ATTITUDES AMONG HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS TOWARD THEIR HEALTH

Abstract

This article focuses on the attitudes of healthcare workers toward their health and the influence of socio-demographic characteristics and harmful habits (smoking, drinking alcohol) on them. According to the national projects “Demography” and “Public Health,” one of the key contemporary strategic goals is to increase average life expectancy, which requires ongoing interaction with the population to lower risks of developing certain diseases. This can be achieved through regular medical check-ups, breaking bad habits, and in a variety of other ways. It is assumed that the circulation of information and expert knowledge on the importance of good health practices will increase public attention to their health. The study of the behavior of expert groups is pertinent because of the low life expectancy among medical professionals and high interest in their healthcare practices among the public. Using Merton’s anomie theory as a framework, this article attempts to account for the differences in attitudes among healthcare professionals toward their health. We conducted a quantitative sociological survey among medical professionals who work for the Moscow Health Care System. This research allows us to determine the dispersion of various types of health attitudes, including attitudes toward medical examinations, adherence to bad habits, and their impact on healthcare practices among groups with expert knowledge. The results of this study demonstrate the effective influence of expert knowledge on attitudes toward one’s health.