COVID-19, Religious Coping, and Weight Change in the Orthodox Jewish Community

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Public Health
• Sociology

Background:

• Stress and obesity share known links, with potential for weight gain during crises like the COVID-19 lockdown.
• Religiosity is a coping mechanism that may mitigate stress responses.
• The interplay between stress, weight gain, and religiosity during the pandemic remains under-explored.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the moderating role of religiosity in the relationship between stress and weight gain during the COVID-19 lockdown.
• To examine if intrinsic religiosity (IR) influences the stress-weight gain connection in a specific religious community.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional study was conducted with 731 Orthodox Jewish participants.
• Participants' stress levels and weight changes during the lockdown were assessed.
• The moderating effect of intrinsic religiosity (IR) on the stress-weight gain association was statistically analyzed.

Main Results:

• Stress showed a marginal association with weight gain during the lockdown.
• Intrinsic religiosity (IR) significantly moderated this relationship.
• Individuals with low IR experienced weight gain associated with stress, while those with average or higher IR did not show this correlation.

Conclusions:

• Religiosity, specifically intrinsic religiosity (IR), may serve as a protective factor against stress-related weight gain during major life disruptions.
• Findings suggest that spiritual or religious coping strategies can buffer the negative health impacts of crises.
• Further research is warranted to explore these mechanisms across diverse populations during times of crisis.