The relationship of motor activity of university students in Voronezh with subjective assessment of their health status

Abstract

The lack of motor activity of university students is a risk factor for the health of students, causing a deterioration in the subjective indicators of health assessment identified by the questionnaire. The study of the motor activity of students was carried out by the method of pedometry using the GEONAUTE ONstep 100 instrument. The study was attended by students of the first three courses of universities in Voronezh. The number of subjects was 66. Actual motor activity of the studied students did not reach optimal values in any of the universities. Medical students who have the most critical assessment of their own health have the lowest indicators of motor activity. Students of Voronezh State University of Architecture and Construction are ahead of Voronezh State Medical University and Voronezh State University of Engineering Technologies students in total walking time during the day, the differences are statistically significant (126.7 ± 2.4 vs. 107.7 ± 1.9, p < 0.001, and 126.7 ± 2.4 vs. 119.1 ± 1.9, p < 0.02, respectively). The performed study allowed us to assess the level of students’ motor activity and compare these results with the parameters of their subjective health assessment. In Voronezh State University of Architecture and Construction, the proportion of students surveyed who rated their health status as «good» and «excellent» amounted to 73.3 %, in Voronezh State University of Engineering Technologies — 59.4 %, in Voronezh State Medical University — 46.9 %. Thus, the parameters of students’ motor activity correlate with the results of their questionnaire. In that university, where the majority of students highly rated their own health, reliably higher results of physical activity were determined by the number of steps and the total walking time during the day, the average daily distance and the amount of energy spent walking. The information obtained suggests the need for the development and implementation of measures to increase the motor activity of young people in the framework of the functioning of students’ health programs taking into account the profile of education.