Russians wish to rest but don’t get a chance

Almost everyone is concerned about their own health condition or at least about the condition of their loved ones. People only differ in the ways they express this concern and in the measures they take to guard their health. Some go on morning jogs and consume large amounts of fruits and veggies while others regularly watch TV health programs in the comfort of a soft and cozy couch.

Photo: Russians wish to rest but don’t get a chance

A group of sociologists from the National Center of Public Opinion Research decided to do what they are good at - that is, to research – how do the Russian people actually feel and act concerning their health. In order to achieve their goal, NCPOR surveyed 1,600 persons from 153 towns in the 46 regions of the country.

As it turned out, 54% of the ones surveyed were more or less satisfied with their family’s sate of health, while 45% were not too happy with it. Men tend to care less about their families’ health (58% were content) then do women (just 49% were content).

Approximately one-third of Russians (31%) don’t smoke or drink, 28% seek medical help when they get sick, 16% attempt to eat in a healthy way, another 16% enjoy watching health programs on TV, 12% exercise regularly and 11% check up on their health condition.

At the same time a third of the people questioned (32%) reported that they don’t care about such things whatsoever. Out of this group 8% consider themselves to be in good condition and 24% pay no attention to the signs pointing to the rapid declining of their health. Also in the past few years 62% of the nation’s citizens did not get a chance to receive the rest they needed to restore their health by means of a decent summer vacation. Just 29% of the survey respondents admitted to getting a rare vacation. As for the ones who get to rest regularly, they are only 9%.

In terms of gender differences, women seem to pay more attention to their wellbeing then their counterparts. Among women 41% do not drink or smoke while among men this number drops to 18%. Doctor visits are also more regular among women: 32% compared with 22% among men. Finally, 21% of women watch TV health programs and read health-related literature while only 10% of men busy themselves with such activities.

It is worth mentioning who the Russians consider to be healthy. More than a third of the questioned group agrees that the healthiest people live in the mountains; 29% consider ordinary balanced citizens to be in the best condition; 21% finds that the richest people are the ones with better life chances. Concerning the potential solution, 21% of the respondents believe that in order to improve their health people should live out in the country, 19% are convinced that it is necessary to be involved in sports, 14% say not to drink, 12% say to become a politician or a government official, and 9% suggest simply being a decent human being with a clean conscience.

Utro.ru

Translated by Natalia Vysotskaya