Sleep Health Ambassadors in Greater Detroit: A Model for Religio-Culturally Conscious Care in Places of Worship From Dearborn to Hamtramck

An innovative healthcare delivery model in Greater Detroit is proposed to integrate religious and cultural identities with health strategies to address specific disparities, such as higher rates of diabetes and cardiovascular diseases linked to poor sleep, among minority communities, particularly among its diverse Muslim population. This model advocates for culturally conscious care, deeply appreciating the sociocultural determinants of health. It proposes utilizing mosques as community hubs to deploy sleep health ambassadors trained in sleep science and cultural sensitivity. These ambassadors would engage the community through trusted platforms, offering tailored health interventions aligned with religious practices and cultural norms. This approach not only promises improved health outcomes, such as enhancements in sleep quality, reductions in sleep-related health issues, and increased community health awareness, but also empowers the community by incorporating local religious leaders and stakeholders in program planning and implementation, for example, through the introduction of tailored sleep hygiene workshops that align with the timing of religious practices, such as Ramadan, and culturally sensitive screening for sleep apnea. Success will be measured by improvements in self-reported sleep quality, a reduction in daytime sleepiness, and community surveys assessing awareness and engagement. By demonstrating efficacy in managing sleep health, this model could scale to address broader health issues, ensuring interventions are culturally appropriate and effectively managed within community-specific contexts. This model holds the promise of significantly reducing health disparities by adapting health interventions to the cultural and religious contexts of communities, potentially transforming the landscape of community health management.