A Cross-Sectional Study on Social Phobia Among Medical Undergraduates of Ahmedabad City

Introduction Medical students with social phobia are characterized by the persistent excessive fear of scrutiny, embarrassment, and humiliation in social performance; pervasive social timidity; social distress; the avoidance of some individuals; and difficulty in basic social discourses. This study aims to find the prevalence of social phobia and its association with various sociodemographic determinants among medical students in Ahmedabad city. Methods This cross-sectional study was conducted among Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) undergraduates from six recognized medical colleges in Ahmedabad, India. Based on a previous prevalence of social phobia (46%), the sample size was calculated as 470 using the formula n = 4pq/l² (p = 46, q = 54, and l = 4.6) and rounded to 480. From each college, 80 students (20 from each academic year) were selected using systematic random sampling. Data were collected via personal interviews using a structured questionnaire. Part 1 captured sociodemographic details. Part 2 used the Social Phobia Inventory (SPIN) scale to categorize social phobia into five levels: none, mild, moderate, severe, and very severe. Results There were more women (263, 54.8%). Hostel stay (206, 42.9%) was the most common mode of accommodation, while students belonging to the upper class (369, 76.9%) were more common. Among male students, 93 (42.9%) had tobacco consumption, while among female students, 74 (28%) had tobacco consumption. A moderate grade of social phobia was most commonly seen in 136 (28.3%) medical students, followed by mild social phobia in 131 (27.3%) students. A statistically significant association was found between grades of social phobia and variables such as tobacco consumption (p ≤ 0.0001), socioeconomic class (p = 0.002), stay (p = 0.001), and involvement in sports (p ≤ 0.0001), while variables such as age, gender, and year of study did not show any statistically significant association. Conclusion More than half of the participants (54.8%) were female medical students. Hostel as a mode of accommodation was seen in 42.9% of the study participants, and more than three-fourths of students (76.9%) belonged to the upper class. Women had higher involvement in indoor sports as compared to men. Moderate social phobia was seen in almost one-third of the study subjects, followed by mild social phobia. Tobacco consumption, stay, socioeconomic class, and involvement in sports were significantly associated with various grades of social phobia.