Dr.Med. L.V. Rychkova^{1, 2}
Dr.Biol. V.M. Polyakov¹
PhD K.V. Sukhinina²
Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Dr.Med. L.I. Kolesnikova^{1, 2
1}Scientific Center for Family Health and Human Reproduction, Irkutsk
²Irkutsk State University, Irkutsk

Keywords: first-year students, psychological traits, adaptability, autonomic nervous system, componential analysis of body.

Background. It is common knowledge that the national male population is increasingly exposed to multiple risks in the modern environments, with the 17-23-year-old males ranked the top-risk group exposed to particularly heavy stressors that trigger mental/ physiological disorders in this transitional period when they enter universities [8, 18]. As verified by many study reports, university entrants are tested with lower adaptability to new social environments, increased irritation, high stress exposure rates etc. [15, 17, 19, 22], with the relevant mental disorders often associated with certain chronic diseases [3]. Most of the first-year university students are diagnosed with scoliosis (25-45%) and vegetative-vascular dystonia (VVD, 25-40% of the cases) [2,3,12,14].

Autonomous nervous system of the first-year students is known to respond by over-tension to extreme intellectual, physical and mental stresses in this period [4, 22, 23], associated with negative effects on appetite, overall wellbeing [20, 21] and weight loss [8, 14]. This is the reason why a high priority in the relevant theoretical and practical studies shall be given to anthropometrical measurements (body weight, body length, body mass indices (BMI), bone and muscular mass indices etc.) of the beginner academic groups. We believe that the body anthropometrical measurements are highly informative for tracking and rating the physical development trends (norms and deviations) in this age group [4]. It is also obvious that special health improvement systems need to be developed to improve the physical health standards of the first-year students, and this was a priority goal for this study.

Objective of the study was to find correlations of anthropometrical measurements versus mental statuses and autonomic nervous system performance rates in the special health group males trained in the academic physical education system.

Methods and structure of the study. The first-to-second year students of Irkutsk State University were subject to anthropometrical measurements and functionality rating tests twice a year in September and May; and to special individualized physical education courses. Their stress tolerance to mental, emotional and intellectual stressors in this period was rated by the mental test method based on the Multilevel Personality Questionnaire “Adaptability” (MPQA) by A.G. Maklakov and S.V. Chermyanina (1993) [6, 10, 13]. The students’ success motivations were rated by the Y.M. Orlov’s Goal Achievement Need Test-Questionnaire (1978) [7]. For the purposes of the study, we also applied the M.V. Chernorutsky’s classification of somatotypes [1] with the body length and body mass measured as recommended by the relevant standards [2, 5] with body mass index (BMI) computations [5, 9] in compliance with the WHO recommendations [5]. The body composition (BC) was rated by the bone/ fat/ muscle mass rating formula by J. Matiegka, Pazziskova [1]. The autonomic nervous system status was rated by standard test methods [15] to obtain the respiration rate, blood pressure (BP) rates and heart rate (HR); plus the functionality was rated by the relevant graduated exercise test, orthostatic test and cold test [5]. The graduated exercise tests were run compliant to the standard, with the resting HR and post-30s-20-squats HR measured and the HR variability in the recovery process duly rated [7]. The standard cold test implied the upper limb being put in cold water for 1min with the BP tested on the other limb, with the cold test being repeated in 30s, 1min, 2min and 3min till the BP rates are back to norm [15].

The study data were processed by the standard statistical software package Statistica 6.1 (StatSoft), with a arithmetical mean М, mean square deviation σ, and error of mean m being computed. Significance of the mean values was tested by the Student t-criterion under dispersion analysis, with the significance limit set at 0.05 [5, 9].

Study results and discussion. Subject to the study were the first- and second-year male students (n=60) aged 17.8±1.12 years (М±σ) and attributed to the special health group at the Physics-Mathematics, Humanitarian and Natural Biology Departments of Irkutsk State University. The qualification with the special health group means that the students were diagnosed with certain health/ physical development disorders. Experimental Group (EG) for the study was composed of 30 males including 15 people diagnosed with musculoskeletal disorders (1^st and 2^nd degree thoracic and thoracolumbar scoliosis) and 15 people diagnosed with the mild to moderate vegetative-vascular dystonia (VVD). Reference Group (RG) was composed of 30 virtually healthy males of the same age group.

The Multilevel Personality Questionnaire “Adaptability” (MPQA) [6, 10] data showed the high adaptability rates in the RG versus average adaptability rates in the EG, with the VVD-diagnosed subgroup tested with the lowest adaptability rates. The Y.M. Orlov’s Goal Motivation Questionnaire Test [7, 13] data showed fairly high motivations in most of the tested students. Furthermore, both of the groups were found dominated by the normosthenic body type (69.2%) followed by the asthenic type (31.0%) and hypersthenic type found in few cases. The normosthenics and asthenics were characterized by well-developed bone and muscle tissues, proportional body build, wide shoulders and developed chests. Therefore, most of the sample showed well-developed physicality. The first-year sample’s anthropometrical measurements are given in Table 1. The first-year subjects were 17.8±1/12 years old (М±s), 177.0±4.8cm tall; and weighed 71.5±2.8kg on average (М±s). The VVD-diagnosed individuals were tested with the lowest BMI and highest fat masses versus those diagnosed with the musculoskeletal disorders (p<0.05) and versus the RG: see Table 1.

Table 1. Anthropometrical measurements of the special health group students

It should be noted that BMI provides little information on the body components i.e. bone, fat and muscle percentages, and the latter shall be duly computed for analyses. Noteworthy that the BMI in the RG and EG varied close to the lower limit, and this finding agrees with some other study reports pointing to the concerning BMI falling trend in the university entrants [12] that may be indicative of malnutrition and physical development disorders in this age group [12]. Furthermore, the musculoskeletal-disorders-diagnosed males were tested with the average fat-fold indices higher versus the VVD-diagnosed males and RG (p<0.05). The RG was tested with the lowest fat mass, highest bone mass indices and highest wrist dynamometry indices versus the EG (p<0.05); and the musculoskeletal-disorders-diagnosed subgroup was tested with the lowest bone mass indices (p<0.05).

Therefore, the body component indices may be indicative of the inactivity (hypokinesia, hipodynamia) of the musculoskeletal-disorders- and VVD-diagnosed males of the EG. Given in Table 2 hereunder are the functionality test rates. The tests failed to find any significant differences in the systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP) and HR (resting and post-orthostatic-test HR) in the RG versus EG: see Table 2. The VVD-diagnosed subgroup showed the recovery time higher than that in the musculoskeletal-disorders-diagnosed subgroup (p<0.05); and the VVD-diagnosed subgroup showed the highest SBP, DBP and HR in the cold tests (p<0.05). Therefore, the VVD-diagnosed males were tested with the highest responses in the standard functionality tests. The significant growth of the SBP, DBP and HR indices was interpreted as indicative of dominating sympathetic ANS control mechanisms [11]. The long SBP, DBP and HR recovery time in the VVD-diagnosed subgroup may also be indicative of the over-tension in the adaptation mechanisms under physical loads [11]. The VVD-diagnosed subgroup showed higher HR indices in the functionality tests versus those in the musculoskeletal-disorders-diagnosed subgroup (p<0.05).

Table 2. Functionality test rates of the first-year sample

Note: * versus the RG; ** significant difference with p<0.05

The SBP, DBP and HR indices of the sample were found the same in the second year, the finding agreeing with other study data [17]. The post-cold-test SBP in the RG was significantly higher and post-cold-test DBP significantly lower versus the VVD-diagnosed subgroup: see Table 3.

Table 3. Functionality test rates of the second-year sample

Note: * versus the RG; ** significant difference with p<0.05

Therefore, we tested the healthy second-year students with domination of the sympathetic ANS control mechanisms. The study data are interpreted as indicative of some over-tension in the ANS control mechanisms in the second-year students [18]. The 1min post-cold-test SBP rates in the VVD-diagnosed subgroup were notably higher versus the RG (p<0.05).

The study data made it possible to profile the body components versus the ANS statuses in the special health group students. The healthy second-year students were tested with the dominating sympathetic ANS control mechanisms, with the test rates interpreted as indicative of the control mechanism over-tension in the second-year students. The 1min post-cold-test HR indices in the VVD-diagnosed subgroup were notably higher versus the RG (p<0.05).

Conclusion

1. Most of the sample was ranked with the normosthenic body type with the low BMI versus high motivations.
2. The VVD-diagnosed subgroup was tested with low adaptability to new mental and social conditions, lowest BMI and high responses to graduated exercise and cold tests.
3. The musculoskeletal-disorders-diagnosed subgroup was tested with the lowest bone mass indices.
4. The healthy second-year students were tested with the dominating sympathetic ANS control mechanisms.

Finding. The study data agree with other findings and show the SHG students being specific in the mental test rates, ANS performance rates and anthropometrical measurements [18]. Special attention shall be given to the efforts to build up body mass in the first-year students via the relevant academic physical education courses designed to increase the muscular mass indices. The study data show that the musculoskeletal-disorders-diagnosed males shall be trained so as to build up the bone and muscular mass indices. The VVD-diagnosed males are in need of special physical education courses to improve the vegetative tonus control mechanisms in the CNS. It should be underlined that the second-year VVD-diagnosed students are particularly exposed to over-tension in the ANS control mechanisms associated with a sagging tolerance to cold and exercises. This is the reason why the academic physical education courses for such students shall be designed to improve the ANS control mechanisms and facilitate active engagement of the parasympathetic CNS segment in the control processes.

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Corresponding author: fizkult@teoriya.ru

Abstract

Subject to the study were the first- and second-year male students (n=60) attributed to the special health group at the Physics-Mathematics, Humanitarian and Natural Biology Departments of Irkutsk State University. Experimental Group for the study was composed of 30 males including 15 people diagnosed with musculoskeletal disorders (1^st and 2^nd degree thoracic and thoracolumbar scoliosis) and 15 people diagnosed with the mild to moderate vegetative-vascular dystonia (VVD). Reference Group was composed of 30 virtually healthy males of the same age group. The first-year subjects were 17.8±1/12 years old (М±s), 177.0±4.8cm tall; and weighed 71.5±2.8kg on average (М±s). They were tested to obtain the psychological status rates, anthropometrical measurements and autonomic nervous system performance rates. Body mass indices of the subjects were all close to the lower limit, with the musculoskeletal-system-disorders-diagnosed subgroup tested with the lowest bone mass indices. The VVD-diagnosed subgroup was tested with low mental adaptability rates and high response rates in the functionality and cold tests.