RISK FACTORS OF NON-COMMUNICABLE DISEASES IN THE REPUBLIC OF BELARUS AND THEIR REGIONAL FEATURES

Abstract

The aim of the study is to determine the level of main risk factors for non-communicable diseases in the Republic of Belarus and to identify their features for regions. Materials and methods are based on STEPS-investigation, which was conducted as a large scale national retrospective study, on multistage cluster sample, N=5010 respondents (households) of the target age category 18-69 years old, equally distributed by gender, age and region of the Republic of Belarus. Information was collected through: questionnaire survey (WHO STEPS tool), anthropometric study, biochemical studies. The author of the article was the coordinator of regional work group for the Brest region. Results and conclusions. The main seven risk factors for the development of non communicable diseases are revealed for more than 60% of Belarussian population. Based on the analysis, the expectation of an increase in the incidence of cardiovascular diseases among the female population aged 40-69 in the Brest region is justified. Among the male population, according to this criterion, men of the Grodno region are in the most unfavorable zone. According to the level of the proportion of persons with three or more risk factors at the age of 18-69 years, contributing to unfavorable prognosis for the development of such diseases as diabetes mellitus, coronary heart disease and its complications, both women and men were singled out in the Grodno region.