Respect for Religiosity: Review of Faith Integration in Health and Wellbeing Interventions with Muslim Minorities

Helen McLaren,Renee Taylor,Emi Patmisari,Michelle Jones,Mohammad Hamiduzzaman

doi:10.3390/rel12090692

Helen McLaren, Renee Taylor + Show 3 more

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https://doi.org/10.3390/rel12090692

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Journal: Religions	Publication Date: Aug 27, 2021
Citations: 6	License type: CC BY 4.0

Affiliation: Flinders University, University of Newcastle Australia

Abstract

Integration of religion in community health and wellbeing interventions is important for achieving a good life among faith-based populations. In countries hosting Muslim-minorities, however, relatively little is reported in academic literature on processes of faith integration in the development and delivery of interventions. We undertook a review of peer reviewed literature on health and wellbeing interventions with Muslim-minorities, with specific interest on how Islamic principles were incorporated. Major databases were systematically searched and PRISMA guidelines applied in the selection of eligible studies. Twenty-one journal articles met the inclusion criteria. These were coded and analyzed thematically. Study characteristics and themes of religiosity are reported in this review, including the religious tailoring of interventions, content co-creation and delivery design based on the teachings from the Quran and Sunnah, and applicability of intervention structures. We reviewed the philosophical and structural elements echoing the Quran and Islamic principles in the intervention content reported. However, most studies identified that the needs of Muslim communities were often overlooked or compromised. This may be due to levels of religio-cultural knowledge of persons facilitating community health and wellbeing interventions. Our review emphasizes the importance of intellectual apparatus when working in diverse communities, effective communication-strategies, and community consultations when designing interventions with Muslim-minority communities.

Highlights

People of diverse religious, ethnic or cultural groups have different experiences than the dominant culture as they relate to service access, quality of services and wellbeing outcomes (Jongen et al 2017; Meyer et al 2017; Minas et al 2013)
Islam is inevitably a great source of knowledge for Muslims, and the literature that we reviewed were consistent in observing the benefits of faith-based communication to promote caring for oneself in the prevention of ill-health; physical, psychological or social
This review considered studies reported in the English language and conducted in countries where Muslims represent minority populations

Summary

Introduction

Ethnic or cultural groups have different experiences than the dominant culture as they relate to service access, quality of services and wellbeing outcomes (Jongen et al 2017; Meyer et al 2017; Minas et al 2013). Public health approaches that are generalist in nature may not reach or have little effect on changing behaviours or improving the lives of culturally diverse, religious minorities (Bosire et al.2021; Jepson et al 2010). In faith-based populations, integration of religiosity is critical to ensure engagement, and the effectiveness of community health and wellbeing interventions targeted at these groups (Bosire et al 2021; Hassan et al 2021). Specific to Muslim-minority populations, there is a strong case for religiously tailored mosque-based or discrete Muslim community health and wellbeing interventions (Khan and Ahmad 2014). This is based on known associations between religiosity and positive affect experienced by individuals

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