Research Article Open Access Diversity and Equality in Health and Care (2015) 12(2): 40-47 Research paper 2015 Insight Medical Publishing Group A thematic analysis of female university students’ perceptions of idealised body image in Sudan, and their experiences of performing common beauty practices Ibtsam Ahmed College of Medicine, King Faisal University-Al Hassa, Saudi Arabia Roiyah Saltus Principal Research Fellow, Faculty of Health, Sport and Science, University of South Wales, Pontypridd, CF37 1DL What is known? ● Skin lightening, weight gain and henna are common beauty practices in different parts of the world. ● Skin lightening, weight gain and henna as beauty practices can cause adverse health effects. ● Skin lightening, weight gain and henna can be considered as tools to achieve the social norms or to internalise ideal body image presented by the media. What this paper adds ● Understandings of beauty practices by young female students in Sudan that pose real and increasing health risks ● The role of place and socio-cultural factors underpinning beauty practices that need to be understood when seeking to address associated health risks Important baseline data that can be used to underpin the development of health-promotion programmes of beneft to Sudanese women. ABSTRACT This paper reports on a study that investigated body-image perceptions and the beauty practices, such as skin lightening, black-henna application and purposively induced weight gain, of young, educated Sudanese women. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 19 female students from universities across Khartoum. Participants came from Christian and Muslim families and, regardless of their origin, were all city-residents. The interviews were conducted and transcribed in Arabic, translated into English, and examined using thematic analysis. The fndings indicate that beauty-related behaviours serve various potential purposes, including improvement in economic standing, increased social esteem and the preservation of a strong Sudanese national identity. Although the data was collected in 2006, recent evidence shows these practices remain of importance to young women; there remains a need to explore the range of drivers behind such practices and how best to address their harmful impacts (Yousif et. al 2014). Keywords: Sudan, socio-cultural, body image, beauty practices, health risks, qualitative research Introducton Several factors play a role in shaping a person’s perception of the ideal body image, and their thoughts and feelings about their own body. In both cases, the socio-cultural context – that is, the culturally specifc and shifting values, beliefs or ‘ways of knowing’, and the dominant narratives of beauty – play central, determining roles (Tai Soon 2013). Accordingly, there is variation in what is considered to be an ideal body image by different people, and by different cultural and ethnic groups throughout the world (Dlova et.al 2014; Baumann, 2008). Authors such as Tovée et al. (2006) suggest that personal preferences in attractiveness are fexible, and can change with exposure to different environments and situations. Other authors, however, such as Sutherland M (2011) argue that dominant narratives of beauty not only encourage individuals to conform to them, but also shape how they perceive themselves and their worth. To date, few studies have investigated body ideation and body-image perception in developing countries. Unlike the idealisation of a slim fgure (Stice, 1994; Thompson and Stice, 2004) and tanned skin that prevails in many modern Western societies (Phelan, 2002; Cafri et al., 2006), the dominant social perception of female physical attractiveness in many parts of Africa is to be large- bodied, and to have skin that is light in colour (AL Qauhiz 2010; Yousif et. al 2014; Benkeser, et al 2012). This article presents body-image and beauty-practice themes drawn from an in-depth qualitative study of young Sudanese women living in Sudan.