UDC

DOI

Authors

Almaz S. Shanazarov¹, Natal’ya G. Melnikova²*

¹International Higher School of Medicine, Bishkek, Kyrgyz Republic, ifepv@mail.ru, https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2597-2186

²Institute of Mountain Physiology and Medicine of the National Academy of Science of the Kyrgyz Republic, Bishkek, Kyrgyz Republic, ngmelnikova@rambler.ru*, https://orcid.org/0009-0000-8048-3492

Abstract

Interdisciplinary research into adaptation issues within the field of montology focuses on analyzing the concept (conceptual model) that an individual form regarding the dynamics of environmental properties and their own capabilities. The model enables the individual to strike a balance between internal and external conditions, which is of significance for preventive medicine as well. This underscores the importance of assessing the interrelationships between the environment and the individual, as well as the adaptation behavior of the population in mountain regions of bioclimatic discomfort. The purpose of the study is to characterize the features of adaptation behavior among the population of mountain regions in the Kyrgyz Republic by analyzing the structure of external (environmental) and internal (personal) resources. Materials and methods. A total of 154 residents from the north (Tyup village, 1,770 m above sea level) and 358 residents from the south (Gulcha town, 1,540 m above sea level) of the Kyrgyz Republic were surveyed. The age ranges were 17–60 years and 21–60 years, respectively. Personal resources – tolerance of uncertainty (TU) and intolerance of uncertainty (IU) – were assessed using S. Budner’s questionnaire (as modified by T.V. Kornilova and M.A. Chumakova), while environmental resources were evaluated through self-assessment of need satisfaction (existential, social, and developmental needs) using the methodology of V.N. Edronova and N.V. Solov’eva. Factor analysis of environmental and personal resources was used to determine the structural features of the perception of the living environment and of adaptation behavior. Results. The factor structure of environmental-personal resources highlights the importance of satisfying existential, social, and developmental needs for the adaptation behavior of the populations in the studied localities. The significance of socio-economic life characteristics is a common feature of the conceptual models in the studied settlements (Tyup, Gulcha), with the reliability of their preservation being particularly important to the residents of Gulcha. Material and social motivators play a key role in the cognitive assessment of conditions. Regional differences are linked to the symbolic motivators underlying individuals’ expectations. the presence of these factors within the personal-environmental complex (TU, IU, education, knowledge) highlights the significance of context in the adaptation behavior of Tyup residents. The presence of only personal components (TU, IU) reflects the flexibility of the self-regulation of the adaptation response among the residents of Gulcha.

For citation: Shanazarov A.S., Melnikova N.G. Adaptation Behavior of the Population in Mountain Regions of Bioclimatic Discomfort (Tian Shan and Pamir-Alay): A Resource-Based Approach. Journal of Medical and Biological Research, 2026, vol. 14, no. 3, pp. 78–88. https://doi.org/10.37482/2687-1491-Z297

Keywords

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