Health-related quality of life of Palestinian refugees inside and outside camps in Jordan

Background: Jordan hosts more Palestinian refugees than any country in the world. Conditions under which people in a community live influence their health related quality of life (HRQOL). Purpose: The purpose of this descriptive comparative cross-sectional study was to compare HRQOL of Palestinian refugees in Jordan who live inside camps with those who live outside camps. Methods: Participants, recruited from inside the Baqa'a camp (n = 86) and the surrounding Abu Nsair community (n = 91), completed the World Health Organization Quality of Life Brief questionnaire. Findings: There were disparities in education and social relations and environment HRQOL related to income and residency, but not gender, among refugees. Conclusion: Refugees living inside camps, particularly if poorer, fared worse than refugees living outside camps. Enhanced programs and policies may be needed to improve HRQOL, education, and socioeconomics for camp refugees. Nursing's perspective on refugee health could make an important contribution to humanitarian efforts and health diplomacy.