The impact of ongoing westernization on eating disorders and body image dissatisfaction in a sample of undergraduate Sau
- PDF / 836,776 Bytes
- 10 Pages / 595.276 x 790.866 pts Page_size
- 45 Downloads / 184 Views
ORIGINAL ARTICLE
The impact of ongoing westernization on eating disorders and body image dissatisfaction in a sample of undergraduate Saudi women Munirah AlShebali1,2 · Ahmad AlHadi3 · Glenn Waller2 Received: 29 July 2020 / Accepted: 21 September 2020 © Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2020
Abstract Purpose This study addressed the prevalence of eating disorders and levels of eating pathology, body image, and psychological comorbidities in undergraduate women in Saudi Arabia. It examined the role of the current internalization of western culture that is under way in that country, focusing on political and economic issues rather than on issues such as media exposure per se. Method Participants were 503 Saudi female university students (mean age = 19.78 years). Each completed a diagnostic measure of eating disorders and measures of disordered eating attitudes and behaviours, body image, depression, social anxiety, and self-esteem. They also completed a measure of the internalization of western culture, specific to current political and cultural developments in Saudi Arabia. Results Eating disorder prevalence and pathology rates among undergraduates females were comparable to western levels, though the pattern was more one of bulimic than anorexic pathology. Internalization of western values was associated with eating pathology, body image, and psychological comorbidities. Conclusion Eating disorders are not an exclusively western issue, as the levels in Saudi undergraduate women are similar to those in western cultures (though they tend more towards bulimic than anorexic presentations). Internalization of western values appears to be key to this pattern. Level of evidence Level III, case-control analytic study. Keywords Westernization · Saudi Arabia · Eating disorders · Young women
Introduction Eating disorders are an increasing problem among women around the world. Identification rates are on the rise, mainly for younger women [1–3]. In particular, prevalence is increasing in non-western countries. For example, in Japan, the prevalence of anorexia nervosa increased from 0.11 to 0.43% between 1982 and 2002 [4]. To better understand eating disorders and body image across cultures, it is important * Munirah AlShebali [email protected] 1
Princess Nourah Bint Abdulrahman University, 3652 Bashir Street, P.O. Box 84428, Riyadh 11671, Saudi Arabia
2
Department of Psychology, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
3
SABIC Psychological Health Research and Applications Chair, Department of Psychiatry, College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
to understand related behavioural, cognitive, and psychological factors. These include psychological correlates such as depression, low self-esteem, and anxiety [5, 6]. The term ‘Western’ is used to describe things, people, ideas, or ways of life that come from or are associated with the United States, Canada, and the countries of Western, Northern, and Southern Europe [7]. Most of the data to date come from western cultures and cannot be
Data Loading...
