W. Jagiello, professor, Dr.Hab.
S. Savchin, professor, Dr.Hab.
M. Jagiello, Ph.D.
M. Michalowska-Savchin. Academy of physical education and sport, Gdansk, Poland

 

Key words: female students, level of physical activity, health monitoring, survivability.

 

BACKGROUND

The World Health Organization defined health as “the state of full physical, mental and social well-being, rather than only a lack of illness or ailment (impairment)”. In the recent years this definition has been completed with the efficiency of “leading a productive social and economic life” as well as with the spiritual aspect [1, 2, 3, 4].

From the genetic point of view, it is possible to treat the notion of health as an optima balance between an organism and the environment. However, it is not a state, but a constant process; it is an unstable balance – the health status is subject constant changes [5]

Nevertheless, regardless of the differences in the approach to the definition, it is one of the most substantial problems of mankind. Contrary to appearances, the influence of medical services (repair) on health is relatively little. According to literature data this constitutes about 15-20 %. The influence of the genetic factor is determined at 15-20 %, similarly to the social background. The influence of lifestyle is regarded as the most significant – amounting to as much as 50% [6].

The problem of physical activity of people of different ages and the question of the need for permanent monitoring of their health status and survival abilities is a common factor of many studies in this respect [7,8].

The main purpose of the present study is the profile of positive health and survival abilities in young women differing as to physical activity. Thus formulated study aim was connected with answering to the following question: do young women, undergraduate second grade students at the Faculty of Physical Education, who declare daily physical activity substantially differ in the sense of positive health in all its aspects and in self-assessment of their survival abilities from those who declare only occasional activity?

Materials and methods. The profile of women’s positive health and survival abilities was defined on the basis of Kalina’a original methodology [9] taking into account four basic indices: three health aspects (somatic – A, mental – B, social – C) and survival ability – D. The sense of intensity of particular detailed indices (8 aspects A, 4 B, 3 C, 8 D) has been evaluated in a scale from 1 to 5. Additionally, index “0” has been reserved to evaluate specific abilities (D).

The arithmetic mean for the assessed indices (after disintegration into diagnostics values), calculated for particular sets (from A to D), is a general measure of the given health aspect of survival ability. The arithmetic mean calculated for A to D indices represents the most general index of Sense of Positive Health and Survival Abilities (SPHSA).

A group of female students from the Faculty of Physical Education at Gdańsk University of Physical Education and Sport who were finishing their education at the Masters courses (4^th semester) were studied. 31 students declared daily physical activity and 21 the occasional one. The subjects’ age was within the range of 21-25 years (22,72±1,08). Their height and body weight was: 155-183 cm (167,67±5,34), 48-80 kg (59,14±5,40), respectively. Students physically active every day prefer 8 sports disciplines and forms of physical activity: jogging (21,2%), swimming (21,2%), volleyball (21,2%), fitness (18,7%), dance (9,4%), hockey and football (3,1%).

Results. Women declaring daily physical activity surpass their occasionally active peers in the SPHSA index 4,08 and 3,757, respectively (p<0,001). They assess the most highly the sense of somatic health (4,335 and 4,019), while the lowest the survival ability (3,895 and 3,513). Students who are active every day have demonstrated, at a statistically higher level than occasionally active women, a sense of the  following detailed indices: BMI (p<0,01), flexibility (p<0,01), anaerobic capacity (p<0,5), aerobic capacity (p<0,001),resting HR (p<0,05) and muscle strength (p<0,01), lower aggressiveness (p<0,001) (Figure 3), respecting “fair play” rules in everyday life (p<0,01) (Figure 4), swimming ability (p<0,001), the skill of safe falling (p<0,01) and lifesaving skills in water (p<0,01).

Women active every day have indicate at a statistically lower level diastolic and systolic blood pressure and tolerance, however, those differences are not statistically significant. Variability of the SPHSA index and aspects from A to C is similar in both groups – the differences do not exceed 5% (Table). Only within the detailed indices of the B aspect (mental health), the highest diversification of assessment in the group of students sporadically active has been stated (V_% = 16,86).

Table. Estimation of the main empirical variables of female students from the Faculty of Physical Education differing in terms of physical activity.

Empirical variable	Every day physical activity, n = 31					Occasional physical activity, n = 21
		±SD	xmin	xmax	V%		±SD	xmin	xmax	V%
Height [cm]	166,58	6,28	155	183	3,77	169,35	6,49	158	178	3,83
Weight [kg]	59,84	5,81	50	80	9,71	58,05	4,64	48	68	7,99
SPHSA*** [points]	4,08	0,21	3,42	4,67	5,17	3,757	0,256	3,042	4,385	6,825
Asomatic health*** [points]	4,335	0,33	3,5	4,75	7,53	4,019	0,281	3,5	4,5	7,012
B mental health*[points]	3,919	0.50	2,75	5	12,69	3,563	0,600	2,5	4,5	16,86
C social health [points]	4,172	0,41	3,33	5	9,86	3,9333	0,578	2.666	5	14,096
D survival** abilities [points]	3,895	0,480	2,875	4,625	12,34	3,513	0,393	2,875	4	11,188

* p<0,05; ** p<0,01; *** p<0,001

The characteristics of detailed indices based on the arithmetic mean and the variability (V_%), demonstrated statistically significant differences and substantial diversity of particular sets of measurements in eleven cases (out of 23 pairs of indices).The greatest variability of indices in “somatic health” (aspect A), both among the students active daily and occasionally was concerning the index of “muscle strength” (22% and 31% respectively).

Great variability in „the sense of mental health” (aspect B), both among the students active daily and occasionally, was concerning “stress coping skills” (27,4% and 38,2% respectively).

Aspect C (“social health”) differentiates examined women in the lowest level (from 10 to 24%). The differences are statistically significant only in the aspect of ‘”respecting fair play rules in everyday life”.

The greatest variability of indices was revealed for “survival abilities” (aspect D), it fluctuates from 12% to 39%. Great variability of the index of survival abilities in solitude (0.45) proved not to be statistically significant because of the considerable variability of results in both groups (17% and 39% respectively).

Discussion. An analysis of findings of research on students of Physical Education Faculty who are physically active and inactive confirms substantial differences in the subjects’ sense of positive health and survival ability (SPHSA). Students active every day surpass their occasionally exercising friends in this respect. The revealed peculiar profile of the sense of positive health and survival abilities in the group of active women is characterized by a distinct dominance of high assessment of stress coping skills (aspect B), swimming ability (aspect D) and high assessment of A aspect (somatic health).

Such structure of profile presumably results from the preferences of sports disciplines, which are jogging, swimming, volleyball. Physical effort in these disciplines is connected with vanquishing fatigue and with developing power (mainly of lower limbs). Such type of effort of most of the active women could influence high assessment of the sense of aerobic capacity, BMI, muscle strength and resting HR, which are the indices of somatic health (aspect A). Scientific research also confirms an influence of physical effort on the sense of somatic health among athletes and recreationally exercising people [3; 9].

Also stress coping skills are a condition of effective sports rivalry [8]. Therefore, students systematically practicing sport confirm this situation by high assessment of their skills in this aspect. Comparing findings of research on female students of Physical Education Faculty with results obtained by students of Tourism and Recreation Faculty [10] and Physiotherapy [9], all of the students active every day, it is possible with certain caution to talk about characteristic differences in profiles. Using the method of standardizing (on the group of Physiotherapy students physically inactive, n=100 [9]) and a widely understood norm (one standard deviation), properties of the group of students physically active from Physical Education Faculty are revealed – Fig. 6. Characteristic feature of this profile is that values of somatic health - A are significantly higher (both in relation to students of Physiotherapy – 1,727 SD and to students of Tourism and Recreation – 1,665 SD), widely understood survival abilities – D (in relation to students of Physiotherapy – 1,592 SD) and SPHSA index (in relation to students of Physiotherapy – 1,156 SD).

Tendency revealed on the basis of standardized values also confirm the significance of differences between the group o physically active students from Physical Education Faculty in relation to inactive students of Physiotherapy (n=100) – referential group. At a statistically significant level of difference (p≤0.001) in all the aspects of health (except aspect C – social health) and survival abilities are revealed.

Physically active students of Physical Education Faculty also surpass significantly (p≤0.001) their peers from Tourism and Recreation Faculty and Physiotherapy in relation to somatic health (aspect A), general profile of positive health and survival abilities (SPHSA) and D aspect – survival ability (students from Tourism and Recreation Faculty when p≤0.05). Thus, peculiar profile of subjective evaluation of positive health and widely understood ability to survive is connected with these three aspects (A, SPHSA and D).

Thus, it can be assumed that not only the level of physical activity determines the consciousness of perception of the state of one’s health and survival abilities. Also the profile of education showed to be a significant factor modifying such tendencies.

The methodology applied in the research (SPHSA questionnaire) constitutes a very interesting method of the sense of health assessment conducted in all its aspects [9]. Its advantage lies not only in a possibility of applying it in virtually all conditions, but also in low costs (a non-apparatus method), which is quite important in population studies [12]. The findings of the SPHAS questionnaire can be successfully associated with findings of questionnaires of physical activity assessment (e.g. Leisure time Physical Activity Questionnaire Minnesota, Paffenbarger Physical Activity Questionnaire, Seven Day Physical Activity Recall [13-16], including the elderly and impaired.

Conclusions. Findings of the conducted research show that physical activity is crucial modifying the sense of positive health in physically active and inactive women, above all in its somatic and psychological aspect and in many elements associated with the survival ability. To a lesser extent physical activity diversified the sense of the studied women’s social health.

Quite likely, also the type of physical activity (the preferred sports disciplines) and the profile of education (the field of study) can be a modifying factor for the women’s sense of positive health and survival abilities.

However, taking into consideration the small number of subjects in the groups of examined women, findings of our research [10] and of Kalina’s research [11] should be treated as a revealed tendency. Hence it is necessary to confirm this probable hypothesis that intensifying daily physical activity is a factor significantly diversifying the sense of one’s own positive health and survival abilities. Verification of this hypothesis requires further observation on a much greater sample from populations of people differing in physical activity, but simultaneously in age, profession, education etc.

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Author’s contacts: Department of Sport, Faculty of Physical Education, University of Physical Education and Sports, K. Gorskiego 1, 80-336 Gdańsk, Poland; e-mail: wjagiello1@wp.pl