Assessment of chronic stress in the adult population of the Vladimir region

Aim. To assess the prevalence of chronic stress in the adult population in the Vladimir region, taking into account sex characteristics.Material and methods. This cross-sectional population study was performed in five cities of the Vladimir Oblast (Vladimir, Kovrov, Murom, Yuryev-Polsky and Vyazniki) from May 2018 to March 2020. From six health care facilities, 9 therapeutic areas were selected. Then, from the assigned population aged 30-69 years, respondents from each area were invited to the study. To identify chronic stress, the Reeder questionnaire was used, which makes it possible to identify three types of disorders: low, moderate and severe stress. The study analyzed fully completed Reeder L. chronic stress questionnaires from 1081 respondents (393 men and 688 women).Results. Among men, every second person has a low chronic stress, 42% — moderate stress, while high chronic stress was found in 6.4% of cases. A similar trend is observed among women. High levels of chronic stress were detected in 8% of women, and the gap between the prevalence of low and moderate chronic stress was minimal. In general, the prevalence of various levels of chronic stress between men and women was comparable, without significant differences. Sex variability in the prevalence of chronic stress was revealed in various cities of the Vladimir Oblast. In Vladimir, the prevalence of high stress among men was three times higher than in women, while in Vyazniki and Kovrov the opposite pattern was observed. In the other two cities (Murom and Yuryev Polsky), the prevalence of high chronic stress between men and women was comparable.Conclusion. In the working-age population, a high chronic stress level is detected in up to 10%. In some cities, there are sex differences between men and women. The mean level of chronic stress is determined in 42-43% of cases. The results obtained indicate the need for large-scale preventive measures to combat chronic stress among working-age men and women of in the Vladimir Oblast.