Abstract
BackgroundMuslims comprise 4.8% of the national population in the UK and also form a significant proportion of its ethnic minority population, with trends set to continue for the foreseeable future. With ethnic minority health inequalities deepening further, there is an apparent lack of strategies to effectively tackle this growing problem. Imams, Muslim religious leaders, represent a hitherto under-investigated group who may have the capacity to facilitate positive health change within Muslim communities. The aim of this systematic review is to investigate the role of imams and mosques in health promotion in Muslim communities residing in Western societies.MethodWe will undertake a systematic literature review of PubMed, CINAHL, EMBASE, MEDLINE, the Cochrane Library (CENTRAL) Register, NICE Evidence and Google Scholar. Eligible studies will primarily assess the role of imams and mosques in health promotion in Western societies. Secondary objectives include the identification of how mosque-based and imam-supported interventions were organised and delivered, and to explore which, if any, subgroups within the Western Muslim communities are more responsive to such interventions. Two independent reviewers will screen references from the electronic literature searches for eligible studies. The following data will be extracted to populate a tabulated form: study design, location of study, time of study, participant demographics, description of intervention, outcome measures of individual study, analysis methods, religious content (imams, mosques, religious denomination), outcomes and conclusions of study. Two investigators will independently assess the methodological quality of included studies. A narrative synthesis approach will be employed to analyse the extracted data in order to explore the role of imams and mosques in health promotion in Western settings.DiscussionThis systematic review will elucidate the role and effectiveness of imams and mosques in health promotion in Western societies. If the use of imams and mosques is shown to be effective, this will encourage further research in Western Muslim communities that effectively utilise imams and mosques as part of novel strategies and interventions for health promotion in this group. The review will also aid policy makers in Western societies with a view to tackling and potentially reversing the problem of increasing ethnic minority health inequality.Systematic review registrationPROSPERO (CRD42015020166)
Highlights
Muslims comprise 4.8% of the national population in the UK and form a significant proportion of its ethnic minority population, with trends set to continue for the foreseeable future
Increasing Western Muslim population Within the last few decades, Western societies have become increasingly ethnically diverse, with Muslims comprising a significant portion of the total ethnic minority population
Research question What is the role of imams (Muslim religious leaders) and mosques in health promotion in Muslim communities residing in Western societies?
Summary
Muslims comprise 4.8% of the national population in the UK and form a significant proportion of its ethnic minority population, with trends set to continue for the foreseeable future. It is well established that there exists a large degree of health inequality amongst ethnic minority groups residing in Western countries, and which is currently increasing further [7]. The reasons for this health inequality and the lack of engagement with health institutions are thought to be multifactorial and reasons include fear and mistrust of the health establishment within ethnic minority communities [8], language as a barrier to understanding [9] and perceived social stigmatisation [10]. A recent review of previously published evidence in the UK, Europe and USA concluded that a major contributory factor causing ethnic minority health inequality is ‘an extreme shortage of health promotion interventions’ [12]
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