In the Arctic territories of oil and gas resources development, where the rotational expeditionary form of labor is predominant, the issues of social isolation, among other factors of chronic social stress, are the most relevant.

OBJECTIVE

To determine the levels of social support, their association with age, experience, and prevalence of coronary heart disease in rotational expeditionary workers in the Arctic.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The study included men aged 25—54 working on a rotational expeditionary basis at the EURACOR industrial enterprise. The sample consisted of 750 subjects, and the response rate was 82.4%. Social support was evaluated using the Index of Close Contacts (ICC) and the Social Network Index (SNI). The presence of CAD was determined using standardized methods.

RESULTS

In men of economically active age (25—54 years) engaged in rotational expeditionary work, with the prevalence of a low level of close contacts and an average level of social ties, a decrease in the high level of close contacts was noted; in older adults (45—54 years), an increase in the low level of social ties was observed. A statistically significant trend toward a decrease in ICC and SNI was found in subjects with the experience of rotational expeditionary work for 10 years or more. In subjects with coronary artery disease, a decrease in social support levels was found as a significant decrease in high ICC levels and an increase in low ICC levels; also, a decrease in high and medium to high SNI levels and an increase in low SNI levels were observed.

CONCLUSION

Analysis of the social support components for people engaged in rotational expeditionary work, depending on age, experience, and associations of levels of social support with the prevalence of coronary artery disease, can be a fundamental element of the scientific approach for the development of a program for primary cardiovascular prevention in men working in the Arctic.