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Investigating Vulnerability for Developing Eating Disorders in a Multi-confessional Population

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Abstract

The present study aimed to examine the vulnerability to eating disorders (ED) among 949 Lebanese female young adults as well as its association with stress, anxiety, depression, body image dissatisfaction (BID), dysfunctional eating, body mass index, religious affiliation (Christian, Muslim, Druze or Other), religiosity and activity level. Results showed that anxiety had the greatest effect on increasing the predisposition to ED, followed by stress level, BID, depression and restrained eating. Affiliating as Christian was found to significantly decrease the vulnerability to developing an ED. Furthermore, the interaction of anxiety with intrinsic religiosity was found to have a protective role on reducing ED. The current study emphasized a buffering role of intrinsic religiosity against anxiety and ED vulnerability.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Alice Ramez Chagoury School of Nursing, Lebanese American University, P.O. Box 36, Byblos, Lebanon

    Rita Doumit & Chant Kazandjian

  2. Department of Mathematics and Computer Sciences, Lebanese American University, Byblos, Lebanon

    Georges Khazen

  3. Department of Social Work, Frederick University, Nicosia, Cyprus

    Ioanna Katsounari

  4. School of Nursing, Lubbock Christian University, Lubbock, TX, USA

    JoAnn Long

  5. Department of Natural Sciences, Lebanese American University, Byblos, Lebanon

    Nadine Zeeni

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  1. Rita Doumit
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  2. Georges Khazen
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  3. Ioanna Katsounari
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  4. Chant Kazandjian
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  6. Nadine Zeeni
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Correspondence to Rita Doumit.

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Doumit, R., Khazen, G., Katsounari, I. et al. Investigating Vulnerability for Developing Eating Disorders in a Multi-confessional Population. Community Ment Health J 53, 107–116 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10597-015-9872-6

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