Obesity and personality characteristics in adolescents from Argentina and Spain: A cross-cultural study / Obesidad y características de personalidad en adolescentes de Argentina y España: Un estudio transcultural

The objectives of this study were: 1. To compare the presence of overweight and obesity in adolescents from Argentina vs. Spain, 2. To compare personality according to nutritional diagnosis (ND) and place of residence (PR), and 3. To identify the presence of psychopathological risk (PR). A total of 272 adolescents, men and women from 11 to 16 years completed the Personality Questionnaire for Children of Eysenck (EPQ-J) and body mass index was calculated through height and weight measures. The 39% of the Spanish adolescents and 43% of the Argentinians presented overweight or obesity, two clinical groups were formed, one per country and both control groups were constituted by the normal weight participants. The combination of the variables ND and PR did not show significant differences in terms of personality dimensions. However, both clinical groups presented greater neuroticism (NE) than their control peers. Regarding the PR, the Argentine adolescents registered higher NE and emotional hardness (4% of high risk) than 3% of high risk of NE in the Spanish. The data obtained did not allow to establish a psychopathological profile of the overweight or obese adolescent, this is because the influence of the country of origin prevalled. Resumen Los objetivos de este estudio fueron: 1. Comparar la presencia de sobrepeso y obesidad en adolescentes de Argentina vs. Espana, 2. Comparar la personalidad segun diagnostico nutricional (DN) y lugar de residencia (LR), y 3. Identificar la presencia de riesgo psicopatologico (RP). Participaron 272 adolescentes, hombres y mujeres, de 11-16 anos de edad, quienes completaron el Cuestionario de Personalidad para Ninos de Eysenck (EPQ-J) y, para calcular el indice de masa corporal, fueron recabadas medidas de talla y peso. Presentaron sobrepeso u obesidad 39% de los adolescentes espanoles y 43% de los argentinos, con quienes se conformaron dos grupos clinicos, uno por pais; mientras que ambos grupos control estuvieron constituidos por los participantes normopeso. La combinacion de las variables DN y LR no arrojo diferencias significativas en cuanto a las dimensiones de personalidad. Sin embargo, ambos grupos clinicos presentaron mayor neuroticismo (NE) que sus pares control. Respecto al LR, los adolescentes argentinos registraron mayor NE y dureza emocional (4% de alto riesgo) vs. 3% de alto riesgo por NE en los espanoles. Los datos obtenidos no permitieron establecer un perfil psicopatologico del adolescente con sobrepeso u obesidad, dado que prevalecio la influencia del pais de procedencia.