PhD, Associate Professor I.V. Mishchenko¹
Dr. Sc. Psych. N.Y. Flotskaya¹
PhD, Associate Professor S.Y. Razmakhova²
PhD, Associate Professor S.Y. Bulanova^1
1Northern (Arctic) Federal University n.a. M.V. Lomonosov, Arkhangelsk
²Peoples' Friendship University of Russia, Moscow

Keywords: students, biological age, health level, lifestyle, physical activity.

Background. A key mission of the academic Physical Education discipline is to cultivate motivations for physical trainings and healthy lifestyles in students. Individual health and longevity largely depends on the lifestyle that need to be cultivated with a special emphasis on healthy behavioral models and goals and with due priority given to own health. As reported by the national health statistics, the academic youth health standards have notably sagged for the last few years [2], with numbers of university entrants listed with the special health group reported to grow by 40% [1] for the period, and a growing share of the beginner students temporally (6 month suspensions) or totally exempt of the academic physical education classes. Northern (Arctic) Federal University n.a. M.V. Lomonosov presently reports 2.31% (n=190) of the student population being exempt of the Physical Education classes, with the special health groups estimated at up 14.46% (n=1191) of the total.

Objective of the study was to analyze the students’ health standards versus the biological age ratings and the actual physical activity rates.

Methods and structure of the study. Sampled for the study purposes were the students with health limitations formally exempt of the academic physical education (PE) classes (n=190) and those listed with the special health group (n=284). The sample health conditions and disorders were analyzed based on the formal individual health records (Form 086/у). For the biological age rating purposes, we run a questionnaire survey to mine data on the sample’s nutrition, daily regime, physical activity and bad habits; plus standard tests to obtain the functionality data including blood pressure, respiratory function (timed inspiratory and expiratory capacity Tests) and static ataxia (Romberg test) rating data. The study data were processed by a standard statistical toolkit, with the differences rated meaningful when p<0.05.

Study findings and discussion. The university health statistics report growths of the group exempt of the PE classes from 127 to 190 individuals and special health group from 783 to 1190 individuals for the last academic year (2016-17 to 2017-18). The 1-2-year female students’ average calendar age is reported to average 18.85 years.

Biological age in the group exempt of the PE classes was tested to exceed the calendar age for 94% of the group making up 27.6 years on average. In the special health group, the accelerated aging process was diagnosed in 67% of the group, with the group average biological age estimated at 24.8 years. Biological age rating data for the 17-20 years old (calendar age) group exempt of the PE classes were grouped as follows: only 11 individuals were tested with about the same calendar and biological ages; 53 students were rated 21-24 years; 50 students 25-28 years; 32 students 29-32 years; 17 students 33-36 years; 8 students 37-40 years; 17 students 41-45 years; and 2 students 46-50 years old on the biological age rating scale.

In the special health group, only 65 students were tested 17-20 years old on both the calendar and biological scales; with 88 students rated 21-24 years; 65 students 25-28 years; 48 students 29-32 years; 12 students 33-36 years; and 6 students 37-40 years old on the biological age rating scale. Accelerated aging in 75% of the group may be attributed to the low functionality rates and poor condition of the vestibular apparatus.

The health self-rating data analysis has found a few differences in the sample: see Figure 1. The group exempt of the PE classes self-rated its health as follows: excellent (n=10); good (n=69); satisfactory (n=83); poor (n=26) and very poor (n=2).

Figure 1. Health self-rating data for the group exempt of physical education classes excellent good satisfactory poor very poor

The special health group self-rated its health as follows: excellent (n=56); good (n=136); and satisfactory (n=92); with nobody rating own health poor or very poor: see Figure 2.

Figure 1. Health self-rating data for the special health group excellent good satisfactory

Furthermore, on the morbidity self-rating scale, 20.35% of the exempt group and 32.4% of the special health group self-rated themselves as virtually immune of diseases; about 50% of the both groups reported being sick at most once in 3 months; and 17% 1-2 times per month. It should be noted in this context that 56% of the group exempt of the PE classes reported absent in 10-30 classes per year, with 20% of the absentees having the sick leaves; and 11% of the special health group reported missing 2-4 academic weeks per year. The both groups are reportedly highly vulnerable to the seasonal respiratory diseases and chronic diseases, with the exposure to the both diseases estimated at 50% and 26.55% in the PE-exempt group and 28.2% and 8.4% in the special health group, respectively.

Over the academic year on the whole and in the pre-examination (prior to progress/ interim tests) period in particular, 70-75% of the both groups reported low working ability, fatigue, irritability and weakness. Up to 38.9% of the group exempt of PE classes reported gastric pains, qualm and heartburn; with 42.48% diagnosed with cardiovascular system disorders. The similar gastric pains and cardiovascular system disorders were reported by 33.8% and 50.7% of the special health group.

The question ‘How has your health changed for the last year?’ was responded by the sample as follows: ‘changed for the better’ reported by 8.85% and 5.60%; ‘no serious changes’ by 64.6% and 49.3%; ‘changed for the worse’ by 23.89% and 32.4%; ‘seriously changed for the worse’ reported by 0.88% and 12.7%; with ‘vision deterioration’ specifically reported by 17.7% and 21.1% of the group exempt of PE classes and special health group, respectively.

Furthermore, reportedly diagnosed with chronic diseases are 86.74% and 42.3%; and with 2+ chronic diseases located in different bodily systems 22.13% and 11.3% of the group exempt of PE classes and special health group, respectively.

On the physical activity rating scale, physical inactivity was reported 30.17% and 21% of the group exempt of PE classes and special health group, respectively. Only 4.31% of the group exempt of PE classes reported habitual morning gymnastics albeit 65.52% are aware of the health benefits of regular physical trainings. Of the of the special health group, 5.6% reported habitual morning gymnastics; 23.9% said that the academic physical trainings secure satisfactory physical activity for them; and 36% reported attending some fitness classes on an irregular basis. The both health groups tend to explain their physical inactivity by a shortage of time, with 55.17% and 70.4% reportedly doing without TV to stay more active; plus 59.48% and 56.3% reported sitting at computer in the evening time in the group exempt of PE classes and special health group, respectively. Furthermore, 19.83% of the sample complained having irregular and fast eating habits due to the academic overloads; 63.3% acknowledged taking unhealthy foods that provoke gastrointestinal system disorders, heartburns and gastric pains. Above 90% of the both groups reported sleep losses; and 66% complained sleeping less than needed due to the habitual going to bed after the midnight.

On the smoking habit self-rating scale, 21% of the sample reported being habitual smokers, with 12.07% smoking for at least two years; and 5.17% smoking at least 10 cigarettes per day. Wine and stronger alcoholic drinks are reportedly taken by 34.48% and 29.6% of the group exempt of PE classes and special health group, respectively.

Conclusion. The study has found multiple factors of negative influence on the university student health standards including the physical inactivity, unhealthy nutrition, smoking and alcohol abuse.  These and other factors and health stressors are apparently behind the current health deterioration trend as demonstrated by the growing numbers of the groups exempt of PE classes and special health groups year to year. The trend is also manifested in the catastrophic biological aging process. The situation shall be responded on a timely basis by new physical education design and management policies and practices, with due priority to the non-traditional education and motivation technologies and interactive learning methods to transform the unhealthy behavioral models in the student communities, cultivate habitual healthy lifestyles and thereby step up the academic education process efficiency and sound motivations for the modern versatile physical education models.

References

1. Vovk L.V. Formirovanie u studentov spetsialnoy meditsinskoy gruppy kultury zdorovogo obraza zhizni s pomoschyu kompyuternykh tekhnologiy [Cultivating healthy lifestyle in special health group culture students via computer technology]. Pedagogika, psihologiya i mediko-biologicheskie problemyi fizicheskogo vospitaniya i sporta, 2010., no. 7, pp. 12-16.
2. Postol O.L. Metodika ozdorovleniya studentok vuzov na zanyatiyakh po fizicheskomu vospitaniyu s primeneniem traditsionnykh i netraditsionnykh sredstv. Avtoref. dis. kand. ped. nauk [Methods to improve female students' health at academic physical education classes using traditional and alternative means. PhD diss. abstract]. Khabarovsk, 2004, 22 p.

Corresponding author: korela2010@yandex.ru

Abstract

The study analyzes the students’ biological age rating data and the questionnaire survey data for the students with health limitations exempt of the academic physical education (n=190) and special health group students (n=284). The questionnaire survey was designed to mine data on the sample nutrition, daily regime, physical activity and bad habits; plus the functionality data including blood pressure and respiratory function (Stange-Gench Breath-Holding Tests) and static ataxia (Romberg test) rating data.

The study data made it possible to rate and analyze the students’ actual health standards, lifestyles, functionality reserves and physical activity. Tests under the study rated 75% of the sample with the older biological ages, particularly in the group exempt of the academic physical trainings due to the health limitations where the biological age was rated at up to 50 years in a few cases. Despite own health being rated by the sample quite optimistically on average, the study found growths in the numbers of students diagnosed with 2+ chronic diseases located in different bodily systems, with the diseases being apparently due to the unhealthy behavioral models, malnutrition, sleep losses and excessive academic workloads.