[Impact of living in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip on chronic disease among the Jewish population].
OBJECTIVE
To assess chronic physical morbidity in the terror-prone Jewish population of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip (WBGS).


METHODS
We conducted a cross-sectional study based on electronic medical records. Included in the study were 24,551 members aged 26 years or older: 8,304 inhabitants of eleven Jewish settlements in the WBGS and 16,247 inhabitants of eleven settlements inside the 1967 borders of Israel. Main outcome measures were prevalence of selected chronic diseases.


RESULTS
The age and gender adjusted prevalence of diabetes and hypertension was lower in the WBGS group (relative risk 0.85 (0.80-0.90, 95% CI) and 0.87 (0.78-0.97, 95% CI) respectively). The prevalence of the diagnosis of peptic disease and headache was higher in the WBGS group (relative risk 1.64 (1.33-2.00, 95% CI) and 1.18 (1.05-1.32, 95% CI) respectively).


CONCLUSIONS
Complaints of headache and peptic disease were more common in communities under a continuous threat of terror; this may represent somatic response to stress and violence.
Kitai
Eliezer l
El
Department of Family Medicine, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv.
Poran-Shifman
Chani
C
Samuels
Gita
G
Shani
Michal
M
Vinker
Shlomo
S
D000328:Adult; D002908:Chronic Disease / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004935:Esophageal Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology; D006261:Headache / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007557:Israel / Q000453:epidemiology; D007585:Jews / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008877:Middle East / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence; D023481:Terrorism