Background: After the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1990, fifteen former Soviet Union countries (fSU) have been undergoing transition. The Belarusian rate of transition has been slower than the others, and population health is likely to have been affected differently. Aims: This study aimed to explore changes in population health in Belarus between 1990 and 2010, and to analyse and describe changes in the health status of Belarusians between 2001 and 2010. Methods: A mixed-method study was conducted, comprising: (i) a review of the published literature, (ii) an analysis of routine health-related statistics, (iii) a review of the national public health reforms, (iv) a secondary analysis of data from two population surveys conducted in Belarus in 2001 and 2010, and (v) a statistical analysis of data from a new Health Category Response Scale (HRCS) survey. Results: Population health initially deteriorated as living standards fell in the early 1990's. An increase in morbidity and mortality from the major non-communicable diseases, and a decrease in life expectancy, followed patterns of increasing hyperinflation and rising unemployment. Around 1994, the economic situation reversed. Major public health reforms were implemented from 1999. Around 2000, mortality indicators for some diseases improved, but not all, while morbidity continued to increase. The secondary analysis of the cross-sectional data (2001 and 2010) and the HCRS survey conducted in Belarus in 2010 showed that Belarusians perceived their health to be better in 2010 than in 2001. Conclusions: In the early 1990's, population health in Belarus deteriorated. Around 2000, some mortality health indicators showed improvement, but by 2010, they had not yet reached their 1990 levels. In contrast, morbidity health indicators continued to deteriorate throughout 1990 to 2010.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:bl.uk/oai:ethos.bl.uk:655684 |
| Date | January 2015 |
| Creators | Vasianovich, Alena |
| Publisher | University of Aberdeen |
| Source Sets | Ethos UK |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
| Source | http://digitool.abdn.ac.uk:80/webclient/DeliveryManager?pid=227038 |
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