Quality of life of women from families of martyred individuals in the Kurdistan region of Iraq as a conflict area in the Middle East

Hamdia Mirkhan Ahmed

doi:10.1186/s12914-020-00248-6

Abstract

BackgroundQuality of life (QOL) research develops data and insight into issues that pertain not only to the individual, but that can also apply to the population as a whole. This study aimed to analyze the QOL of Kurdish women from families of martyred individuals in the Kurdistan region of Iraq.MethodsA cross-sectional study of 380 women from families of martyred individuals was conducted. All women were patients at the Medical Center of Martyr Families in Erbil City from January 2018 to April 2019. Data were collected through interviews and the WHOQOL-BREF scale was used to measure QOL. The women’s QOL scores were divided into four categories (i.e., quartiles): 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th quartile. Kruskal-Wallis and Chi-Square tests were used for data Analysis.ResultsThe women’s QOL scores fell into the following quartiles: Overall QOL and General Health (n = 66.6%) in the 1st quartile, Physical and Psychological Health (n = 56.9%) in the 2nd quartile, Social Relationships (n = 47.9%) in the 3rd quartile, Environmental health (n = 85.6%) in the 2nd and 3rd quartile. The total QOL of more than half (n = 52.1%) of the women studied were in 1st and 2nd quartiles.ConclusionWomen from families of martyred individuals were not satisfied with their QOL, especially in terms of Physical and Psychological Domains. International political and humanitarian actions are needed to reduce the destructive consequences of war and conflict on these suffering women.

Highlights

Quality of life (QOL) research develops data and insight into issues that pertain to the individual, but that can apply to the population as a whole
Quality of life research increases knowledge related to the clinical care of individuals, helps to develop an epidemiological perspective on problems, provides data to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of various interventions and prevention strategies, and guides the restructuring of healthcare systems
QOL research is needed in Iraq, especially in Kurdistan, given the countries long history of war and conflict, which has led to the massive loss of men from families

Summary

Introduction

Quality of life (QOL) research develops data and insight into issues that pertain to the individual, but that can apply to the population as a whole. The World Health Organization (WHO) defines Quality of Life (QOL) as “an individual’s perception of their position in life in the context of the culture and value systems in which they live and in relation to their goals, expectations, standards and concerns. It is a broad ranging concept affected in a complex way by the person’s physical health, psychological state, personal beliefs, social relationships and their relationship to salient. QOL research is needed in Iraq, especially in Kurdistan, given the countries long history of war and conflict, which has led to the massive loss of men from families Many of these men have died for the principal slogans of the revolution: freedom, social and economic justice, and democracy. How women respond to these challenges, oftentimes through activism and other forms of resistance, varies based on the multiple racial, religious, and rural/urban identities of women in different parts of Kurdistan [4]

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