Monitoring the state of health of first-year female students of NUPh in the 2018-2021 academic years

Abstract

The purpose of this research is to compare and determine the level of health of first-year female students of NUPh in the 2018-2021 academic years. Material & Methods: the research involved 528 first-year female students of National University of Pharmacy (the year of entry 2018 (n=311); the year of entry 2019 (n=107); the year of entry 2020 (n=60); the year of entry 2021 (n=50)). Anthropometric parameters (body weight, standing height, hand muscle strength), physiological parameters (vital capacity of the lungs (VCL), heart rate (HR)) were determined during the examination. Functional breath-holding tests (the Stange and Hench tests) were performed, the level of physical health was determined by the method of Pyrohova, O.A., the express assessment of the level of somatic health was determined by the method of Apanasenko, H.A., and the method of assessing physical work capacity using the Ruffier test was performed. Descriptive statistics were used for the statistical analysis of the data. The comparison of average values of variable indicators was carried out using parametric methods (Student’s t-test) with the normal distribution of these signs expressed in the interval scale. All calculations were performed in StatSoft Statistica 8.1 for Windows. Results: the data obtained in the course of the research allow us to state that the indicators of the Ruffier index are at “satisfactory” (14,1±0,3) and “average” levels (7,5±1,1). The somatic health indicator was also at the “below average” level in 2018 (4 points), it was at the “average” level (7 points) in 2019, and in 2020 and 2021, this indicator was already at the “above average” level (14 and 13 points, respectively). The level of physical health was also at the “average” level in 2018 (0,560), and in 2021 it was at the “above average” level (0,697). Conclusions: the conducted research showed that the somatic health and physical state of first-year female students of NUPh were improving from year to year (starting from 2018), which is reflected in the health level indicator according to the method of Pyrohova, O.A. and Apanasenko, H.A., the Ruffier index, and the results of the Stange and Hench tests. The Romberg test was within the normal range. The obtained results create broad prospects for their involvement in physical culture and sports activities.