علوم بهداشتی ایران (Aug 2024)
Identification of the Components of Health Quality of Life in Afghan Refugee\'s UN Camp in Fars Province, Iran: A Qualitative Study
Abstract
Background and Purpose: Quality of life (QoL) refers to social issues such as consumption, income, education, housing, health, medical care, etc. However, this concept has been investigated less in the lives of immigrants in the 21st century. This research examines the QoL from the experiences of the refugees living in a UN camp in Sarvestan City, Iran. We hope that this investigation is used for further planning. Materials and Methods: This is a qualitative content analysis study. The participants were chosen using purposeful sampling with maximum diversity. In this study, in-depth and semi-structured interviews were performed with 30 residents of this Afghan camp (18 men and 12 women) aged over 18 years in 2024. Each interview was transcribed verbatim and analyzed using MAXQDA software, version 10. Finally, after reviewing the transcripts several times, the initial codes, subthemes, and main themes were extracted and developed. Results: The participants in this study were Afghan refugees living in a UN camp in Iran. They were 30 men and women living in the camp. After completing the interviews and analyzing the data, 415 open codes and 3 main themes appeared. The 3 main themes included QoL, quality of services, and challenges and obstacles. Subthemes related to the QoL included health, security, economic status, social acceptance, and education. Subthemes related to service quality in various forms included comprehensive services, accessibility, usefulness, and appropriateness. Subthemes related to the third topic included financial deficits, social barriers, and cultural-ethnic problems. The immigrants’ demands for improving the QoL included providing services to high-risk groups of refugees, continuing the education of the youth and adolescents, providing necessary equipment and settings for health and culture, and improving employment status. Conclusion: In this study, it was found that the obstacles and problems were raised in the form of a lack of financial resources, social barriers, and cultural and ethnic issues. Lack of suitable jobs, low income, inflation in Iran (due to recent sanctions), and unavailability of necessary medicines are among the severe obstacles to improving the quality of health and treatment of immigrant diseases.
