Disordered eating and complexities of cultural origin: a focus on Jews from Muslim countries.

CONTEXT A dearth of data concerning eating problems among adult women from diverse cultural origins leaves substantial knowledge gaps and constrains evidence-based interventions. OBJECTIVE To examine prevalence and predictors of disordered eating behaviors (DEB) among adult Jewish women (21+) from distinct cultural origins. DESIGN Community-based study includes 175 Israelis born to parents from Muslim countries (aka Sephardic) and 108 second generation Israelis mostly of European ancestry. DEB assessed with DSM-IV related symptoms. Hierarchical regressions examine influence of weight, self-criticism and psychological distress on DEB severity. RESULTS Despite similar exposure to Israel's westernized norms, substantial group differences emerge. Considerably lower rate of DEB found among respondents of Sephardic origin (11.4%, 19.4%, p<.05); regressions reveal dissimilar patterns of clinical predictors. CONCLUSIONS Community cohesiveness and deeply-rooted cultural and religious traditions may be protective for Israelis of Sephardic origin. Additional research is needed to clarify cultural influences and enhance culturally sensitive interventions for multicultural populations.