Comparison of the General Health Outcomes of Individuals Considering Various Environmental Incivilities in Kalar City, Iraq

Abstract

Background: Previous research has indicated that environmental incivilities adversely affect the general health of individuals. Objectives: The present study aimed to describe the general health status of individuals considering the environmental incivilities in various areas of Kalar city, Iraq. Methods: This casual-comparative study was conducted in four distinct areas of Kalar city, which were selected purposively. The sample population included 128 participants, who were randomly selected from these areas. Data were collected using a researcher-made questionnaire of environmental incivilities and the general health questionnaire (GHQ-28). Data analysis was performed in SPSS version 22. Results: The descriptive data indicated the higher scores of the general health status and environmental incivilities in older inhabited areas of the city, and the ANOVA results implied that the differences in this regard were significant (P < 0.01). In addition, the results of Pearson’s correlation-coefficient showed a positive association between the general health scores and environmental incivilities (P = 0.001; r = 0.249). Nonetheless, no significant differences were observed in term of the age and gender of the participants. Conclusions: According to the results, although the scores of general health and environmental incivilities were high in all the selected areas, a significant difference was observed in the health status of the participants in the older inhabited areas, which confirmed the deteriorated general health status of the individuals with the higher prevalence of depressive symptoms.