Aim: To evaluate changes for a decade in the attitude of men in Novosibirsk to health problems.
Material and methods: WHO program MONICA has covered males aged 25-64 years (a representative sample from the population in one of the districts of Novosibirsk city). A total of 3 trials were made (in 1984, 1988 and 1994) which included questioning, registration of ECG, arterial pressure, height, body mass, biochemical tests of the blood.
Results: Attitude of men to their health depended on their age. There was a trend to evaluate their health as more and more poor in men at the age of 25-43 and 35-44 years. In the group of 45-54-year-olds positive assessment of health was encountered 1.9 times more frequently, but the difference was not significant. At the age 55-64 years a growing number of men tend to assess their health as good. Since 1994 alcoholics among the elderly men grew in number as a response to the social and economic crisis.
Conclusion: The change in health evaluation from negative to positive in older men may relate to less intensive work.