ArticleBMC public health2024
Unveiling the unseen toll: exploring the impact of the Lebanese economic crisis on the health-seeking behaviors in a sample of patients with diabetes and hypertension.
Article in BMC public health, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 14 papers.
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14 citing papers in PubMed, 15 citations in OpenAlex.
- Psychometric Properties of the General Decision-Making Style (GDMS-20) Questionnaire in a Lebanese Arab Adult Sample.International journal of methods in psychiatric research · 2026Article
- Presentation and Clinical Outcomes of Inflammatory Bowel Disease in Children and Adolescents at a Tertiary Care Center in Lebanon.Journal of clinical medicine · 2026Article
- Coping strategies among family caregivers of community-dwelling older adults in Lebanon amid the economic crisis.PloS one · 2026Article
- Exploring factors affecting access to non-communicable disease medicines in low- and middle-income countries: a systematic review.BMJ public health · 2026Article
- The short medication adherence scale (SMAS-7): Development and psychometric validation in a general population sample.Exploratory research in clinical and social pharmacy · 2025Article
- Combatting antimicrobial resistance amidst the era of economic crisis: Public perceptions and antibiotic practices in Lebanon.Journal of public health research · 2025Article
- The Experience of Accessing Primary Healthcare Centres in a Lebanese Community: Perspectives of Older People, Family Members and Service Providers.Health expectations : an international journal of public participation in health care and health policy · 2025Article
- Navigating Health Care in Crises: Health Literacy and Treatment Adherence Among Hemodialysis Patients in Lebanon.Kidney medicine · 2025Article
- Maximizing older people's access to primary health care centers in Lebanon: a co-design approach.Health promotion international · 2025Article
- Barriers and enablers to primary health care center access for older people in Lebanon: A qualitative inquiry.PloS one · 2025Article
- Article
- Knowledge, attitude and practice toward childhood immunization among mothers in Lebanon.PloS one · 2025Article
- Article
- Exploring gender disparity in medicine: perceptions of female physicians in Lebanon.BMC medical education · 2024Article
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Authors and funding
8 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
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No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundAgainst the backdrop of Lebanon's escalating multifaceted crisis which resulted in medication shortages for chronic diseases and unaffordable healthcare services, the current study endeavors to shed light on a critical yet overlooked facet of the Lebanese economic crisis- its profound impact on the health-seeking behaviors of patients with hypertension and diabetes mellitus.
methodsAn exploratory cross-sectional study based on an online questionnaire was conducted on 156 adult Lebanese citizens diagnosed medically with either hypertension or diabetes. We gathered sociodemographic characteristics and healthcare-related challenges faced during the economic crisis. We also assessed stress levels using the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS-21). Descriptive and bivariate analyses were done using SPSS version 26.
resultsThe mean age of the population was 49.8 ± 17.7 years old, 51.6% were females and 48.4% were males, 29.7% had diabetes, 51.3% had hypertension and 19.0% had both diseases. Among all, 84.2% reported dissatisfaction with the current healthcare system, 31.6% reported changing their physician mainly because of unaffordable consultation fees (66%) or immigration of the physician (32%). Of those with hypertension and/or diabetes, less than 20% reported finding all their prescribed medications and 47% either modified or discontinued their treatment without seeking medical advice. In case of drug shortage, patients relied on stocked reserves (26%), alternative/generic medications (10%) and external sources for medication procurement such as relatives living abroad (41.7%), outsourcing suppliers (19.9%), dispensaries (19.6%) and NGOs (20.3%). All participants reported a high stress level (5.03/7) with a mean total DASS-21 score of 38.7 ± 35.8 that were attributed to August 4
conclusionOur findings explore how the economic crisis has taken its toll on almost all aspects of healthcare in a sample of patients with diabetes and hypertension in Lebanon. The drug shortage as well as disruptions in affordable healthcare access imposed several barriers to adequate adherence to treatment regimens and acted as important mental health stressors.
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