Arab, Middle Eastern, and North African Health Disparities Research: A Scoping Review

BackgroundResearch in health disparities and how they affect underserved populations continues to grow and expand. However, the experiences of Arab/Middle Eastern and North African (MENA) Americans often go unnoticed, and yet, preliminary data suggests there are significant disparities between this population and other groups. The purpose of this scoping review is to examine and synthesize the extent of available literature on health disparities and outcomes for this group.MethodsA scoping review was conducted to investigate the current state of research on health disparities and outcomes among Arab/MENA individuals within the USA. The PRISMA protocol for scoping reviews was utilized.ResultsThrough the use of PubMed and PsychInfo databases, the search identified 43 articles that were eligible for inclusion in the final review. Five themes emerged: prevalence and health outcomes, factors impacting health, comparison studies, barriers, and health literacy and beliefs. Extant data was equivocal, suggesting the need for further research.ConclusionsResearch on Arab/MENA health disparities and outcomes is in the detection phase, indicating that more research is needed to elucidate the state of Arab/MENA health in the USA. These findings can help healthcare professionals and researchers understand the emerging literature on health disparities within the Arab/MENA community and inform further research and clinical practice within this population.