ED And Body Dissatisfaction High In Muslim Teenagers

These were the conclusions drawn of a research conducted at the University of Granada. Eating disorders was found to be 2.3-fold higher among Muslim adolescents than among their Christian classmates. Similarly, body dissatisfaction was 1.8-fold higher in the former group. Finally, as a general conclusion, an average of one in four adolescents suffers some type of eating disorder, and 15% suffers body dissatisfaction.

The Study

“The sample was taken from a Spanish multicultural city, Ceuta, where different religious groups have co-existed for centuries Christian, Muslim, Jews, and where about 30% of the total population is Muslim. The goal of this study was to assess the incidence of eating disorders and body dissatisfaction in a non-clinical sample of adolescents belonging to different religious groups, and assess the relationship between religious affiliation and health disorders. The researchers looked at four hundred and ninety-three students aged between 12 and 20 years from three public schools in Ceuta, including secondary school.

Conclusion

Even though the “affiliation to the Islamic religion taken as a socio-cultural factor can also be associated to these disorders, even although the thin ideal is not associated to the Islamic culture”.

Source: University of Granada, AlphaGalileo Foundation.

photo by Peter Hagyo-Kovacs