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. 2016 Dec;26(6):1039-1044.
doi: 10.1093/eurpub/ckw096. Epub 2016 Jul 8.

Associations between poor living conditions and multi-morbidity among Syrian migrant agricultural workers in Lebanon

Rima R Habib  1 , Diana Mikati  2 , Safa Hojeij  2 , Khalil El Asmar  2 , Monique Chaaya  2 , Rami Zurayk  3
Affiliations

Associations between poor living conditions and multi-morbidity among Syrian migrant agricultural workers in Lebanon

Rima R Habib et al. Eur J Public Health. 2016 Dec.

Abstract

Background: Syrian migrant farmworkers are among the most marginalized populations in Lebanon, living in poverty, lacking basic legal protections and frequent targets of discrimination. These realities produce living conditions that undermine their basic health and wellbeing. This study explores associations between household living conditions and acute and chronic health problems among Syrian migrant agricultural workers in the Bekaa region of Lebanon.

Methods: A survey was carried out in summer of 2011 with a sample of 290 migrant agriculture workers and members of their household living in a migrant farmworker camp. The survey assessed participants living conditions, assets and health conditions. Regression analyses were carried out to examine associations between multi-morbidity and quality of household and neighborhood living conditions.

Results: The mean age for the population was 20 years. Forty-seven percent of participants reported health problems. Almost 20% reported either one acute or chronic illness, 15% reported two health problems and 13% reported three or more. The analysis showed a significant positive association between multi-morbidity and poor housing and infrastructure conditions among study participants.

Conclusion: The situation for migrant communities in Lebanon has likely further deteriorated since the study was conducted, as hundreds of thousands of new migrants have entered Lebanon since the outbreak of the Syrian armed conflict in 2011. These findings should inspire multi-faceted community development initiatives that provide basic minimums of neighborhood infrastructure and housing quality for Syrian migrant informal settlements across Lebanon, safeguarding the health and wellbeing of community residents.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Aerial map of the Asheish camp on (a) 29 July 2011 and (b) 15 May 2014. Source: Google Earth Map. The Asheish camp site boundaries in the maps are marked with the red contour
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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