Regional living conditions as a risk factor for chronic non-communicable diseases of the elderly population in the Russian regions

Scientific evidence suggests that the living environment may have a potential impact on individual health. Objective. To analyze the associations of regional features with the individual risk of chronic non-communicable diseases in the elderly population in the constituent entities of the Russian Federation. Materials and methods. The individual data were collected during the cross-sectional stage of the study «Epidemiology of Cardiovascular Diseases in the Regions of the Russian Federation» (ESSE-RF-3), conducted from 2020 to 2022. The analytical sample included 10.535 subjects (5.635 males and 4.900 females) aged 60 to 74 years (mean age 66.0±4.3 years) from 15 constituent entities of the Russian Federation. An integral index assessment, previously performed using principal components analysis, was used to describe regional housing conditions. To assess the association between the presence of chronic non-communicable diseases (CNCDs) and regional features of housing conditions, a logistic regression analysis was performed, calculating the odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI). Results. The deterioration of social housing conditions was associated with a higher risk of asthma (OR 1.39; 95% CI 1.21—1.59), kidney diseases (OR 1.13; 95% CI 1.04—1.23), and liver diseases (OR 1.1; 95% CI 1.00—1.22). The shift in the population structure towards older age was associated with a higher risk of coronary artery disease (OR 1.17; 95% CI 1.07—1.27), heart failure (OR 1.2; 95% CI 1.08—1.32), and malignancies (OR 1.3; 95% CI 1.14—1.47). An increase in regional economic development was associated with a lower risk of myocardial infarction (OR 0.88; 95% CI 0.79—0.99) and chronic bronchitis (OR 0.92; 95% CI 0.86—0.98). The increase in the regional industrial development was associated with a higher risk of coronary artery disease (OR 1.17; 95% CI 1.08—1.26), malignancies (OR 1.46; 95% CI 1.30—1.64), and liver diseases (OR 0.89; 95% CI 0.81—0.98). Conclusion. The study’s results indicate associations between regional housing conditions and the individual risk of chronic non-communicable diseases in the elderly population. Within the framework of the methodological approaches used, the identified associations also appear to reflect the impact of the living environment on the population’s awareness of their health status.