Physical Activity of Arab Muslim Mothers of Young Children Living in the United States: Barriers and Influences

Abstract

Objectives: To examine physical activity (PA) levels, and how sociocultural factors, acculturation, self-efficacy and religion influence PA levels of Arab Muslim mothers of young children living in the United States.Design: Cross-sectional online survey.Participants and Setting: Arab Muslim mothers of young children (aged <5 years) living in the United States (N=447).Variables Measured: PA levels, sociocultur­al and religious barriers to PA, self-efficacy, strength of religious faith, and acculturation.Results: Barriers to PA included dress code and negative perception of women who engaged in PA, lack of motivation and stress, and responsibilities. Barriers and self-efficacy significantly influenced PA levels (P<.001) but strength of religious faith and acculturation did not.Conclusions: Confirmation of the relations among self-efficacy, barriers and PA levels among Arab Muslim mothers of young children in the United States may help pro­fessionals tailor culturally sensitive interven­tions to combat obesity and other chronic diseases among this growing population.Ethn Dis. 2019;29(3):469-476; doi:10.18865/ ed.29.3.469

Are there associations between religious affiliation and drive for muscularity? A cross-sectional survey of young Muslim women, Christian women and atheist women from Germany

“…In terms of the very large number of Muslim women, and especially veiled Muslim women, who do not engage in any sports, one might assume that the veiling might impede engagement in sports [5,47]. The finding of the present study is in line with previous research on college students stating that Muslim women from Jordan, Pakistan, and Oman engaged less in sports than did Christian and atheist women from the US [18,36].…”

“…Thus, in contrast to the assumed global thin ideal [24], the findings of the present study might not support a global lean ideal. In accordance with research findings that some Muslim people dislike the engagement of Muslim women in sports [32,39], it is possible that Muslim women do not strive for a lean body, as their environment would dismiss this.…”

“…Moreover, some Muslim women are not allowed to engage in sporting activities [5,6,35] or cannot find suitable facilities to do sports [5]. In the case of Muslim women who veil or cover their bodies (e.g., with a hijab or a chador), difficulties with their veiling is often stated as a reason for not engaging in sporting activities [1,5,39]. While the hijab covers only the neck and the hair, the chador is a long, loose covering from head to feet; however, the face is not covered [6,40].…”

“…When asked about physical activity in their leisure time, many of the interviewed participants reported playing games with friends [4]. However, there are a few quantitative studies on Muslim women's physical activity; for instance, the weekly level of physical activity in Muslim mothers of young children living in the United States was assessed via a two-item tool [47,48]. It is important to note that the majority of studies did not differentiate between veiled and unveiled Muslim women, even though research has found that engaging in sports is more difficult for women who wear the hijab compared to women who do not [5,47].…”

“…However, there are a few quantitative studies on Muslim women's physical activity; for instance, the weekly level of physical activity in Muslim mothers of young children living in the United States was assessed via a two-item tool [47,48]. It is important to note that the majority of studies did not differentiate between veiled and unveiled Muslim women, even though research has found that engaging in sports is more difficult for women who wear the hijab compared to women who do not [5,47]. Therefore, quantitative studies comprising a greater number of participants are warranted in order to examine Muslim women's actual engagement in sports, that is, how much time they spend doing sports in an average week.…”