Contribution of Psychosocial Factors in Unhealthy Dietary Behaviour Amongst Adolescents of Patiala, Punjab

Abstract

Health risk-taking behaviour has been associated with health damaging behaviours such as unintentional injuries, 
violence, bullying, alcohol use, smoking, substance abuse, risky sexual behaviours etc. The present study aims to 
identify the predominant health risk-taking behaviour among adolescents and to examine the contribution of 
psychosocial variables in that specific domain. The sample of the study comprised of 500 adolescents (224 boys and 
276 girls) in the age range of 15 to 18 years enrolled in 11th and 12th grade in the Humanities stream. Data was 
drawn randomly from different senior secondary schools in Patiala, Punjab. Questionnaires comprising Youth Risk 
Behaviour Surveillance System (YRBSS) and Resiliency scales for children and adolescent (RSCA), Trait emotional 
intelligence questionnaire (TEIQue-ASF), Parent as a Social context questionnaire (PSCQ) and Friendship self
regulation questionnaire (FSRQ) were used. Results revealed that unhealthy dietary behaviour (27%) was found to 
be present as predominant health damaging behaviour. This study also found sociability, introjected regulation, 
sense of relatedness, identified regulation, coercion, emotional reactivity, intrinsic motivation, emotionality and self
control to be significant predictors of unhealthy dietary behaviour.