Study of factors influencing behavioral stereotypes regarding health in students of medical specialties

Abstract

This article, from the standpoint of a structural-functional approach, explores the influence of socio-economic, social, organizational, psychological factors of the educational space of a medical university on the choice of students' behavioral strategies in relation to health-saving behavior. The results obtained indicate a low self-esteem by students of behavioral stereotypes regarding health. According to the data obtained, the average total variable quantitatively describing negative behavioral standards in the framework of the two-component model (stereotyping factors) is most strongly correlated with environmental factors such as disturbance in regular and rational nutrition, lack of comfortable living conditions and training, inaccessibility for various reasons of sports facilities, an uncomfortable class schedule and several others. The authors conclude that current models of beliefs about health, motivation-information-skills, planned behavior, subjective expected usefulness, motivation for protection, are poorly applicable to the studied category, which probably can be associated with a lack of propensity for introspection and reflection, rationalization of their own behavior, characteristic of student youth environment. At the same time, a pilot study of the tendency to copy behavioral stereotypes regarding health made it possible to draw a preliminary conclusion that most students refer to the behavior of friends, university teachers, and to a lesser extent opinion leaders and parents as role models. These data can be the basis for further expanded study of the processes of formation of behavioral strategies in relation to health and analysis of the results in the light of ideas about socially acceptable behavior of a person as a result of learning and communicative impact on a person.