Indian Women's Voices: Experiences with Eating Disorders

• Research type

  Research Study

• Full title

  A Critical Narrative Analysis of Indian Women's Experiences with Eating Disorders

• IRAS ID

  354452

• Contact name

  Shireen Kaur Sawhney

• Contact email

  shireen.sawhney@city.ac.uk

• Sponsor organisation

  City St George's, University of London

• Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier

  N/A, N/A

• Duration of Study in the UK

  1 years, 0 months, 1 days

• Research summary

  In the field of Eating Disorders (EDs), there is a growing interest in understanding the role that culture plays in their development and maintenance. This interest is shaped by research that acknowledges that ethnic minorities are:
  1) underrepresented in prevalence studies
  2) less likely to seek and receive treatment
  3) cross-cultural differences in aetiology and symptomatology

  EDs have long been viewed as 'culture-bound' syndromes experienced by white women striving towards Westernised beauty ideals. With an increasing prevalence of EDs in ethnic groups, this view has shifted towards 'westernisation' and 'acculturation' as factors accounting for their increasing prevalence. Although these hold value in recognising their role in influencing the development of EDs, they are situated within the dominant view that Western cultural ideologies influence EDs, leading to a one-dimensional view of what culture is. Moreover, studies that have explored the lived experiences of EDs in different cultures challenge the notion of Westernisation and highlight the culturally specific mechanisms contributing to EDs.

  Employing a narrative approach, the proposed study aims to explore:
  1. How do Indian women experience eating disorders?
  2. What underlying social and cultural discourses influence their experience?

  By shedding insights into intricate and distinct social and cultural influences, the proposed study will provide an understanding of the complex interplay of various social and cultural factors that construct Indian women's experiences with EDs. This will provide practitioners with the knowledge to tailor culturally informed practices. Further, it has the potential to contribute to the ongoing debates critiquing the Westernised diagnostic criteria, with culture as a missing piece.

• REC name

  London - Hampstead Research Ethics Committee

• REC reference

  25/LO/0754

• Date of REC Opinion

  23 Oct 2025

• REC opinion

  Further Information Favourable Opinion