Dimensions of Religiosity as Predictors of Body Image Dissatisfaction and Disordered Eating in a University Sample in Lebanon

Abstract

Disordered eating is recognized as a significant risk factor for developing clinical eating disorders, which can pose severe mental and physical health risks and may be life-threatening. The risk of eating disorders is particularly high during late adolescence and early adulthood, underscoring the importance of identifying both protective and risk factors associated with disordered eating for this age group. Although sociocultural risk and protective factors of disordered eating have been corroborated, the role of religiosity has been overlooked, especially within the Lebanese context. The present study examined the unique role of multiple dimensions of religiosity, including religious orientation (intrinsic and extrinsic), attachment to God (anxious and avoidant), religious coping (positive and negative), body sanctification, and body acceptance by God in relation to body image dissatisfaction and disordered eating in a sample of undergraduates in Lebanon. The role of body image dissatisfaction as a mediator was also explored. Results showed that religious orientation, attachment to God, and religious coping did not have significant relationships with body image dissatisfaction and disordered eating beyond the bivariate level. Multiple regression analyses showed that nontheistic body sanctification and body acceptance by God significantly negatively predicted body image dissatisfaction while considering the effects of established factors including gender and body mass index, and body acceptance by God significantly negatively predicted disordered eating while considering the effects of gender, socioeconomic status, and body mass index. A mediation analysis showed that body image dissatisfaction mediated the relationship between body acceptance by God and disordered eating. The results provide evidence of the protective role of nontheistic body sanctification and body acceptance by God in relation to body image and disordered eating outcomes among university students in Lebanon. Findings are discussed within the context of existing literature, and practical implications and recommendations are offered in consideration of the limitations of the present study.