title: Implications of ethnic group origin for Israeli women's mental health.
abstract: Israel is an immigrant society comprised of diverse ethnic groups differentiated by variables such as emigration history, health status, educational level, and economic status. The major question addressed in this study is whether differences in women's mental health status are related to ethnic group origin, per se, or rather can be explained by the associated social-demographic strata. The impact of ethnic group origin, social support, health status, education, and economic difficulties was assessed on a set of mental health outcomes. The analysis was carried out in a random sample of 522 women residing in the Negev region of Israel-a culturally diverse area. The findings indicate that social support, economic status, health status, and ethnic group origin all contribute to shaping women's mental health status.
authors.affiliation: Spitzer Department of Social Work and The Center for Women's Health Studies and Promotion, Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Israel. jcwikel@bgumail.bgu.ac.il
authors.forename: Julie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Cwikel
authors.forename: Dorit
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Segal-Engelchin
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001294:Attitude to Health / Q000208:ethnology*; D003466:Cultural Characteristics; D004641:Emigration and Immigration; D005006:Ethnicity / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006305:Health Status Indicators; D006801:Humans; D007557:Israel / Q000453:epidemiology; D008603:Mental Health; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D012931:Social Environment; D016387:Women's Health / Q000208:ethnology*