Psychosocial state of the adult evacuees and risk factors of negative change

Numerous scientific studies have been carried out since the ChNPP accident indicating that the last one has caused a severe psychosocial stress in survivors. Population of radioactively contaminated territories, people migrated from the areas of strict radiation control, and accident consequences clean up participants in 1986 1987 were covered by the conducted research projects. Nature of the stress herewith is polygenic and includes factors directly related to the Chernobyl catastrophe, and factors being a result of social and economic circumstances. This report is devot ed to the results of research on psychosocial state of population evacuated from the 30 km zone of the ChNPP.

OBJECTIVE

Study and evaluation of psychosocial state of population evacuated from the 30 km ChNPP zone at the age of 18 years and older; identification of potential psychosocial risk factors for the health loss.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The sampling epidemiological study of psychosocial state of population aged 18-50 years evacuated from the 30 km zone of ChNPP was conducted at the NRCRM Radiation Registry Outpatient Clinic and Radiation Psychoneurology Department. The study subjects (n=258) were mostly (98%) females. Study was con ducted from October 2013 till May 2015. All the sample members were registered since 1992 in the system of life long health monitoring, i.e. the NRCRM Clinical and Epidemiological Registry. Study subjects were interviewed through the method using an original «Questioning Inventory». Mathematical processing of study results was held using the Epi Info 7 software package.

RESULTS

According to the study results, a nuclear accident at the Chornobyl NPP has become a powerful psychoso cial stress for evacuated people. Psychosocial state of the evacuees, formed during the post accident period, with full reason can be defined as a state of stable, chronic psychosocial stress. Nature of factors that caused the stress development is polygenic. Block of stressors directly related to the accident was determined, namely there were «change of radiation and ecological situation», «ionizing irradiation», «evacuation», and «radical breaking of dynamic stereotype of behavior and life». In parallel there was selected a block of stress factors generated by that background, i.e. psychological, social, economic, and cultural, on which a nuclear disaster was imposed upon. The effects of stress have manifested as a persistent syndrome of «anxiety» for the personal health and health of fami ly members, primarily the children, and as a stable state of «dissatisfaction» with fullness and quality of life.

CONCLUSIONS

The nuclear accident at the ChNPP has been the cause of a strong psychosocial stress in adult evacu ated population, especially in women. Further in a remote period the stress was transformed into a stable, chronic form. Nature of stress is polygenic and includes stressors directly related to the accident, and stressors that are not directly related to the accident consequences, but are due to the level of social, economic, medical, and informa tional protection of survivors. Data presented in the paper are rather enough important for the formation of strate gies and measures for social and psychological protection of population in an event of nuclear accidents and incidents.

Social and psychological state of the Chornobyl clean up workers. Risk factors for negative changes

It is generally recognized that the Chornobyl nuclear accident caused strong psychosocial stress affecting the entire population of Ukraine, primarily people involved in recovery operations. But what are the reasons? What is the struc ture of stressors? What are their social, medical and biological consequences, what are strategy and preventive meas ures? Issues that require special research and development.

OBJECTIVE

To study social and psychological state of the Chornobyl cleanup workers 1986-1987, and to determine regularities of changes and dangerous risk factors.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

On the basis of Polyclinic of Radiation Registry, NRCRM, we conducted sample epidemiolog ical study of social and psychological state of the Chornobyl clean up workers 1986-1987. We used method of inter viewing based on «questionnaire», specially developed for this purpose. The study was conducted in October 2013 - May 2015. The sample numbered 235 males aged 18-50 at the time of the accident. Their average age was (31.3 ± 5.3) years at the time of the accident and (58.9 ± 5.3) at the time of survey.

RESULTS

The results revealed that the Chornobyl nuclear accident and its consequences caused strong social and psychological stress among clean up workers 1986-1987. We have identified a set of factors closely related to the Chornobyl accident, they have caused a sustainable development of mental syndrome - «Anxiety about their own health and the health of family members, especially children». The other set of stressors which are not closely relat ed to the Chornobyl accident but are the result of the social and economic, social and political situation in the coun try. However the former was found to be the cause of such a psychological state as «dissatisfaction with the com pleteness and quality of life».

CONCLUSIONS

Social and psychological state of the Chornobyl clean up workers 1986-1987 is estimated as «poor» and it integrally can be characterized as a state of chronic psychosocial stress. Mental syndrome «Anxiety about per sonal health and the health of family members» and psychological syndrome «Dissatisfaction with living condi tions» are main consequences of this state. We identified the main stressors closely related to the consequences of the Chornobyl accident as well as those that are not related to the accident but affect profoundly the level of men tal, social and physical well being. Results of the research are of great importance in organization and provision of social, medical and antiradiation protection of population under emergency situations involving radiation exposure. Key words: Chornobyl accident, clean up workers, social and psychological state, risk factors.

[THE INTERRELATION OF BIOLOGICAL AGE OF THE STUDENTS WITH THE INDICES OF BODY MASS, ITS COMPONENTS, AND THE CONSTITUTIONAL TYPE]

The relationship of biological age with the indices of body mass, body composition, and constitutional type was studied in 832 students aged 18–22 years (302 youths and 530 girls). To determine the biological age, the method of V. P. Voytenko (1981) was used that allowed to establish functional class, rate of aging and health condition. It was found that almost half of the students had poor health associated with the accelerated rate of biological aging. A decline in the proportion of active cell mass and an increase in body fat mass was noted. In 40.6% of students with normal values of body mass index, excessive amount of body fat was determined by bioimpedance method. 62.2% of the students with an accelerated rate of biological aging had an increased content of a fat component in the body.

Role of radiation and non-radiation factors on the development of coronary heart disease in the Chornobyl clean-up workers: epidemiological study results

Objective. The objective of this study was to establish the risks for coronary heart disease in the Chornobyl clean-up workers with regard to a whole-body external radiation dose and non-radiation (biological, social-and-hygienic and behavioral) factors. Materials and methods. Risk-analysis was based on the cohort of the Chornobyl male clean-up workers 1986-1987 (8,625 men, including 3,623 with available whole-body external doses). Data of clinical-and-epidemiological registry, National Research Centre for Radiation Medicine were used for 1992-2013 monitoring period. We used the internal control group with radiation doses less than 0.05 Gy. Results. Statistically significant radiation risks in the Chornobyl clean-up workers were established for the coronary heart disease at doses 0.15-0.249 Gy, 0.25-0.99 Gy, 1 Gy and more (dose group 0.15-0.249 Gy RRY=1.9 (1.2; 3.1), ERR=4.6 (1.5; 14.9) Gy-1, EAR=64.2 cases per 1000 person-years, Gy); among exposed people aged 40 years and older - at doses 0.5-0.99 Gy (RRY=1.4 (1.05; 1.81), ERR=0.5 (0.03; 1.1) Gy-1, EAR=30.5 cases per 1000 person-years, Gy). Statistically significant risks for the disease under consideration were also identified with regard to non-radiation factors (smoking, improper physical training, adverse working conditions, diseases etc; age and psychoemotional overstrain were of a particular impact). Non-radiation factors are at most responsible for development of coronary heart disease. For this reason the control of potential confounding factors is required to assess the effect of the radiation factor both at a stage of comparison groups selection and analysis using the Mantel-Haenszel method.

Radiation and non-radiation factors impact on development of cerebrovascular diseases in the Chornobyl clean-up workers. The epidemiological study results

OBJECTIVE

To establish the cerebrovascular disease risks in the Chornobyl clean-up workers with regard to whole-body external dose and non-radiation factors i.e. biological, social-and-hygienic, behavioral ones.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Risk-analysis was based on the cohort of the Chornobyl male clean-up workers of 1986-1987 period (8625 men including 3623 with known whole-body external radiation dose values). Data from the Clinical-and-epidemiological registry, National Research Centre for Radiation Medicine were used. Observation period was since 1992 till 2010. We have used the approach with the internal control group with radiation doses less than 0.05 or 0.1 Gy.

RESULTS

The statistically significant radiation risks were established for the chronic forms of cerebrovascular disease at doses 0.5 Gy and higher, for some forms of the disease in certain dose-age strata i.e. 0.25 Gy and more. Statistically significant non-radiation risks for cerebrovascular disease were recorded with regard to age, psychoemotional stress, alcohol abuse, malnutrition, smoking, harmful working conditions etc. Role of age as a confounding factor was analyzed under the assessing of radiation risks with Mantel-Haenszel method application to improve the estimates of radiation effects.

[Patterns in the reaction of rabbit visual cortex neurons to constant illumination]

A number of informational estimates for the reactions of excitation, inhibition and of A-type (according to Young) of rabbits' visual cortex neurons to constant light was calculated by means of electronic computer -6. It has been found that entropy as well as redundancy are sometimes the characteristics of reactions intensity: the correlation of their values is regularly connected with the type of reactions. Possibility of optimal (for exposing the reactions) quantization of records with respect to time was shown. The regularities of "thin" statistical reactions' structure consisting in the change in "force" and "distance" of intercennection action were found. Possible informational value of the obtained results is discussed.

[Organization of the background activity of rabbit visual cortex neurons]

Algorithm of calculation of consitent approximation to real entropy and redundancy which helps to understand the connection of two or more related states was realized by means of electronic computer BECM-6. Different laws of changes of information estimates dependeing on the number of approximation and the pitch of temporary quantum of messages corresponded to every type of cell impulsation of rabbits' visual cortex--arrhithimical, grouping and regular. The connections between the laws of impulse succession organization and some of its parameters were revealed. The results of studying the models of casual and deterministic pulse trains were compared.