The profile of Sense of Positive Health and Survival Abilities indices (subjective assessment) as a diagnostic tool used in health-related training

Abstract

Background The main objective of the article is a methodic of the profile of the sense of positive health and survival abilities indices in relation “patient (client) personal trainer (leader)”. The objective of empiric sphere was the profile based on subjective assessment of young women possessing different level of everyday physical activity. The question is whether there is a significant difference in the profile of sense of positive health indices in all its dimensions and own survival abilities between young women who declare engagement in everyday physical activity and their peers, who are occasionally active? Material/Methods: The profile based on the subjective sense of various positive health indices covers three dimensions: somatic A, mental B, social C and D dimension, which represents sense of indices and assessment reflecting individual’s survival abilities. The sense of intensity of particular indices is evaluated in the 1 to 5 scale (where its value is as follows: 1 very low, 2 low, 3 average, 4 high, 5 very high). The “0” index is used for the purpose of evaluation of specific abilities (D dimension). The arithmetic mean of indices (after decomposition to diagnostic values) calculated for particular dimensions (from A to D) constitutes a general measure of a given health dimension and survival abilities. The arithmetic mean calculated for A to D indices represents the most general index of Sense of Positive Health and Survival Abilities (SPHSA). The study group consisted of 23-year old female students of the 2-cycle university program in physiotherapy, (22 declared engagement in everyday physical activity whereas 100 were occasionally active). Results: Women who reported engagement in everyday physical activity possess higher values of SPHSA than their peers, who are occasionally active (respectively 3.641 and 3.479; p<0.05). The highest value was recorded for social health sense (4.12 and 4.14), whereas the lowest value was noted for the survival abilities (2.956 and 2.828). Students who are active on daily basis possess statistically higher values than women who occasionally engage in physical activity as far as the following indices are concerned: muscular strength (p<0.01) and aerobic capacity, reduced aggressiveness, swimming ability, precision skills in various status of organism (p<0.05). Conclusions: From the methodological point of view the assumption that the profile indices do not directly reflect the sense of health but rather the imaginative value of a specific virtue, ability etc. proved positive. Diversification of assessment is higher in the case of indices, for which the reliability of an individual’s assessment is considered to be relatively high (especially in the A, B and D dimensions).