The Impact of Autonomy on Improving Muslim Women Health Proposal

Introduction

In the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), some public health initiatives have resulted in improved health outcomes. For example, there has been a significant reduction in the spread of communicable diseases. Despite the gains, there are socio-cultural and religious factors that influence the health of Muslim women negatively. Studies show that many women in the Middle East and North Africa suffer from chronic diseases such as breast and cervical cancer, yet they seek medical care at advanced stages of the condition. The challenge of meeting the health needs of women in the region has been blamed on gender inequality. Women have limited autonomy to make decisions that directly affect their health¹. Culture and religious orientations that restrict the capabilities of women increase their vulnerability to chronic diseases. The gender inequalities associated with social stigma reduce the autonomy of women in health. As a result, women do not attend regular healthcare check-ups; instead, they seek medical attention when diseases are at advanced stages. Therefore, this study attempts to determine how women’s autonomy leads to improved health.

Purpose of the Research

The purpose of the study is to find out how autonomy of Muslim women can improve their health. Due to socio-cultural and religious norms, women in the regions of the Middle East and North Africa are likely to ignore symptoms of chronic diseases for a long time without seeking health intervention². The delays in seeking medical attention result in worsening of the health condition. Furthermore, restrictions placed on female mobility and the limited numbers of health care workers lead to adverse health outcomes for women³. For example, breast cancer is one of the most common cancers affecting women in the Middle East; however, many females affected do not seek care in the early manifestation of the disease.

In fact, the Middle East and North Africa region is ranked as having the highest rates of late presentation of breast cancer⁴. The socio-cultural factors have become a great impediment to the improvement of health in the Middle East. An example relates to a Saudi woman who ignored cancer growing in her breast because she was afraid of being referred to a male doctor. Such cases are common in the MENA region; it is estimated that 70% of cases of breast cancer in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia are not reported until they reach the late stages⁵. These examples point to cultural sensitivity and social stigma that have worsened the health of women not only in the cases of breast cancer but also with many other diseases. Hence, the question arises whether improving the autonomy of Muslim women will lead to improved health care.

Objectives and Importance

There is not enough research on how independent decision making influences the health of Muslim women. Therefore, the objectives of the study will be:

1. To determine how autonomy among the Muslim women can improve their health.
2. To examine whether education of Muslim women increases their autonomy in matters related to health.
3. To explore the inherent cultural and religious practices and find out whether they limit the abilities of women in their endeavor to seek medical care.

The objectives raise relevant issues that have been associated with autonomy among women. Therefore, this study targeting the Muslim women will provide critical data that can be applied in health policy formulations and public health initiatives. In addition, the study will add to the existing knowledge that relates to women’s autonomy in health.

Ethical and Health Challenges to Address

There are different ethical orientations. The orientations affect the bioethical reasoning. The major sources of ethical reasoning include beliefs, academic philosophies, and professional associations. The experiences of women are mainly concentrated in bioethics⁶. Women are more vulnerable because they get pregnant, have to take care of the pregnancies and give birth. These biological processes predispose them to many health risks. Therefore, in order to conduct the study, the main ethical challenges to address will include the factors that hinder the autonomy of women in health.

There are various studies that have been conducted to examine the association between the autonomy of women and their health status. The studies have produced mixed results. For instance, some studies have found that women who are independent in making decisions are able to go for regular medical checkups and health interventions whenever they realize health problems in their lives⁷. Other studies have shown that women who are independent in making decisions do not necessarily have improved health. Despite the findings, there are very few studies on the autonomy of Muslim women and the impact it has on their health⁸. Hence, the need for a study to determine the ethical and health challenges that the Muslim women encounter.

Methods and Design

A cross-sectional study design will be used to carry out the study. A survey instrument that is customized to align with the cultures and religious beliefs that relate to Islamic faith will be developed to help with the collection of data. The modification of the research instrument will ensure that the ethical and health issues that may be encountered during the collection of the data are addressed. The main methods of data collection during the study will include observation and interviews.

Procedures and Analysis

The study participants will be the Muslim women and healthcare providers who are involved in the care delivery in the Middle East. The sampling design to be used for the study will be simple random sampling. The main reason for using the simple random sampling will be to limit inclusion bias. The inclusion criteria will be limited to married Muslim women. Age limit will not be used. This will ensure diverse information and experiences are captured. Before being enrolled to the study, an explanation will be given to the participants on what the study will cover. The women who willingly agree to participate in the study will then sign a written consent. In addition, purposive sampling will be used to target the local health caregivers working in the region. The data collected will be analyzed by application of social statistics software like the SPSS. In addition, multivariate logistic variation will be used to determine the associations between the variables that will be tested.

Significance and Conclusion

The cultural, religious and social contexts of Arab societies significantly influence the attitudes, beliefs and behaviors of Muslim women in relation to seeking treatment and regular medical checkups. Tailoring interventions to cultural and behavioral characteristics of Muslim women improves their health⁹. It is important to develop specific interventions that enhance the autonomy of women in health matters as a first step in improving their health¹⁰. During the Global Summit of 2005, all nations agreed that “progress for women is progress for all”. In this case, the study will establish the progress Muslim women have achieved in relation to autonomy in health. Also, the study will be critical in influencing how health caregivers design programs that target the health of Muslim women.

Bibliography

Abu-Nasr, Donna. “Breast Cancer often untreated in Middle East.” NBC News.com, 2007. Web.

Akala, Francisca Ayodeji, and Sameh El-Saharty. “Public-health challenges in the Middle East and North Africa.” The Lancet 367, no. 9515 (2006): 961- 964.

Brunson, Emily, Bettina Shell‐Duncan, and Matthew Steele. “Women’s autonomy and its relationship to children’s nutrition among the Rendille of northern Kenya.” American Journal of Human Biology 21, no. 1 (2009): 55-64.

Corroon, Meghan, Ilene S. Speizer, Jean-Christophe Fotso, Akinsewa Akiode, Abdulmumin Saad, Lisa Calhoun, and Laili Irani. “The role of gender empowerment on reproductive health outcomes in urban Nigeria.” Maternal and child health journal 18, no. 1 (2014): 307-315.

Date, Okita. “Gender and literacy: factors related to diagnostic delay and unsuccessful treatment of tuberculosis in the mountainous area of Yemen.” International Journal of Tuberculosis and Lung Disease 9, no. 6 (2005):680- 685.

Do, Mai, and Nami Kurimoto. “Women’s empowerment and choice of contraceptive methods in selected African countries.” International Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health 38, no. 1 (2012): 23-33.

Donnelly, Tam, and Jasmine Hwang. “Breast cancer screening interventions for Arabic Women: A literature review.” Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health 17, no. 3 (2015): 925-939.

Yosef, Aro. “Health beliefs practice and priorities for health care of Arab Muslims in the United States.” Implications for Nursing Care 19, no. 3 (2008), 284-291.

Footnotes

1. Francisca Ayodeji Akala and Sameh El-Saharty, “Public-health challenges in the Middle East and North Africa,” The Lancet 367, no. 9515 (2006): 961.
2. Aro Yosef, “Health beliefs practice and priorities for health care of Arab Muslims in the United States,” Implications for Nursing Care 19, no. 3 (2008), 289.
3. Okita Date, “Gender and literacy: factors related to diagnostic delay and unsuccessful treatment of tuberculosis in the mountainous area of Yemen,” International Journal of Tuberculosis and Lung Disease 9, no. 6 (2005):682.
4. Tam Donnelly and Jasmine Hwang, “Breast cancer screening interventions for Arabic Women: A literature review,” Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health 17, no. 3 (2015): 926.
5. Donna Abu-Nasr, “Breast Cancer often untreated in Middle East,” NBC News.com, 2007. Web.
6. Maria Walton, and Fatima Akram, “Health beliefs of Muslim women and implications for health care providers: Exploratory study on the health beliefs of Muslim women,” Journal of Health Ethics 10, no. 2 (2014): 4.
7. Jane Ebot, “The Relationship between Women’s Autonomy and Children’s Immunization Coverage in Ethiopia,” Journal of Health, Population and Nutrition 33, no. 1 (2015): 3.
8. Emily Brunson, Bettina Shell-Duncan and Matthew Steele, “Women’s autonomy and its relationship to children’s nutrition among the Rendille of northern Kenya,” American Journal of Human Biology 21, no. 1 (2009): 55.
9. Meghan Corroon, Ilene S. Speizer, Jean-Christophe Fotso, Akinsewa Akiode, Abdulmumin Saad, Lisa Calhoun, and Laili Irani, “The role of gender empowerment on reproductive health outcomes in urban Nigeria,” Maternal and child health journal 18, no. 1 (2014): 308.
10. Mai Do and Nami Kurimoto, “Women’s empowerment and choice of contraceptive methods in selected African countries,” International Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health 38, no. 1 (2012): 25.