Incidence in the Child Population of the Arctic Zone of the Russian Federation: Regional Typology and Prevention Priorities

Introduction: The health of children living in the Arctic zone of the Russian Federation is shaped by severe natural and climate conditions and specific social factors, which may lead to higher incidence rates and requires consideration of regional differences when planning preventive measures.

Objective: To identify territorial differences, determine structural disease profiles, and develop a typology of regions by the level of disadvantage for differentiated planning of preventive measures based on data on disease incidence among children aged 0–14 years living in the Russian Arctic for 2015–2024.

Materials and Methods: A retrospective study was conducted using official statistics on incidence rates of 16 disease categories among children aged 0–14 years from nine regions of the Arctic Zone of the Russian Federation. For each region, median rates for 2015–2024 were calculated. To develop the typology, an integral scoring approach was applied.

Results: Pronounced interregional heterogeneity in both the rates and structure of incidence was revealed. The group of most disadvantaged regions included the Arkhangelsk Region, Nenets Autonomous Okrug, and the Republic of Karelia (integral score: 108–114); the group of moderately disadvantaged territories included the Murmansk Region, the Republic of Komi, and the Chukotka Autonomous Okrug (70–79 points), while that of relatively favorable regions included the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), the Krasnoyarsk Krai, and the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug (43–56 points). The differences between the polar groups were statistically significant (p < 0.05). The specific structural profile of incidence was established for each typology group.

Conclusion: The developed typology of Arctic regions by incidence rates in children and structural profiles of pathology enables differentiated planning of preventive measures and targeted allocation of healthcare resources within the Russian Arctic. 

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