Assessment of the State of Health, Lifestyle and Quality of Life of Citizens Subject to Military Conscription

Introduction: Staffing of units and formations of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation with healthy and physically strong conscripts is one of the important tasks of health authorities.

Objective: To establish health, lifestyle and quality of life indicators in citizens of draft age living in the Orenburg Region.

Materials and methods: We conducted a descriptive quantitative study of data for 2010-2021 extracted from the records and reporting documents of military commissariats of municipalities of the Orenburg Region to determine the levels of neuropsychic stability and cognitive abilities of conscripts. We also carried out a survey of the quality of life indicators using the Medical Outcomes Study Short Form 36 Questionnaire (MOS SF-36) and a special questionnaire-based survey of a random representative sample of men of draft age living in the Orenburg Region. Statistical and sociological methods of research were applied.

Results: In 2010-2021, the number of citizens of draft age decreased by 29.3 % while the proportion of those healthy and fit for military service increased by 14.4 %. Most of the conscripts were aged 18 to 20 years (80.3 %) and had secondary or vocational secondary education (71.8 %). The physical and mental components of their quality of life scored 91.9 and 87.9, respectively. The moral and business qualities were mainly characterized by good neuropsychic stability in 82.5 % and good cognitive abilities in 82.4 % of the conscripts.

Conclusions: The regional number of men fit for military service rose from 63.3 % in 2010 to 77.7 % in 2021, i.e. by 14.4 %. High quality of life indicators were observed in those subject to military conscription in the year 2021.

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