ASPECTS OF SOCIAL CAPACITY OF SPACE AND THEIR IMPACT ON POPULATION DYNAMICS IN ARCTIC REGIONS

 The article considers aspects of social capacity of space in reproduction of human capital of the Arctic regions of Russia. The comparison of population assessments of the state of health care, education, culture and leisure, as well as working conditions and population growth rates in 32 municipalities of the European part of the Russian Arctic is carried out. The purpose of the study is to identify areas of priority transformations in these areas necessary to overcome depopulation trends at the municipal level. The factual basis is presented by the results of a survey of the population of 32 municipalities of the European part of the Russian Arctic (n=4871). The population growth rate is adopted as an indicator reflecting the resulting social conditions of human capital reproduction. A system analysis of the relationships between the parameters was implemented using the DEA analysis technique.
When constructing a model aimed at maximizing the population growth rate (output parameter), eight territories were identified in which the ratio of the parameters under consideration is optimal under the existing restrictions (Arkhangelsk Urban District, Usinsk Municipal District, Kostomuksha Municipal District, etc.). For the remaining territories, priority transformation areas have been established in the areas of healthcare, education, culture and leisure, as well as working conditions to mitigate or overcome depo­pulation trends. In the area of working conditions, a critically important area is promoting an increase in wages, as well as ensuring the sustainable functioning and favorable prospects of city-forming enterprises, promoting the diversification of the local economy. The practical significance of the study lies in determining the priorities for regulating socio-economic processes in Arctic municipalities to mitigate or overcome depopulation trends.

Volkov A. D. kov8vol@gmail.com

Keywords: DEA-анали Russian Arctic Arctic municipalities social capacity of space health care education working conditions population growth rate DEA analysis

A GRAVITY MODEL FOR ASSESSING SPATIAL INEQUALITY IN ACCESS TO HEALTHCARE SERVICES: A CASE STUDY OF SVERDLOVSK OBLAST

  This article addresses the issue of territorial inequality in access to he­althcare services in Sverdlovsk Oblast of Russia. The research hypothesis is that a modified gravity-based model of potential spatial accessibility, with an empirically calibrated distance decay parameter λ, can identify stable territorial disparities in structural inaccessibility of healthcare and associated medico-economic risks, statistically linked to staffing, logistical, and insti­tutional constraints at the municipal level.
The aim of the study is to develop a model for evaluating potential spatial accessibility that accounts for territorial heterogeneity and disparities in healthcare resource availability. To achieve this, a modified gravity model was applied, incorporating double normalization and empirical calibration of the distance decay parameter λ. The accessibility index Ai was calculated for 65 municipalities in Sverdlovsk Oblast. These values were used to classify territories into three accessibility levels: high, moderate, and low (risk zones). The results reveal consistent differences among these groups in terms of phy­sician availability, frequency of medical consultations, and medical-economic indicators. Low accessibility in several municipalities is associated with structural inaccessibility, reflected in reduced disease detection rates, fewer preventive visits, uneven distribution of workload among healthcare professio­nals, and rising local economic losses. These findings are supported by sta­tistical analysis.
The proposed model can be applied for monitoring healthcare accessi­bility, guiding workforce and investment priorities, adjusting patient routing, and informing intergovernmental fiscal policies. The Ai index may serve as an indicator of territorial vulnerability and the resilience of local healthcare systems.

Begicheva S. V. begichevas@mail.ru.

Keywords: индекс доступност potential spatial accessibility gravity model health care regional economy territorial inequality medical and economic risks typology of municipalities accessibility index

Efficiency of health care expenditures: assessing the experience of Vologda Oblast

The study analyzes present approaches applied to assess how effective the expenditures for public health care are. We show that the techniques based on nothing but assessment of the resource components have some defects as they fail to allow for social effects. To overcome this shortage, we recommend the technique which is of 5-years practice in the Vologda Oblast, and which compounds the financial and demographic analysis. We present the results of our economic analysis made by applying such technique

Duganov M. D. mduganov@rambler.ru

Shabunova А. A. aas@vscc.ac.ru

Kalashnikov K. N. konstantino-84@mail.ru

Keywords: Vologda Oblast health care public expenditures assessment methods efficiency