Survey Research in the Arab World: Challenges and Opportunities

Benstead, Lindsay J.

doi:10.1017/s1049096518000112

Cited by 21 publications

(12 citation statements)

References 25 publications

(36 reference statements)

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“…A study conducted in Qatar, a country considered relatively similar to Saudi Arabia in terms of culture and religion, found that Arab survey takers tend to be wary of the reliability and intentions of surveys, whereas for non-Arabs, their behavior towards surveys depends on their willingness as well as the survey’s perceived cognitive and time burden [ 46 ]. It has also been found that preference falsification is likely to be present in some Arab countries [ 47 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Psychological distress reported by healthcare workers in Saudi Arabia during the COVID-19 pandemic: A cross-sectional study

Altwaijri

Bilal²,

Almeharish³

et al. 2022

PLoS ONE

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Introduction Few studies have considered the impact of COVID-19 on the mental health of healthcare workers (HCWs) in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). We estimated the prevalence and severity of psychological distress and characterized predisposing risk factors among HCWs in KSA during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods We conducted a cross-sectional online survey of 1,985 HCWs from 6 hospitals across the country designated with caring for COVID-19 patients between April 16 and June 21, 2020. Our data analysis was performed using logistic regressions. Ordered logistic regressions were also performed using forward stepwise model selection to explore the effects of risk factors on psychological distress. Results The prevalence of psychological distress reported by HCWs in KSA was high, ranging from mild-moderate to severe in severity. Younger HCWs, women, those in contact with COVID-19 patients, and those who either had loved ones affected or who were themselves affected by COVID-19 were the most at-risk of psychological distress. Risk factors such as insomnia, loneliness, fear of transmission, and separation from loved ones most significantly predicted elevated levels of distress among HCWs. Conclusions Increasing psychological distress was commonly reported by HCWs during the early months of COVID-19 pandemic in KSA. Public health policy makers and mental health professionals must give special attention to risk factors that predispose HCWs in KSA to psychological distress.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Psychological distress reported by healthcare workers in Saudi Arabia during the COVID-19 pandemic: A cross-sectional study

Altwaijri

Bilal²,

Almeharish³

et al. 2022

PLoS ONE

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“…Social desirability bias can particularly be a concern for politically sensitive questions like protest participation in the context of the MENA countries, since respondents in authoritarian regimes may not answer such questions honestly (Kuran, 1997). A recent study based on cross-national data analysis, however, shows the patterns of missing data for such questions do not systematically differ between MENA and other regions (Bensetad, 2018). Replicating the analyses using the alternative measure also offers some assurance.…”

Section: Outcome Measurementioning

confidence: 99%

From virtual space to public space: The role of online political activism in protest participation during the Arab Spring

Kim

Lim

2019

International Journal of Comparative Sociology

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This study examines the relationship between online social media use and protest participation during the Arab Spring, pro-democracy movements that swept across vast parts of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). What role did online communication media play in individual decisions to participate in these high-risk political activities? We address this question by drawing on microdata from the Arab Barometer Wave III (2012–2014), a large cross-national survey of citizens nested in administrative divisions across a dozen Muslim-majority countries. Using hierarchical linear modeling, we investigate the multilevel associations between online activities and the likelihood of getting involved in anti-government protests. Adjusting for individual- and regional-level confounders, as well as country fixed effects, we find that online political activism specifically, rather than Internet and social media use in general, is associated with higher odds of protest involvement during the Arab uprisings. In addition, we find that the positive linkage between individual online activism and protest is weaker in communities with a higher proportion of politically cyberactive residents.

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“…Public opinion data collected in the Arab Middle East and North Africa (MENA) remain scarce relative to the survey data available from most other world regions, and these data are often accompanied by concerns about reliability. A majority of Arab states are non-democratic (Bellin 2004; Bellin 2012), and this closed political environment is a major source of both the obstacles facing survey practitioners working in the region and of reservations among consumers of Arab survey data (Benstead 2018). The authoritarian character of most MENA states limits where scientific surveys can be conducted, who can administer them, what kinds of samples can be drawn, and the types of questions that can be asked (Clark 2006; Pollock 1992; Pollock 2008; Tessler 1987; Tessler 2011).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

‘Why Do You Ask?’ The Nature and Impacts of Attitudes towards Public Opinion Surveys in the Arab World

Gengler

Tessler

Lucas

et al. 2019

Brit. J. Polit. Sci.

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For the first time in an Arab country, this article examines attitudes toward public opinion surveys and their effects on survey-taking behavior. The study uses original survey data from Qatar, the diverse population of which permits comparisons across cultural–geographical groupings within a single, non-democratic polity. The authors find that Qatari and expatriate Arabs hold positive views of surveys, both in absolute terms and relative to individuals from non-Arab countries. Factor analysis reveals that the underlying dimensions of survey attitudes in Qatar mostly mirror those identified in Western settings, but a new dimension is discovered that captures the perceived intentions of surveys. Two embedded experiments assess the impact of survey attitudes. The results show that generalized attitudes toward surveys affect respondents’ willingness to participate both alone and in combination with surveys' objective attributes. The study also finds that negative views about survey reliability and intentions increase motivated under-reporting among Arab respondents, whereas non-Arabs are sensitive only to perceived cognitive and time costs. These findings have direct implications for consumers and producers of Arab survey data.

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Survey Research in the Arab World: Challenges and Opportunities

Cited by 21 publications

References 25 publications

Psychological distress reported by healthcare workers in Saudi Arabia during the COVID-19 pandemic: A cross-sectional study

Psychological distress reported by healthcare workers in Saudi Arabia during the COVID-19 pandemic: A cross-sectional study

From virtual space to public space: The role of online political activism in protest participation during the Arab Spring

‘Why Do You Ask?’ The Nature and Impacts of Attitudes towards Public Opinion Surveys in the Arab World

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