Cultural representation of the social body, and its relation with physical activity and drug consumption.
Based on an empirical survey among polish, ukrainian and hungarian youngsters

*Vingender István

Summary
Summary
The issue for us is how young people use, understand, think and interpret their own social bodies which are represented in their social roles, rules and needs. We suppose that the social body is not a segregated phenomenon; on the contrary, it has a strong connection with some behavioural and cognitive aspects of social life.
In the research supporting our presentation we followed the hypothesis that the social representation of the body takes effect in physical activity habits, sports behaviour and drug consumption. We assume that the social body – the way young people use their bodies, how they understand what social and cultural roles they apply to their bodies, what connection exists between their sex and gender, and finally the way their bodies become an instrument for their social carrier – is an important factor causing drug consumption.
An empirical survey was conducted to explore these questions. The young people were randomly chosen for the questionnaire. Whole classes were surveyed and after sampling the correct proportions were weighted. Mainly young people interested in sports, at least in relaxing physical activities, were involved in the sample of the research. The data were analyzed by the SPSS 14.1 statistical program.
In the results we found that no linear and manifest connections can be observed between the social body, sports activity and drug consumption. At least these relations are not significant according to the statistical methods [paired sample t-test, ANOVA, chi-square]. The deeper analyses, however, showed that the social body and sports activity indeed explain coefficients of drug consumption [stepwise regression]. Moreover we were able to establish that there are several segregated groups of young people around these behaviour patterns. We found a significant correlation between several factors [with rotated factor analysis].
We can conclude that the social body representation, physical activity habits and drug consumption compose a coherent system of behaviour. These forms of behaviour define each other. The new element is that the social body refines the ´traditional´ relation between sports and drugs. It enters the relation of sports and drug use, and becomes a catalyst between them. So the drug consumption of adolescents even if interested in sports becomes more detailed and ´well-established´.

To jest tylko fragment artykułu. Aby przeczytać całość, przejdź do Czytelni medycznej.