Disordered eating in female Indian students during the Covid‐19 pandemic: The potential role of family

Abstract

Background Within a paternalistic culture where weight is socially important and parental pressures are strong, 10 female Indian university students across various countries faced particular problems when living with their parents during the Covid‐19 lockdowns. Objective The current interview study examines why cultural and familial factors during the Covid‐19 lockdown had such an impact on female Indian university students' food and exercise behaviors and self‐view. Method Semi‐structured, online (Microsoft Teams) interviews were conducted with 10 female Indian university students aged 20–23, who had moved back in with their parents during lockdown. The recorded and transcribed interviews were analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis with a contextualist orientation. Results Five themes were generated. Set within a context where eating and exercise habits are regulated by cultural and familial factors (Theme 1), lockdown living situations amplified these factors (Theme 2), severely impacting students' cognitions and affect (Theme 3), and relationships with their parents (Theme 4) even after lockdown was over. Participants' experiences led to greater awareness and motivation to confront their issues regarding body image and mental health (Theme 5). Conclusions These findings have practical implications for counseling and eating disorder (ED) therapy in universities: Improved understanding of cultural and familial factors that affect female Indian students likely leads to better support. Our findings also emphasizes the need for research into the role of family and the impacts of family dynamics in the development of disordered eating habits. Public Significance In Indian culture, eating and exercise habits tend to be regulated by cultural and familial factors. When female university students moved back in with their parents during the Covid‐19 lockdowns, their living situation amplified these factors, severely impacting students' thoughts and feelings about their body, and relationships with their parents even after lockdown was over. The study has strong practical implications for university counseling settings and adds to research on the role of culture in how ED develops.

Research on feeding and eating disorders in India: A narrative review

“…To summarize, cultural and familial factors shape eating and exercise habits; living conditions during lockdown intensified these influences; participants’ thoughts and emotions were significantly affected, and these effects persisted in their relationships with parents post-lockdown, and lastly, the experiences raised awareness and motivation to address body image and mental health issues. [ 51 ]…”

How many university students perceive themselves to be overweight/obese and how many have eating disorders during remote education due to COVID-19? A cross-sectional study

“…Although in this study, we did not find a relationship between both variables, it is possible that in rural or peri-urban populations, as well as in specific groups of university students (i.e., high-performance athletes or models), 39 the links between eating disorder could be different. It is important to comprehensively study these phenomena, including the family core, 40 the political position on the body (body positive or neutrally), 41 lifestyles, 8 and access to technology and income. 42 This study had limitations.…”