Is Conflict a Factor in a Population's Quality of Life? A Comparative Study of University Students in the Palestinian Territories and Jordan

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.

Author dc:creator

• Asi, Yara

Contributors dc:contributor

• Unruh, Lynn

• Quality of life
• conflict
• war
• stress
• insecurity
• west bank
• jordan
• sf 36
• resilience
• health
• Health Services Research
• Public Affairs, Public Policy and Public Administration

Language dc:language

English

Identifier

CFE0005574

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:stars.library.ucf.edu:etd-1050