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Table 1 Rates of high psychological distress among Palestinian citizens of Israel by socio-demographic and health-related factors

From: Correlates of psychological distress and self-rated health among Palestinian citizens of Israel: findings from the health and environment survey (HESPI)

Socio-demographic and health-related variables

Distribution of population’s characteristics by gender (%)

Rates of high psychological distress

(mean global GHQ-12 score = ≥17),

by gender

Male

Female

Total

Male

Female

Total

P value for gender differences within each sub-category

N (%)

971 (48.1)

N (%)

1047 (51.9)

N %

2018 (100)

N (%)

277 (28.5)

N (%)

430 (41.1)

N (%)

707 (35.0)

 

χ2 = 34.8; df = 1; p = < 0.001

Age

 18–24

137 (14.1)

167 (16.0)

304 (15.1)

34 (24.8)

50 (29.9)

84 (27.6)

.320

 25–34

237 (24.4)

285 (27.2)

522 (25.9)

64 (27.0)

90 (31.6)

154 (29.5)

.254

 35–44

249 (25.6)

228 (21.8)

477 (23.6)

55 (22.1)

82 (36.0)

137 (28.7)

.001

 45–64

250 (25.7)

249 (23.8)

499 (24.7)

73 (29.2)

119 (47.8)

192 (38.5)

.000

 65≥

98 (10.1)

118 (11.3)

216 (10.7)

51 (52.0)

89 (75.4)

140 (64.8)

.000

 

χ2 = 7.301;

df = 4;

p = .121

χ2 = 109; df = 4; p = < 0.001

 

Educational level

 No education

86 (8.9)

134 (12.9)

220 (10.9)

45 (52.3)

97 (72.4)

142 (64.5)

.002

 Primary school

272 (28.3)

270 (26.1)

542 (26.9)

95 (34.9)

142 (52.6)

237 (43.7)

.000

 Partial high-school

272 (28.3)

46 (23.8)

518 (25.7)

75 (27.6)

84 (34.1)

159 (30.7)

.105

 High-school dipa

211 (22.0)

256 (24.7)

467 (23.1)

35 (16.6)

69 (27.0)

104 (22.2)

.007

 Academic

120 (12.5)

129 (12.5)

249 (12.3)

26 (21.7)

33 (25.6)

59 (23.7)

.468

 Missing

10

12

22 (1.1)

    
 

χ2 = 13.722;

df = 4

P = .008

χ2 = 153.8; df = 4; p = < 0.001

 

Poverty line

 Above

440 (52.1)

432 (48.6)

872 (43.2)

116 (26.4)

146 (33.8)

262 (30.0)

.017

 Below

404 (47.9)

457 (51.4)

861 (42.7)

131 (32.4)

208 (45.5)

339 (39.4)

.000

 Missing

127

158

285 (14.1)

    
 

χ2 = 2.169;

df = 1;

p = .141

χ2 = 16.6; df = 1; p = < 0.001

 

District

 Northern District

515 (53.0)

545 (52.1)

1060 (52.5)

117 (22.7)

192 (36.1)

309 (29.5)

.001

 Haifa District

190 (19.6)

214 (20.4)

404 (20.0)

47 (24.7)

88 (41.7)

135 (33.7)

.001

 Central District

142 (14.6)

147 (14.0)

289 (14.3)

55 (38.7)

77 (52.7)

132 (45.8)

.017

 Southern District

124 (12.8)

141 (13.5)

265 (13.1)

58 (46.8)

73 (52.5)

131 (49.8)

.248

 

χ2 = .596

df = 3

p = .899

χ2 = 37.364; df = 3; p = < 0.001

 

BMI

 Low/healthy

299 (31.4)

463 (46.5)

762 (37.8)

86 (28.8)

159 (34.3)

245 (32.2)

.107

 Overweight

496 (52.2)

348 (35.0)

844 (41.8)

134 (27.0)

143 (41.1)

277 (32.8)

.000

 Obese

156 (16.4)

184 (18.5)

340 (16.8)

51 (32.7)

108 (58.7)

159 (46.8)

.000

 Missing

20

52

72 (3.6)

    
 

χ2 = 62.592

df = 4;

p = < 0.001

χ2 = 25.3; df = 2; p = < 0.001

 

Chronic disease

 None

685 (71.1)

714 (68.7)

1399 (69.3)

158 (23.1)

221 (31.0)

379 (27.1)

.001

 One

134 (13.9)

125 (12.0)

259 (12.8)

48 (35.8)

70 (56.0)

118 (45.6)

.001

 Two or more

144 (15.0)

200 (19.2)

344 (17.0)

66 (45.8)

135 (67.5)

201 (58.4)

.000

 Missing

8

8

16 (0.8)

    
 

χ2 = 7.155;

df = 2

p = .028

χ2 = 134.4; df = 2;p = < 0.001

 
  1. aHigh school diploma