Zeynep Şimşek

A Community-Based Survey on Syrian Refugee Women’s Health and Its Predictors in Şanliurfa, Turkey

ABSTRACT Reproductive characteristics, mental health symptoms, micronutrient deficiencies, and symptoms of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) were determined among married Syrian refugee women aged 15–49 years who were living outside of camps in 2015, using probability sampling. Of the 458 participants, 51.3 percent married before the age of 18 years. Early-age marriages and number of desired children increased after the war. In multivariable analyses, education (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 1.2; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.2–1.3) and length of stay in Şanlıurfa (aOR = 1.2; 95% CI = 1.1–1.2) were independently associated with early marriage. Approximately 16 percent of women were pregnant, and 26.7 percent of them had not received prenatal care; 47.7 percent had had a pregnancy loss; 50.8 percent reported symptoms of STIs. Of those who were sexually active, 37.8 percent were not using contraception. The prevalence of iron, B12, and folic acid deficiencies was 50 percent, 45.6 percent, and 10.5 percent, respectively. Early marriage (aOR = 2.2; 95% CI = 1.4–3.5) and number of desired children (aOR = 5.03; 95% CI = 3.2–7.9) were associated with not using contraception. Most (89.7 percent) women reported at least two mental health symptoms; lack of social support (aOR = 2.6; 95% CI = 1.3–5.3), language barrier (aOR = 2.3; 95% CI = 1.01–5.2), and B12 deficiency (aOR = 1.8; 95% CI = 1.01–3.4) were associated with such symptoms. The findings demonstrate the need for reproductive health and psychosocial services.