Quality of life of the Russian navy in the Arctic: an assessment using international methodology.

The aim of the study was to apply international methodology to study quality of life of the Russian Navy serving in the Arctic with the further going aim of development of health promotion and disease prevention programs. Methods: In total, 250 contract servicemen of the Russian Navy, serving at the White Sea Naval Base took part in a cross-sectional survey. Quality of life was studied using a short version of the WHOQOL-BREF questionnaire. Numeric data were analyzed using Mann-Whitney U-test or unpaired Student's t-test depending on data distribution. Results: The overall quality of life score was 100.98 points or 77.68 % of the maximum possible value. The lowest values were registered in area 4 Social welfare - 28.93 points (72.33 % of the maximum possible value). Detailed results are presented in the main text. Statistically significant differences were observed between quality of life by sailors and foremen in comparison with junior (t = -3.339, p = 0.001) and senior (U = 1875, p = 0.038) officers, warrant officers in comparison with junior officers (t = -2.785, p = 0.006). The risk factors that negatively affected the health of servicemen included limited opportunities for recovery, dissatisfaction with financial situation and limited access to high-quality medical care. An algorithm for the practical application of the WHO quality of life questionnaire in the development of organizational and managerial measures for the primary prevention of diseases in servicemen in the Arctic territories of the Russian Federation was developed. Conclusions. The study showed the average quality of life of the servicemen at the White Sea Naval Base. The lowest scores were registered for the social well-being domain. The use of the results of measurement and assessment of the quality of life in the development of programs for the prevention of diseases of military personnel in the Arctic territories makes it possible to identify significant socio-medical risk factors, which can serve as a basis for making organizational and managerial decisions aimed at improving the quality of life and preparedness of the Russian Navy in the Arctic territories.