Current state of students' health and its improvement in the process of physical education

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: The aim is to investigate the state of health of the students of Ukrainian higher education institutions. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Materials and methods: The study of state of health was conducted at Polissia National University and Zhytomyr Ivan Franko State University in 2008-2019. The results of a medical examination of 3737 students of different faculties between the ages of 17 and 22 were examined. Medical examinations were conducted by the doctors of the medical centers of universities. Totally 1208 pupils (male and female) of the schools of Zhytomyr region were involved in the questionnaire, which was conducted to analyze the attendance of physical education classes by pupils while studying at school. 648 students of Polissia National University participated in the study of the self-assessment of their own health, causes, and structure of disease incidence, the dynamics of the loss of labor capacity. RESULTS: Results: It was established that from 24 to 30.8 % of the students had diseases and a low level of physical development that indicated a low level of physical education at schools. It was revealed that the number of sick students was increasing during the study at higher educational institutions (HEI) that led to missing classes. Besides, up to 35.5 % of students had health disorders and belonged to a special medical group. And 1.7 % of the students had chronic diseases and disabilities and were exempted from sports. It was found that physical education and sports took the 5th place in the system of life values of male students and the 12th place in the system of life values of female students. CONCLUSION: Conclusions:Physical education, aimed at enhancing the functional capacity of an organism, the development of physical qualities, the improvement of the special physical and technical readiness in the sphere of physical activity types and the acquisition of professionally applied skills and abilities, is the basis for strengthening the health of students of Ukraine.