174099 Health, Human Rights & Small Arms Violence in South Lebanon: Results from a random survey of households

Wednesday, October 29, 2008: 1:10 PM

Royce Hutson, PhD , School of Social Work, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI
Athena Kolbe, MSW , School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI
Bernadette Stringer, PhD, RN , Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
Ted Haines, MD, MSc , Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
Harry Samuel Shannon, PHD , Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
Imad Salamey, PHD , Department of Political Science, Lebanese American University, Beirut, Lebanon
In the summer of 2006, an unknown number of civilians were injured and killed during the armed conflict between Hizbollah militias and the Israeli Defense Forces. While the Israeli government kept detailed records of nearly every civilian and soldier killed or injured within Israel during the conflict, Lebanese officials did not keep similar records. Consequently, there is dispute over the number of civilians killed and injured in Southern Lebanon during the conflict. Using Random GPS Coordinate Sampling (RGCS), a representative sample of households in Southern Lebanon were surveyed about their experiences with human rights violations including murders, combat-related deaths, physical and sexual assaults, illegal detentions, and destruction of private property during a 1.5 year period starting with the commencement of armed conflict in July 2007. Data was also gathered regarding injury and death due to cluster bombs and unexploded munitions. In addition, respondents were queried about physical health problems, their beliefs regarding gun ownership and violence, and symptomology of depression, anxiety and posttraumatic stress disorder.

Learning Objectives:
Describe rates of human rights violations in South Lebanon. Articulate the process of Random GPS Coordinate Sampling and its use in public health surveys. Discuss the ramifications of human rights violations on the mental, physical and social well-being of residents of South Lebanon.

Keywords: War, Human Rights

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I am a qualified and experienced epidemiologist and researcher.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.