Typological analysis of factors reducing rural mortality in Russian regions

High mortality conditioned by both endogenous and exogenous causes is one of the challenges of today that will restrict the development of Russian regions and modernization of the economy. The paper presents the results of a multidimensional typological analysis of the subjects of the Russian Federation according to rural cause-of-death patterns. The role and influence of the social factors reducing mortality in different typological groups of Russian regions are examined. The need to apply a regionally differentiated approach in rural mortality reducing social policies is explained. It is shown in the paper that mortality rates and patterns are important indicators of public health mirroring the attitude of the state towards its citizens, the quality of life of the population, the values and social attitudes of different population strata, the rate of development of public health services, the availability of hi-tech medical services, the dominant stereotypes of social behavior and the spiritual condition of the society. Mortality rates and patterns both have social grounds: they alter as the society changes, influenced by these changes, and in turn affect the direction, rates and nature of these transformations. Interregional differences in mortality rates and cause-of-death patterns are to a large extent determined by the social conditions in which people live and work. It is explained why social and demographic policies should be integrated to reduce mortality in Russian regions. The regression equations run in this study are evaluated by using the data presented by the Federal State Statistics Service (Rosstat) in open access on its website. As a result of this study, the most important rural mortality reducing factors are singled out that cannot be ignored when drawing up regional strategies of rural social development and regional health-care modernization plans. This study is supported by the Russian Foundation for Fundamental Research (project # 12-06-00012).