VITAL STATISTICS AND THE CROW INDEX AMONG THE INDIGENOUS POPULATION OF THE REPUBLIC OF SAKHA (YAKUTIA)

Introduction: Natural selection in humans is influenced by genetic and environmental factors. It can be assessed using selected genetic and demographic parameters, namely, vital statistics, the Crow index, or the total selection index and its components. Aim: To study vital statistics and the Crow index among post-menopausal indigenous women in the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) living in different economic zones. Methods: The sample consisted of 347 post-menopausal indigenous women from 15 districts of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia). The districts were merged into Central, Arctic, and Western regions. The Crow index and its components was calculated. Regional variations in the studied characteristics were assessed using nonparametric Kruskal-Wallis test. Results: We observed statistically significant differences in the reproductive indicators across the regions. The lowest pressure of natural selection (Itot) was experienced by the ethnic minorities from the Arctic region (0,407) compared to the Yakuts (0,395) from this region and their counterparts from the Central (0,407) and Western (0,457) regions. Conclusions: Despite wide spread of family planning the indigenous ethnic groups of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) demonstrate high fertility. In all studied groups, the component associated with differential fertility exceeds the component associated with differential mortality. Economic, social, and cultural factors significantly influence reproductive patterns.