Changes in structure of nononcological morbidity and mortality of inhabitants of radiactively polluted areas: epidemiologic surveillance 1988-2015

Abstract

Objective: We established the features of the changes in the structures of non-tumorous morbidity and mortality causes in the residents of radioactively contaminated territories (RCT) taking into account their gender and age at the moment of the accident at the Chornobyl NPP in the period of epidemiologic monitoring in 1988-2015. Materials and methods: For epidemiological evaluation of non-tumorous morbidity and mortality among the residents of radioactively contaminated territories in the post-accident period of 1988-2015 we created a cohort of the individuals from the settlements of Zhytomyr, Kyiv, Chernihiv, and Rivne oblasts, accordingly, from Ovruch, Ivankiv, Kozelets, Rokitneiv regions by the data of the State Register of Ukraine (SRU). 98902 persons were included in the cohort taking into account their age at the moment of the Chernobyl accident, gender, total individual doses in the limits less than 13 and over 40 mGr accumulated during the post-accident period of chronic radiation exposure since 1986. The doses were reconstructed in the NNCRM and passed to the SRU. In the total cohort at the age under 60 at the moment of the Chernobyl accident the residents of the RCT were divided by their gender and age. Results: We performed the cohort epidemiologic study of non-tumorous morbidity and mortality of the residents of the RCT at the age under 60 at the moment of the accidents at the Chornobyl NPP during 1988-2015. As a result of analysis it was revealed that general morbidity by age in the residents of the RCT was practically identical and was little different in percentage in the individuals aged under 18 years – 34%, 18-39 years – 36%, 40-60 years – 30%. During the monitoring, a high mortality (77%) in the individuals aged 40-60 years in comparison with younger age categories (20% of the persons aged 18-39 years and 3% of the persons aged under 18 years) was observed. Increase of the mortality in the residents with an increase of their age was stipulated by a significant part of the diseases of circulatory system in the structure of non-tumorous mortality irrespective of their gender and age at the moment of accident at the Chornobyl NPP. We can also point out a decrease of the diseases of endocrine system that occupies a significant place in the morbidity structure in the residents of the youngest age category (20% of the persons aged under 18 years, up to 2.91% of the residents aged 18-39 years, and up to 1.99% of the residents aged 40-60 years). Conclusions: Taking into account that mainly the development of non-tumorous diseases and mortality causes of circulatory system diseases were significant in the residents of the RCT during the period of the study, further it should be important to analyze a structure of nosological forms of this class.