Health-saving practices of young people under pandemic conditions: A pilot study

Abstract

Background. In the context of the pandemic, the issue of maintaining and developing health by the younger generation, who create new health-saving practices, has been actualized.The aim. An analysis of the health saving practices of young people in a large industrial city.Materials and methods. The method of collecting information was an online survey of young people in Yekaterinburg (n = 120). Also 37 semi-formalized interviews were conducted.Results. The young generation highly evaluates their health (69 %); 56 % are selftreated. At the same time, 93 % trust the system of medical care, doctors, and prescribed medications. 90 % of respondents during the pandemic paid more attention to personal hygiene. 2/3 try to control stress. 51 % take vitamins. The interviewees try to exclude crowded places. Pandemic transforms perceptions of the body, which prescribes functionality and performance.Conclusions. The “repertoire” of health-saving practices in the conditions of the pandemic changes. “Method of addition” is represented by actualization of personal hygiene with the use of personal protective equipment, online communications, taking vitamins. “Exclusion method” refers to avoid crowded places. Among the respondents there are roughly equal proportions of young people who support and do not support vaccination, as well as those who are neutral about it. The body is seen as a functional resource that can “work” in the conditions of the “new normality”.