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

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

Meanings of Women's Agency: Improving Measurement in Context

Decades of research has been conducted to understand the processes that under gird women's empowerment and one of its core components-women's agency. However, few inroads have been made into the study of how these processes work in Arab Middle Eastern societies. In fact, research on women's agency in the Arab Middle East has generally relied on measurement instruments that have been adapted without rigorous testing. This study is the first in Qatar to explore how women in Qatar understand women's agency scale items. Aim: The aim of this study is to explore women's interpretations of selected scale items about decision-making, freedom of movement, and gender attitudes. Methods: Cognitive interviews were conducted with 24 Qatari women ages 18-21. These women previously responded to agency scales as part of a bigger two wave survey study on influences of kin on women's participation in the labor market. The semi-structured cognitive interviews explore one decision-making item, one freedom-of-movement item, and five gender attitude items. Grounded theory analysis techniques were used. Women's responses were coded and analyzed for themes and patterns. Results: For the decision-making item, the majority of women originally reported that they made their own decisions; yet probing revealed family input as an important part of the decision-making process. We conclude that the response options for this item were not uniformly interpreted by participants, and this variation in interpretation results in the group of women who reported making the decision on their own to be more heterogeneous than the researchers intended. Women's multiple interpretations of the decision-making scale suggest that the item was too vague for the context in which it was measured. On the other hand, women seemed to understand the item measuring freedom of movement as the researchers intended, as almost all participants easily indicated that they needed input from others on the freedom-of-movement item. We conclude that the uniformity in responses is due to the specificity of the item which led to women interpreting the item as intended. Women's responses to gender attitude items were reflective of broader Qatari societal norms rather than their own individual opinions. In their survey responses, women participants reflected less gender-equitable attitudes on some items and higher gender-equitable attitudes on other items. When probed during the cognitive interviews, inconsistencies appeared between their initial responses and their subsequent discussion of gender roles in Qatari society. It appears that these young women are caught between their own beliefs about gender equality and larger Qatari societal norms. These conflicts resulted in inconsistent responses across the gender attitude scale. Conclusion: Agency measures commonly used in the Arab Middle East are not necessarily appropriate for such a context, especially when used with Qatari young women. Generally, the scale items tested revealed that the items were interpreted in different ways by different women. This highlights the need for deeper exploration into women's understanding of agency scale items before their use in new social contexts. Accordingly, we recommend that scale items be systematically tested whenever a researcher wants to field it in a new cultural context to determine if it is being interpreted consistently across women, and in line with the researchers intent. It is also important to identify scale items which may elicit responses that are representative of societal norms rather than personal beliefs. We recommend that such items are modified to encourage women to express their own opinions.qscienc

Qatar before the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities

Background: The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (the CRPD) is the first human rights treaty of the 21st century and the first binding instrument specifically focused on protecting persons with disabilities within the framework of the UN's universal system of human rights. The CRPD came into force on May 3, 2008, and as of December 3, 2016 it has been ratified by 168 states. The CRPD developed the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (Article 34) to monitor compliance with the Convention by States Parties. The main role of the Committee is to review the reports (both the initial and the periodic reports) submitted by States Parties pursuant to Article 35 of the CRPD. In accordance with the CRPD Article 35, States Parties are required to submit to the Committee “a comprehensive report on measures taken to give effect to its obligations [under the CRPD] … and on the progress made in that regard” within two years after the entry into force of the present Convention for the State Party concerned, and subsequently they must submit periodic reports every four years “and further whenever the Committee so requests.” Qatar ratified the UNCRPD in May 2008 and is obliged as a signatory nation to implement a number of social and legal measures to become fully compliant. Aim: The aim of this paper is to identify Qatar»s degree of compliance with the CRPD as per the last available CRPD reports. Subsequently, we list recommended actions toward Qatar's compliance with the Convention. Findings and recommendations: On June 19, 2012 Qatar submitted its report to the Committee on its compliance with the Convention. Following review of the Qatar report, the committee made six concluding observations. The six observations made by the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities on Qatar's compliance with the Convention: The legislation revolves around a medical (treatment) model of disability, in contrast to the convention's call for a social model and the human rights approach. It is necessary to safeguard non-discrimination, adopting the inclusive social model. Accommodation and accessibility are not in line with the Convention. There is an absence of specific legal and policy frameworks to ensure accessibility for persons with disabilities on an equal basis with others, and reasonable accommodation is not sufficiently guaranteed. Lack of consultation and participation of persons with disabilities in the drafting of regulatory policies that affect them. Lack of systematic information. There is no independent internal mechanism to coordinate policy on the rights of persons with disabilities and monitor the implementation of the Convention. The Committee's six concluding observations on the rights of persons with disabilities indicate that Qatar, similar to many other countries, has a long way to go before reaching compliance with the convention. As a first step towards compliance with the Convention, Qatar action regarding the six issues highlighted here is key, and can be as follows: Adopt a social model whereby the state moves beyond the assistance-based approach to the development of actual individual rights enforceable in a court of law, considers disability rights as validity standards, and regards the field of conflict of rights as other rights or fundamental legal interests. Prevent discrimination by adopting an inclusive social model, as well as via adapting both the situation strategy (equality focused on the situation) and the identity strategy (acknowledging the rights of specific persons or groups). Provide accessibility through universal design and reasonable accommodation. Consult and include persons with disabilities in the drafting of regulatory policies that affect them. Collect systematic (research and statistical) data on persons with disability for use in the development and implementation of policies. Put in place an independent internal mechanism to coordinate policy on the rights of persons with disabilities and monitor the implementation of the Convention. Acknowledgement: This presentation was made possible by the support of the NPRP grant 7 - 380 - 5 - 051 from the Qatar National Research Fund. The statements made herein are solely the responsibility of the authors.Qscienc

استطلاع آراء القطريين والوافدين حول استضافة كأس العالم لكرة القدم 2022

This report presents the results of The Qatar 2022 FIFA World Cup survey of Qatari nationals and white-collar expatriates residing in Qatar. The study was conducted and funded by the Social and Economic Survey Research Institute (SESRI) at Qatar University in collaboration with the University of Florida. The data are intended to inform planners and decision makers, as well as the academic community. All those connected with this project are grateful to the hundreds of Qatari nationals and white-collar residents who gave their valuable time to participate in this survey. The successful completion of the survey was made possible through the contributions of many dedicated individuals who work at the Social and Economic Survey Research Institute (SESRI), Qatar University, and at Department of Tourism, Recreation and Sport Management, College of Health and Human Performance at the University of Florida. The Social & Economic Survey Research Institute (SESRI) is an independent research organization at Qatar University. Since its inception in 2008, it has developed a strong survey-based infrastructure in order to provide high quality survey data for planning and research in the social and economic sectors.الهدف من هذا المشروع هو تقييم مدى تأثير كأس العالم على تغيير نوعية حياة الأشخاص الذين يعيشون في دولة قطر من خلال تقييم تأثير الإعداد لهذا الحدث على البلد والمنطقة. وقد تم الإشارة إلى إرث الفعالية في كلمات رئيس لجنة ملف قطر 2022 ،الشيخ محمد بن حمد آل ثاني: "إن المنافع الاقتصادية ستكون كبيرة لكل بلد في منطقة الشرق الأوسط. وسيكون منصة كبيرة نحو تغيير نظرة العالم الإسلامي ومنطقة الشرق الأوسط للعالم الخارجي". أهداف الدراسة ذات شقين: أ) دراسة تأثيرات الفعالية على الاتجاهات العامة، ونوعية الحياة والتصورات و دعم كأس العالم في دولة قطر وعالقة ذلك مع نوعية حياة المقيمين من أجل تحديد آثار الفعالية على المواطنين و المقيمين في دولة قطر؛ ب) وضع بيانات مرجعية للمواطنين و للمقيمين في دولة قطر بشأن تأثيرات كأس العالم على المنطقة. تتمثل أهمية الدراسة في ثلاث جوانب: أولا توفر بيانات أساسية وتضع أساسا لنهج طولي لتقييم آثار الفعاليات الكبيرة، و هو ما ينقصنا حاليا في أدبيات الاطار النظري. ثانيا اقتراح نموذج لتقييم العوامل التي تؤثر على المواقف تجاه الفعالية، ونوعية الحياة ودعم الفعالية في دولة مثل قطر التي تمثل منطقة الشرق الأوسط والقيم الثقافية والحياتية المرتبطة بالبلد والمنطقة. ثالثا يسمح هذا التقييم بتشكيل وتنفيذ سياسة من شأنها أن تؤدي إلى تدخلات لتحسين نوعية حياة السكان والحصول على تأييدهم تجاه الفعالية من خلال مشاركتهم في عملية استضافة الحدث. بالإضافة إلى ذلك، ستوفر الدراسة لصناعة الرياضة في دولة قطر والمنظمات المرتبطة بكرة القدم، مثل اللجنة العليا للمشاريع والإرث، معلومات تساعد على صياغة استراتيجيات الاتصال ذات الصلة مع وسائل الإعلام وغيرها من الجهات المعنية (مثل، الهيئة العامة للسياحة) و يمكن أن تكون البيانات الأساسية أرضية للدارسين الذين يهدفون إلى مراقبة تصورات مشابهة للعمل/ البحث في المستقبل، و بالتالي إيجاد بصمة في المجال التعليمي. في مسح كأس العالم لكرة القدم 2022 في قطر، تم إجراء مقابلات مع عينة تمثل المواطنين القطريين و الوافدين أصحاب المهن المكتبية. بشكل عام، تم عقد 2163 مقابلة، منها1058))مع المواطنين القطريين و(1105) مع الوافدين من أصحاب المهن المكتبية. تم اختيار المواطنين القطريين و الوافدين أصحاب المهن المكتبية من أسر من جميع البلديات في دولة قطر وتم إجراء مقابلات شخصية باللغة العربية أو الإنجليزية اعتمادا على برنامج استخدام الحاسب. يوجد مزيد من التفاصيل عن منهجية البحث في القسم السابع. ملاحظة: تشير كلمة الوافدون/الوافدين في التقرير إلى أفراد العينة من غير القطريين والذين تم وصفهم في موجز المنهجية بأصحاب المهن المكتبية

Social resources and Arab women’s perinatal mental health: A systematic review

Background Women’s mental health in the perinatal period is understudied worldwide and in Arab countries especially. Aim This systematic review explores evidence of the association between women’s social resources for empowerment in the Arab World and their mental health in the prenatal and postnatal (≤1 year postpartum) periods. Methods Guided by Kabeer’s framework of empowerment, the authors applied a search string in PubMed and Web of Science databases to identify studies in countries of the Arab League (hereafter the Arab World) that address mental health and social resources for women’s empowerment in the perinatal period. Findings Of 1865 electronically retrieved articles, 23 met the inclusion criteria. Overall, the majority of studies found a positive association between social resources for empowerment and perinatal mental health. Seven studies explored the relationship between familial or general social support and prenatal mental health in Arab women, and found a significant positive association. Sixteen of the 18 studies of women in the postnatal period found that enabling familial, extra-familial, and/or general social support was positively associated with mental health. Conclusion This review demonstrates an association between social resources and perinatal mental health, but there is a dearth of research in this area. We call for additional research on Arab women in the perinatal period using context-specific but standardized tools to assess social resources and mental health. Evidence on positive mental health, resilience, and the influence of social resources can guide the improvement of prenatal and postpartum care services

المسح السنوي الشامل : مسح عن الحياة في دولة قطر 2014

This Executive Summary presents the highlights of the 2014 Omnibus survey, the fourth in a series of Omnibus surveys since 2010. The surveys were carried out by the Social and Economic Survey Research Institute (SESRI) of Qatar University. Each Omnibus survey interviews a large and representative sample of Qatari citizens, resident expatriates and laborers. In these surveys, we asked a number of questions covering several topics of importance to Qatari society, including their attitudes and behaviors related to media; political values and attitudes; gender; charities and charitable donations; traffic; and laborers. The survey was designed and carried out in accordance with the highest scientific and ethical standards. Respondents were assured that their answers would be confidential and presented in an aggregate format. This project was fully funded by the Social and Economic Survey Research Institute (SESRI) at Qatar University. The findings made herein are solely the responsibility of the authors.يقدم هذا التقرير الموجز أبرز ما في المسح الشامل لعام 2014 ،الرابع في سلسلة المسوح الشاملة منذ عام 2010 .تم تنفيذ البحوث من قبل معهد البحوث الاجتماعية والاقتصادية المسحية((SESRI بجامعة قطر. في كل مسح شامل تم استطلاع آراء عينة كبيرة تمثل المواطنين القطريين، والمقيمين والعمال. في هذه المسوح تم طرح عدد من الأسئلة تغطي العديد من المواضيع التي تهم المجتمع القطري، بما في ذلك المواقف والسلوكيات المتعلقة بوسائل الإعلام؛ والقيم والمواقف السياسية؛ دور الرجل والمرأة؛ المؤسسات والتبرعات الخيرية؛ وحركة المرور؛ والعمال الوافدين. صمم ونفذ هذا المسح وفقا لأعلى المعايير العلمية والأخلاقية. وتم التأكيد على المشاركين بأن إجابتهم سرية ومقدمة في شكل إجمالي. وقد تم تمويل هذا المشروع بالكامل من قِبل معهد البحوث الاجتماعية والاقتصادية المسحية بجامعة قطر. وإن الاستنتاجات الموجودة في هذا التقرير هي مسؤولية المؤلفين وحدهم

Willingness to participate in genome testing: a survey of public attitudes from Qatar

Genomics has the potential to revolutionize medical approaches to disease prevention, diagnosis, and treatment, but it does not come without challenges. The success of a national population-based genome program, like the Qatar Genome Program (QGP), depends on the willingness of citizens to donate samples and take up genomic testing services. This study explores public attitudes of the Qatari population toward genetic testing and toward participating in the QGP. A representative sample of 837 adult Qataris was surveyed in May 2016. Approximately 71% of respondents surveyed reported that they were willing to participate in the activities of the QGP. Willingness to participate was significantly associated with basic literacy in genetics, a family history of genetic diseases, and previous experience with genetic testing through premarital screening. Respondents cited the desire to know more about their health status as the principle motivation for participating, while lack of time and information were reported as the most important barriers. With QGP plans to ramp up the scale of its national operation toward more integration into clinical care settings, it is critical to understand public attitudes and their determinants. The results demonstrate public support but also identify the need for more education and individual counseling that not only provide information on the process, challenges, and benefits of genomic testing, but that also address concerns about information security

The Patriarchal Bargain in a Context of Rapid Changes to Normative Gender Roles: Young Arab Women’s Role Conflict in Qatar

Social norms in patriarchal countries in the Middle East are changing at differing rates. In Qatar, expectations about education have shifted, and women’s participation in higher education is normative. However, women’s participation in the workforce remains relatively low, and women still are expected to perform all household and child-rearing activities. Interviews with 27 18–25 year-old Qatari women enrolled in college in Qatar are used to illustrate the conflict between norms about education, workforce, and family. Many young women resolve this normative conflict by giving preference to family over work and education. Other women hold conflicting norms and goals for their future without acknowledging the normative conflict. Overall, young women in this sample feared divorce, were uncertain about customary family safety nets, and thus desired financial independence so they would be able to support themselves if they were left alone later in life due to divorce, or the death of their husband. The Qatari government should revisit the appropriateness of continuing to emphasize the patriarchal family structure and socially conservative family norms, if they desire to advance women in their society

Human and economic resources for empowerment and pregnancy-related mental health in the Arab Middle East : a systematic review

Purpose: This systematic review synthesizes research on the influence of human and economic resources for women’s empowerment on their pre- and post-natal mental health, understudied in the Arab world. Methods: We include articles using quantitative methods from Pub Med and Web of Science. Two researchers reviewed databases and selected articles, double reviewing five percent of articles designated for inclusion. Twenty-four articles met inclusion criteria. All 24 articles measured depression as an outcome, and three included additional mental health outcomes. Results: Nine of 17 studies found an inverse association between education and depression; two of 12 studies found contradictory associations between employment and depression, and four of six studies found a positive association between financial stress and depression. These results suggest that there is a negative association between education and depression and a positive association between financial stress and depression among women in the Arab world. Firm conclusions warrant caution due to limited studies meeting inclusion criteria and large heterogeneity in mental health scales used, assessment measures, and definitions of human and economic resources for women’s empowerment. Conclusions: It is likely that education reduces depression among post-partum women and that financial stress increases their depression. These findings can be used to aid in the design of interventions to improve mother and child outcomes. However, more research in the Arab world is needed on the relationship between human and economic resources for women’s empowerment and perinatal mental health, and more consistency is needed in how resources and mental health are measured