Muslim patients and health disparities in the UK and the US

• Published in: Archives of disease in childhood 2007-10, Vol.92 (10), p.922-926
• Main Authors: Laird, Lance D, Amer, Mona M, Barnett, Elizabeth D, Barnes, Linda L
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Access to Health Care; Acculturation; Asian Americans; Asians; Attitude of Health Personnel - ethnology; Attitude to Health - ethnology; Biological and medical sciences; Children & youth; Chronic Illness; Chronic illnesses; Communicable Diseases; Community Relations; Cultural Awareness; Cultural Diversity; Delivery of Health Care - legislation & jurisprudence; Delivery of Health Care - standards; Discrimination in medical care; Economic Status; Ethnic Groups; Ethnicity; Family Environment; Fasting; Female; Female circumcision; General aspects; Health aspects; Health Behavior; Health care; Health disparities; Health Personnel; Health Promotion; Humans; Hygiene; Infectious diseases; Islam; Islamic identity; Male; Medical care discrimination; Medical personnel; Medical sciences; Medical Services; Minority & ethnic groups; Minority Groups - psychology; Miscellaneous; Muslims; Noncitizens; Patients; Physicians; Prevention and actions; Public health; Public health. Hygiene; Public health. Hygiene-occupational medicine; Quality of Health Care - legislation & jurisprudence; Quality of Health Care - standards; Religion; Religious aspects; Religious Cultural Groups; Religious discrimination; Review; Socioeconomic Factors; Spirituality; Stereotypes; United Kingdom - epidemiology; United States - epidemiology; World Views; Youth
• ISSN: 0003-9888; 1468-2044
• DOI: 10.1136/adc.2006.104364

This article provides a framework for understanding how Muslim identity, and the current social and political contexts in which it is shaped, affects the health of Muslims in the UK and the US, and the quality of health care they receive. Key medical and public health literature that addresses health concerns related to Muslim communities in the UK and the US is reviewed. Few data exist specific to health disparities for Muslim minorities. However, the article focuses on emerging studies concerning the consequences of “Islamophobia” for the physical and mental health and health care of Muslim families and children. We argue that, despite substantive structural differences in the health care systems of the UK and the US, social structural and political forces play similar roles in the health of Muslim children in both countries. Finally, we call for significant cultural and institutional adjustments in health care settings and further research studies to provide specific data to address health disparities for these growing and diverse populations.