Health and Well-Being in Islamic Societies

Introduction.- Section 1: Background.- Historical background.- Muslim beliefs, practices and values.- Beliefs about health, healing and healthcare.- Christian beliefs, practices and values.- Differences and similarities.- Section 2: Research.- Religion and health in Christian populations.- Religion and negative emotions in Muslims.- Religion and positive emotions in Muslims.- Religion and social health in Muslims.- Religion and behavioral health in Muslims.- Religion and physical health in Muslims.- Understanding how Islam influences health.- Future research needs on Islam and health.- Section 3: Applications.- Applications in clinical practice.- Implications for public health.- Summary and conclusions.

Harold G. Koenig, MD, MHSc is professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences and associate professor of medicine at Duke University School of Medicine. He is also a distinguished adjunct professor at King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. He is board certified in general psychiatry, geriatric psychiatry, and geriatric medicine, and is also a registered nurse. Dr. Koenig is Director of the Center for Spirituality, Theology and Health at Duke University Medical Center, and has published extensively in the fields of mental health, geriatrics, and religion, with over 350 scientific peer-reviewed articles and book chapters, and nearly 40 books in print or in preparation. He is considered by biomedical scientists as one of the world's top experts on religion and health. Saad Saleh Alshohaib, MBBCH, FACP is professor of medicine and nephrology at King Abdulaziz University (KAU), chairman of nephrology at both KAU and the International Medical Center in Jeddah, and director of the hemodialysis unit at KAU. He completed medical school and internship at King Abdulaziz University (KAU) in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, after which he did a fellowship in medicine and in nephrology at McGill University in Montreal, Canada. He is a Fellow in the American College of Physicians, and a member of both the American Board of General Medicine and the American Board of Nephrology. In addition, he holds memberships in the Arab Society of Nephrology, the Saudi Society of Nephrology, and is founder and ex-president of the Nephrology Club in the western region of Saudi Arabia. He has over 20 peer-reviewed publications and two dozen published case reports and letters, and has given presentations on renal diseases at scientific conferences throughout the world.