N.Yu. Tarabrina, Dr.Biol.
Crimean affiliate of Russian Academy of Justice

Key words: psychophysiology, student health, integrated assessment, lawyers.

Introduction. Formation, preservation and promotion of public health are among the state priority tasks, globally acknowledged as a guarantor of national security, stability and well-being of society. One of the focal areas for the reformation in Russia is protection and promotion of health of children and youth including students, that will define the level of socio-economic well-being of the society in the near future. Students’ activity during studies serves a powerful basis for the intellectual activity development. Growing information flows and intensified loads are sometimes inadequate to the physiological capabilities of the young body, and this fact finally causes the appearance and development of diseases among students. The decreased health indices of school-leavers, big stress, violation of the labor and rest regimen and bad habits can also be a reason for diseases [1, 6, 9].

Studying to be a lawyer is associated with a significant information load, since legal activities are based on the knowledge and operation of the information models and processes related to the norms and rules that regulate the public legal system. Future lawyer has to understand the essence of complex social processes, to be able to apply the means of the legal framework in the legal activity and to act generally under uncertainty, time limitation, constantly growing and preserved volume of legal information.

The end target of the legal informational training of future lawyers is to minimize the risks of the legal errors based on the application of the received legal information.

The development of science and ever complicating modern technologies facilitate the rising demands for the information training of future lawyers. The importance of the effective system of legal information distribution is extremely urgent for the modern civil society [3, 6, 9].

The purpose of the research was to perform the integrated assessment of health of law students (girls).

Materials and methods.  30 female students aged 17-23 of Crimean Law Institute Yaroslav the Wise National Law Academy, Simferopol were studied. Before the start of the academic year all the subjects’ regular physical activity was insufficient. During the academic year the female students did regular aerobic exercises according to the curriculum for higher education institutions of Ukraine in the form of exercises to music (aerobics, pilates, callanetics, yoga for beginners, stretching etc.) [8]. The research and tests were held at the beginning and at the end of the academic year.

The methods applied were as follows: anthropometric measurements, index method, Ryan inventory, stress assessment, functional tests, test exercises.

The data received during the research were estimated with the use of the STATISTICA – 8.0 software (StatSoft, Inc. (2007) STATISTICA (data analysis software system), version 8.0. www.statsoft.com).  To check the null-hypothesis about the zero difference of the two groups with normally distributed parameter the procedures of the single-factor of the repeated measures analysis of variance (Repeated Measures ANOVA) were used first. It was followed by the normality of the distribution of the difference between parameter volume for the Paired Student’s t test, and the sphericity condition for the repeated measures analysis of variance. Then, in case of using an alternative statistical hypothesis, the paired comparison of the groups was performed using the applied parametric Student’s t test.

Results and the discussion. Performed research and its quantitative assessment show that at the beginning of the academic year the anthropometric measurements of the subjects were within the limits of the age norm (Table 1). By the end of the year the minor changes were seen in the slight weight reduction and the decrease of calf, hip and waist circumferences by 1,91-2,2% (р<0,05) on the average, which indicated the moderate and effective muscular work (Table 1).

Table 1. Changes in average group anthropometric measurements for female students (n=30) due to regular physical exercises

It is well-known that physical activity is one of the main factors influencing the condition of the cardiovascular system. Insufficient physical activity – hypokinesia – is a risk factor for various diseases, first of all for cardiovascular ones. And, on the contrary, the optimal muscular activity prevents and even facilitates healing of various diseases. The works that study the skeletal muscles micropumping functions [2] explain many aspects of the relationship between the cardiovascular and muscular systems. Owing to the data that skeletal muscles act as blood suction-pressure pumps the option appeared – to actively and purposefully influence the hemodynamics of a person by means of muscular activity.   

As shown in Table 2 the systolic blood pressure has decreased slightly and the diastolic pressure increased, but insignificantly. The blood pressure maintained on a certain level or changes in it can be the result of a number of complex neurohumoral interactions [15]. The arterial tone is increased with the mandatory involvement of all levels of the vegetative regulatory system starting from its cortex display in the temporal lobe and limbic-reticular complex in the midline structures of the brain up to the abnormal synaptic intercourse of the sympathetic-parasympathetic terminals and smooth muscle cells of the vessels [12].

Heart rate is a marker of changes in the vegetative regulation of the blood circulation and the most important prognostic factor for the cardiovascular processes. The quantitative criteria of HR are not generally accepted so far. So, many authors consider the heart rate within 60-80 bpm as normosystole [5]. Some authors think normosystole is when HR is within 60 to 90 bpm [11]. Some researchers let the limits of the resting heart rate even wider, fixing as normosystole the HR ranging between 50 to 100 bpm [7].

So, the index of fitness – heart rate before the start of aerobic workout – could be characterized as satisfactory for this age group and was 83,77±2,45 bpm. This figure has reliably decreased by 7,6% (р<0,05) by the end of the academic year, indicating the tendency for adaptation to physical activity.

Kerdo index (VI) has significantly and reliably (р<0,01) increased by 9,5% by the end of the year, and it shows the dominant vagal influence in the neurovegetative function. Note, that this index was estimated according to the Kerdo formula (1953) [13]. Kerdo had revealed the following principle: vegetative tone shifts to sympathicotonia promote a decrease of the diastolic pressure, increase of the number of heart beats, the SBP/heart rate ratio of less then 1; in parasympathicotonia the diastolic pressure rises, the number of heart beats decreases, the ratio SBP/heart rate becomes more then 1. The VI shift to particular side by 10 % and more shows the vegetative shift [14]. So, the shift, normalization of the vegetative tone of the nervous system are detected in the subjects.

Table 2. Changes in average group parameters of psychophysiological indices for students (n=30) due to regular physical activity

Positive reliable changes in the orthostatic test results by 32% (р<0,01) and the snap test by 53% (р<0,001) by the end of the year testify to an improvement of the functional state of the vegetative nervous system and the good response of the cardiovascular system to changing body position, and also the adaptive reactions of the cardiovascular system with regard the fast and endurance work.  

The results obtained during the work with the Ryan inventory show the positive motivation and the hope for success the female students had early at the beginning of the year with the slight reliable tendency to keeping it, and its positive transformation into stable success motivation by the end of the academic year. The motivated person means to achieve something constructive, positive when he/she starts some activity. The activity of the person is based on the hope for success and need for achievement. Such persons are usually self-confident, self-reliant, reliable, ambitious and active. They are persistent in achievement of their goals and purposeful.

Table 3 shows the results of the strength, flexibility and balance test exercises. The indices of motor qualities of the female students have reliably improved by 25-40 % (р<0,01), indicating the positive changes in physical fitness of the tested students due to regular exercises by the end of the year. 

Table 3. Changes in average group parameters of all-round fitness of students (n=30) due to regular physical activity

Conclusions

1. The pulse rate data of the students at the beginning of the year show the tendency for tachycardia, which can be the result of insufficient aerobic fitness of the school graduates, and, unfortunately, the result of smoking widely spread among senior pupils and university students. Heart rate assessed in the examined group after the year of regular aerobic exercises shows reliable moderate positive dynamics in the development of the adaptive capacities of the cardiovascular system, and can serve as a landmark for the active methodological work of physical education teachers on the implementation of the innovative techniques of development of motor qualities of law students [4, 5, 7, 10]. Probably, more attention should be paid to motivating young people to develop their motor qualities and thus improve their health. The students should be explained the importance of living a healthy life involving a sufficient amount physical activity and quitting the bad habits, which is a global criterion of a university student’s status, and a guarantee of the productive professional fulfillment.

2. The initial level of the Ruffier index indicates the low fitness level of the female students in the test group. Its decrease by the end of the year proves the possible tendency to the norm.  

3. The ordered hierarchy of motivation focuses from the hope for success to the stable achievement motivation shows the actual improvement of the students’ social adaptation to the new conditions of labor, study, life, seen in the better assimilation of social norms and functions and practical skills.

4. Improved strength, flexibility and coordination of the tested female students by the end of the year show the objective mechanisms of the body’s adaptation under the influence of the adequately held aerobic training sessions (based on the adaptation of the students to the load intensity), i.e. the good health improving effect.

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Corresponding author: nata-tarabrina@mail.ru