Social determinants of infectious diseases in diverse age groups in Varna region, Bulgaria

During the first years as a member to the European Union the healthcare system of Republic of Bulgaria faced many challenges: declining demographic tendencies, poverty with notice ably expressed age dimensions and limited resources for health care. The aim of this study is to reveal some social determinants and risk factors in the vulnerable groups of elderly people and breast-fed infants with communicable diseases. Specially designed questionnaires were used to study the socioeconomic and other risk factors in patients over 60 years and mothers accompanying their infants with infectious diseases. Analyses of the demographic indicators of Varna region and disease incidence correspond to the trends of the national level. Infectious diseases most commonly observed among the aged population are shigelloses, salmonelloses and other gastroenterites, mediterranean spotted fever, lymeborreliosis, acute viral hepatitis and neuroinfections. Gastroenteritesin breast-fed infants are the most common cause for hospitalization.The risk factors influencing patients of 60+ suffering from infectious diseases are poverty, unhealthy and inadequate nutrition, smoking, alcohol consumption, insuf icient physical activity and high levels of stress. Socially significant in communicable diseases are the common terrain on which the infectious process takes place. Risk factors influencing infants with infectious diseases are similar and sometimes derived from the factors influencing the adult population. More detailed and wider span studies of the social determinants of comunicable diseases in Bulgaria are needed to estimate the situation in other risk groups. Scripta Scientifica Medica 2010;42(2):115-120