Developing a surveillance system in Russia was a part of WHO efforts to build behavioral risk factor surveillance capacity in Mega Countries - the world most populous countries. The Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System developed in the US and used by all State Health Departments, served as a template. In the first phase the survey instrument was developed and tested. The questionnaire was developed with the questions taken from previous Russian, European, and US surveys. It collects information on smoking, alcohol use, fruit and vegetable consumption, physical activity, blood pressure, self-reported CVD symptoms and previously diagnosed diseases. This first Russian phone-based health survey was then piloted in Moscow where a random sample of 6065 was selected from 2,260,633 private phone listings. For the second phase additional 14 regions in Russia joined the survey and data coordination center was created in Moscow. Initial analysis found that in general, prevalence of behavioral risk factors in Russia was higher then in similar American surveys: the current smoking rate reached 52%, only 30% had BMI below 24 kg/m, 60% reported average daily fruit consumption of less then ½ of a pound per person in the summer, only 5% engaged in other then walking physical activity on a regular basis. These data help fill the gap in public health knowledge related to behavioral risk factors in the country and demonstrate the value of establishing a monitoring system. They also indicate that immediate preventive measures are needed to improve the health status of the population.
Keywords: Surveillance, Risk Factors
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: None
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.