RESUMO
Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has enormous negative effects on people's lives. People with disabilities (PWDs) who have been made vulnerable and who tend to face significant barriers in accessing public services are likely to be affected even more. This study aims to shed light on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on PWDs with special attention to their ability to access public services in the West Bank region of the occupied Palestinian territory. Methods: This qualitative study was conducted between March 2021 and October 2021. The study was divided into two phases. The first phase consisted of interviews with people with different disabilities, while the second phase targeted policymakers and stakeholders in discussion of the results of the first phase. A total of 16 interviews with people with different types of disabilities (7 males, 9 females) were conducted via telephone. For the second phase, a total of 6 interviews were conducted with stakeholders most responsible for addressing the issue of disability and the needs of PWDs in the West Bank. Analytical memos were prepared for all interviews. Main themes and subthemes were identified by reading and re-reading memos and transcripts until themes and subthemes emerged. Results: All participants agreed that the COVID-19 pandemic had affected all aspects of life for all groups of people, including PWDs. The effects of the pandemic exacerbated the overall living conditions and access to basic services for PWDs. The results show that access to public transportation, public services, and to health services was all interrupted during the pandemic. This was compounded by deterioration of the financial situation for PWDs which further worsened their access. The stakeholders' interviews confirmed and explained the findings as mainly due to lack of prioritization of PWD's rights and needs. Conclusion: The study emphasized that most of the reported barriers to accessing essential services were intensified during the pandemic. Furthermore, the results show that PWDs and their needs are not considered a priority by the Palestinian Authority, exacerbated by the Israeli occupation. Our findings underline the importance of including PWDs in any future crisis planning.
RESUMO
BACKGROUND: Eating at fast food restaurants has become a worldwide phenomenon. To understand the factors that influence such behaviour is an important part of modern nutritional research. Social media may influence human eating behaviours in ways that have yet to be investigated. This study tests the possible relationship between two modern trends: social media usage and eating at fast food restaurants. FINDINGS: A cross-sectional study was conducted in April, 2017. Undergraduate students aged 17-30 years in the West Bank, occupied Palestinian territory, completed a self-administered online Google Forms survey of 18 questions. Four universities were chosen to represent the four areas of interest; Birzeit University (central West Bank), Al-Quds University (East Jerusalem), An-Najah University (northern West Bank), and Hebron University (southern West Bank). Permission was sought from the administrators of the two most popular Facebook groups for each university (those with the highest number of members). After permission was granted, the survey was posted on each Facebook group. We used convenience sampling; students were requested to complete the survey on a voluntary basis. The surveys were closed when 150 students had filled forms or when the completion rate stagnated despite the survey being re-posted up to five times. The settings on Google Forms were adjusted so that every question had to be answered to complete the survey. The survey aimed to measure the types of social media that students used (use of Facebook services, and of the four other most popular social media platforms), the time spent on social media, and behaviour relating to eating at restaurants. A five-point Likert-type scale was used to record responses to the questions. Descriptive statistics were gathered, and Pearson's chi squared test was used to test for associations. Ethical approval for the project was obtained from Birzeit University, and informed written consent was obtained from all participants. FINDINGS: In total, 399 students completed the survey; a completion rate of 67% (399 of 600). 26% (105 of 399) were male and 76% (294) were female. There were 150 participants at Birzeit University, 136 participants at Al-Quds University, 83 participants at An-Najah University, and 32 participants at Hebron University. Significant associations were found between using Facebook Messenger to call or message Facebook friends to invite them to eat at fast food restaurants, and uploading pictures of fast food meals (p=0·0010), and eating out at fast food restaurants (p=0·027). Furthermore, there was a significant association between time spent on Facebook and eating at restaurants (p=0·050). However, there was no significant association between time spent on Facebook and eating at fast food restaurants (p=0·21). INTERPRETATION: The findings suggest that aspects of food-related lifestyle for students, such as eating at restaurants, are influenced by their use of Facebook as both a communication tool and as a visual platform. Whether social media can be used in interventions to promote healthy eating should be investigated. FUNDING: None.