{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,19]],"date-time":"2026-08-19T06:27:11Z","timestamp":1787120831595,"version":"build-2736575974"},"reference-count":31,"publisher":"Frontiers Media SA","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,19]],"date-time":"2026-08-19T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1787097600000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["frontiersin.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Front. Health Serv."],"abstract":"<jats:p>Immigrants negotiate aspects of their heritage and host cultures to adapt to their new social environment through the acculturation process. This process influences health and well-being in immigrant communities. Arab American immigrants in the United States face unique cultural dynamics that shape their experiences, including healthcare experiences. This study addresses a gap in knowledge about culture as a social determinant of health awareness, healthcare access, and healthcare quality among Arab Americans. Guided by acculturation theory, we conducted thematic analysis of semi-structured interviews with 20 Arab Americans. Themes emerged revealing that culture, religion, and family function as both facilitators and barriers to healthcare. Cultural norms often promote self-care and healthy behaviors, but may discourage seeking medical treatment, particularly for mental health concerns. Religion was described as a flexible influence on healthcare decisions. Participants preferred providers of similar ethnic backgrounds due to perceived cultural understanding, and participant recommendations for providers highlighted the need for improved cultural competency training among healthcare professionals. Research on culturally responsive healthcare and training and policy solutions that enhance providers\u2019 cultural responsiveness are needed to improve healthcare experiences for Arab American patients and other immigrant populations.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3389\/frhs.2026.1892061","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,19]],"date-time":"2026-08-19T05:44:30Z","timestamp":1787118270000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Cultural and religious influences on Arab American healthcare experiences: a qualitative study"],"prefix":"10.3389","volume":"6","author":[{"given":"Mariam","family":"Aly","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Psychological, Health & Learning Sciences, University of Houston","place":["Houston, TX, United States"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Julie C.","family":"Dunsmore","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Psychological, Health & Learning Sciences, University of Houston","place":["Houston, TX, United States"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1965","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,19]]},"reference":[{"key":"B1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"293","DOI":"10.1093\/phr\/118.4.293","article-title":"Defining cultural competence: a practical framework for addressing racial\/ethnic disparities in health and health care","volume":"118","author":"Betancourt","year":"2003","journal-title":"Public Health Rep"},{"key":"B2","year":"2024"},{"key":"B3","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1307","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ajog.2005.06.065","article-title":"Opening cultural doors: providing culturally sensitive healthcare to Arab American and American muslim patients","volume":"193","author":"Hammoud","year":"2005","journal-title":"Am J Obstet Gynecol"},{"key":"B4","year":"2024"},{"key":"B5","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"45","DOI":"10.1016\/j.healthplace.2018.02.011","article-title":"The experience of social determinants of health within a Southern European Maltese culture","volume":"51","author":"Satariano","year":"2018","journal-title":"Health Place"},{"key":"B6","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1089","DOI":"10.2105\/AJPH.82.8.1089","article-title":"The roseto effect: a 50-year comparison of mortality rates in two Italian-American communities","volume":"82","author":"Egolf","year":"1992","journal-title":"Am J Public Health"},{"key":"B7","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"199","DOI":"10.1080\/016128499248619","article-title":"Domestic violence in the Arab American population: transforming environmental conditions through community education","volume":"20","author":"Kulwicki","year":"1999","journal-title":"Issues Ment Health Nurs"},{"key":"B8","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"5","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1464-0597.1997.tb01087.x","article-title":"Immigration, acculturation, and adaptation","volume":"46","author":"Berry","year":"1997","journal-title":"Appl Psychol"},{"key":"B9","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"153","DOI":"10.1007\/978-1-4614-8238-3_8","article-title":"Arab American acculturation and ethnic identity across the lifespan: sociodemographic correlates and psychological outcomes.","volume-title":"Biopsychosocial Perspectives on Arab Americans: Culture, Development, and Health","author":"Amer","year":"2014"},{"key":"B10","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"157","DOI":"10.1080\/00207590444000267","article-title":"Daily hassles, ethnic identity, and psychological adjustment among Lebanese-Canadians","volume":"40","author":"Gaudet","year":"2005","journal-title":"Int J Psychol"},{"key":"B11","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"810","DOI":"10.1016\/j.amepre.2017.02.021","article-title":"Arab American health in a racially charged United States","volume":"52","author":"Abuelezam","year":"2017","journal-title":"Am J Prev Med"},{"key":"B12","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"860","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1747-7379.2007.00103.x","article-title":"Assimilating to a white identity: the case of Arab Americans","volume":"41","author":"Ajrouch","year":"2007","journal-title":"Int Migr Rev"},{"key":"B13","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"11","DOI":"10.1525\/jps.1987.16.2.00p0038r","article-title":"Politics and exclusion: the Arab American experience","volume":"16","author":"Samhan","year":"1987","journal-title":"J Palest Stud"},{"key":"B14","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"649","DOI":"10.1177\/1461445610371056","article-title":"Enacting solidarity and ambivalence: positional identities of Arab American women","volume":"12","author":"Mango","year":"2010","journal-title":"Discourse Stud"},{"key":"B15","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"251","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1752-0606.2005.tb01567.x","article-title":"Resilience in Arab American couples after September 11, 2001: a systems perspective","volume":"31","author":"Beitin","year":"2005","journal-title":"J Marital Family Ther"},{"key":"B16","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"195","DOI":"10.1163\/ej.9789004175624.i-334.67","article-title":"Family privacy as protection: a qualitative pilot study of mental illness in Arab-American muslim women","volume":"20","author":"Hassouneh","year":"2009","journal-title":"Res Soc Sci Study Relig"},{"key":"B17","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"308","DOI":"10.2337\/diacare.26.2.308","article-title":"Epidemiology of diabetes among Arab Americans in the United States: a population-based study","volume":"26","author":"Jaber","year":"2003","journal-title":"Diabetes Care"},{"key":"B18","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1809","DOI":"10.18549\/PharmPract.2020.2.1809","article-title":"Barriers to healthcare access for Arabic-speaking population in an English-speaking country","volume":"18","author":"Al-Jumaili","year":"2020","journal-title":"Pharm Pract"},{"key":"B19","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"103","DOI":"10.3390\/nursrep15030103","article-title":"Medical mistrust: a concept analysis","volume":"15","author":"Shukla","year":"2025","journal-title":"Nurs Rep"},{"key":"B20","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"13","DOI":"10.1016\/j.pcd.2016.07.004","article-title":"The Arab American experience with diabetes: perceptions, myths and implications for culturally-specific interventions","volume":"11","author":"Bertran","year":"2017","journal-title":"Prim Care Diabetes"},{"key":"B21","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"308","DOI":"10.1037\/1099-9809.7.4.308","article-title":"Providing mental health services to Arab Americans: recommendations and considerations","volume":"7","author":"Erickson","year":"2001","journal-title":"Cultur Divers Ethnic Minor Psychol"},{"key":"B22","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"110","DOI":"10.1080\/08911762.2020.1817646","article-title":"Arab-Muslim Americans\u2019 personality riddle and consumer ethnocentrism","volume":"34","author":"Al Ganideh","year":"2021","journal-title":"J Glob Mark"},{"key":"B23","first-page":"616","volume-title":"Culture\u2019s Consequences: Comparing Values, Behaviors, Institutions, and Organizations Across Nations","author":"Hofstede","year":"2001"},{"key":"B24","first-page":"676","volume-title":"Sharia Incorporated: A Comparative Overview of the Legal Systems of Twelve Muslim Countries in Past and Present","author":"Otto","year":"2010"},{"key":"B25","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"119","DOI":"10.1007\/s10943-014-9995-z","article-title":"Religious, ethical and legal considerations in end-of-life issues: fundamental requisites for medical decision making","volume":"55","author":"Jahn Kassim","year":"2016","journal-title":"J Relig Health"},{"key":"B26","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1151","DOI":"10.26719\/2012.18.11.1151","article-title":"Historical development of health systems in the arab countries: a review","volume":"18","author":"Kronfol","year":"2012","journal-title":"East Mediterr Health J"},{"key":"B27","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"135","DOI":"10.1186\/s12913-023-09132-0","article-title":"Patient-centered care in the Middle East and north African region: a systematic literature review","volume":"23","author":"Alkhaibari","year":"2023","journal-title":"BMC Health Serv Res"},{"key":"B28","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"77","DOI":"10.1111\/asap.12001","article-title":"Best practices in conceptualizing and measuring social class in psychological research","volume":"13","author":"Diemer","year":"2013","journal-title":"Anal Soc Issues Public Policy"},{"key":"B29","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1067","DOI":"10.1007\/s40615-020-00863-y","article-title":"Development of an ethnic identity measure for Americans of Middle Eastern and north African descent: initial psychometric properties, sociodemographic, and health correlates","volume":"8","author":"Resnicow","year":"2021","journal-title":"J Racial Ethn Health Disparities"},{"key":"B30","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"e70068","DOI":"10.1002\/jcop.70068","article-title":"The effects of ethnic identity on discrimination and depression and anxiety in a sample of Arab American adults","volume":"54","author":"Green","year":"2026","journal-title":"J Community Psychol"},{"key":"B31","volume-title":"Psikoloji ve Psikoterapide Din","author":"A\u011f\u0131lkaya \u015eahin","year":"2024"}],"container-title":["Frontiers in Health Services"],"original-title":[],"link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.frontiersin.org\/articles\/10.3389\/frhs.2026.1892061\/full","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,19]],"date-time":"2026-08-19T05:44:31Z","timestamp":1787118271000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.frontiersin.org\/articles\/10.3389\/frhs.2026.1892061\/full"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,19]]},"references-count":31,"alternative-id":["10.3389\/frhs.2026.1892061"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/frhs.2026.1892061","relation":{},"ISSN":["2813-0146"],"issn-type":[{"value":"2813-0146","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,19]]},"article-number":"1892061"}}