Is the degree of religiosity related to community belonging and trust in society? A cross-sectional study among Muslims in Norway

Introduction: It is unclear if the degree of religiosity within Muslim minority groups causes health inequality because of poor community belonging and lack of trust in society. We aimed to investigate the association of the degree of Muslim religiosity with community belonging and trust in society, including general trust and trust in political authorities, political power, media and monarchy. Methods: This study had a cross-sectional design, including a random sample of 1129 men and women aged 18–85 years, originating from Muslim countries and currently living in Norway. Data were retrieved from the Norwegian Central Population Register. Results: In logistic regression analyses, adjusted for confounders, the degree of Muslim religiosity was not associated with general trust (crude odds ratio [OR] = 1.00, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.91–1.10; p = 0.90) or trust in political authorities (OR = 0.96, 95% CI: 0.87–1.06; p = 0.40) and monarchy (OR = 0.92, 95% CI: 0.84–1.00; p = 0.08). However, the degree of Muslim religiosity showed a negative association with trust in political power (OR = 0.91, 95% CI 0.83–1.00; p = 0.04) and media (OR = 0.80, 95% CI: 0.73–0.87; p < 0.01), whereas there was a positive association with community belonging (OR = 1.11, 95% CI: 1.01–1.21; p = 0.03). Conclusion: A higher degree of Muslim religiosity, compared with lower, was not a barrier to trust in society or community belonging among Muslims in Norway. Hence, these findings support the use of culturally sensitive health interventions involving Muslim religiosity in reaching out to Muslim communities. Considering the negative association of the degree of Muslim religiosity with trust in political power and media, the involvement of politicians and political symbols or the use of traditional media in public health communication with this minority group should be pursued with caution.