VARIABLES DIFFERENTIATING POSITIVE HEALTH PROFILES AND SURVIVAL ABILITIES AMONG UKRAINIAN STUDENTS ATTENDING POST-SECONDARY MEDICAL SCHOOL

Background. Contemporary studies of health and evaluation attempts emphasize the holistic approach to health and its dimensions. The objective of the study was determination of health profiles and survival abilities among adolescents, and indicate differentiating variables.

Material and methods. A diagnostic survey was used based on Kalina, investigating the subjective sense of health from the aspects of somatic, mental, social health and survival abilities. SPHSA was calculated as the arithmetic mean of individual health and total health measures. The study was conducted in 2014, in a group of 507 school adolescents aged 15-25 attending Medical Post-Secondary School in Lutsk, Ukraine.

Results. Social health was evaluated by the adolescents in the most positive terms – 3.82 (±0.67), whereas survival abilities – in the most negative terms, 2.63(±0.75). In the domain of total health, the highest values occurred for daily physical activity – 3.10(±0.35), while the lowest – for occasional activity – 2.78 (±0.35). Similarly, significant differences were found between adolescents of the final, fourth year of school (2.82±0.73), and younger students. Significant correlations were demonstrated (p<0.05) in individual health profiles. With regard to survival capability, such correlation was observed in adolescents engaged in daily physical activity and students from big cities. In the somatic health profile it was observed in overweight adolescents and those who showed systematic physical activity and in the survival capability profile of adolescents pursuing systematic physical activity. With regard to the social health profile a significantly higher value occurred in first-year students and those with the highest educational achievements.

Conclusions. The results of the study obtained should be used in discussions concerning educational programmes for students of paramedical specialties in the Ukraine.