Religion and disparities: considering the influences of Islam on the health of American Muslims

J Relig Health. 2013 Dec;52(4):1333-45. doi: 10.1007/s10943-012-9620-y.

Abstract

Both theory and data suggest that religions shape the way individuals interpret and seek help for their illnesses. Yet, health disparities research has rarely examined the influence of a shared religion on the health of individuals from distinct minority communities. In this paper, we focus on Islam and American Muslims to outline the ways in which a shared religion may impact the health of a racially, ethnically, and socioeconomically diverse minority community. We use Kleinman's "cultural construction of clinical reality" as a theoretical framework to interpret the extant literature on American Muslim health. We then propose a research agenda that would extend current disparities research to include measures of religiosity, particularly among populations that share a minority religious affiliation. The research we propose would provide a fuller understanding of the relationships between religion and health among Muslim Americans and other minority communities and would thereby undergird efforts to reduce unwarranted health disparities.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Cultural Competency
  • Delivery of Health Care / ethnology*
  • Health Status Disparities*
  • Humans
  • Islam / psychology*
  • Religion and Medicine*
  • United States