Abstract
Objective: To examine the prevalence of disordered eating attitudes and behaviors among three religious subgroups of Arab schoolgirls in Israel (Moslems, Druze, and Christians). Method: The sample consisted of 1,131 Arab schoolgirls in Israel, including 922 (81.5%) Moslem, 125 (11.1%) Christian, and 84 (7.4%) Druze adolescents, in the 7-12th grades. The sample was drawn from urban and rural residential settings from all parts of Israel using a clusters sampling method. Results: The Christian subgroup had a significantly lower total eating disorder inventory-2 (EDI-2) score than the Druze and Moslem subgroups, which had similar total EDI-2 scores. Significant differences were found between the three religious subgroups in all subscales, except in drive for thinness (DT), bulimia, body dissatisfaction, and asceticism. A total of 154 (13%) Arab schoolgirls scored higher than the cut-off point of ≫14 on the EDI-DT subscale. Conclusion: The results are discussed in light of the differences between the Christian, Druze, and Moslem subgroups and in terms of various aspects of Arab culture in Israel.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 263-270 |
| Number of pages | 8 |
| Journal | International Journal of Eating Disorders |
| Volume | 40 |
| Issue number | 3 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Apr 2007 |
Keywords
- Adolescents
- Arabs in Israel
- Disordered eating behavior
- Epidemiology
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Psychiatry and Mental health