TY - JOUR
T1 - Self-reported health complaints in a primary care population living under stressful conditions in the gaza strip, palestine
AU - Abu-Mourad, Tayser
AU - Koutis, Anotonis
AU - Alegakis, Athanasios
AU - Markaki, Adelais
AU - Jildeh, Christine
AU - Lionis, Christos
AU - Philalithis, Anastas
PY - 2010/1
Y1 - 2010/1
N2 - Background: The population in the Gaza Strip has been living under chronically stressful conditions as a result of the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Objectives: To identify health complaints reported by attendants consulting primary care physicians in the Gaza Strip. Methods: The study took place in 10 governmental primary health care centres and 5 clinics of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency in the Gaza Strip, during autumn 2005. Self-reported health complaints were recorded through face-to-face interviews with 956 respondents using a validated and reliable questionnaire. Results: Abdominal pain and headache were the most frequent complaints reported among patients aged 18 to 44 years, accounting for 23.3% and 22.7% of total complaints in males and females, respectively. Fatigue and joint pain were the most common complaints among patients aged 45 years and above, accounting for 26% and 33.9% of total complaints in males and females, respectively. Conclusions: The most common complaints, as reported by patients attending PHC facilities were stress-related and could be attributed to the ongoing conflict and high level of violence and uncertainty in the area. These complaints present a challenge to primary care providers in their efforts to improve the everyday quality of life of Palestinian residents with scarce means and resources.
AB - Background: The population in the Gaza Strip has been living under chronically stressful conditions as a result of the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Objectives: To identify health complaints reported by attendants consulting primary care physicians in the Gaza Strip. Methods: The study took place in 10 governmental primary health care centres and 5 clinics of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency in the Gaza Strip, during autumn 2005. Self-reported health complaints were recorded through face-to-face interviews with 956 respondents using a validated and reliable questionnaire. Results: Abdominal pain and headache were the most frequent complaints reported among patients aged 18 to 44 years, accounting for 23.3% and 22.7% of total complaints in males and females, respectively. Fatigue and joint pain were the most common complaints among patients aged 45 years and above, accounting for 26% and 33.9% of total complaints in males and females, respectively. Conclusions: The most common complaints, as reported by patients attending PHC facilities were stress-related and could be attributed to the ongoing conflict and high level of violence and uncertainty in the area. These complaints present a challenge to primary care providers in their efforts to improve the everyday quality of life of Palestinian residents with scarce means and resources.
KW - Abdominal pain
KW - Fatigue
KW - Headache
KW - Joint pain
KW - Primary health care
KW - Self-reported complaints
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=77952480762&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1080/13623690903553269
DO - 10.1080/13623690903553269
M3 - Article
C2 - 20411856
AN - SCOPUS:77952480762
SN - 1362-3699
VL - 26
SP - 68
EP - 79
JO - Medicine, Conflict and Survival
JF - Medicine, Conflict and Survival
IS - 1
ER -