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Islamic Attire and Health: Difference between revisions
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====Effect of Ethnicity and Migration==== | ====Effect of Ethnicity and Migration==== | ||
There is also concern for the health of immigrants from Islamic majority countries, most of which are around the equator and receive the highest amount of sunlight of any place on earth. There concern arises when these women migrate to countries with lower amounts of sunlight throughout the year compared to their previous home country. Skin tone is darkest at the equator in response to the sunlight.<ref>Barsh, G.S., What Controls Variation in Human Skin Color? PLoS Biol, 2003. 1(1): p. e27.</ref><ref>Relethford, J.H., Hemispheric difference in human skin color. American journal of physical anthropology, 1997. 104(4): p. 449-457.</ref> Darker skin blocks out significantly more UV radiation and hence decreases Vitamin D production by an enormous amount (people with dark skin pigmentation may need 20 - 30 times as much exposure to sunlight).<ref>Mike Adams - [http://www.naturalnews.com/003069.html Vitamin D myths, facts and statistics] - NaturalNews, January 1, 2005</ref> All these factors combined with the heavily covering Islamic dress create serious potential health concerns for Islamic migrants in countries away from the equator such as | There is also concern for the health of immigrants from Islamic majority countries, most of which are around the equator and receive the highest amount of sunlight of any place on earth. There concern arises when these women migrate to countries with lower amounts of sunlight throughout the year compared to their previous home country. Skin tone is darkest at the equator in response to the sunlight.<ref>Barsh, G.S., What Controls Variation in Human Skin Color? PLoS Biol, 2003. 1(1): p. e27.</ref><ref>Relethford, J.H., Hemispheric difference in human skin color. American journal of physical anthropology, 1997. 104(4): p. 449-457.</ref> Darker skin blocks out significantly more UV radiation and hence decreases Vitamin D production by an enormous amount (people with dark skin pigmentation may need 20 - 30 times as much exposure to sunlight).<ref>Mike Adams - [http://www.naturalnews.com/003069.html Vitamin D myths, facts and statistics] - NaturalNews, January 1, 2005</ref> All these factors combined with the heavily covering Islamic dress create serious potential health concerns for Islamic migrants in countries away from the equator such as Canada, the United States, Europe and Australia.<ref>Hagenau, T., et al., Global vitamin D levels in relation to age, gender, skin pigmentation and latitude: an ecologic meta-regression analysis. Osteoporosis International, 2009. 20(1): p. 133-140.</ref><ref>Hanley, D.A. and K.S. Davison, Vitamin D Insufficiency in North America. The Journal of Nutrition, 2005. 135(2): p. 332-337</ref> | ||
This is further evidenced by numerous scientific studies. A study was undertaken in ''Dearborn, Michigan'', the most-concentrated Arab-American settlement in the United States to assess the relationship between Vitamin D levels and Islamic dress choice in migrant Arab-American Muslim women. The average vitamin D level was found to be 4 ng/ml in veiled women who undertook ''no'' vitamin D supplementation and 7 ng/ml in women who wore the same style veil but chose to take supplements.<ref>Hobbs, R., et al., Severe Vitamin D Deficiency in Arab-American Women Living in Dearborn, Michigan. Endocrine Practice, 2009. 15(1): p. 35-40.</ref> The threshold for rickets and osteomalacia risk is 8 ng/ml and below; clinical deficiency is considered as anything below 16 ng/ml.<ref>Heaney, PR. Functional indices of vitamin D status and ramifications of vitamin D deficiency. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 2004; 80 : S1706 – S1709</ref> This illustrates a very serious health risk for migrant Muslim women who immigrate to such countries and wear the burqa. | This is further evidenced by numerous scientific studies. A study was undertaken in ''Dearborn, Michigan'', the most-concentrated Arab-American settlement in the United States to assess the relationship between Vitamin D levels and Islamic dress choice in migrant Arab-American Muslim women. The average vitamin D level was found to be 4 ng/ml in veiled women who undertook ''no'' vitamin D supplementation and 7 ng/ml in women who wore the same style veil but chose to take supplements.<ref>Hobbs, R., et al., Severe Vitamin D Deficiency in Arab-American Women Living in Dearborn, Michigan. Endocrine Practice, 2009. 15(1): p. 35-40.</ref> The threshold for rickets and osteomalacia risk is 8 ng/ml and below; clinical deficiency is considered as anything below 16 ng/ml.<ref>Heaney, PR. Functional indices of vitamin D status and ramifications of vitamin D deficiency. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 2004; 80 : S1706 – S1709</ref> This illustrates a very serious health risk for migrant Muslim women who immigrate to such countries and wear the burqa. | ||