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PubMed2005

Health lifestyles and political ideology in Belarus, Russia, and Ukraine.

This paper examines the association of political ideology with health lifestyle practices and self-rated health in Belarus, Russia, and Ukraine. The political trajectory of post-Soviet societies has taken two divergent paths, either toward democracy or autocracy. The health trajectory has followed the same pattern with the more autocratic states continuing to experience a mortality crisis, while those former socialist countries that have embraced democracy and moved closer to the West have escaped this crisis. This paper investigates whether political ideology in three post-Soviet countries that are firmly (Belarus), increasingly (Russia), or recently (Ukraine) autocratic is related to health lifestyles and health self-ratings. Data were collected by face-to-face interviews (N = 8406) with a representative national sample of the adult population. The results show that respondents who are against restoring communism have healthier lifestyles and rate their health better than respondents who wish to see communism return.

Adult↗
PubMed2005

Analysis of the strongylid nematodes (Nematoda: Strongylidae) community after deworming of brood horses in Ukraine.

Communities of intestinal helminths in horses are commonly studied post mortem. The study objectives were here to examine the species composition of the strongylid community in brood horses in Ukraine after deworming with an aversectin drug Univerm. The site distribution of the strongylid species was analysed according to dynamics of their expulsion in faeces. Forty-four horses of different ages from Poltavska oblast (22 horses), Kyivska oblast (17 horses) and Sumska oblast (5 horses) of Ukraine were included in the study. Horses were treated with Univerm anthelmintic (0.2% aversectin) at a dose rate of 0.5mg aversectin preparation per kg body weight. Faecal sampling (200 g each) was performed at 24, 36, 48 and 60 h post treatment, and all nematodes expelled were collected and identified. The largest numbers of strongylids were expelled at 24--36 h after treatment. Twenty-five nematode species from the subfamilies Strongylinae and Cyathostominae were identified. The number of strongylid species found per horse ranged from 7 to 20, on an average 11+/-3.6 (S.D.). The number of cyathostomin species found per horse ranged from 7 to 16, on an average 10+/-2.3 (S.D.). Cylicocyclus nassatus and Cyathostomum catinatum were the most dominant species were found in 100% of horses, amounting to 36.3% and 17.6% of the total number of strongylids collected, respectively. C. longibursatus, C. ashworthi, Cylicostephanus calicatus, C. leptostomus and C. minutus were identified in more than 80% horses and represented 39.9% of the total number of strongylids collected. The dynamics of the different strongylid species expelled was irregular. Correlation between the time of cyathostomin species expulsion in faeces and their predicted localisation inside the horse intestine was found. Species mainly localised in the caecum were found in faeces later than those species localised in the dorsal and ventral colons. Larvae and adult Parascaris equorum, Oxyuris equi and botfly larvae from the genus Gasterophilus were also found in horse faeces. This investigation shows that is possible to study the horse strongylid community after deworming with aid of an aversectin drug. The results obtained here correspond to those recorded in previous autopsy surveys in other countries.

Animals↗
PubMed2006

Field study on the survival, migration and overwintering of infective larvae of horse strongyles on pasture in central Ukraine.

Experimental studies on the survival of infective stage larvae of horse strongyles and their ability to overwinter on pasture were carried out in central Ukraine (Poltavska oblast). Faecal pats (1.5 kg each) of naturally infected horses were placed on pasture, and samples of faeces and surrounding vegetation (10 g each) were collected each month, excluding the winter months, from November 2002 until April 2004. The number of infective third stage larvae was calculated in each sample and compared with that from the control faecal samples cultivated in the laboratory. In the control samples, the ratio of infective third stage larvae to the initial number of eggs was from 54.7% in June up to 84.2% in November. This ratio depended on the presence of nematophagous fungi growing in the faeces. On pasture, the development of larvae to the infective third stage took approximately 4 weeks in the warm season, from April until September. In October, a percentage of the eggs (25% to EPG value) did not hatch. No larval development was observed in faeces in November. A minute quantity of larvae, about 0.03% of their initial number, was observed to survive on pasture for the 12 months. Migration of infective larvae from the faeces to vegetation was not intensive, between 71% and 89% of larvae remained in the faeces 4 weeks after deposition of the faecal pats, the percentage related to soil humidity in each month. The proportion of larvae successfully surviving during winter appeared to be maximal in faecal pats deposited on pasture in September of the previous year (up to 42.0% of the initial number of larvae). Some larvae were observed surviving winter in soil beneath the faecal pats. The results of the study demonstrated that horse pastures in the central part of Ukraine are never free from the infective third stage larvae of strongyles.

Animals↗
PubMed2002

DNA damage repair in bladder urothelium after the Chernobyl accident in Ukraine.

PURPOSE: We determined whether base and nucleotide excision repair is activated in bladder urothelium by chronic persistent low doses of ionizing radiation in male patients with benign prostate hyperplasia and females with chronic cystitis living more than 15 years in Cs contaminated areas after the Chernobyl accident in Ukraine. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Bladder urothelial biopsies from 204 patients were subjected to histological examination and biopsies from 35 were subjected to immunohistochemical study of 8-hydroxy-2'deoxyguanosine, 8-oxoguanine-DNA-glycosylase, apurinic/apyrimidinic endonuclease and xeroderma pigmentosum A endonuclease. RESULTS: Chronic proliferative atypical cystitis with multiple foci of dysplasia and carcinoma in situ were observed in 139 (89%) and in 91 (58%) of 156 group 1 patients from radio contaminated areas, respectively, as well as 10 small transitional cell carcinomas. Chronic cystitis with areas of dysplasia was detected in 9 of 48 patients (19%) in control group 2 from clean (without radio contamination) areas of Ukraine. Greatly elevated levels of 8-hydroxy-2'deoxyguanosine, 8-oxoguanine-DNA-glycosylase, apurinic/apyrimidinic endonuclease and xeroderma pigmentosum A were evident in the urothelium in group 1, accompanied by increased Cs in the urine. CONCLUSIONS: These findings support the hypothesis that significant activation of DNA damage repair (base and nucleotide excision repair) is induced by the oxidative stress generated by long-term low doses of ionizing radiation. The levels of DNA oxidative adducts pointing to mutagenic and carcinogenic potential were in line with the histopathologically diagnosed urothelial lesions.

8-Hydroxy-2'-Deoxyguanosine↗
PubMed2002

Determinants of and inequalities in self-perceived health in Ukraine.

Ukraine is the second most populous of the former Soviet Republics and since transition its economy has fared even more poorly than Russia. Although the impact of the collapse of the former Soviet Union on health in Russia has been investigated, little is known of its impact in other post-Soviet republics. We report a cross-sectional study undertaken in Ukraine in March 2000. A multi-stage random sampling technique was used and 1600 interviews completed (72% response rate) with a representative national sample of Ukrainian adults. We investigated socioeconomic and psychosocial determinants of self-perceived health, which has been shown to be a valid and reliable measure of overall health and predictive of mortality. Odds ratios for less than good physical health were calculated using logistic regression. The self-rated health of Ukrainians was poor, 25% of men and 43% of women rated their health as poor or very poor. This is worse than levels recorded in Russia and considerably worse than levels seen in western Europe. Marked gender, geographical and socioeconomic inequalities in health were recorded. Women are at increased risk of poor self-rated health compared with men (OR 3.58, 2.50-5.14) as are women living in villages compared with those in cities (OR 3.24, 1.30-8.07). Socioeconomic factors including poor material situation (OR 1.64, 1.01-2.67), and psychosocial factors including low control over life (OR 1.89, 1.15-3.11) were identified as independent health determinants. Control over life was found to account for the negative impact of low social position on health. Good family relations protected against poor health. The findings suggest that a decrease in control, arising from an increasingly uncertain political and economic environment, a reduction in material wealth and the stress of change may all have contributed to the decline in life expectancy seen with transition.

Adult↗
PubMed1997

Benzimidazole resistance in cyathostomes in horses in the Ukraine.

The efficacy of treatment with cambendazole was tested in 1-year-old horses on a farm in Dubrovka, Ukraine. Thirty-five horses were treated. Their egg output was compared on the day of treatment and 14 days later with that of 33 untreated horses. Before treatment the mean number of eggs g-1 faeces was 614 in the controls and 766 in horses that had been treated. After 14 days the mean egg output in the controls was 580 and in the treated horses 369. This means a reduction of 54.5%. Only cyathostome larvae could be cultured from faeces collected after treatment. It can be concluded that benzimidazole resistance in cyathostomes is present in the Ukraine.

Animals↗
PubMed2006

Predictors of risky needle use following interventions with injection drug users in Ukraine.

This study was designed to assess factors associated with change in needle-related risk behaviors as well as predictors of continued high-risk behavior following intervention efforts among injection drug users (IDUs) in Ukraine. In each of three locations--Kiev, Odessa, and Makeevka/Donesk--100 IDUs were recruited using modified targeted sampling methods. Following a baseline interview, participants were offered free HIV testing and, over the course of the next 5 months, individualized interventions focusing on reducing HIV-related risk behaviors. Former IDUs conducted interventions through street outreach. The intervention model was based on the Indigenous Leader Outreach Model (ILOM) and stressed assessing an individual's unique risks and developing strategies by which to minimize those risks. Follow-up assessments showed significant reductions in every risk behavior measured. Following the intervention, however, approximately one of four participants reported front- or backloading, using drugs obtained from a common container or injecting with a used needle/syringe. Although the sample as a whole averaged only 28 years of age, those who were younger were significantly more likely to engage in each of these behaviors than those who were older. In light of the overall young age of the Ukrainian IDUs observed in this study, the consistent finding that younger IDUs were at highest risk foreshadows a worsening HIV epidemic in Ukraine.

Adult↗
PubMed2001

Lives renewed: the emergence of a breast cancer survivor movement in Ukraine.

Breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths among women in Ukraine. In addition to the physical toll that breast cancer takes, the psychological and emotional needs of women diagnosed with the disease are great but rarely addressed. Since 1997, with initial technical assistance from the Program for Appropriate Technology in Health (PATH), a nascent breast cancer survivor movement has emerged in Ukraine, which aims to challenge societal stigmatization of the disease. As of mid-2001, survivor groups have been formed in 15 cities, representing 12 of the country's 25 provinces, and groups in eight cities have begun implementing Peer Support Volunteer programmes through which survivors provide information and emotional support to newly diagnosed women in hospital. Survivors also are playing an important role in raising public awareness about the disease through public events, outreach activities and the media. The groups have also forged alliances with key medical professionals specialising in cancer care, both to educate them about the potential role that survivors' groups can play in assisting patients, as well as to enlist their active support for these efforts. Solidifying the groups' organisational structures and strengthening their management and fundraising skills have been vital to success.

Awareness↗
PubMed1998

The Allium cepa chromosome aberration test reliably measures genotoxicity of soils of inhabited areas in the Ukraine contaminated by the Chernobyl accident.

The accident on the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant reactor IV in April 1986 led to the release of an enormous amount of radioactive material into the biosphere and to the formation of a complex pattern of nuclear contamination over a large area. As a consequence more than 5 million km2 of the soil in the Ukraine became contaminated with more than 1 Ci/km2 [1,2]. An assessment of the genetic consequences of the nuclear pollution is one of the most important problems. We applied the Allium cepa test to estimate the impact on plant chromosomes of nuclear pollution in the inhabited zones of the Ukraine. We tested soil from the obligatory resettlement zone (zone 2), where the mean density of pollution is 15-40 Ci/km2; zones of enhanced radiological control-zone 3, 5-15 Ci/km2 and zone 4, 1-5 Ci/km2. We found a dose-dependent increase in the fraction of aberrant mitoses from control values of 1.6 +/- 0.9% up to 23.8 +/- 5.0%, and a corresponding monotonous decrease of the mitotic index from 49.4 +/- 4.8% to a limiting value of 22.5 +/- 4.0% at pollution levels exceeding 35 Ci/km2 (activity of the soil samples exceeding 6000 Bq/kg, respectively). We observed a strong, significant correlation of 137Cs activity of soil samples with the percentage of chromosomal abnormalities, r = 0.97 (P < 0.05), and with the mitotic index, r = -0.93 (P < 0.05), in the roots of A. cepa, respectively. The results showed high toxicity and genotoxicity of radioactively polluted soils and confirmed the efficiency of the A. cepa test as a quick and inexpensive biological test for ecological and genetic risk assessment in the 'Chernobyl' zones.

Chromosome Aberrations↗
PubMed1999

Radiation hazard caused by the Chernobyl accident in inhabited areas of Ukraine can be monitored by transgenic plants.

The genetic impact of the 1986 accident at the Ukraine Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) on populations of living organisms has yet to be fully assessed. Monitoring of the genotoxicity of polluted soils is a key element in the disaster management program. We used Arabidopsis thaliana and Nicotiana tabacum plants transgenic for a reporter gene revealing homologous recombination to study the genetic effects of chronic low-dose radiation stemming from the soil in inhabited areas of Ukraine where contamination by the accident ranges from 1 to 40 Ci/km2. We noted a significant dose-dependent increase of homologous recombination in plants cultivated in the affected inhabited areas, proving the persistently high genotoxicity of the radioactively contaminated soils.

Arabidopsis↗
PubMed1998

Microbiological and epidemiological investigation of cholera epidemic in Ukraine during 1994 and 1995.

The Ukraine cholera epidemic of 1994 and 1995 was caused by Vibrio cholerae O1, serotype Ogawa, biotype El Tor. This epidemic was centred in the area around Respublika Krim (Crimea) and Mykolajiv, and spread to include parts of southern Ukraine. Cases of cholera occurred between September and November of 1994 and between June and October of 1995. The 32 fatalities among 1370 recorded cases (case fatality ratio, 2.3%) occurred throughout the course of the epidemic. V. cholerae from patients with cholera produced cholera toxin and were resistant to multiple antibiotics, though no resistance plasmids were found. Conjugation experiments suggested that resistance to multiple antibiotics may be present on a self-transmissible genetic element. Environmental sources of V. cholerae O1 El Tor included sewage, sea and surface water, and fresh water and marine fish. All but one of the environmental V. cholerae isolated during the epidemic were very similar to selected isolates from patients at the same time, supporting the role of these environmental sources in the spread of disease.

Cholera↗
PubMed2001

Risk factors for spontaneous preterm birth in two urban areas of Ukraine.

The economic, social and health problems faced by former eastern bloc countries after the demise of the Soviet Union are unique in the recent history of Europe. We conducted a study in two urban areas of Ukraine, asking if the traditional predictors of preterm delivery continue to be associated with risk under these conditions. Subjects were pregnant women with last menstrual period (LMP) between 25 December 1992 and 23 July 1994. Self-completed questionnaires and the medical record provided data. We compared 137 spontaneous preterm deliveries with 2,886 full-term births, using all established risk factors for which we had data. Maternal age was the variable most strongly related to preterm birth. Being 18 or less had an odds ratio (OR) of 3.7; being 30+ had an OR of 2.5 relative to the reference group of age 25-29. Placental complications and pre-existing hypertension had ORs of 2.7 and 2.3, respectively, but the confidence interval included 1.0. Low net pregnancy weight gain (less than 10 kg) was significantly associated with preterm birth, but the rate of net weight gain was not. Marital status and educational category were only weakly related. We conclude that although Ukraine faced serious difficulties during its transition to a market economy, these problems did not generally alter the outcome of pregnancy in our sample when the classic risk factors for preterm delivery were present.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2001

Hospital admissions during pregnancy in two urban areas of Ukraine.

Hospital admissions are generally regarded as a marker of severe pregnancy complications, and a low ratio of antenatal admissions to deliveries is considered an indicator of maternal-fetal well-being. We investigated the reasons for hospital admissions in a sample of deliveries from Ukraine, a country of the former eastern bloc. All hospitalisations were traced among 3099 women who delivered live singletons of at least 20 weeks gestation in two urban areas of Ukraine and data were abstracted from their medical records. More than a third of the women were admitted to hospital during their pregnancy, and 91% of the admissions were for a pregnancy complication, primarily threatened abortion or early labour. Median length of stay for all admissions was 12 days. The ratio of admissions to deliveries was 52 per 100. The Ukrainian ratio of hospitalisations to deliveries is notably higher than any that have been published in studies from the United States and Australia, reflecting patterns of care that stress hospital-based treatment. This high ratio does not necessarily mean that Ukrainian women are sicker, although that may be the case. The comparison of hospitalisation to delivery ratios is meaningful only when other factors, such as resources, patterns of care, costs and access, are taken into account.

Chi-Square Distribution↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Introduction of breast cancer screening in Chernihiv Oblast in the Ukraine: report of a PATH Breast Cancer Assistance Program experience.

The incidence of breast cancer and mortality from this disease remain high in countries with limited resources such as the Ukraine. Because of a lack of mammography equipment and formal screening programs, as well as educational and other factors, breast cancer is usually diagnosed in late stages in such countries. We report the experience of the PATH Breast Cancer Assistance Program in introducing a pilot breast cancer screening program in one territory of the Ukraine, the Chernihiv oblast. The program entailed educating the public, training health care providers in clinical breast examination (CBE) and mammography, opening a dedicated mammography facility, designating a center for breast cancer care, building diagnostic capacity, and fostering the formation of support groups. From 1998 to 2002, 18,000 women underwent screening with CBE and 8778 women underwent screening with mammography. When implementing the program we encountered various cultural, economic, and logistic difficulties, such as reservations about showing bare breasts in educational materials, the lack of an established system for collecting screening data, and barriers to follow-up in women with positive screening results. Screening mammography proved to be more effective in detecting small and nonpalpable lesions; 8.7% of cancers detected in the mammography group were in situ, compared with 0% in the CBE group. However, introduction of CBE as a screening modality required fewer financial resources compared with mammography and was recommended as a transitional method before the introduction of mammography screening programs in countries with limited resources. The introduction of screening was associated with favorable changes in indicators of breast cancer care, including an increase in the percentage of breast-preserving operations and new legislation to provide funding for breast cancer services. We conclude that this successful pilot program of breast cancer screening in a limited-resource setting can serve as an example for other similar programs.

Breast Neoplasms↗
PubMed2001

Healthy eating in Ukraine: attitudes, barriers and information sources.

OBJECTIVE: To identify the major perceived influences on food choice, to examine the use of and trust in information sources concerning healthy eating, and to assess attitudes towards and barriers to adopting healthy eating practices in a post-USSR country (Ukraine). DESIGN: A survey of an urban adult population. The questions were adopted from the Pan-European Union (EU) Survey of Consumer Attitudes to Food, Nutrition and Health (1995-1996). SETTING: Lviv city, Ukraine. SUBJECTS: The survey included 296 adults (84 males, 212 females) aged 18-55 years; they were primarily college students and subjects with tertiary education--the groups most likely to be both interested in healthy eating and affected by current socioeconomic downturns. RESULTS: The major factors in food choice were: 'quality/freshness' (cited by 80%), 'price' (58%) and 'taste' (47%); only 34% cited 'trying to eat healthily'. More older people cited 'price' than 'quality/freshness', and men were more likely than women to cite 'taste'. Sources of healthy eating information included: 'relatives/friends' (cited by 65%, trusted by 85%) and health professionals (trusted by 92%, but used by only 35%); while advertising was the least trusted source (cited by 28%). Fifty-three per cent of respondents considered their diet to be healthy enough without further changes; 50% thought of the nutritional aspects of the food they ate; fewer women than men considered their diet healthy, and more women than men thought about nutrition. Barriers to healthy eating included: 'cost' (cited by 65%), 'lack of time' (55%), 'self-control' (54%), 'selection influences' (41%), 'lack of knowledge' (32%), 'unpleasant foods' and 'resistance to change' (both 30%). CONCLUSIONS: Strategies to encourage healthy eating in this population should involve word-of-mouth nutrition education concerning low-cost healthy alternatives.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2005

The path to lowest-low fertility in Ukraine.

The phenomenon of lowest-low fertility, defined as total fertility below 1.3, is now emerging throughout Europe and is attributed by many to postponement of the initiation of childbearing. Here an investigation of the case of Ukraine, where total fertility--1.1 in 2001--is one of the world's lowest, shows that there is more than one pathway to lowest-low fertility. Although Ukraine has undergone immense political and economic transformations in the past decade, it has maintained a young age at first birth and nearly universal childbearing. Analyses of official national statistics and the Ukrainian Reproductive Health Survey show that fertility declined to very low levels without a transition to a later pattern of childbearing. Findings from focus-group interviews are used to suggest explanations of the early fertility pattern. These include the persistence of traditional norms for childbearing and the roles of men and women, concerns about medical complications and infertility at a later age, and the link between early fertility and early marriage.

Adult↗
PubMed2000

Concentrations of arsenic, cadmium, copper, lead, mercury, and zinc in human placentas from two cities in Ukraine.

Ukraine is a highly industrialized country with major environmental problems and deteriorating reproductive health. Heavy metals are known reproductive toxins; a study was undertaken to determine whether they were present at sufficient concentrations to be playing a major role in these health problems. Placental concentrations of arsenic, cadmium, copper, lead, mercury, and zinc were determined in 200 women from the general population of two urban areas of Ukraine, Kyiv and Dniprodzerzhinsk. Arsenic was detected in only 5% of the samples, lead in 22%, and mercury in 28%. Cadmium was detected in almost all samples, with a median of 5.2 ng/g. Concentrations of lead, mercury, and cadmium were low compared to those reported elsewhere, while zinc and copper concentrations were comparable.

Adult↗
PubMed2004

Time trends of thyroid cancer incidence in Ukraine after the Chernobyl accident.

The rate of childhood thyroid cancer incidence observed in northern Ukraine during the period 1986-1998 is described as a function of time-since-exposure, age-at-exposure, and sex. Conclusions are drawn for the excess absolute risk per dose: after a minimal latency period of about three years it shows a linear increase with time-since-exposure for at least nine years. It is roughly constant in age-at-exposure, up to 15 years. For girls exposed very young it is about a factor 2 larger than for boys. For children exposed at age 16-18 this ratio increases to about 5. The thyroids of young children are not more sensitive to radiation dose than those of older ones in absolute risk in northern Ukraine in the currently used data set. As the background is increasing with age, a constant absolute risk gives a decreasing relative risk.

Adolescent↗