A population survey on the prevalence of various forms of tobacco use among indigenous peoples of Russia. Forming a Population-Based Smoking Prevention, Tobacco Involvement and Harm Reduction Strategy.

​link to the reserch

The Russian Federation ranks fifth in the world in the number of tobacco smokers. The Russian government is making greater efforts to fight this, including under the aegis of the World Health Organization's tobacco control initiatives. ORBI Stroke Foundation actively participates in WHO initiatives and makes it a priority to support limiting tobacco use as one of the serious factors of stroke.

A new study published by a team of researchers in the journal World Epidemiology found that the most important indicators associated with smoking initiation that need further regulatory initiatives are smoking initiation age, sex, smoking by pregnant women and young mothers, and tobacco use by the older age group.

Despite the fact that in Russia there is a downward trend in smoking in the general population, in the territories of the Far North, Caucasus, remote regions of Eastern Siberia and the Far East, due to great remoteness, low media accessibility and, especially, due to traditional ways of life, there is no trend to decrease tobacco smoking. Indigenous and minority peoples living in these territories are at greater risk and need additional measures to protect them from smoking.

In a study conducted by the working group, together with volunteers from the ORBI Stroke Foundation, 45 papers with a focus on small indigenous peoples were found and analyzed from an array of international publications to estimate the prevalence of tobacco smoking and the dynamics of tobacco use in Russia. The research team found that smoking rates varied widely depending on age, indigenous ethnicity, gender, and the remoteness of the area in which the various ethnic groups lived.

Smoking has been found to be disproportionately high among indigenous peoples. For example, one study conducted among residents of the Yamal-Nenets Autonomous Region, covering the period from 1990 to 2003, reported that 92.7% of men smoked, while another study found that in 2015 there were 23.7% of female smokers among Evenks. Unfortunately, the relatively small amount of research on Indigenous smoking has made it difficult to analyze changes in Indigenous smoking prevalence over time.

Researchers could not find evidence that there were targeted and personalized anti-smoking programs in remote regions where most indigenous peoples live. Unfortunately, there is also no mention of cessation programs developed with any indigenous groups to ensure that programs are culturally adapted so that tobacco control measures are most effective, as recommended by the WHO Framework Convention.

"We would like to show the relevance of the need for further research on tobacco use among Indigenous Peoples and, together with government agencies, socially oriented non-profit organizations and health authorities, present options for effective tobacco control measures among Indigenous Peoples, residents of remote rural areas, especially among people with low income," the researchers say.

"International evidence shows that interventions developed with the participation of smaller ethnic groups can provide proportionately greater reductions in smoking-related harm for them. Working with more than 45 small indigenous peoples living in Russia, it will be especially important to identify the most effective interventions that will improve their health," the scientists said.

Dr. Alexander Merkin
Academy of Postgraduate Education.

Dr. Mareva Glover
Director, Center for Research Excellence: Sovereignty and Smoking among Indigenous Peoples.

Dr. Igor Anatolievich Nikiforov
Academy of Postgraduate Education.

Dr. Artem Nikolaev
Head Doctor of NIKAMED Ltd.

Dr. Alexander Komarov
Executive Director of "ORBI" Stroke Foundation
Director, National Center for Development of Social Support and Rehabilitation Technologies "Doverie".