Self-preservation behavior: generational aspect

The purpose of the research is to identify features of self-preservation behavior in different actual generations of Russians to assess the vector of their transformation and the prospects for life expectancy dynamics. The relevance of the topic is determined by the significant lag between Russia and developed countries in terms of life expectancy, largely due to behavioral factors. The scientific novelty consists in the fact that we can adapt the Strauss-Howe generational theory to study generational characteristics of population behavior related to health. By the results of a sociological survey, we have verified the hypotheses about the nature of self-preservation behavior models of five ten-year-old actual cohorts of the population and the combined generation born before 1955 inclusive. Regarding the ratio of self-preservation behavior models of the two oldest cohorts, the paper does not confirm the formulated hypothesis, which may be due to the positive transformation of health-preservation behavior models as people became older, due to changes in health status, as well as in the population of the older cohorts due to high premature mortality in groups with the most unfavorable lifestyle. Regarding four young actual generations, the study has confirmed the hypotheses showing that favorable socio-economic and demographic conditions, anti-alcohol and anti-smoking measures of the 2000s and promotion of an active healthy lifestyle in general have a positive effect in terms of influencing the nature of self-preservation behavior of young cohorts, which indicates the possibility of influencing behavioral health factors at the stage of its formation. The positive vector of transformation of generational patterns of self-preserving behavior, especially clearly manifested in men, allows us to hope for the restoration and prolongation of the growing dynamics of the life expectancy of Russians with the probability of achieving targets in the future, provided that favorable behavioral patterns in the field of health conservation are consolidated.