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Is the hijab protective? An investigation of body image and related constructs among B ritish M uslim women
Author(s) -
Swami Viren,
Miah Jusnara,
Noorani Nazerine,
Taylor Donna
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
british journal of psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.536
H-Index - 92
eISSN - 2044-8295
pISSN - 0007-1269
DOI - 10.1111/bjop.12045
Subject(s) - religiosity , beauty , psychology , social psychology , human physical appearance , clinical psychology , developmental psychology , aesthetics , philosophy
Previous studies have reported equivocal findings concerning the impact of wearing a hijab, or I slamic head‐ and body‐cover, on M uslim women's body image. Here, we sought to examine that impact using a larger sample of M uslim women than has been relied upon and a wider range of body image measures. A total of 587 B ritish M uslim women completed a battery of scales assessing their frequency and conservativeness of hijab use, body image variables, attitudes towards the media and beauty ideals, importance of appearance, and religiosity. Preliminary results indicated that 218 women never used the hijab and 369 women used some form of the hijab at least rarely. Controlling for religiosity, women who wore the hijab had more positive body image, lower internalization of media messages about beauty standards, and placed less importance on appearance than women who did not wear the hijab. Among women who wore the hijab, hijab use significantly predicted weight discrepancy and body appreciation over and above religiosity. These results are discussed in terms of the possible protective impact among British Muslim women of wearing the hijab.