OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to explore some body weight concerns among females at university in five Arab countries. METHODS: The sample comprised 1,134 females aged 17-32 from universities in five Arab countries: Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan, Oman and Syria. A pretested questionnaire was used to determine the aspects of body weight concern. RESULTS: Approximately 32% - 39% of females were dissatisfied with their weight, 17% - 31% wanted their body shape to be similar to Western fashion models, and 5% - 16% believed that men preferred plump women. Of the females, 22-37% had dieted to lose weight during the six months prior to the study, and 8-15% performed exercises to improve body shape most of the time. The differences in body weight concerns were statistically significant between countries. CONCLUSIONS: Body weight concern is relatively highly prevalent among young Arab women; however the prevalence varied between countries, mainly due to differences in socio-cultural background between countries.
OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to explore some body weight concerns among females at university in five Arab countries. METHODS: The sample comprised 1,134 females aged 17-32 from universities in five Arab countries: Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan, Oman and Syria. A pretested questionnaire was used to determine the aspects of body weight concern. RESULTS: Approximately 32% - 39% of females were dissatisfied with their weight, 17% - 31% wanted their body shape to be similar to Western fashion models, and 5% - 16% believed that men preferred plump women. Of the females, 22-37% had dieted to lose weight during the six months prior to the study, and 8-15% performed exercises to improve body shape most of the time. The differences in body weight concerns were statistically significant between countries. CONCLUSIONS: Body weight concern is relatively highly prevalent among young Arab women; however the prevalence varied between countries, mainly due to differences in socio-cultural background between countries.