The Physical and Psychosocial Health of Bedouin Arab Women of the Negev Area of Israel
Cwikel, J.; Lev-Wiesel, R.; Al-Krenawi, A.
Violence Against Women 9(2): 240-257
2003
ISSN/ISBN: 1077-8012 Document Number: 234274
This study examined the self-reported health status of Bedouin Arab women in relation to two salient features of current Bedouin Arab social mores: the emphasis on maintaining a high rate of fertility and the social acceptance of domestic violence. A quota sample of 202 Bedouin Arab women ranging in age from 22 to 75 were personally interviewed. Fortyeight percent of the women reported a lifetime exposure to physical violence, and 30% reported domestic violence that was associated with symptoms of poor mental health status and gynecological problems. Domestic violence was associated with a large number of children, and there is some indication that the level of domestic violence decreases during pregnancy.