It seems everyone knows that health is a great value. Congratulating people with a New Year or a birthday, traditionally and first of all, we wish them health. A good standard of health is the foundation of human achievements in any industry. At the same time, a lot of people do not care about it. The inadequate attitude towards their health among young people, including many students of our university is of particular concern.
The state of student health arouse concern
Various surveys of student health have been conducted during each academic year at the Department of Physical Education since 2012. The results of these surveys from year to year give rise to concerns.
The assessment of the physical shape of first and second year students, which was conducted in accordance with the Resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine No. 1045 of December 9, 2015, revealed that 23.9% of students had a low level of physical shape, 39% – average level, 31.9% – sufficient, and only 5.2% – high.
A survey of 1,600 students of first and second year, which was conducted in the laboratory of functional diagnostics of the Department of Physical Education, showed that 97.9% of students had a biological age greater than a passport age by 5-15 years! According to the results of the G.L. Apanasenko universally recognized assessment method, the 86.5% of students have health status as unsatisfactory.
According to the author's methodology, developed at the Faculty of Biomedical Engineering (FBMI), 20% of students are inclined to hypertension (high blood pressure), and 22.5% of students, who are considered to be healthy, have a reduced cardiac adaptation potential and require an in-depth medical examination.
This situation was anticipated. Children stopped playing games that develop physical capabilities. In a significant number of schools there are no professional classes in physical education. As a result, most freshmen have weakly-developed vital skills. They do not know how to walk, run, climb stairs and recover quickly after exercise stress.
Our university developed the necessary conditions for preservation and improvement of student health
Igor Sikorsky KPI is one of the best in Kiev in the field of financial and technical support of physical education and sports. The university has a sports complex, sports grounds, two swimming pools, two football fields and tennis courts. In the sports complex there are 8 gyms, including aerobics, gymnastics, wrestling, boxing and athletic gymnastics.
Classes with physical activity and various types of sports are carried out by qualified specialists of the Departments of Physical Education and Sports Improvement. Among them are two honored Masters of Sports of Ukraine, three Honored Coaches of the USSR, three world-class Masters of Sports, 35 Masters of Sports, and 12 Candidates of Sciences. Teachers of the departments pursue active scientific activity, which include participation in various scientific conferences, publishing of scientific articles and monographs, and defence of doctor and master theses.
At our university, students can choose a certain type of sports and physical activity from 25 offers. Regardless of the chosen type, each student who does not know how to swim has the opportunity to take a swimming training course free of charge.
Students demonstrate their sports results during various competitions. For example, in 2016/2017 academic year, 207 health events (124 at faculties and 83 inter-faculty) were held, in which 12.5 thousand students took part.
The FBMI has developed a system for assessment the health state of students
Upon the initiative of the Departments of Physical Education and Biomedical Cybernetics, a laboratory for functional diagnostics was established and a modern technology for assessment the health state of students was introduced. This is of great important, because applicants for admission to universities do not attach a medical certificate form 086-y three years in a row, and a medical examination is carried out for six months after the admission. In addition, the physical examination does not involve functional tests with exercise that does not give an opportunity to establish a risk group for sudden disturbed circulation.
The methodology for assessment the health state of students is developed and implemented at the FBMI. It includes:
- self-control of students’ state using the diary developed at the Department of Physical Education (it can be downloaded from the site of the department: http://fv.fbmi.kpi.ua/page/shchodennyk-samokontrolyu-studenta)
- monitoring the state of the circulatory system with the help of monograms that use a loading test;
- monitoring the state of the nervous system using psycho-physical tests with the help of a computer system Diagnost-1 (N.V. Makarenko).
The use of this technique of independent control and physical correction of students' functional state allows one to choose the type of physical activity, amount and intensity of physical exertion, depending on the functional type of students’ reactions.
More attention to Physical Education of students
The age of the vast majority of students is 17-23 years. This is a period when an individual is still developing, when the formation of personality and organism takes place. At this age, due to bad habits, the prerequisites for various chronic diseases are developed, they pose a problem from which an individual must suffer all his life. At the same time, with due respect to one's own health and sports, a young man at this age can not only improve his shape, strengthen his health, but also learn how to lead a healthy lifestyle that will come in handy in the future.
To form a conscientious attitude to one’s health and to physical education, it is necessary to support and implement the following activities at our university:
- receive credit for physical education at the end of each semester during the first and second year of education;
- provide report of the current results of attendance of Physical Education classes in Сampus;
- give a certificate of sport achievements to students after completion of the course;
- enable the possibility to attend sports complex after the completion of the second year as an option;
- organize the competitions of different levels, solemn events with the invitation of the university management, faculties / institutes;
- introduce the media support to influence the formation of a culture of physical activity, attitude to one's own body and the formation of physical health;
- support the student-athletes on faculties and advertise their success.
The main goal of these activities is to form a proper attitude towards health among students. I encourage teachers from all faculties to cooperate. All teachers should understand that only healthy students can concentrate and learn the material of their professional subjects. All teachers can remind that outstanding specialists in various disciplines were also engaged in sports. We must graduate our students not only highly qualified, but also healthy and without bad habits.
L. Boyko, Deputy Head of the Department of Physical Education, Candidate of Pedagogical Sciences.
