Hijabi Girls Show Greater Body Satisfaction, Resist Western Beauty Ideals — Serbian University Study Finds

Hijabi Girls Show Greater Body Satisfaction, Resist Western Beauty Ideals — Serbian University Study Finds
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A new academic study from Serbia suggests that Muslim girls who wear the hijab report higher levels of body satisfaction and self-acceptance, largely due to their commitment to religious values and distance from Western-imposed beauty standards.

According to research conducted by Dr. Dusanka Durović at the State University of Novi Pazar, hijabi girls are less likely to internalize Western ideals of beauty — such as thinness, specific facial features, and revealing clothing — which dominate global media and advertising. The study, titled “Acceptance of Western Beauty Standards and Body Satisfaction Among Hijabi and Non-Hijabi Muslim Girls,” found a significant difference between the two groups in body image perception and confidence.

Durović’s findings indicate that wearing the hijab is not merely a stylistic choice but a reflection of religious and cultural identity that shields young Muslim women from social pressures surrounding beauty.

The study concludes that hijabi participants tend to experience lower levels of anxiety about their appearance and are less influenced by societal judgment or commercial beauty messaging.

Religious scholars cited in the paper note that a return to authentic cultural and spiritual values could serve as an effective defense against the growing trend of body commodification and appearance-driven insecurity affecting young women worldwide.