Housing Environment and Women's Health in a Palestinian Refugee Camp

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Journal Title, Volume, Page: 
International Journal of Environmental Health Research Volume 15, Issue 3, 2005
Year of Publication: 
2005
Authors: 
Issam A Al-Khatib
Institute of Community and Public Health, Birzeit University, West Bank
Rania N Arafat
An-Najah National University , West Bank, Palestine
Mohamed Musmar
An-Najah National University , West Bank, Palestine
Current Affiliation: 
Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, An-Najah National University, Nablus, Palestine
Preferred Abstract (Original): 

This study was carried out during January and February 2002 in Al- Ein Refugee Camp in Nablus city in Palestine. Interviews were held with 150 women of different age groups and different marital status. The results show a positive relationship between women's physical and mental health and housing conditions. There is a statistically significant relationship between the family size represented by the number of children in the household, the number of children that sleep in one room, and the number of children that sleep in one bed, the house size, and number of rooms and women's feeling of privacy (mental health and well-being). Most of the houses in the camp are unhealthy and overcrowded. The family income is very low and there is a general poor health status of women in the camp. Most of the women do not know the conditions of a healthy house. The study shows the importance of housing reforms on the health of the family in general and women's health in particular, mainly in refugee camps.