Introduction: Disability resulting from diseases of the respiratory system is a complex problem for the health care and social security systems. The prevalence of chronic lung diseases keeps growing. Our objective was to analyze the rates of initial and recurrent respiratory disability in the adult population of the Rostov Region in 2014–2018 and to compare them with those registered in the Southern Federal District and the Russian Federation. Material and methods: We used information about initial and recurrent respiratory disability in adults from the electronic database of the unified information and analytical system of medical and social expertise of the Rostov Region and digests of the Federal Bureau of Medical and Social Expert Examination of the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection of the Russian Federation for 2014–2018. We applied methods of data copying, descriptive statistics (estimation of extensive and intensive indicators, significance tests (p)), analytical and comparative analysis. Results: The analysis of adult respiratory disability in the Rostov Region in 2014–2018 showed a decrease in the number of adults with initial and recurrent disability. The proportion of initial cases tended to decrease and was similar to the Russian average rate but exceeded that in the Southern Federal District while the proportion of recurrent disability cases increased. The rates of initial respiratory disability in the adult population of the Rostov Region and the Russian Federation were comparable. The regional proportion of young people with respiratory disability was 42.2 % in contrast to the Southern Federal District and the Russian Federation where elderly cases prevailed (42.0 % and 48.7 %, respectively). In terms of severity of disability, grade II disability cases prevailed (50.4 %) in the Rostov Region as opposed to the Southern Federal District and the Russian Federation with higher proportions of persons with disability grade III (62.3 % and 72.0 %, respectively). The recurrent disability rate showed a rising trend and was higher than the intensive indicator in the Southern Federal District but lower than that in the Russian Federation. The majority of regional cases with recurrent respiratory disability were young and middle-aged (40.5 % and 40.2 %, respectively); the proportion of young cases tended to increase while that of the middle-aged showed a downward trend. In the Southern Federal District and the Russian Federation, most recurrent cases were middle-aged or elderly (37.8 % and 35.3 %) and elderly or middle-aged (39.0 % and 35.1 %), respectively. The rate of recurrent respiratory disability among young people in the Rostov Region was twice as high as in the Southern Federal District and the Russian Federation. In terms of severity of recurrent respiratory disability, grade III disability was most prevalent in all territories but in the Rostov Region its proportion was lower than in the areas of comparison. The proportion of people with grade II disability tended to decrease but was still higher than in the Southern Federal District and the Russian Federation. Conclusions: Our findings will allow a more accurate assessment of severity of impairments and vital activity limitations in adults with respiratory disability and help plan appropriate age and sex-specific rehabilitation measures contributing to effective rehabilitation and habilitation actions and successful social integration of a disabled person.

Introduction. In 1990–2017, the size of population in the Belgorod Region increased by 10.9 % only as a result migration. Negative medical and demographic trends characterized by population decline caused by a decreased birth rate, increased mortality and disease incidence rates, and population aging were registered at that time. The level of primary disability due to digestive diseases dropped significantly; yet, young and middle-aged people and disability grades II and III began to prevail among primary disability cases. Our objective was to study regional characteristics of the medical and demographic situation in the Belgorod Region from the point of view of medical and social expert examination. Materials and methods. We analyzed data of the Federal Service for State Statistics (Rosstat) and its Belgorod Department (Belgorodstat), and the database of the unified automated vertically integrated information and analytical system (EAVIIAS) of medical and social expertise for persons with primary disability caused by digestive disorders in the Belgorod Region in 2000–2017. We processed anonymized computerized data entered by the bureau’s medical staff. Ethical and legal principles were not violated when working with medical records. The study was carried out by a continuous method. We applied analytical, analytical graphics, and statistical (t-test, z-test, F-test) methods to data collection and processing. Digital data were processed using an IBM PC IntelCore i5-2500K and Stat Soft Statistica 12.5 software package. Results. Despite the population growth resulting from migration, we observed worsening of regional medical and demographic indices in 2010–2017. Although the incidence rates of all diseases of the digestive system decreased, the rates of incidence and mortality from diseases of the pancreas and liver rose significantly. The average age at death from diseases of the pancreas and liver indicated premature mortality. In the structure of primary disability caused by digestive disorders, diseases of the liver and pancreas ranked highest. Conclusion. Population decline, rising digestive disease and related mortality rates dictate the need for in-depth study and practical solution of the problems of health improvement, disease prevention, treatment and rehabilitation of patients and individuals with disability due to this pathology in order to reduce premature mortality and improve the demographic situation in the region.