The Impact of Some Social Factors on the Physical Well-Being and Self-Esteem of Korean Students Studying at Moscow Colleges

Abstract

Introduction. The article presents the results of a comprehensive study of a sample of students from the Republic of Korea studying in Moscow. In the context of intensive international student exchanges, the problems of young people’s adaptation to life and study in another country are becoming a relevant subject of scientific research, including modern biological anthropology. Material and methods. We applied traditional anthropometric methods, as well as questionnaire and self-esteem scale by T. Dembo, S. Rubinstein. Data collection was carried out in compliance with the rules of bioethics and with further depersonalization of the collected materials. Statistical methods included descriptive statistics, correlation and factor analyses. Results and discussion. Based on anthropometry data, body mass index was calculated and graphs of its distribution meet the criteria of normality. In males, the body mass index is mainly within the normal range, while in the female sample there is a noticeable percentage of participants with low body weight according to the standards of the World Health Organization. In male sample, body mass index shows a negative relationship with satisfaction with nutrition, physical well-being and sports activities, which is consistent with the results of our study of Russian students. Body mass index in females shows a positive relationship with self-esteem. The results made it possible to evaluate the associations between physical and psychological characteristics and some social factors. Conclusion. The results of the study indicate a significant influence of social factors, and above all, self-socialization, on the physical and psychological state of young people, which must be taken into account in interactions with international students.