Palestinian University Students Research Articles

Degrees of Psychological Well-Being among Students of Palestinian Universities in Hebron Governorate

This study aims at investigating the levels of psychological well-being among Palestinian university students in Hebron District, and adapting Ryff's Psychological Well-being Scales to the Palestinian environment, The researchers applied the Ryff’s Psychlogical Well-being Scales on a simple random sample of (200) students located at three Palestinian universities (Hebron University, Al-Quds open University, & Polytechnic University). Validity was confirmed. Moreover, the reliability of the scale was confirmed by using Cronbach a coefficient. The study concluded that the degrees of Palestinian students' psychological wellbeing were moderate. In addition to that, the study found that there were differences in the degree of psychological well-being according to gender in favor of females, differences according to the type of specialization in favor of students in the human colleges, differences due to the economic level in favor of students with higher incomes, and differences due to the place of residence in favor of villagers students. Furthermore, the study found there were no differences in the average psychological well-being due to the sitting university. Finally, the study has come out a set of recommendations stemming from its results, such as the need to address welfare for Palestinians, especially in crowded cities, as well as the need to motivate university students in science faculties, and to reduce the degrees of tension induced by the difficult context in which Palestinians live.

Consumption Patterns and Side Effects of Energy Drinks among University Students in Palestine: Cross-Sectional Study

This study describes the patterns of energy drinks consumption and associated factors among University students in Palestine. A cross-sectional study was conducted at An-Najah National University in Nablus, West Bank-Palestine. The study included 279 students of three colleges: Medicine, Physical Education and Engineering. Data were collected using a 25-item self-administered questionnaire. Energy-drink consumption was significantly higher among male students, as 80.5% of energy-drink users involved in this study was males. It was higher among those with higher monthly expenditure. The most common cause for using energy drinks among users was to stay awake at night (68.6%), while most of those who never tried energy drinks in their lives didn’t do so because they thought energy drinks are unhealthy. About two thirds (64.4%) of the participants didn’t know the main constituents of energy drinks and about half (53.6%) stated that they knew that there might be side effects associated with the use of energy drinks. More than half of the current users (56.8%) consumed less than 1 bottle/day. Energy-drink usage is common among university students in Palestine and higher among males and those with higher monthly expenditure. Campaigns should be encouraged in order to spread awareness about the contents and possible side effects of energy drinks.

Palestinian University Writing Professors' Feedback Practices and Students' Reactions towards them

Palestinian University Writing Professors' Feedback Practices and Students' Reactions towards them

Exposure to Family Violence, Perceived Psychological Adjustment of Parents, and the Development of Post-Traumatic Stress Symptoms Among Palestinian University Students.

The article presents the results of a study on the relationship between exposure to (i.e., witnessing and experiencing) different patterns and types of family violence during childhood, during adolescence, and during young adulthood, on one hand, and adult post-traumatic stress symptoms (PTSS), on the other. A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 1,969 Palestinian students using a self-administered questionnaire. The results reveal that the more the participants witnessed and experienced psychological aggression (PS) and physical violence (PH) in their families of origin, the more they exhibited PTSS. Furthermore, the results indicate that a significant amount of the variance in the participants' PTSS could be attributed to their exposure to family violence, over and above the amounts of variance that were explained by their sociodemographic characteristics and by their perceptions of their parents' psychological adjustment. The limitations of the study and implications for future research are discussed.

تعرض طلبة الجامعات الفلسطينية للمواقع الإسلامية على الإنترنيت: طلبة جامعتي النجاح وبيرزيت نموذجا

The rise of “Islamism” in the Arab world in the last few decades has drawn researchers’ attention to this significant phenomenon. In addition, the advent of internet, it is believed, formed a vital tool for this rise, given it opened a wide door to Muslim groups to communicate with audiences. Simultaneously, it is noticed that Palestinian people, in particular, were influenced by political Muslim groups which influence peoples’ various aspects of life. This study focuses on the exposure of Palestinian students at two major universities to the Islamic websites, and sheds light on the extent to which those students are influenced by them. The study, based on the Use and Gratifications Theory, depended on the descriptive approach, and used the quantitative analyses, examined a sample of An-Najah and Birzeit universities in the Palestinian West Bank, and found that more than half of students are exposed to Islamic websites, and regard them as a reliable source of information. At the same time, the study shows that students, in general, are open to “non-Islamic” websites, and obtain news and political analyses from them. Students, in addition, show reservations on Islamic websites which represent Islamic parties, and believe that those sites do not offer enough room for interaction. مثل صعود "التوجهات الإسلامية" في العالم العربي اهتماما متزايدا من قبل الباحثين لهذه الظاهرة المهمة. وبالإضافة إلى ذلك، يُعتقد أن اختراع الانترنيت وانتشاره، مثل أيضا أداة مهمة لهذا الصعود، لأن الإنترنيت فتح الباب واسعا أمام الجماعات الإسلامية للاتصال بالجمهور بشكل غير مسبوق. وبالتزامن مع ذلك، يلاحظ بأن الشعب الفلسطيني، على وجه الخصوص، تأثر بالتيارات السياسية الإسلامية التي أثرت على مختلف أوجه الحياة في فلسطين. تركز هذه الدراسة على تعرض الطلبة الفلسطينيين في جامعتين كبيرتين للمواقع الإسلامية على الإنترنيت، وتلقي الضوء على مدى تأثر هؤلاء الطلبة بهذه المواقع. استندت هذه الدراسة إلى نظرية الاستخدامات والإشباعات التي تعالج دوافع اختيار المحتوى والإشباعات المتحققة من الإعلام بناء على الظروف والاحتياجات الاجتماعية للأفراد. وكذلك استندت إلى نظرية الانتقائية التي تشير إلى أن الفرد يتعرض، ويتذكر، ويفسر الرسائل وفقا لقناعاته المسبقة. واعتمدت على المنهج الوصفي، باستخدام منهج تحليل المضمون الكمي، حيث تم تحليل استبانة وزعت على عينة من الطلبة من كلتا الجامعتين في الضفة الغربية. وقد وجدت الدراسة أن أكثر من نصف عدد الطلبة المبحوثين تعرضوا للمواقع الإسلامية على الإنترنيت، بل إنهم اعتمدوا على تلك المواقع في الحصول على المعلومات. وفي ذات الوقت أظهرت الدراسة أن الطلبة المبحوثين، منفتحون على المواقع الأخرى (التي لا تعرف نفسها بأنها مواقع إسلامية)، وأنهم يحصلون على الأخبار والتحليلات السياسية من تلك المواقع. كما أبدى الطلبة المبحوثون تحفظا على المواقع الإسلامية المحسوبة على أحزاب سياسية، معتقدين أن تلك المواقع لا توفر المساحة الكافية لجمهورها للتفاعل مع موضوعاتها.

Factorial Structure of the Big Five Personality Factors Inventory Among Palestinian University Students in Gaza

Factorial Structure of the Big Five Personality Factors Inventory Among Palestinian University Students in Gaza

Entrepreneurial Characteristics of Undergraduate Students in Deteriorated Economies : The Case of Gaza Strip

This research aims at identifying the entrepreneurial characteristics of university students in Gaza Strip using Exploratory Factor Analysis EFA. It also aims at testing the relationship between their entrepreneurial characteristics and entrepreneurial inclination using two multivariate techniques (discreminant and logistic analyses). Respondents were classified as entrepreneurially inclined and non-entrepreneurially inclined based on their desire to establish their own business after graduation from university. The population of the study is the students in their final year of bachelor education in selected faculties and specializations in engineering, commerce, and information technology at the Islamic University of Gaza (IUG). The research adopted the stratified random sampling technique and there were 451 usable questionnaires which represent the sample of the study with a response rate of 82%. This research is considered to be the first to examine the entrepreneurial characteristic of Palestinian University students. It is also among the few to present a complete image of entrepreneurial characteristics of university students in politically and economically deteriorated areas. It may serve as a reference for successive studies in the area and as a tool for comparison in similar areas around the world. New managerial and policy implications may also be inferred on the effect of socioeconomic deterioration and entrepreneurial inclination. Descriptive analysis shows that entrepreneurially inclined students, who prefer to establish their own business after graduation, represent (24.1%) of the sample. The results of EFA classified six characteristics of university entrepreneurs in Gaza Strip: Independence, Internal Locus of Control, Self-Confidence, Need for Achievement, Propensity to take risk, and Communication Skills. The results of the multivariate techniques showed that out of the six characteristics, Independence and Internal Locus of Control are the most influential indicators of entrepreneurial inclination of university entrepreneurs in Gaza Strip.

Smoking habits and attitudes among university students in Palestine: a cross-sectional study

Information about the rate of smoking and factors associated with initiating and maintaining the behaviour is scarce in Palestine. The aim of this study was to explore the rate of and attitudes towards smoking among An-Najah National University students. During spring 2010, a questionnaire adopted from the Global Health Professionals Survey and the Global Youth Tobacco Survey was administered to 954 randomly selected full-time students. Overall 34.7% of the study sample were cigarette or waterpipe smokers, and this rate was higher among males than females (52.7% versus 16.5%). In logistic regression analysis, sex (male), type of college (humanities), older age and higher family income were predictors of current smoking status. Smokers had more negative attitudes to banning smoking in public areas on campus and to education about the harmful effects of smoking. Antismoking programmes with special attention to males and students in humanities are badly needed.

Gender differences in sleep habits and sleep-related problems in Arab Palestinian university students

A convenience sample of 400 students were recruited to investigate gender differences in sleep habits and sleep-related problems using a self-administered questionnaire. Univaraiate analysis showed that females went to bed earlier (p<0.01) and rose earlier (p<0.01), had longer sleep duration (p<0.01), more nightmares (p<0.01), lesser snoring (p<0.01), lesser nocturnal awakening caused by eating (p<0.01), and had poorer sleep quality than males on the night of examination (p<0.01). Gender differences in sleep habits and sleep problems were found and were different than those reported from other cultures.

Evaluation of facial soft tissue parameters for Palestinians using Holdaway analysis

The aims of this study were to evaluate soft-tissue measurements for a Palestinian sample population with normal occlusion by Holdaway's analysis, and to check the applicability of Holdaway values to the Palestinian population. Normal Holdaway values for Palestinians will be established if their parameters do not match those of Holdaway. Cephalometric radiographs of 93 Palestinian university students with normal occlusion (63 women, mean age: 20.1±2.1years; 30 men, mean age: 20.2±2.4years) were traced and evaluated. Cephalometric landmarks were located according to Holdaway analysis. Ten linear and two angular measurements were produced on each radiograph. The soft-tissue measurements for the Palestinians were similar to the Holdaway norms, except for the soft-tissue convexity angle and soft-tissue chin thickness, which were larger than the Holdaway averages. The Palestinian sample had a narrower range for normal nose prominence, as well as thicker lips, deeper superior and inferior sulci, and thicker soft-tissue chins than the Holdaway values. We determined normal values for the Holdaway soft-tissue analysis for Palestinians, which are appropriate for use in orthodontic practices in these territories.

A descriptive study of self-medication practices among Palestinian medical and nonmedical university students

Background The implications of self-medication practices are increasingly recognized around the world; however, little has been reported on the extent of self-medication practiced in Palestine. Objective To determine the reasons, extent, and correlates of self-medication practices among university students in Palestine. Methods A self-administered questionnaire eliciting self-medication practices was distributed to university students in a cross-sectional design. The 4 variables, sex, type of school, self-care orientation, and medication knowledge, were investigated for possible correlation with self-medication practices. Multiple logistic regression and Chi-square statistics were used in data analysis. Results Self-medication practices were reported by 98% of the surveyed students (n = 1581). Approximately two thirds of the respondents reported a high self-care orientation and one third reported “good” medication knowledge. Multiple logistic regressions indicted that self-care orientation, medication knowledge, and sex were insignificant predictors of self-medication practices, whereas the type of school ( P = .012) was a significant predictor. A significant relation between the 4 variables and the type of therapeutic class used in self-medication was observed. For example, males were more inclined to use antiallergic medications (OR = 1.48) than females. Medical students were more likely to use laxatives/antidiarrheal agents (OR = 1.49) than nonmedical students. Respondents with high a self-care orientation were more inclined to use headache relievers (OR = 2.22) compared to those with low self-care orientation. The most commonly reported reason for self-medication practices was simplicity of the illness encountered. Conclusion Self-medication practices were common among the university students studied. Sex, type of school, self-care orientation, and medication knowledge are important personal factors that are associated with the selection of certain types of therapeutic classes used in self-medication.

Self-therapy practices among university students in Palestine: Focus on herbal remedies

Herbal self-therapy is a common practice among Palestinians. However, no published data are available on herbal self-therapy in the Middle East in general, and in Palestine in particular. This study was conducted to (1) determine the extent of herbal self-therapy among university students, (2) investigate the different types of herbal remedies used and (3) investigate the correlates and reasons associated with such practices. This cross-sectional, descriptive study was carried out using a structured questionnaire that contained five sections: (1) demographics; (2) medication knowledge and self-care orientation; (3) types of herbal remedies used; (4) clinical conditions treated; and finally, (5) the reasons reported by students for herbal self-therapy practice. Pearson chi(2), multiple logistic regression and one-way ANOVA were performed using SPSS 13 program. 33.9% of the respondents reported using herbal remedies in self-therapy. Female gender, students at medical colleges and those with high self-care orientation were significant predictive model for herbal use. Sage (Salvia fruticosa L.), chamomile (Chamaemelum nobile L.), anise (Pimpinella anisum L.), and thyme (Thymus vulgaris L.) were the most commonly utilized herbal remedies. The types of herbal remedies selected were significantly influenced by gender, but not by the level of medication knowledge or self-care orientation. Herbal remedies were used primarily for the treatment of headache, flu, menstrual pain and sore throat. The main motivating factor for using herbal remedies reported for using herbal remedies was simplicity of symptoms. Herbal self-therapy was a common practice among university students. Health care providers need to be aware of the students' self-therapy practices and need to have sufficient knowledge regarding herbs not simply because of the widespread use, but also because of significant reported side effects. Academics need to consider offering courses about herbal remedies to students in both the medical and non-medical faculties to broaden their treatment capabilities during this time of increased unregulated medical interventions such as herbal therapy.

Bimaxillary Protrusion in the Palestinian Population

To study the prevalence of bimaxillary protrusion among Palestinians. Cephalometric radiographs for 79 normal occlusion adult Palestinian university students were traced. The interincisal angle was decreased in the Palestinian women compared to the Caucasian means, but this had no impact on lip protrusion. Relative to Caucasian cephalometric norms, Palestinians show no extraoral bimaxillary protrusion features, and therefore, these norms can be applied to Palestinian faces.

Whose House is This? Dilemmas of Identity Construction in the Israeli-Palestinian Context.

This article examines the ways in which one's perception of the other contributes to processes involved in the construction of collective identity. This study presents analyses and comparisons of semi-structured interviews using a dilemma concerning ownership of a house that was undertaken with 20 Jewish and Palestinian university students, citizens of Israel, who participated in a 1-year seminar that dealt with the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. Analyses of the entire sample showed that, during the year, all of the participants enhanced their self-awareness of the complexity of the conflict. Each group emphasized the processes that reflect the role of the conflict in the construction of its collective identity. The Palestinians appeared to be in the process of constructing their identity and the Jews in the process of deconstructing theirs while trying to cope with their need for security during the on-going conflict. In-depth analyses of interviews with 2 women students highlighted the processes of ident...

Perception of the Minority's Collective Identity and Voting Behavior: The Case of the Palestinians in Israel

The author investigated how Palestinian (n = 130) and Jewish (n = 153) Israeli university students perceived the collective identity of the Palestinian minority in Israel. The Palestinian and Jewish respondents perceived the “identity space” of the minority as linear, or bipolar, with 1 pole defined by the national (Palestinian) identity and the other defined by the civic (Israeli) label. The Palestinian respondents defined their collective identity in national (Palestinian, Arab) and integrative (Israeli-Palestinian) terms; the Jewish respondents perceived the minority's identity as integrative (Israeli-Palestinian). Different political outlooks among Palestinian respondents were related to their identification with the civic (Israeli) identity but not to their identification with the national (Palestinian) identity. In contrast, different political outlooks among Jewish respondents were related to their inclusion, or exclusion, of the national (Palestinian) component in their definition of the minority's identity. Implications of the results are discussed in terms of a minority acculturation model (J. Berry, J. Trimble, & E. Olmedo, 1986).

The rates of child sexual abuse and its psychological consequences as revealed by a study among Palestinian university students

Objectives: The study aimed to achieve the following two objectives: First, it sought to examine the rates of sexual abuse in Palestinian society at three ages (12 years or less, 12–16 years, and 16 + years) by three perpetrators (a family member, a relative, and a stranger). Second, the study sought to assess some psychological implications of sexual victimization. Method: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 652 Palestinian undergraduate students from the Palestinian Authority. A revised version of Finkelhor’s scale was utilized to measure sexual abuse, and a revised and culturally adjusted version of Derogatis and Melisaratos’ Brief Symptoms Inventory was used to measure nine psychological symptoms. Results: The rates of sexual abuse among Palestinian students fall within the range of the problem in many other societies. Similar rates of abuse were found among female and male students. Moreover, sexually abused participants expressed significantly higher levels of psychoticism, hostility, anxiety, somatization, phobic anxiety, paranoid ideation, depression, obsessive-compulsiveness, and psychological distress compared with their nonabused counterparts. Sexual abuse by different perpetrators at different ages significantly explained between 20.7% and 35.8% of the variance in these psychological symptoms. Conclusions: The results provide strong support for the argument that sexual abuse exists in Palestinian society, as well as for the hypothesis that sexual abuse has a strong psychological impact on victims. Furthermore, the results highlight the need for further research into different aspects and dimensions of the problem in Arab societies.

VALIDITY OF PALESTINIAN UNIVERSITY STUDENTS’ RESPONSES IN EVALUATING THEIR INSTRUCTORS

The validity of Palestinian university students’ responses was examined to determine if sex, academic status, perception, or expected grade in the course was influential in biasing their judgement regarding the performance of their instructors. The results of the study revealed that not only Palestinian university students’ responses showed great consistency, but that their sex, academic status, and expected grade in the course did not play significant roles in the determination of their judgement. The results are discussed in terms of their importance to university personnel in the Arab World and other Third‐World countries, with a particular emphasis on the need to establish and follow standard procedures in student evaluations of their instructors.

The Educated West Bank Palestinians

Palestinians have traditionally placed a high value on education and taken advantage of opportunities to secure it for themselves and their families. As a result an estimated 10 percent of all Arab university graduates are Palestinians. In terms of overall ratios, Palestinian university students represent about 11 for each 1000 of the Palestinian population, a figure reached only in Lebanon among the Arab countries.' (The comparable rates are 5.7/1000 in Egypt, 30/1000 in the US and 8/1000 in England.) For Palestinians, education has proven to be a means of survival and insurance against future uncertainties. For those uprooted, displaced and dispossessed, education is a portable, transferable commodity and, as it happens, one of special value to less well-endowed, rapidly developing Arab communities where educated, trained manpower is at a premium and in great demand. This paper is primarily a descriptive profile of one group of Palestinians educated on the West Bank at Bir Zeit College. Its secondary purpose is to relate elements of this profile to aspects of development, education and manpower on the West Bank. To the extent that the following discourse is descriptive and contributes to understanding the heretofore undocumented experience of educated Palestinians on the West Bank, it fills a gap in existing research. Data for this paper come from independent research carried out at Bir