Keywords
Quality of life, conflict, war, stress, insecurity, west bank, jordan, sf 36, resilience, health
Abstract
As nearly one third of the world's population lives in an area that is in some way touched by war, researchers have long been interested in the varied impacts of conflict on civilians. Many indicators, measuring both physical and mental constructs, have been assessed in war-torn populations from around the world, one of which is health-related quality of life (HRQoL). The occupied Palestinian Territories (oPt) are one region in which copious research on health indicators has been undertaken in an effort to understand how long-term conflict manifests itself in noncombatant populations. However, existing studies focus primarily on indicators within the Palestinian population itself that impact HRQoL, and not on the extent to which the presence of the conflict and its consequences disturb physical and mental health outcomes compared to areas without conflict. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the impact of long-term conflict by comparing HRQoL in the oPt and the neighboring country of Jordan, as well as to assess how demographic factors such as socioeconomic status and household size can moderate or aggravate this impact. The potential mediating factors of insecurity and perceived stress will also be assessed. This study found that the presence of conflict was not the most significant predictor of low HRQoL. The mitigating factor of a traditional foundation of mental resilience in Palestinian culture is addressed as a potential explanation for this result. The implications of this study are wide-ranging, particularly in their ability to contribute to healthcare policy recommendations in war-affected areas, and to bolster our understanding of the health status and needs of those living in these areas.
Notes
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Graduation Date
2015
Semester
Spring
Advisor
Unruh, Lynn
Degree
Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)
College
College of Health and Public Affairs
Degree Program
Public Affairs; Health Services Management and Research
Format
application/pdf
Identifier
CFE0005574
URL
http://purl.fcla.edu/fcla/etd/CFE0005574
Language
English
Release Date
May 2015
Length of Campus-only Access
None
Access Status
Doctoral Dissertation (Open Access)
STARS Citation
Asi, Yara, "Is Conflict a Factor in a Population's Quality of Life? A Comparative Study of University Students in the Palestinian Territories and Jordan" (2015). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 51.
https://stars.library.ucf.edu/etd/51
Included in
Health Services Research Commons, Public Affairs, Public Policy and Public Administration Commons