An Exploration of the Associations Among Multiple Aspects of Religiousness, Body Image, Eating Pathology, and Appearance Investment

Koenig

2021

WJCC

113

Research in the field of “Spirituality and Health” has been growing, with spirituality/religiousness (S/R) being consistently related to both physical and mental health. The objective of this article is to provide an updated review of the current scientific evidence on the relationship between S/R and mental health, highlighting the most important studies. As a secondary objective, the mechanisms that explain this relationship and the interventions that utilize this information in treating mental disorders will be discussed. The findings reveal a large body of evidence across numerous psychiatric disorders. Although solid evidence is now available for depression, suicidality, and substance use, other diagnosis, such as post-traumatic stress disorder, psychosis, and anxiety, have also shown promising results. The effects of S/R on mental health are likely bidirectional, and the manner in which religious beliefs are used to cope with distress ( i.e. negative and positive), may affect mental health outcomes. Despite these findings, the mechanisms that explain these associations and the role of S/R interventions need further study. Concerning clinical practice, mental health providers should ask patients about S/R that are important in their lives to provide holistic and patient-centered care.

Section: Relationship Between S/r and Mental Health Outcomesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Spirituality, religiousness, and mental health: A review of the current scientific evidence

Koenig

2021

WJCC

113

“…The results of this study showed that veiled women score much lower on social appearance anxiety than non-veiled women. Research in non-Muslim communities (e.g., [57][58][59][60][61]) also depicted that higher levels of spirituality predicted greater body satisfaction and self-esteem, and higher spirituality also predicted less appearance investment. Rossi and Castelli [60] carried out a comparative study on different religious groups and from another point of view; Lynch [62] stated that Physical Exercise and Health classes should be used to increase the spiritual experiences of the school children.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Religiosity and Female Participation in Sport: Exploring the Perceptions of the Turkish University Students

Türkmen

2018

PES

Background and Study Aim: This exploratory study tried to find out religiosity levels and perceptions of Turkish university students on female participation in sport. It also aimed to point out the possible relationship between religiosity and female participation in sport. Material and Methods: For this purpose, 412 university students attending to different faculties in Bartin University in Turkey completed Religiosity Inventory and Female Participation in Sport Questionnaire. The findings derived from both scales were evaluated using SPSS 22.0 program through descriptive statistics, t-Test and Anova Tests, and the relationships between two scales were calculated using Pearson Correlation Test and Regression Analysis. Gender and field of study were used as variables to elaborate the results of the scales. Results: According to the findings of the research, it was found that the university students had very high religiosity level and very positive perception of female participation in sport. Moreover, the study pointed out there is a weak positive correlation between the religiosity and female participation in sport which was contradictory to the study hypotheses of this research. Conclusions: As a conclusion, this study conveyed that religiosity does not have a negative effect on the female participation in sport.

Psychology of Religion and Spirituality

“…In addition, the more highly religious and spiritually focused individuals are, the greater the likelihood they experience positive body esteem (Coblentz, 2019; Demmrich et al, 2017; Weinberger-Litman et al, 2018; Wilhelm et al, 2018). For example, higher spirituality has been associated with lower eating disorder symptomatology, regardless of religious affiliation (Goulet et al, 2017).…”

Section: Religion and Body Esteemmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Many religions teach “body rituals,” including what to wear, how to look, and what to eat, thus religious practices are also likely related to its adherents’ body esteem and eating patterns (Carroll & Spangler, 2001; Goulet et al, 2017; Hall & Boyatzis, 2016; Tiggemann & Hage, 2019). Religious practices that are related to taking care of and respecting the body may help religious individuals experience better body esteem.…”

Section: Religion and Body Esteemmentioning

confidence: 99%

Beliefs, practices, or culture? A mixed-method study of religion and body esteem.

Coyne¹,

Gale²,

Rasmussen³

et al. 2023

Research has found that religiosity often predicts better body esteem. However, existing research examines these concepts more broadly instead of diving into the nuances of why religiosity might have positive effects. The present article describes two studies (one qualitative and one quantitative), examining multiple indicators of religious experiences among members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and how each might relate to individuals' body esteem. The qualitative study consisted of 111 participants (Latter-day Saints) who described how religious doctrines, teachings, and local church culture were associated with how they felt about their bodies. These ideas were then explored in a quantitative study consisting of 1,333 Latter-day Saint participants. Results from both studies suggest that an understanding of religious doctrine (e.g., divine nature, belief in Heavenly Parents, the Atonement of Jesus Christ) had a consistent and positive impact on body esteem. Conversely, religious teachings (e.g., perfection, modesty) were mixed in nature, related to both positive and negative body esteem. Finally, there was wide variety in local congregation culture and how it influenced body esteem. For example, individuals in congregations that were accepting, supportive, and diverse in nature (e.g., body shape and size, clothing and style, race) tended to have significantly better body esteem than individuals in congregations with higher levels of judgment, competitiveness, pressure to conform, and comparisons. Results are discussed with specific attention to implications for religious leaders, teachers, and members. Collectively, these results suggest a nuanced examination to understand the ways (both positive and negative) that religion might influence body esteem.