WHOMONICA program-based study of awareness of their healthand attitude to the latter in males and females aged 25-64years from Novosibirsk

• Main Authors: V V Gafarov, V A Pak, I V Gagulin, A V Gafarov
• Format: Article
• Language: Russian
• Published: "Consilium Medicum" Publishing house 2003-11-01
• Series: Терапевтический архив
• Subjects: epidemiology; cardiovascular diseases; monica project; attitude towards health; awareness
• Online Access: https://ter-arkhiv.ru/0040-3660/article/view/29703
• ISSN: 0040-3660; 2309-5342

Aim. To assess the attitude of the Novosibirsk population towards its health, its readiness to participate in preventive measures and to implement guidelines for changing lifestyle. Materials and methods. A random representative sample of males and females (a total of 2400 individuals) aged 24 to 64 years from one of the Novosibirsk districts was examined within the framework of the second screening of the MONICA program studying the trends and monitoring cardiovascular diseases and the "MOPSY-MONICA-psychosocial" subprogram. The examination included the conventional procedures described in the MONICA project. Sleep disorders, health self-assessment, and attitude to smoking were studied by means of the questionnaire "Awareness and Attitude towards Health" adapted to the studied population. Results. More than 60% of the males and 85% of the females reported that they were not quite healthy or ill, only 7% of the individuals had their health examined although almost 100% noted that they were most likely to fall ill with a serious disease within 5-10 years. The males were more optimistic in their assessments than were the females. With age, the frequency of assessments, such as "not quite healthy" and "ill", concern about their health, and participation in prophylactic examinations increased. 45% of the respondents reported about the high level of stress in their working place. The opportunity of the examinees to have a rest at home was extremely little. Family stress was significant for both sexes. The females showed a more negative attitude towards smoking than did the males (55% of the males and 5% of the females were smokers). The males more frequently considered that they did not need to alter dietary habits and to do exercises than did the females. A total of 2.4% of the males and 2.5% of the females changed their dietary habits for their health. Only 50% of the males and 31% of the females slept well or very well, this parameter decreased with age. Conclusion. Despite a positive motivation in the context of prophylaxis, there are negative trends in both social and behavioral characteristics of the population. The most intensive measures for altering the behavioral characteristics of the population and for softening the impact of stress on the population are required at the governmental level.