Faith, Trust and Health: What Communities Are Teaching Us About Reducing Inequalities
This research shows how working with faith communities can help make public health more inclusive, trusted and effective.
A new scoping review published by the NIHR ARC Northwest London in BMJ Public Health shines a light on the powerful role faith communities can play in tackling ethnic health inequalities in the UK.
The review brings together evidence from 16 UK-based studies and explores how faith communities have been involved in the design and delivery of public health interventions. It shows that faith settings are more than just venues for activity. They are places of trust, connection and cultural understanding, making them uniquely placed to support health initiatives that aim to reach people who are often underserved by traditional services.
Across the studies, faith communities were involved in various ways. Some worked in partnership with health services and researchers to shape interventions. Others supported delivery through volunteers or peer roles drawn from within the community. Places of worship were also used as accessible and familiar spaces for health education and engagement. Together, these approaches helped bring health messages into everyday community life.
