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Religion and Physical Health in Muslims

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Health and Well-Being in Islamic Societies

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Abstract

This chapter examines how religious involvement affects physical health and influences longevity. If religiosity has any effect on mental and social health, then it ought to influence physical health as well, since our bodies and minds are intimately interconnected, as the latest research in mind–body medicine and psychoneuroimmunology is showing. We review here research in Muslim populations on relationships between religiosity and heart disease, hypertension, stroke, Alzheimer’s disease, diabetes, metabolic disorders, cancer, immune function, endocrine function, perceptions of overall health, and mortality. Besides examining relationships with religiosity, we also compare the physical health of Muslims and non-Muslims and review studies on how fasting during Ramadan influences health and disease management.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    Although we rarely mention qualitative research studies in this volume, there are so few studies examining religiosity and heart disease in Muslims that we decided to include this study in our review.

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  1. Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA

    Harold G. Koenig

  2. King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

    Harold G. Koenig & Saad Al Shohaib

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Koenig, H.G., Shohaib, S.A. (2014). Religion and Physical Health in Muslims. In: Health and Well-Being in Islamic Societies. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-05873-3_11

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