Depression in migrant workers and nationals of Qatar: An exploratory cross-cultural study

Background: The aim of this study was to compare the prevalence of depressive symptoms among migrants and non-migrants living in Qatar and identify variables associated with depressive symptomology in these groups, including culture of origin, time living in country and perceived quality of life. In addition, we tested if the latter two variables moderated the effect of culture of origin on depressive symptomology in the migrant groups. Subject and Methods: A telephone survey of a probability-based sample of 2,520 participants was conducted in February 2016. The sample was divided into three groups based on nationality and income: labour migrants (LMs), white-collar migrants (WCMs) and non-migrants or Qatari nationals (QNs). Participants completed the Whooley two-question test for depression. Results: The odds of depression were significantly increased in LMs (OR = 3.31, 95% CI = 2.36–4.65) and WCMs (OR = 1.40, 95% CI = 1.04–1.90) compared with non-migrants. Among LMs, having a problem with current employer in the last 3 months was also associated with depressive symptoms (OR = 2.10, 95% CI = 1.14–3.84). Culture of origin was significantly associated with depressive symptoms including South Asians (OR = 3.12, p < .001), East Asians (OR = 0.52, p = .013) and Westerners (OR = 0.45, p = .044) relative to Arabs. LM status remained strongly associated with depressive symptoms independent of culture of origin (OR = 2.02, p < .001). Conclusion: Perceived quality of life, but not length of stay, appears to be an important variable in explaining differences in symptoms between some cultural groups. Findings from this study highlight the importance of the context of migration and culture of origin as potential determinants of depressive symptomology in the host country

Potential psychosocial influences on gender differences in physical activity among Qatari adolescents: a first insight through descriptive observation

Adolescents in Qatar have some of the highest levels of inactivity and gender inequality in physical activity (PA) among all adolescents in the world. Contextual psychosocial influences remain unknown to date. The current study is a secondary analysis of 1,157 Qatari students (13 to 20 years of age) who completed a national cross-sectional survey. Males reported significantly higher daily PA than females (p < 0.0001) and increasing daily PA with personal importance for PA (p = 0.0140). However, compared to females, significantly higher proportion of daily active males were in the lowest level of self-efficacy (p = 0.0096), body shape satisfaction (p = 0.0003), likeness of body in pictures (p = 0.0011), and highest levels of psychological distress (p = 0.0313). Our results support positive association between adverse psychosocial constructs and daily PA in both genders; poor psychosocial profile was more pronounced among adolescent males. Future strategies aiming to increase PA should take into consideration these differences

"Toxic pleasures”: A study of eating out behavior in Arab female university students and its associations with psychological distress and disordered eating

University years are a critical period in which young people establish independence and adopt lasting health behaviors. The aim of this study was to estimate the associations between eating out, psychological distress, and disordered eating behaviors among young Arab females in Qatar a rapidly developing small nation. A cross-sectional probability-based survey of 1615 Qatar University's female students assessed the frequency of eating out (main independent variable) and other eating behaviors in relation to two main dependent variables, disordered eating and psychological distress, which were measured using the Eating Attitudes Test and the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale, respectively. Multivariable logistic-regression analyses were used to estimate these two main associations with and without adjustment for other potential confounding variables, including the main effects of psychological distress and disordered eating on each other. Of the students, 45% reported eating out 3 times or more a week. Furthermore, approximately 18% screened positive for disordered eating and 33% reported high levels of psychological distress in the past 30 days. After adjustment for other variables, eating out 5 times or more a week was not significantly associated with the odds of disordered eating (OR 1.21, p=0.32). However, eating out 5 times or more per week was significantly associated with odds of having psychological distress (OR 1.46, p=0.03). Both psychological distress and disordered eating were strongly associated with each other (OR 2.58, p < 0.001)

Testing Western Media Icons Influence on Arab Women’s Body Size and Shape Ideals: An Experimental Approach

Western media globalization is implicated in the spread of the thin body ideal to traditional societies. Qatar—a small conservative Middle-Eastern country—has recently witnessed rapid Westernization, but the influence of Western media icons on women’s body image dissatisfaction has rarely been studied here. A 2 (celebrity or model) × 3 (thin, average, or heavy) plus a control condition between-subject experiment tested the primary hypothesis that exposure to images of thin Western models or celebrities promotes a thinner body ideal compared to neutral images. A sample of young women (n = 1145) was randomly assigned to experimental images as part of an online survey. After exposure to images, participants rated their current and desired body size and shape, reported celebrity liking, and evaluated their favorite celebrity’s body. We found little support for the desire of thinness. Viewing thin- and average-sized celebrities was significantly associated with desiring a heavier and a thinner look (respectively) among those favoring thin celebrities. Images of thin models induced the desire for a curvaceous body figure with hips especially among those favoring celebrities with hips. The findings highlight important nuances in the influence of Western media icons on body image among women in a non-Western culture

Associations between weight loss difficulty, disordered eating behaviors and poor weight loss outcomes in Arab female university students

Little is known about the impact of eating behaviors on weight management efforts among college students in non-Western settings. This study aimed to explore the relationship between eating behaviors, weight loss outcomes, and perceived weight loss difficulties (PWLD) among young Arab women trying to lose weight. A cross-sectional probability sample was used to recruit female university students aged 18 years and older in the state of Qatar. Participants (N = 937) completed an online survey measuring their attitudes and behaviors towards healthy eating, body image, and weight loss. More than two third (67.2%) reported facing difficulties when trying to lose weight and around one-third (31.2%) screened positive for disordered eating. Chi-squared and logistic regression analyses showed a strong and independent association between unsuccessful weight loss including lack of weight loss or maintenance after weight loss attempts, and PWLD (OR 8.6, p = .002). In addition, eating meals a few hours before sleeping (OR 1.98; p = .02) and having disordered eating (OR 2.28; p = .02) were positively associated with PWLD. BMI, weight loss goal and skipping breakfast were not associated with PWLD after adjustment for all covariates. Future studies are needed to develop better tools to comprehensively assess PWLD and validate against short- and long-term measured weight loss outcomes

The relationship between sleep duration and health status in Qatar’s population

Knowledge of sleep duration correlates is limited to developed countries with a lack of studies in the Eastern Mediterranean Region (EMR). Qatar is a rapidly developing country in the EMR with three distinct population groups: Qatari nationals (QNs) or natives; higher income white-collar expatriates (WCEs), and blue-collar workers (BCEs) who are mostly male laborers from South Asia. The aim of this study was to explore the association between sleep duration, chronic health conditions, important lifestyle variables, and sociodemographic characteristics in a representative sample of Qatar’s general population. A total of 2523 surveys were administered over the phone and a final sample of 2500 was retained. The overall prevalence of sleeping 8hrs. Qatar’s population exhibited low prevalence of normal sleep duration and high prevalence of short sleep duration. Participants who reported the poorest health status had increased odds of sleeping < 7hrs (OR 1.38, P ​= ​0.04) compared with those who reported good health after adjustment for covariates. Additionally, participants with two or more diagnosed illnesses had higher odds of sleeping < 7hrs (OR 1.58, P ​= ​0.02) compared to healthy participants. An increase in odds of sleeping < 7hrs was also observed in participants with obesity (OR 1.58, P ​= ​0.02). Qatar’s population exhibited high prevalence of short sleep duration, which was significantly associated with poor rated health, obesity, and chronic illness independent of age, gender, or social class

The role of religiosity types in the phenomenology of hallucinations:A large cross-sectional community-based study in a predominantly Muslim society

Religiosity is a multidimensional construct known to influence the occurrence of hallucinations. However, it remains unknown how different religiosity types affect clinically relevant phenomenological features of hallucinations. Therefore, we wished to explore associations between intrinsic and extrinsic (non-organizational and organizational) religiosity and hallucinations severity, distress or impact on daily function in a non-clinical Muslim population. We recruited a representative sample of full-time students at Qatar's only national university via systematic random sampling and administered the Questionnaire of Psychotic Experiences online. The study design was cross-sectional. Using structural equation modeling, we estimated effects of the religiosity types on hallucinations severity, distress or impact on daily function in the past week while accounting for sociodemographic variables, anxiety, depressive symptoms, and, delusions. Extrinsic non-organizational religiosity (ENORG) was associated with experiencing reduced distress or impact on daily function from hallucinations both directly and indirectly through intrinsic religiosity. In contrast, extrinsic non-organizational religiosity (EORG) was associated with increased hallucinations distress or impact albeit only through higher intrinsic religiosity. We found no association between any religiosity types and hallucinations severity. Younger and married participants from lower socio-economic class had comparatively more severe hallucinations and more distress from them. Qatari nationality was positively associated EORG and negatively associated with hallucinations distress or impact. Evidence of differential associations between the religiosity types, socioeconomic and cultural groups, and distress or impact from past week's hallucinations supports the importance of alignment between religious, mental health, and well-being education

ORIGINAL ARTICLE IN BEHAVIORAL PSYCHOLOGY: Relationship between social media use and disordered eating behavior among female university students in Qatar

Introduction: Abundant literature has established the negative impact of traditional media on body image and disordered eating behaviors among young women. In the past few years, social media use has soared especially among youth, yet the influence of social media in relation to disordered eating has not been fully explored. The aim of this study was to assess the relationship between social media use and disordered eating outcomes among young Arab women. Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out using a probability sample of 1,418 undergraduate female students living in Qatar, a rapidly developing nation in the Middle East. Popular social media platforms were assessed including Instagram, Snapchat, Facebook, and Twitter. Other covariates assessed included body image, body mass index, and socioeconomic status. To assess the multivariate association between social media (main predictor or exposure variable), and disordered eating as measured by three levels of the 26-item Eating Attitudes Test (EAT-26) (dependent variable), stepwise backward ordinal regression models were fit to the data. Data analysis was performed using Stata 14 software. Results: Findings confirmed that intensive use of social media, particularly Instagram, was positively associated with increased disordered eating behaviors among young women. Social media use intensity showed a significant association with increased disordered eating [(OR 1.207, SE (0.075), P < 0.01, 95% Confidential Interval [CI] 1.068 to 1.363)]. Among the four social media platforms measured, Instagram use had a significant association with disordered eating [OR 1.387, SE (0.186), P < 0.05, 95% CI 1.107 to 1.804)]. Discussion and Conclusions: This study highlights the significant role of social media on the behavior of young women, and supports the sociocultural theory linking media to disordered eating. Such an understanding of social media’s role is instrumental for the promotion and prevention of disordered eating among young women

Psychotic-like experiences among university female students in Qatar: A qualitative-phenomenological study

Background and aims: Psychotic-like experiences (PLEs) are hallucinatory or delusional experiences that fall below the threshold of a diagnosable psychotic disorder. Although PLEs are common across the spectrum of psychiatric disorders, they also have been commonly reported in the general population. In this study, we aimed to describe the types of PLEs experienced by university students in Qatar. Furthermore, we aimed to examine how students frame, explain, and deal with these experiences as well as understand how culture and religion may shape the way students attribute and respond to these experiences. Method: This study used a qualitative phenomenological approach. For collecting the data, we conducted semi-structured interviews using the Questionnaire for Psychotic Experiences (QPE). The QPE is a valid and reliable tool to assess the phenomenology of psychotic-like experiences. The questionnaire was translated into Arabic and tested and validated in Qatar (a fast-developing Muslim country in the Arabian Peninsula). We conducted interviews in Arabic with 12 undergraduate female students at Qatar University (the only national university in Qatar). The interviewees were of different Arab nationalities. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and two authors conducted the content-thematic analysis separately, as a strategy to validate the findings. The study was part of a larger nationally funded project that was approved by the Qatar University Institutional Review Board. The approvals were granted before any interview was conducted. Results: The PLEs were prevalent in our non-clinical sample. The content-thematic analysis revealed the following main themes about these experiences: type, impact on daily function, frequency, immediate reaction, attribution style, assumptions about the root cause of these experiences, other associations, and religious links to experiences. The results also highlighted that religion and culture play a role in shaping the types of hallucinations and some delusions. Conclusion: Our findings support the importance of culture and religion in relation to the types and explanations that students provided when describing PLEs. Notably, it was common among those who reported having these experiences to normalize and link PLEs to real-life events. This may be a defense mechanism to protect the self against the stigma of mental illness and from being labeled as “abnormal”.This research was supported by the National Priorities Research Program award (NPRP-11S- 0119-180341) awarded to PW, SK, IS, and AY from the Qatar National Research Fund (a member of the Qatar Foundation)

The role of religiosity types in the phenomenology of hallucinations: A large cross-sectional community-based study in a predominantly Muslim society

Religiosity is a multidimensional construct known to influence the occurrence of hallucinations. However, it remains unknown how different religiosity types affect clinically relevant phenomenological features of hallucinations. Therefore, we wished to explore associations between intrinsic and extrinsic (non-organizational and organizational) religiosity and hallucinations severity, distress or impact on daily function in a non-clinical Muslim population. We recruited a representative sample of full-time students at Qatar's only national university via systematic random sampling and administered the Questionnaire of Psychotic Experiences online. The study design was cross-sectional. Using structural equation modeling, we estimated effects of the religiosity types on hallucinations severity, distress or impact on daily function in the past week while accounting for sociodemographic variables, anxiety, depressive symptoms, and, delusions. Extrinsic non-organizational religiosity (ENORG) was associated with experiencing reduced distress or impact on daily function from hallucinations both directly and indirectly through intrinsic religiosity. In contrast, extrinsic non-organizational religiosity (EORG) was associated with increased hallucinations distress or impact albeit only through higher intrinsic religiosity. We found no association between any religiosity types and hallucinations severity. Younger and married participants from lower socio-economic class had comparatively more severe hallucinations and more distress from them. Qatari nationality was positively associated EORG and negatively associated with hallucinations distress or impact. Evidence of differential associations between the religiosity types, socioeconomic and cultural groups, and distress or impact from past week's hallucinations supports the importance of alignment between religious, mental health, and well-being education