War Experiences and Health Among People in Bosnia-Herzegovina and Kosovo

Abstract

The aim of this population based study was to examine the relationship between war experiences and health, measured by poor general health and longstanding health problems. Methods: The data source is the South-East European Social Survey Project (SEESSP) based on a representative survey in Bosnia-Herzegovina (n=3313) and in Kosovo (n=1000). The data collection with face-to-face interviews was fielded in the winter of 2003/2004, that means 8-9 years after the end of the war (1995) in Bosnia-Herzegovina, compared to 4-5 years after the war ended (1999) in Kosovo. The finding showed that individuals with more severe war experiences, reported poorer general health in both countries, while for longstanding health problems this was the case only for Kosovo. Individuals in Kosovo who fought in the war had highest probability of poor health, while longstanding health problems were reported in both countries. The expected relationship between the time since the war, and general health and longstanding health problems showed up in Kosovo, where those who fought in the war seemed to have higher probability of poor health than those who fought in the war in Bosnia-Herzegovina.