Population Study of Fears in Two Generations of Ukrainians.

AIM: Fear is an ancient natural reaction of a human being to a threat and it is also an adaptive feature. Obsessive fear can transfer into phobias, which lead to a clinical problem. In spite of many studies done on fear, many questions are yet not clarified. In the former Soviet Union, research on human behaviour traits was mostly tabooed. The current research will fill some gaps on the 'behavioural map' of Ukraine in relationship to fear distributions in two successive generations of residents of Ukraine. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Eight hundred and sixty-seven residents of Ukraine, predominantly residents of Kharkov and Kharkov region participated in the study. All participants were distributed into groups of younger and older generations. Twenty-four emotional states of fear have been studied by Ivleva-Shcherbatyh questionnaire, developed and validated in Slavs samples. RESULTS: The population analysis of 24 types of fear has shown that sex differences were found mostly among members of the younger generation. The average value of sex differences from the amplitude trait of variation made up approximately 20%. More significant differences between members of different generations have been found in females. The age dynamics of fears within each generation has been detected. CONCLUSIONS: The population analysis of fears in Ukraine has demonstrated that the strongest fears independently of the generation were related to diseases of relatives and to problems in the case of diseases of relatives.

[Characteristics of migration in the population of Yevpatoria (Crimea)].

Indicators characterizing population migration were calculated according to the marriage records of Yevpatoria (Crimea) of 1960/1961, 1985, and 1994/1995. The marital migration coefficient m in those years was 0.80, 0.75, and 0.66, the endogamy index was 0.04, 0.08, and 0.15, and the rate of marriage contingency by birthplace was 0.15, 0.16, and 0.19, respectively. The highest values of the positive mating assortative index were recorded for people from the Caucasus, Central, Central Black Earth Oblast, and Northwest regions of Russia in 1960/1961 and for migrants from Moldavia, the republics of Central Asia and Caucasus, Western Siberia, and Ukraine in 1985. In 1994/1995, natives of Yevpatoria were also included in this group. The average distance of migration by year was 909, 1280, and 1314 km, and the marital distance was 960, 1397, and 1171 km. The "radius" of the Yevpatoria population, in accordance with the Maleco model in the years under study, was 98, 134, and 137 km. The distance isolation indicator b was decreasing and amounted to 0.00049, 0.00043, and 0.00038. Inthe migration flow in all of the periods, the majority of immigrants came from different regions of Ukraine outside Crimea (27-31%), followed by natives of various places in Crimea (21-24%.), Central (3.6-8.5%), and Central Black Earth (1.8-6.1%) regions of Russia, and the South Caucasus (4.0-5.7%). The proportion of Russians and Jews decreased in the migration flow, while the proportion of Ukrainians and representatives of non-Slavic nationalities increased.

[Genetic demographic structure of the Belgorod population: age, ethnicity, education, and occupation].

Data from marriage records of the city of Belgorod for 1960, 1985, and 1995 have been used to determine some parameters of population structure in this city. The coefficients of correlation with respect to age of marriage between spouses in the couples contracting marriages in these years were 0.74, 0.62, and 0.80, respectively. Women of reproductively unfavorable age (under 20 or over 30 years) accounted for 5.5, 0.83, and 19% of all women contracting marriages in these years, respectively. The proportions of interethnic marriages in these years were 16.9, 14.9, and 15.6%, respectively. The percentage of Slavs decreased from 99 to 97% during the 35 years studied, whereas the proportion of Russians insignificantly increased (from 90.4 to 91.4%). The proportion of Caucasian ethnic groups increased by six time (from 0.3 to 1.8%), and that of other non-Slavic ethnic groups increased by almost two times (from 0.7 to 1.2%). The marriage convergence (K) with respect to ethnicity (0.095, 0.106, and 0.090 in 1960, 1985, and 1995, respectively) was lower than that with respect to education (0.296 and 0.350 in 1985 and 1995, respectively) or occupation (0.212 and 0.231 in 1985 and 1995, respectively). The maximum coefficients of ethnically, educationally, and occupationally assortative marriage have been found, respectively, in ethnic minority groups (A' = 20%); in persons with higher and primary education (A' = 37.5 and A' = 49.9%, respectively); and in the military officers/soldiers, engineers, healthcare professionals, and researchers (the respective A' values are 65.6, 32.2, 31.5, and 39.8%).

[Spatial characteristics of marriage migration in the Belgorod population].

Data from marriage records of the city of Belgorod for 1960, 1985, and 1995 have been used to calculate parameters characterizing migration in the Belgorod population. The marriage migration coefficients (m) in these years were 0.83, 0.68, and 0.58, respectively, and the endogamy indices were 0.05, 0.13, and 0.22, respectively. The marriage convergence (K) with respect to birthplace in the same years were 0.15, 0.13, and 0.14, respectively. In the period studied, spatial parameters reflecting the genetic efficiency of migration increased. The mean migration distance also increased; it was 430, 667, and 926 km in 1960, 1985, and 1995, respectively. The migration distances for men and women in the same years were 477, 725, and 986 km and 383, 609, and 866 km, respectively. The radius of the Belgorod population in terms of Malecot's isolation by distance model increased in the period studied (55, 81, and 95 km in 1960, 1985, and 1995, respectively). The parameter b in that period decreased (0.00110, 0.00074, and 0.00062, respectively), which indicates a decrease in the inbred component. The increase in marital distance (590, 796, and 891 km in 1960, 1985, and 1995, respectively) indicates a steady increase in the outbred component of the population.

[Genetic demographic data of Ukrainian urban populations in the 1990s: ethno-geographic characteristics of migrants in the Donetsk region]. / Genetiko-demograficheskie protsessy v gorodskikh populiatsiiakh Ukrainy v 90-kh godakh. Etnograficheskie kharakteristiki migratsii v Donetskoi oblasti.

Analysis of data on the birthplaces and ethnicity of persons who contracted marriages in the city of Donetsk in 1960, 1985, and 1992 demonstrated that the proportions of Russians and Ukrainians (the dominant ethnic groups among Donetsk residents) in the migration flow increased. The trend towards formation of ethnically disperse groups from the city residents became stronger. The index of isolation by distance (parameter b of Malecot's model) was 0.00103, 0.00071, and 0.00083 in 1960, 1985, and 1992, respectively. The proportions of long-range and short-range migrants increased by 1.2 times and decreased by 2.3 times, respectively, during the period studied. The locality size of the Donetsk population was 50, 62, and 53 km in 1960, 1985, and 1992, respectively. The highest isolation by distance was observed in Jews and Greeks and the lowest one, in Russians.

[Genetic demography of Ukrainian urban populations in the 1990's: ethnicity and birth places of migrants to the Poltava population]. / [Genetiko-demograficheskie protsessy v gorodskikh populiatsiiakh Ukrainy v 90-kh godakh. Natsional'nost' i mesto rozhdeniia migrantov Poltavskoi populiatsii.

Analysis of the birthplace and ethnicity of males and females contracting marriages in the city of Poltava in 1960, 1985, and 1995 revealed a trend towards return of Ukrainians from various regions of the former Soviet Union to their places of origin. In the migration flow, Russians were gradually substituted by Ukrainians, and the total proportion of Slavs increased. The isolation by distance (b) decreased from 0.00122 to 0.00075 in the period from 1960 to 1985 and then increased to 0.00098 by 1995. Positive association was found between the parent-offspring distance and marriage distance (the correlation coefficient r = 0.65-0.75).

[Genetic demography of Ukrainian urban populations in the 1990s: the ethnic composition of the migration flow in the Kharkov population]. / Genetiko-demograficheskie protsessy v gorodskikh populiatsiiakh Ukrainy v 90-kh godakh: étnicheskii sostav migratsionnogo potoka Khar'kovskoi populiatsii.

Marriage records were used to study the dynamics of the migration flow into the population of Kharkov in 1960-1993. The decrease in the migration rate was accompanied by changes in the ethnic composition of the migrants. The entire migration flow from the republics of the Baltic region consisted of Russians and Ukrainians. The increase in the migration flow from Transcaucasia was mainly accounted for by the migration activity of indigenous populations. Most migrants from Moldova, Central Asia, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan were also representatives of the respective indigenous populations. Malecot's coefficient of isolation by distance (b) decreased from 0.00123 to 0.0081.

[Genetic demographic processes in Ukrainian population in 1990. The marriage structure of the Donetsk population]. / Genetiko-demograficheskie protsessy v gorodskikh populiatsiiakh Ukrainyv 90-kh godakh. Brachnaia struktura Donetskoi populiatsii.

Analysis of records of the marriages that were contracted in the city of Donetsk revealed that, between 1960 and 1992, the marriage rate in the city decreased from 14.8 to 4.7 per 1000 people, the migration rate (m) decreased from 0.71 to 0.34, and the endogamy index increased from 0.123 to 0.458. Between 1960 and 1985, outbreeding in the Donetsk population increased, which was expressed in an increase in the frequency of interethnic marriages, migration range, and the average marital distance, as well as a decrease in the proportion of the indigenous ethnic group (Ukrainians). By 1992, outbreeding decreased: the population became more homogeneous ethnically (93% Slavic), the proportion of Ukrainians and the frequency of monoethnic marriages increased, and the average marital distance decreased. In 1960 and 1992, the coefficients of marriage contingency (K) with respect to ethnicity were 0.34 and 0.22, respectively. Regarding birthplaces, the population became almost panmictic (in 1960 and 1992, the K values were 0.15 and 0.10, respectively). Marriage structure with respect to occupation remained almost unchanged (the K values were 0.22 and 0.23, respectively). Throughout the entire period studied, the most pronounced population subdivision was that with respect to the education level (the K values were 0.36 and 0.39, respectively).

[Genetic-demographic processes in urban populations of the Ukraine in the 90's. The marital structure of the Poltava population]. / Genetiko-demograficheskie protsessy v gorodskikh populiatsiiakh Ukrainyv 90-x godakh. Brachnaia struktura Poltavskoi populiatsii.

Analysis of records of the marriages that were contracted in the city of Poltava revealed an increase in outbreeding between 1960 and 1985 in the Poltava population. This was expressed in increased ethnic diversity, proportion of interethnic marriages, migration range, and the parent-offspring and average marital distances, whereas the proportion of the indigenous ethnic group (Ukrainians) decreased. By 1995, outbreeding decreased: the ethnic composition of the population became more homogeneous (98% Slavic), the proportion of Ukrainians and the frequency of monoethnic marriages increased, and the migration range decreased. During the period studied, the population became more panmictic with respect to ethnicity and birthplace, with the social and professional subdivisions of the population remaining unchanged.

[Genetic-demographic processes in urban populations of the Ukraine in the 1990's. Marriage structure of the Kharkov population]. / Genetiko-demograficheskie protsessy v gorodskikh populiatsiiakh Ukrainy v 90-x godakh. Brachnaia struktura Khar'kovskoi populiatsii.

The characteristics of marriages contracted in 1993 in two districts of the city of Khar'kov were studied. The age, education, occupation, ethnicity, and birthplace of the spouses were recorded. The genetic demographic parameters of the marriage structure were compared to the results of a similar study performed in 1985. It was found that since 1985, the average age of marriage and the educational level of spouses had increased, while the ethnic diversity and coefficients of contingency by the spouses' ethnicity and profession had decreased. The contingency coefficient for the birthplace has increased. The causes and genetic consequences of these changes are discussed.