Health of women in the northern Russian cities of Arkhangelsk and Murmansk. Nutrition and other risk factors for noncommunicable diseases.

In 1998, the Russian Federation began developing the guidebook "Healthy Nutrition: A Plan of Action to Develop Regional Programmes in Russia. This effort was coordinated by the State Research Centre for Preventive Medicine of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation and the Research Institute of Nutrition of the RAMS. The working group also included representatives of the State Sanitary and Epidemiological Surveillance, the Centre for Medical Prevention, the medical university, city administration and other institutions and organisations in Arkhangelsk and Murmansk. To develop a science-based programme of healthy nutrition, a range of statistical and epidemiological data on the health and nutrition of the population are required. As such data had not previously been collected in a uniform way, the project "The health of women in the cities of Arkhangelsk and Murmansk: nutrition and other risk factors for non-communicable disease" was launched. Activities within the project included training personnel in conducting nutrition surveys and analysis and interpretation of data. Information on the health status, nutrition and other behavioural risk factors of women in the northern cities will be used to develop healthy nutrition programmes and other prevention programmes in Arkhangelsk and Murmansk.