The Use of Religion-Based Alternative and Complimentary Healing Practices Amongst Muslim Women in Chicago
Ummesalmah Abdulbaseer, Medical Student, University of Illinois College of Medicine; Aasim Padela, MD, Professor of Emergency Medicine Bioethics and the Medical Humanities, Medical College of Wisconsin
Background: Traditional and complementary medicine are used by various populations for healing purposes. For Muslims, these methods also encompass religious-sources and spiritually based practices, such as a treatment based on statements attributed to the Prophet Muhammad, i.e., Prophetic Medicine. In our study, we sought to explore associations between sociodemographic factors, religiosity, and the usage of various forms of alternative and complimentary treatments amongst Muslim American women.
Materials and Methods: We recruited English-speaking, Muslim women aged 40 or older from mosques and community centers around metropolitan Chicago. Participants self-administered a survey consisting of previously validated measures of religiosity and discrimination, conventional sociodemographic descriptors, and de novo created items focused on usage of alternative and complementary treatments including those rooted in scripture and involving worship. Descriptive statistics comparing baseline characteristics were performed using ANOVA and Pearson's chi-squared tests among the four main outcomes, and final linear and ordered logistic regression models were created using a combination of backward stepwise regression and locked terms.
Results: Two hundred fifty-four Muslim women completed the survey with nearly equal numbers of African Americans (26%), Arab Americans (33%), and South Asians (33%). We found that 69% of participants used some form of Prophetic medicine and 50% have consulted a practitioner of alternative/non-Islamic healing methods. Usage of Prophetic medicine was associated with two demographic factors. Immigrant status increased the odds of using it (OR = 2.41, p<.039), whereas increasing duration of residency in the US lowered the odds, specifically those who have been here greater than 20 years, compared to those who have been here less than 6 years (OR=.33, p<.031). Usage of worship for healing was associated with the positive religious coping mechanisms (OR=1.30, p<.004) and being married (OR=4.04, p<.010). Usage of folk healing-based practices was associated with negative coping mechanisms (OR=1.16, p<.001), as was the use of and non-Islamic CAM (OR=1.15, p<.002).
Conclusion: Many American Muslim women utilize forms of traditional and alternative medicine, based on religious texts, worship practices, and folk healing. Amongst Muslim women, it appears that Prophetic medicine is practiced more by immigrant groups and maybe less common in those who acculturated to United States. Positive and negative religious coping mechanisms also appear to associate with various alternative and complementary medicine usage. Our research highlights the need for greater research on how Muslim Americans utilize religious-based methods for healing specifically for what conditions, and how it is integrated with allopathic methods. Moreover, it is important for clinicians to inquire about these practices as they may impact clinical case trajectories and doing so will advance culturally responsive healthcare will.
Materials and Methods: We recruited English-speaking, Muslim women aged 40 or older from mosques and community centers around metropolitan Chicago. Participants self-administered a survey consisting of previously validated measures of religiosity and discrimination, conventional sociodemographic descriptors, and de novo created items focused on usage of alternative and complementary treatments including those rooted in scripture and involving worship. Descriptive statistics comparing baseline characteristics were performed using ANOVA and Pearson's chi-squared tests among the four main outcomes, and final linear and ordered logistic regression models were created using a combination of backward stepwise regression and locked terms.
Results: Two hundred fifty-four Muslim women completed the survey with nearly equal numbers of African Americans (26%), Arab Americans (33%), and South Asians (33%). We found that 69% of participants used some form of Prophetic medicine and 50% have consulted a practitioner of alternative/non-Islamic healing methods. Usage of Prophetic medicine was associated with two demographic factors. Immigrant status increased the odds of using it (OR = 2.41, p<.039), whereas increasing duration of residency in the US lowered the odds, specifically those who have been here greater than 20 years, compared to those who have been here less than 6 years (OR=.33, p<.031). Usage of worship for healing was associated with the positive religious coping mechanisms (OR=1.30, p<.004) and being married (OR=4.04, p<.010). Usage of folk healing-based practices was associated with negative coping mechanisms (OR=1.16, p<.001), as was the use of and non-Islamic CAM (OR=1.15, p<.002).
Conclusion: Many American Muslim women utilize forms of traditional and alternative medicine, based on religious texts, worship practices, and folk healing. Amongst Muslim women, it appears that Prophetic medicine is practiced more by immigrant groups and maybe less common in those who acculturated to United States. Positive and negative religious coping mechanisms also appear to associate with various alternative and complementary medicine usage. Our research highlights the need for greater research on how Muslim Americans utilize religious-based methods for healing specifically for what conditions, and how it is integrated with allopathic methods. Moreover, it is important for clinicians to inquire about these practices as they may impact clinical case trajectories and doing so will advance culturally responsive healthcare will.