Health-related quality of life of the rural and urban population in Western Siberia: a descriptive study

Aim. To assess the health-related quality of life of the rural and urban population in Western Siberia.

Materials and methods. The study was conducted by simple random sampling of 205 people (97 men and 108 women) from residents of rural areas of the Omsk region (n = 132) and the city of Omsk (n = 73). The method of active survey in the form of an interview was used. The MOS SF-36 health survey questionnaire was used in combination with a specially developed questionnaire for sociological studies of the health of rural populations.

Results. The highest scores were found on the scales of physical (PF), role physical (RF), and social functioning (SF). For the majority of questionnaire scales, the values obtained for rural residents were lower than those for urban residents. These concerned the PF, General Health (GH), Vitality (VT), SF, and mental health (MH) scales. The values characterizing the physical and psychological components of health were also lower in rural residents. A similar pattern was established when comparing the indicators of rural and urban men on the VT, SF, and MH scales. When comparing the indicators of rural and urban women, significant differences were found on the PF, GH, VT, SF, and MH scales. On all these scales, indicators were also higher among urban women. The respondents’ answers to questions about physical well-being and mental state showed a greater severity of characteristics indicating the development of emotional exhaustion among rural residents.

Conclusion. The established low levels of the health-related quality of life among the rural population of the region indicate the relevance of developing and implementing respective targeted preventive programs.

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