or unimportant. One of the tragic experiences that an individual can experience in life time as early as adolescence or child hood is sexual abuse. The present study aimed at understanding the level of psychological well being among adolescents who have experienced sexual abuse and adolescents who have not experienced sexual abuse. the study is exploratory in nature. The sample for the study included 91 college going females of the age range from 15 to 18 years. Out of 91 participants 41 had the experience of some kind of contact sexual abuse and 51 adolescents did not have any experience of sexual abuse. Psychological well being scale developed by Carol Ryff (1995) was employed to assess the level of psychological well being among the participants. The results of the study analyzed using independent samples t test revealed the significant difference between the two groups in the areas of environmental mastery, positive relationship with others, purpose in life and self acceptance. Mean scores indicated that adolescents with no experience of sexual abuse had significantly higher environmental mastery, positive relationship with others, purpose in life and self acceptance compared to adolescents with the experience of sexual abuse. In the areas of autonomy, and personal growth no significant difference was observed between the two groups. The present study indicates that adolescents who have experienced sexual abuse face significant difficulty in accepting one's own qualities and is disappointed with their past experience where as adolescents with no experience of sexual abuse feel there is meaning to their present and past life, and make effective use of surrounding opportunities. Overall results of the study provide insight about the significant impact of sexual abuse on the psychological well being among adolescents.

Pages: 305-309
Rahul Kumar Singh (Department of Psychology, University of Rajasthan, Jaipur, Rajasthan)

Adolescence is a very crucial phase of life, where the individual copes with an unequalled rate of biological maturation and simultaneously face changes in his/her life in social, sexual, emotional and physical areas. In Adolescents age an individual earns so many new experiences on a daily basis. Such unfamiliar situations often result in new and possibly intense positive and negative emotional reactions. How successfully adolescents are able to cope with these situation demands resilience ability. An individual can enhance their levels of resilience ability which indicate adolescents who can easily find good ways of coping up with everyday difficulties. Therefore the present study was taken up to assess the influence of an intervention program to nurture resilience ability among selected adolescents. The present study was carried out in VIII phases. A total of 100 adolescents (both boys & girls) in the age group of 14-16 years were identified for the study after they were administered the resilience scales of Young and wagnild. These were further divided into experimental and control groups having 50 participants in each group. The experimental groups were exposed to an intervention program on resilience. The study concluded that, the intervention program had influenced the resilience dimension of the respondents in the experimental group.

Pages: 315-318
Arvind Kakulte (Department of Psychology, S. P. College, Pune, Maharrashtra)
B. R. Shejwal (Department of Psychology, Savitribai Phule Pune University, Pune)

The aim of present study was to find out gender differences between adolescent girls and boys and their use of Internet (high and low) on personality. All 400 participants of the age group between 16 to 19 years participated in this study, who belonged to Arts, Commerce, and Science colleges from Pune city. They were administered Internet Addiction Test (IAT) by Young(1998) and NEO-Five Factor Inventory (NEO-FFI) by McCrae and Costa (1992). The Mean and SD for girls and boys on internet addiction and sub dimensions of Neo- FFI were calculated. On the basis of Median split- high scorers and low scorers on IAT test were identified. Personality differences on these groups ( Boys vs. Girls & high vs. low scorer on IAT ) were studied by calculating Means and SD on personality sub-dimensions. The F test was applied to study gender differences on personality dimensions and also to study personality differences between high and low internet addicted adolescents. Results revealed that adolescent girls scored significantly higher on neuroticism, openness to experience and lower on conscientiousness. High internet addicted adolescents scored significantly higher on neuroticism and extraversion and lower on openness to experience and agreeableness than low internet addicted adolescents.

Pages: 322-325
Subhash Chander and Savita Vermani (Department of Sociology, CCS Haryana, Agricultural University, Hisar, Haryana)
Ashok Kumar (Directorate of Extension Education, CCS Haryana Agricultural University, Hisar, Haryana)

Food security for a country meant sufficient quantity of essential commodities produced, stored properly and made available to all of the people at all times, especially the under privileged sections. The most important medium through which government ensures food security at micro level is the public distribution system (PDS). Indeed, India's PDS is the world's largest social safety net for food. It operates on the basis of extensive procurement of food grains by the Food Corporation of India on minimum support price terms determined by the Agricultural Prices Commission. Procured product is then distributed through an elaborate national network of Fair Price Shops which sell food grains to poor populations at highly subsidized prices. This has the effect of simultaneously supporting, stabilizing and subsidizing farm incomes for food grain production in a small number of net exporting states Punjab, Haryana, and Andhra Pradesh generating a net welfare benefit to poor consumers in other parts of the country, who are able to obtain food grains at below-market price. However, in the 1990s, two major changes were introduced to the PDS, these were: The Revised PDS (RPDS) and the Targeted PDS (TPDS). A two-tier card system was introduced in order to represent a distinction between above and below poverty line cardholders. Each household was allocated to one of the following three categories and was accordingly given a PDS card which specified their entitlements for food grain subsidies. These categories were 'Above Poverty Line' (APL), 'Below Poverty Line' (BPL) and 'Antodaya Anna Yojana' (AAY) cards. This paper tries to to analyse the food security condition of the country during the last few decades and the working of PDS with some macro measures. But in India, the working PDS and government policies have not been successful in achieving food security at the desired level. There is a need for certain reforms in procurement and distribution for better functioning of PDS, i.e., decentralization of procurement and distribution, involving panchayats in PDS.