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THE IMPACT OF RELIGION, SPIRITUALITY, AND FAITH COMMUNITIES ON EMOTIONAL WELL-BEING FOLLOWING PREGNANCY LOSS AMONG MUSLIM WOMEN LIVING IN THE UNITED STATES
Citations
Abstract
One in four American women will experience a miscarriage, stillbirth, or accounting for 24000 yearly, with the majority among the immigrant, minoritized population. Understanding various groups' religious and cultural perspectives on maternal healthcare is crucial as the United States becomes increasingly diverse. Unique Islamic beliefs and practices shape Muslim women's coping with pregnancy loss, yet research in this area is limited, particularly in high-income countries.
A knowledge gap of Muslim women’s experience following pregnancy loss was first established using narrative review analysis approaches. This study then employed an interpretative phenomenological approach, guided data collection and interpretative analysis to make meaning. Ten self-identified Muslim women were interviewed using an in-depth semi-structured questionnaire to determine the lived experience and Islamic beliefs and practices in shaping coping mechanisms following pregnancy loss.
Ten racially and ethnically diverse self-identified Muslim women with a mean age of 36.4+/- 5.78. Five main themes emerged from the lived experience : (1) The Journey to motherhood, (2) the discovery and response to pregnancy loss, (3) Family reaction after the loss, (4) Interactions with healthcare professionals during and after pregnancy loss, and (5) support systems and social responses. Additionally, three key themes emerged as themes used in coping following pregnancy loss : (1) reliance on faith and spiritual practices, (2) the rituals of remains, and (3) Allah’s (God's) divine plan (qadar). Participants described how their faith offered comfort, resilience, and meaning in the face of grief, with many turning to Quranic verses, prayers, and other spiritual practices to process their emotions. However, some participants experienced emotional struggles when reconciling their loss with religious teachings, especially in the absence of physical remains for traditional Islamic burial rituals. Despite this, the belief in reuniting with their lost children in the afterlife provided solace for many women.
These findings contribute to a deeper understanding of the spiritual and existential dimensions of pregnancy loss for Muslim women and highlight the importance of culturally sensitive healthcare practices that recognize their unique needs.
Type
Dissertation (Open Access)
Date
2025-05
Publisher
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License
Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International
License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
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Embargo Lift Date
2026-05-16