The 1991 oil fires that were set by the Iraqis as they retreated from Kuwait
during the Gulf War are still considered the worst and biggest oil fires in the history
of the world. An initial study was conducted in 1992 to investigate the negative
effects of the pollution caused by the oil fires on the socio-psychological values of
housing and the cultural meanings of home and homeownership of Kuwaiti
households. In 1994, a follow-up study was conducted to examine how time between
the two studies and treatments of residential interiors and exteriors might have
affected Kuwaiti households' perceptions regarding the negative effects of ORP on the
socio-psychological values of housing, cultural meanings of home and
homeownership, and housing satisfaction.
Three-hundred and forty-seven non-smoking and non-institutionalized Kuwaiti
household members participated in the follow-up study. Only eighty-nine of the
participants in the follow-up study has also participated in the initial study. All the participants were 18 years or older, and were randomly selected from 60 different
cities and suburbs in Kuwait. Six trained interviewers collected the data via telephone
using survey questionnaires constructed specifically for that purpose.
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