Abstract
Objective: The aims of the study were to examine weight concerns, dieting and eating behaviours in a group of Israeli-Arab schoolgirls as compared with Israeli-Jewish schoolgirls, as well as to investigate the reliability of the Arabic (Palestinian) version of the eating disorder inventory-2 (EDI-2). Method: The sample consisted of 2548 Israeli schoolgirls, including 1885 Jewish and 663 Arab adolescents ranging in age from 12 to 18. The study was conducted in 1998-2003 from urban and rural residential settings in the northern part of Israel. The (EDI-2) was the assessment tool used, yielding scores on 11 sub-scales. Results: The Israeli-Arab schoolgirls scored significantly higher than the Israeli-Jewish schoolgirls in most EDI-2 sub-scales. In addition, the sub-scale inter-item consistency of the translated Arabic (Palestinian version) of the EDI-2 was found to be reliable. Discussion: The drive to be thin found among Israeli Arab schoolgirls is not reflected in their small number of ED clinic referrals. These discrepancies are discussed in light of the socio-cultural changes currently taking place in the Israeli Arab population due to the influence of Western-oriented life in Israel.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 627-637 |
| Number of pages | 11 |
| Journal | Journal of Adolescence |
| Volume | 30 |
| Issue number | 4 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Aug 2007 |
Keywords
- Adolescents
- Disordered eating behaviour
- Eating attitudes
- Israeli Arabs
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Pediatrics, Perinatology, and Child Health
- Social Psychology
- Developmental and Educational Psychology
- Psychiatry and Mental health