Eastern Mediterranean Health Journal
Volume 24, Issue 2, 2018, Pages 127-136

Health risk behaviours of Palestinian youth: Findings from a representative survey [Comportements à risque pour la santé chez les jeunes Palestiniens: Résultats d’une étude représentative] (Article) (Open Access)

Glick P.* , Al-Khammash U. , Shaheen M. , Brown R. , Goutam P. , Karam R. , Linnemayr S. , Massad S.
  • a RAND Corporation, Santa. Monica, CA, United States
  • b Juzoor for Health and Social Development, West Bank, Ramallah, Palestine, United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), East Jerusalem, Palestine
  • c Al Quds University, West Bank, Abu-Dis, Palestine
  • d RAND Corporation, Santa. Monica, CA, United States
  • e RAND Corporation, Santa. Monica, CA, United States
  • f RAND Corporation, Santa. Monica, CA, United States
  • g RAND Corporation, Santa. Monica, CA, United States
  • h United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), East Jerusalem, Palestine, Palestinian National Institute of Public Health, West Bank, Palestine

Abstract

Background: There is little systematic information about health risk behaviours among youth in Middle Eastern countries, leaving public health authorities unprepared to deal with emerging public health threats at a time of major social change. Aim: The Palestinian Youth Health Risk study investigates patterns of risk behaviours among Palestinian youth, their perceptions of the risks and benefits of such behaviours, and the relationship of exposure to violence with mental health and engagement in risk behaviours. Methods: We conducted a representative survey among 2500 individuals aged 15–24 years in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, permitting reliable comparison across sex and rural–urban divisions. A stratified 2-stage random sample was drawn from the 2007 population census, with strata formed by crossing the 12 governorates with urban, rural and refugee camp locations. Within strata, 208 survey clusters were sampled with probability proportional to size. Within each cluster, 14 households with youth of the appropriate age were sampled. Results: Among youth aged 20–24 years, 22.4% of males and 11.6% of females reported trying alcohol; 10.5% of males and 4.3% of females reported trying drugs. Almost one quarter of unmarried youth aged 20–24 years reported any sexual experience. Tobacco use is high, even among younger youth (45.4% of males and 21.2% of females aged 15–19 smoke). Risk behaviours are higher among males, older youth and in urban areas and refugee camps. Conclusion: While smoking is of particular concern, prevention outreach for all behaviours should be directed at subgroups and areas identified as highest risk. © World Health Organization (WHO) 2018.

Author Keywords

youth Health risk behaviours Survey Palestine

Index Keywords

urban area tobacco use Alcohol Drinking sexual behavior drinking behavior alcohol consumption demography sampling mental health human epidemiology Middle East rural population Arab ethnology Arabs Residence Characteristics Cross-Sectional Studies interview Young Adult cross-sectional study Humans smoking Adolescent male female juvenile questionnaire refugee camp Refugee Camps Article high risk behavior major clinical study adult age sex factor Sex Factors Age Factors drug use Palestinian exposure to violence Health Risk Behaviors
Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85046809017&doi=10.26719%2f2018.24.2.127&partnerID=40&md5=1c10d8c21b81f3c700732679a1c119ff
DOI: 10.26719/2018.24.2.127
ISSN: 10203397
Cited by: 3
Original Language: English