2 - (IOP 33) Binge Eating Behaviors in Muslim Women During Ramadan Fasting

According to dietary restraint theory (Herman & Mack, 1975), attempts at food restriction may be associated with binge eating symptoms (Dakanalis et al., 2014) . Less is known about the impacts of fasting for reasons not related to weight or shape, such as for religious purposes, on binge eating behaviors. There is a notable gap exploring ED symptoms over the course of Ramadan fasting among Muslim individuals in the United States. I hypothesized that (1) binge eating symptoms would be higher during Ramadan compared to before and after Ramadan, (2,3) depression and anxiety symptoms would be lower during Ramadan compared to before and after Ramadan, and that (4) there would be a positive significant relationship between days fasted and binge eating symptoms during Ramadan. In this study, 56 Muslim women who intended to fast during Ramadan 2024 were recruited (Mage = 25.146, SD = 8.543). The day before Ramadan, participants were sent a baseline questionnaire followed by the first weekly survey. They then received a weekly survey throughout the four weeks of Ramadan and one week after Ramadan. Hypotheses were explored using paired samples t-tests to examine differences in binge eating, anxiety, and depression across three different time periods: before, during, and after Ramadan. A multiple linear regression analysis was used to examine how the mean number of days fasted during Ramadan predicted binge eating symptoms during Ramadan, adjusting for pre-Ramadan fasting and binge eating symptoms. Binge eating and anxiety symptoms decreased during Ramadan; however, depression symptoms were not statistically different. In terms of predicting binge eating symptoms during Ramadan, greater pre-Ramadan eating pathology (fasting and binge eating) were significant predictors whereas the number of days fasted during Ramadan was not. This project fills a significant research gap on religious fasting among Muslim women in America that will help practitioners address EDs, food restriction, and binge eating in this population in a more nuanced and culturally sensitive manner while incorporating the unique psychosocial strengths of this population. Future research could explore the role of valued action, praying, family and community connectedness, and modesty in the reduction of binge and anxiety symptoms during Ramadan.