Associations Between Every day and Medical Setting-Based Discrimination and Religious and Sociodemographic Characteristics of Muslim Americans: Findings from a National Survey.

Abstract

We investigated the associations between sociodemographic factors, religiosity traits, and the perception of discrimination among Muslim Americans in both everyday life and medical settings. A self-administered web-based questionnaire, comprising validated measures of discrimination and religiosity, was completed by a convenience sample of English-speaking adult Muslim Americans, recruited through both in-person and online channels. Among the 1281 respondents, less than half were born in the USA (46%), and a significant portion displayed visible religious markers, such as wearing a hijab or having a beard (61%). Only 154 (12%) reported never experiencing everyday discrimination, while 358 (28%) reported not experiencing discrimination in medical settings. In a multivariable linear regression model, greater perceived everyday discrimination (β = 1.053, p < 0.01) was positively associated with greater discrimination in medical settings. Participants more comfortable self-identifying as Muslim in hospital settings (β = -0.395, p < 0.05) were less likely to perceive healthcare discrimination. Those visibly expressing their religiosity (β = 0.779, p < 0.01) and those with greater intrinsic religiosity (β = 0.231, p < 0.05) were more likely to encounter everyday discrimination. Conversely, older participants (β = -0.015, p < 0.05), adult immigrants to the US (β = -0.375, p < 0.05), those in better health (β = -0.157, p < 0.05), and those more comfortable identifying as Muslim (β = -0.305, p < 0.05) had lower perceptions of everyday discrimination. This study underscores the significance of the relationship between religiosity characteristics and experiences of both hospital and everyday discrimination for Muslim Americans.