Al-Adili Nadim, Shaheen Mohammad, Bergstrom Staffan, Johansson Annika
Division of International Health, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden.
Scand J Public Health. 2008 May;36(3):292-7. doi: 10.1177/1403494807086985.
This study describes survival, family care and growth of the orphans of women dying at reproductive age (15-49 years) in the West Bank, Palestine, in 2000 and 2001.
One hundred and sixty-seven children who were below 5 years of age at the time of the mother's death were identified. Three had died soon after birth. The family situation for the remaining 164 children was recorded. A planned baseline study could not be done at that time, due to the escalating political violence in the study area. In 2004, an average of 3 years after the mother's death, all orphan families were contacted. Of the 164 orphans, six had left the country with their fathers, and six could not be reached, due to restricted mobility. Home interviews were conducted with the 148 orphans' custodians/care-takers. Family situation and orphans' health status as judged by the interviewees were investigated, and are presented in descriptive statistics. Orphan weight and height were measured, and rates of wasting and stunting were calculated and analysed by gender.
The most striking finding is the high survival rate among the orphans. With the exception of the three neonatal deaths, all orphans who could be reached were alive. Almost all lived with their fathers, most of whom had remarried shortly after the death of their wives, and a stepmother had joined the family in 85% of the cases. Of the orphans under 5 years of age at the time of the interview, 8.8% and 17.6%, respectively, suffered from wasting and stunting, all of whom were girls. These rates were higher than those in the national data from 2003 for Palestinian children.
Early family reconstruction is suggested to be a contributing factor to the high survival rate. Close monitoring of motherless orphans' health and nutritional status, with a special emphasis on orphan girls, should be ensured.
本研究描述了2000年和2001年在巴勒斯坦约旦河西岸，育龄期（15 - 49岁）死亡女性的孤儿的生存状况、家庭照料及成长情况。
确定了167名在母亲死亡时年龄低于5岁的儿童。其中3名在出生后不久死亡。记录了其余164名儿童的家庭状况。由于研究地区政治暴力升级，当时无法进行计划中的基线研究。2004年，在母亲去世平均3年后，联系了所有孤儿家庭。在这164名孤儿中，6名随父亲离开了该国，6名由于行动受限无法联系到。对148名孤儿的监护人/照料者进行了家庭访谈。调查了受访者判断的家庭状况和孤儿的健康状况，并以描述性统计数据呈现。测量了孤儿的体重和身高，计算并按性别分析了消瘦和发育迟缓率。
最显著的发现是孤儿的高生存率。除了3例新生儿死亡外，所有能联系到的孤儿都还活着。几乎所有孤儿都与父亲生活在一起，其中大多数父亲在妻子去世后不久再婚，85%的家庭有继母加入。在访谈时年龄低于5岁的孤儿中，分别有8.8%和17.6%患有消瘦和发育迟缓，且均为女孩。这些比率高于2003年巴勒斯坦儿童的全国数据。
早期家庭重建被认为是高生存率的一个促成因素。应确保密切监测失去母亲的孤儿的健康和营养状况，特别关注孤儿女孩。
