49. Shahin, M., Shahin, V.A. A Baseline Descriptive Study on Selected Health and Health Related Conditions of Designated Villages in the Hebron Area. Al-Bireh: Arab College of Medical Professions, 1989: 100 pp.

In 1988 a survey was conducted in 20 small villages in the Hebron area which had been selected for UNICEF water and sanitation projects. A 15% random sample of households was selected from each village. Questionnaires were administered to the following members of these households (n = 380):
1. All women aged 15 - 49 years were given a fertility/mortality questionnaire (n = 380).
2. All mothers of children under five years of age were asked about their children's diarrhea episodes.
3. All mothers of children aged 12 - 23 months were asked about their children's vaccination schedule.
4. The female heads-of-households were given questionnaires concerning background health information.

Major findings include the following:
1. Using the "Brass" technique, an infant mortality rate of 97/1000 live births was found.
2. Using the PBT, the mortality rate of children under 2.2 years of age was estimated at 47/1000 live births.
3. The ratio of male to female child mortality was 0.68/1.
4. Trend analysis showed a decrease in childhood and infant mortality rates between 1975 and 1982 and an increase in the rates between the years 1983 and 1988.
5. Seventy-five percent of the ever married women had not received tetanus vaccination.
6. The prevalence diarrhea over two weeks (more than three stools per day) in children under five years of age was 32% and showed a typical decrease with age. Over the year preceding the survey, 2.5 deaths/ 1000 live births were caused by diarrhea diseases (the calculation was not explained).
7. Forty-nine percent of children aged 12 - 23 months were fully immunized; 46% were partially immune and five percent had never been immunized.
8. The main drinking water source was rain-fed cisterns. Thirty-eight percent of the households had no latrine.
9. Cost and lack of transportation were the main reasons given to explain why local health services were not utilized when sick.
10. Forty-four percent of mothers had not had any ante-natal care during their last pregnancy and 71% of mothers had not had post-natal care after their last delivery.
11. Nineteen percent of mothers had attended a health education session during the past year.
12. Eighty-five percent of deliveries were at home and 50% of the deliveries were unsupervised.
13. The average breast feeding period was 10.6 months. Twenty-one percent of the infants where weaned before 6 months and 56% before 12 months.
14. Ninety-nine percent of mothers said they had swaddled all their children.
15. Sixty-nine percent of mothers had less than four years of education and were considered illiterate.