[EVALUATION OF QUALITY OF LIFE IN THE OFFSPRINGS OF PEOPLE EXPOSED TO RADIATION DUE TO NUCLEAR WEAPONS TESTS IN KAZAKHSTAN].

The assessment of environmental factors influence on the population quality of life is one of the generally accepted methods of health status evaluation. The leading position in the structure of stress factors associated with nuclear weapons testing is attributed to inadequate informing of the population considering the consequences of radiation exposure, which leads to the development of anxiety and affects the assessment of the quality of life. This paper presents the outcomes of the quality of life evaluation in the population exposed to radiation on the territories of Abai (n=233), Borodulikha (n=222), and Kurchum districts (n=245) of East Kazakhstan region. The tool for assessing the quality of life was SF-36 (Medical outcomes survey short form-36) questionnaire. The analysis of the results revealed the statistically significant decrease in the quality of life of the population of Abay district where the average radiation doses of the respondents (or doses of their parents) were maximal in comparison with control group presented by the population of Kurchum district. In order to minimize the stressful impact of the radiation factor it is necessary to introduce the effective methods of psychological protection for the local population.