Cent Eur J Public Health 1998, 6(2):108-110
Results of ten years monitoring health effects among Chernobyl child victims
- Research Centre for Radiation Medicine, Kiev, Ukraine
The observations in this study indicate a deterioration of health status among the child victim of the Chernobyl disaster. The prevalence of all diseases had increased, especially diseases of the digestive tract, cardiovascular diseases and diseases of the nervous system. The manifestation of somatic diseases cannot be connected biologically with exposure to ionising radiation. Somatization of non-radiation hazards of the Chernobyl disaster has a more significant population impact than radiation-induced cancer outcomes. Cancer outcomes have a dramatic individual impact with very small population impact and with the possibility for population risk management. All child victims of the Chernobyl disaster are at risk for psychosomatic disorders. Psychological and social problems are changing: Chernobyl is becoming less important as a source of anxiety but anxiety is still very common among victims with an opposite motivation. Psychological and social problems have been changing. Children in 1987 emphasized their role as Chernobyl victims in expecting social privilege. Many victims had a fatality mood, expecting cancer outcomes for themselves and their family. In 1995 they hid that they belonged to the suffering population. They are fearing discrimination in further education, work, marriage. Vegetative dystonia is highly prevalent among Chernobyl victims; psychological stress is a risk factor for peptic disorders (ICD-9 531-536) and cardiovascular disorders (ICD-9 425.9). The strength of the association with Chernobyl and vegetative dystonia increased with age and time after the disaster. Vegetative dystonia manifest itself more frequently in situations of psychosocial strain. A psychosomatic health promotion programme taking into account changes in psychological and social problems during ten years after the disaster will minimise significantly population health impact after Chernobyl for children as well as for Ukrainian adult people.
Zveřejněno: 1. červen 1998 Zobrazit citaci