Growing Up in the Middle East: The Daily Lives and Well-Being of Israeli and Palestinian Youth

This book presents the findings from the Middle East Health Behaviour in School-Aged Children (HBSC-ME) cross-cultural study of Jewish and Arab Israeli youth and of Arab youth in the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. A representative sample of 24,935 11-15 year old children. The study is based on the World Health Organisation's HBSC cross-national study, carried out in over 40 countries in Europe and North America since the early 80’s. The findings enable to learn about the daily lives of youth of the Middle East, in relation to family culture, parental relationship, school experience, leisure time activity and community involvement. They also enable to investigate the epidemiology and determinants of patterns of health related risk behaviours associated with major health outcomes, such as violence, smoking, eating habits, physical activity and safety practices. The information obtained from this study serves as a "backbone" for exchanging expertise, insights and ideas, among research teams, health and education professionals and decision makers, to develop better evidence-based policies, programs and intervention strategies, to prevent youth risk behaviours and truancy, and to promote mental, physical and social well-being of adolescents living in this disturbed region of the world