Zeitschrift für Suchtforschung und -therapie

Abstrakt

Health Behaviors and Attitudes in Young and Middle-Aged Saint-Petersburg Citizens (Russia): A Pilot Study

Rotar Oxana

Objective: To assess influence of health attitudes on health behavior and cardiometabolic risk in young and middleaged Saint-Petersburg (Russia) citizens. Design and methods: 103 participants (30 males, 73 females) aged 16-59 years were screened during a cultural health promotion event “Heart of the World”. Lifestyle characteristics, anthropometry, blood pressure and blood glucose were measured. Questions about internal and external barriers to health behavior were asked and health locus of control was assessed. Results: The study revealed a high prevalence of cardiometabolic risk factors, especially in men. In the participants’ implicit beliefs about appropriate care of health a number of healthy lifestyle norms (concerning alcohol consumption, smoking, sleep duration, fish, fruit and vegetable intake) were not represented. Among most prevalent subjective barriers to health lifestyle and regular preventive medical examinations were “lack of time”, “lack of wish” (more typical in men) and “lack of willpower” (more typical in women). Attitude risk factors of unhealthy lifestyle and cardiomeatbolic disturbances in were “lack of wish” as the main subjective barrier to care of health and chance health locus of control. Conclusion: Implicit beliefs about healthy lifestyle and controllability of disease risk, as well as subjective barriers to care of health should be taken into account in developing and carrying out preventive medical programs and routine medical practice.