Stress in individuals with noncommunicable diseases: ESSE-RF and ESSE-RF2 data

Aim . To determine the level and prevalence of stress in individuals with noncommunicable diseases (NCDs). Material and methods . Representative samples of the population aged 25-64 years from 17 regions of the Russian Federation (n=27950) were included, examined within the ESSE-RF and ESSE-RF2 studies. To assess stress, the Perceived Stress Scale-10 was used. Stress levels were defined as follows: low — 0-11, moderate — 12-19, high — 20-40. The presence of diseases was recorded by a positive answer to the question: "Has a doctor ever told you that you have/had the following diseases?". Hypertension was defined as systolic blood pressure (BP) ≥140 mm Hg, and/or diastolic BP ≥90 mm Hg, and/or taking antihypertensive drugs. Obesity was defined as a body mass index ≥30,0 kg/m 2 , while abdominal obesity — as a waist circumference ≥102 cm in men and ≥88 cm in women. Blood biochemical tests included lipid profile assessment. Results . The stress level in the entire sample varied from 15,0 (myo­cardial infarction) to 16,6 (rheumatoid arthritis). When analyzing by sex, the highest stress score in women was observed in coronary artery disease — 17,6, while in men — in rheumatoid arthritis (15,1), cerebrovascular accident (15,1). More than a quarter of men with coronary artery disease (25,8%), prior cerebrovascular accidents (26,4%) had a high level of stress, while women with these diseases — 40,6%. Among the entire sample, the presence of each NCD, except for myocardial infarction, was characterized by a significantly higher stress level compared to participants without the corresponding disease. Conclusion . In the Russian population, individuals with NCDs are cha­racterized by higher stress rates compared to individuals without the corresponding disease. Among women, both the level and prevalence of stress are higher, and the list of diseases affecting the mental well-being is wider compared to men.