Assessment of Health Status in Populations Living in the Semipalatinsk Nuclear Test Site Region: Results of Screening

Dyussupov, Altay; Alibayeva, Galiya; Shabdarbayeva, Dariya; Pivina, Lyudmila; Chaizhunussova, Nailya; Orekhov, Andrey; Massabayeva, Meruyert; Baibussinova, Assel; Lipikhina, Alexandra; Smailova, Zhanargul; Batenova, Gulnara; Apbassova, Saulesh; Lepesbayev, Murat; Kozhanova, Saule; Izdenov, Asset; Dosmagambetova, Raushan; Rahypbekov, Tolebai

doi:10.3390/healthcare14131988

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Assessment of Health Status in Populations Living in the Semipalatinsk Nuclear Test Site Region: Results of Screening

by

Altay Dyussupov

¹,

Galiya Alibayeva

²,

Dariya Shabdarbayeva

³,

Lyudmila Pivina

^2,*

,

Nailya Chaizhunussova

⁴,

Andrey Orekhov

^5,*,

Meruyert Massabayeva

⁶

,

Assel Baibussinova

⁷,

Alexandra Lipikhina

⁸

,

Zhanargul Smailova

³

,

Gulnara Batenova

²,

Saulesh Apbassova

⁹,

Murat Lepesbayev

⁹

,

Saule Kozhanova

¹⁰,

Asset Izdenov

¹,

Raushan Dosmagambetova

¹ and

Tolebai Rahypbekov

¹¹

¹

Office of the Rector, Semey Medical University, Semey 071400, Kazakhstan

²

Department of Emergency Medicine, Semey Medical University, Semey 071400, Kazakhstan

³

Office of the Vice Rector, Semey Medical University, Semey 071400, Kazakhstan

⁴

Department of Public Health, Semey Medical University, Semey 071400, Kazakhstan

⁵

Department of Internal Medicine, Semey Medical University, Semey 071400, Kazakhstan

⁶

Research Laboratory Center, Semey Medical University, Semey 071400, Kazakhstan

⁷

Department of Biostatistics, Semey Medical University, Semey 071400, Kazakhstan

⁸

Research Institute of Radiation Medicine and Ecology, Semey Medical University, Semey 071400, Kazakhstan

⁹

Department of Pathology, Semey Medical University, Semey 071400, Kazakhstan

¹⁰

Department of Anatomy, Semey Medical University, Semey 071400, Kazakhstan

¹¹

Office of the Rector, West Kazakhstan Marat Ospanov State Medical University, Aktobe 030019, Kazakhstan

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^*

Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed.

Healthcare 2026, 14(13), 1988; https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare14131988

Submission received: 1 June 2026 / Revised: 25 June 2026 / Accepted: 27 June 2026 / Published: 3 July 2026

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Social and Environmental Determinants of Health Across the Life Course: Implications for Healthcare Access, Delivery and Outcomes)

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Abstract

Background: The Semipalatinsk Nuclear Test Site (SNTS) represents a unique example of long-term population exposure to ionizing radiation. This study aimed to assess the health status of individuals from three generations permanently residing in territories affected by radioactive contamination resulting from nuclear weapons testing at the SNTS, based on the findings of a population screening examination. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional screening study was conducted among 2802 adults aged 18 years and older. The exposed group consisted of residents of the Abay and Beskaragai districts of the Abay Region and their descendants (n = 1358). The control group included residents of Arshaly village in the Akmola Region with no history of radiation exposure (n = 1444). All participants underwent a structured questionnaire survey, clinical examination, biochemical and hematological testing, and assessment of thyroid function. Individual radiation doses were obtained from the State Scientific Automated Medical Registry of Persons Exposed to Radiation (SSAMR). Results: Arterial hypertension (p < 0.001), chronic ischemic heart disease (p < 0.001), thyroid disorders (p < 0.001), malignant neoplasms (p = 0.003), renal diseases, and respiratory diseases were significantly more prevalent in the exposed population than in the control group. Exposed individuals also demonstrated significantly higher levels of total cholesterol, triglycerides, and the triglyceride-glucose (TyG) index, indicating increased insulin resistance. After adjustments, the only outcome that retained a statistically significant association with radiation dose was thyroid disorders (adjusted OR per 10 mSv increase = 1.017; 95% CI: 1.009–1.025; p < 0.001). ROC analysis demonstrated a moderate discriminative ability of radiation dose with respect to arterial hypertension (AUC = 0.715), chronic ischemic heart disease (AUC = 0.735), and ischemic stroke (AUC = 0.711). Conclusions: The findings suggest long-term adverse health effects associated with radiation exposure among populations residing near the SNTS. Continued epidemiological surveillance and medical monitoring of exposed individuals and their descendants are warranted.

Keywords: Semipalatinsk Nuclear Test Site; ionizing radiation; radiation exposure; population screening; arterial hypertension; thyroid disorders; metabolic disorders; dose–response relationship

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MDPI and ACS Style

Dyussupov, A.; Alibayeva, G.; Shabdarbayeva, D.; Pivina, L.; Chaizhunussova, N.; Orekhov, A.; Massabayeva, M.; Baibussinova, A.; Lipikhina, A.; Smailova, Z.; et al. Assessment of Health Status in Populations Living in the Semipalatinsk Nuclear Test Site Region: Results of Screening. Healthcare 2026, 14, 1988. https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare14131988

AMA Style

Dyussupov A, Alibayeva G, Shabdarbayeva D, Pivina L, Chaizhunussova N, Orekhov A, Massabayeva M, Baibussinova A, Lipikhina A, Smailova Z, et al. Assessment of Health Status in Populations Living in the Semipalatinsk Nuclear Test Site Region: Results of Screening. Healthcare. 2026; 14(13):1988. https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare14131988

Chicago/Turabian Style

Dyussupov, Altay, Galiya Alibayeva, Dariya Shabdarbayeva, Lyudmila Pivina, Nailya Chaizhunussova, Andrey Orekhov, Meruyert Massabayeva, Assel Baibussinova, Alexandra Lipikhina, Zhanargul Smailova, and et al. 2026. "Assessment of Health Status in Populations Living in the Semipalatinsk Nuclear Test Site Region: Results of Screening" Healthcare 14, no. 13: 1988. https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare14131988

APA Style

Dyussupov, A., Alibayeva, G., Shabdarbayeva, D., Pivina, L., Chaizhunussova, N., Orekhov, A., Massabayeva, M., Baibussinova, A., Lipikhina, A., Smailova, Z., Batenova, G., Apbassova, S., Lepesbayev, M., Kozhanova, S., Izdenov, A., Dosmagambetova, R., & Rahypbekov, T. (2026). Assessment of Health Status in Populations Living in the Semipalatinsk Nuclear Test Site Region: Results of Screening. Healthcare, 14(13), 1988. https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare14131988

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