Self-reported health complaints in a primary care population living under stressful conditions in the Gaza Strip, Palestine

Figures & data

Table 1. General characteristics of study sample (n = 956).

Variables	Total (n = 956)
Age group (year)
18–44	661 (69.1%)
≥45	295 (30.9%)
Total	956 (100%)
Sex
Male	464 (48.5%)
Female	492 (51.5%)
Total	956 (100%)
Male
18–44	314 (67.7%)
≥45	150 (32.3%)
Total	464 (100%)
Female
18–44	347 (70.5%)
≥45	145 (29.5%)
Total	492 (100%)

Table 2. The five most common complaints distributed by provider, age and sex (n = 956).

	MOH1		UNRWA2		Total
Complaints	Freq.	%	Freq.	%	Freq.	%
Male (aged 18–44)	n = 208		n = 106		n = 314
Abdominal pain	29	13.9	14	13.2	43	13.7
Headache	21	10.1	9	8.5	30	9.6
Fever	21	10.1	8	7.5	29	9.2
Cough	20	9.6	8	7.5	28	8.9
Back pain	14	6.7	9	8.5	23	7.3
Male (aged ≥45)	n = 96		n = 54		n = 150
Fatigue	16	16.7	9	16.7	25	16.7
Joint pain	10	10.4	4	7.4	14	9.3
Prescription diabetic drugs	10	10.4	4	7.4	14	9.3
Headache	6	6.3	6	11.1	12	8.0
Chest pain	7	7.3	3	5.6	10	6.7
Female (aged 18–44)	n = 254		n = 93		n = 347
Abdominal pain	40	15.7	8	8.6	48	13.8
Headache	22	8.7	9	9.7	31	8.9
Cough	18	7.1	5	5.4	23	6.6
Gynaecological complaints	12	4.7	11	11.8	23	6.6
Fever	12	4.7	8	8.6	20	5.8
Female (aged ≥ 45)	n = 95		n = 50		n = 145
Fatigue	17	17.9	13	26	30	20.7
Joint pain	14	14.7	6	12	20	13.2
Prescription diabetic drugs	12	12.6	5	10	17	11.7
Headache	6	6.3	6	12	12	8.3
Prescription antihypertensive drugs	10	10.5	0	0	10	6.9
Notes: 1Ministry of Health; 2United Nations Relief and Works Agency.

Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics . 2005 . Demographic and Health Survey 2004 , Ramallah : Palestinian National Authority .

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Hamdan , M and Defever , M . 2002 . A ‘transitional’ context for health policy development: the Palestinian case . Health Policy. , 59 ( 3 ) : 193 – 207 .

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