| Abstract
|
:
|
Protectors of public health are targeted for crime worldwide. Declines in infrastructure have lead to loss of respect for authority, culture, and ultimately, life. American private voluntary organizations (PVOs) render humanitarian assistance and provide infrastructure where it is lacking. In so doing, they too are targeted. This topic is of public health relevance because it concerns a particular population's health, uninformed decisions to ameliorate insecurity directly affect this population, and the workplace of this population is subject to violence. Literature reviewed suggests that of the possible actions that can be taken to ameliorate insecurity (and thereby improve health), collocation with military forces, diplomatic intervention, and institution of legal measures are taken by entities other than PVOs, but greatly affect PVO security. Secondly, there is little evidence that PVOs take the remaining options to ameliorate insecurity for their personnel working overseas. Lastly, five of the six major categories of insecurity-ameliorating actions are beyond the means of the individual PVO worker. In order to add to the body of knowledge, a cross-sectional survey of a stratified simple random sample of directors of international operations for American PVOs (N = 210) was conducted. Two different questionnaires (self- and phone-administered) were utilized. Information sought concerned: (a) awareness of insecurity-related incidents, (b) belief concerning worker insecurity, (c) attitude towards, and (d) behavior of taking insecurity-ameliorating actions. All responding PVOs without a "no-speak" policy (97%) indicated that insecurity-related incidents involving their personnel occurred within the last year. The most insecure countries were identified as Bosnia, Cambodia, and Liberia. The most commonly given characteristics of insecurity were ethnic violence, thievery, vehicular incidents, and operating in a war-zone. Insecurity-ameliorating actions taken by PVOs included a few physical security measures and the occasional cessation or reduction of operations. Upon elaboration of the correlation model usd(p < .05),usd awareness disappeared in favor of belief. Belief was found to be correlated with attitude and, unexpectedly, with behavior. What people believe greatly affects attitude and behavior, whereas their factual awareness seems ineffectual. In order to improve the health of this population of international relief workers, public health agents for change should address belief structure over awareness.
|