Ivanova L.Yu.
Institute of Sociology of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow

Contacts: Larisa Ivanova, This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

The study was supported by the Finnish Lung Health Association (FILHA) and Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Finland. It was organized by staff of the International Organization for Migration/Russian Office (I.E. Kazanets, B.I. Sergeev) in collaboration with the FILHA staff (T. Vasankari, A. Nyberg, M. Vauhkonnen).

Abstract. A higher prevalence of dangerous infections in migrants compared to the Russians substantiates the need to study awareness of foreign workers about such diseases.

Method of a structured interview was used in our study "Migrants in St. Petersburg: prevalence of behavioral risks related to infectious diseases (HIV, STIs, tuberculosis), socio-economic conditions and factors influencing uptake of medical services in the Russian health care facilities". Interviews were conducted for 10 days at the St. Petersburg Unified migration centre. 150 people were interviewed. Epidemiological situation in countries of the Central Asia and Eastern Europe has its own peculiarities. The article describes knowledge of foreign workers from these regions about the above mentioned infectious diseases (110 people from CIS countries in the Central Asia and 34 – from the Eastern Europe).

Among migrants from the Central Asia, there are those who have never heard of dangerous infectious diseases (hepatitis 46.4%, HIV – 40.4%). In both regions the lowest awareness was reported for viral hepatitis. Other diseases were known better, especially tuberculosis.

However, over half of the respondents from the Central Asia and 15% from the Eastern Europe were unable to specify a medical examination for detecting pulmonary tuberculosis, although they underwent a photofluorography or chest x-ray within the past 2 years.

Not all respondents from both regions have comprehensive knowledge about ways of HIV transmission and methods of HIV and STIs prevention during sexual contact. Women from both regions are better informed about dangerous infections. 16.7% of women from the Central Asia for the first time ever learned about STIs in Russia, and 23.1% -about TB. About a quarter of respondents from the Central Asia did not know about HIV/AIDS during their first entry into the Russian Federation.

Among respondents from the Eastern Europe the share of those who has heard about dangerous infections is higher. At the same time, sub-groups from these two regions have small differences across certain indicators of awareness.
It is necessary to educate both migrants from the Central Asian countries and from the Eastern Europe about dangerous infections. Those from the Eastern Europe are less motivated to improve their knowledge about prevention of such diseases compared to migrants from the Central Asia.

Keywords: foreign workers, awareness about dangerous infectious.

References

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