THE CONCEPT OF RISK FACTORS FOR THE HEALTH OF THE POPULATION

Abstract

А systematic view on the concept of risk types of human health is presented; the main directions of the analysis of the influence of social factors on individual and population health are described. A number of approaches to the classification of risk factors take into account the form of exposure, the risk from exposure to environmental factors and social risk factors and their influence on an individual. There are five areas of analysis of the influence of social factors on individual and population health: essential-oriented; structured; detail-oriented; empirically-oriented; specially-oriented. Groups of risk factors affecting health equally relevant to men and women were distinguished: the first group was made based on socio-economic factors (low level of education; uncomfortable household; poor nutrition depending on material welfare and social status of the population (67% of the population); the second group of factors was formed according to the lifestyle (smoking, alcohol consumption, low physical activity, lack of prevention of the basic diseases (91% of the population); the third group included medical-biological factors (people older than 50, chronic diseases being a background of deteriorating health and the reason for new diseases development (52% of the population). The methods of management of social risks to human health which are the methods of influence on the person as an individual and on society and public consciousness in general are presented. Identification of risk factors for human health determines the direction of operation of health institutions in taking treatment, rehabilitation, preventive and anti-epidemic measures.