Health as an Indicator of the Quality of Life and Subjective Well-Being of Children and Youth of Indigenous Peoples of the North, Siberia and the Far East of the Russian Federation

Abstract

The attention of Arctic researchers is increasingly turning to the people who inhabit it. One of the objects of such research is the quality of life and subjective well-being of the indigenous peoples of the North, Siberia and the Far East, traditionally determined by the degree of satisfaction of needs, interests and expectations, the level of comfort of the social and natural environment for human life, the degree of trust in social institutions, accessibility and quality of social services, which determine the level of well-being, social, spiritual and physical health of people. Health is one of the key indicators of the quality of life. The analysis of health of youth of the indigenous small-numbered peoples of the North, Siberia and the Far East (ISNPNS and FE) creates the basis for the development of comprehensive health-saving programs, forecasting and organizing effective measures to preserve and strengthen the health of people arriving in the Far North in the conditions of its active industrial development. Health indicators are determined by approaches to its assessment, which involve taking into account a variety of information. Empirical data on the health factors of the ISNPNS and FE have been accumulated in Russia, but there is a lack of knowledge about the degree of their influence on the quality of life of children and youth. Representative data on the peculiarities of the health of adolescents and youth of the ISNPNS and FE of the Russian Federation in various regions, its impact on subjective well-being and quality of life are presented. Behavioral patterns in relation to various aspects of health, experiences of interaction with and attitudes towards official and alternative medicine are analyzed; environmental factors significant in the context of health care are identified.

Keywords

• indigenous peoples
• youth
• health
• well-being
• quality of life