Purpose of the study. To study the comparative state and variability of cognitive capabilities, the degree of their correlation with the subjective and objective state of health among students of a medical university. Materials and methods. The study was carried out during the year from 01.12.2018 to 01.12.2019 at the Far Eastern Federal University and the Pacific State Medical University. The sample size is 394 respondents. The response rate is 91.9%. The state of co‑cognitive functions was determined according to the Montreal scale for assessing cognitive functions (IOC‑test; MoCA, Montreal Cognitive Assessment). For the self‑assessment of the quality of life, the “Brief form of self‑assessment of the quality of life related to health MOS SF‑36” (MOS SF – Medical Outcomes Study‑Short Form) was used. To collect information on social, economic, physiological, behavioral status, a specialized questionnaire Pozdeeva (2008) and standard medical documentation were used. Results. The total indicator of the assessment of cognitive functions in students was 26.1 points, in senior students it was slightly higher (26.8/25.5, p≥0.05). It was found that in the learning process, students significantly increase the level of executive functions (3.1/3.8, p≤0.05), attention, concentration and working memory (4.2/4.8, p≤0.05). The final assessment of physical health among primary students was 69 points, for senior students – 72 points. The indicator of mental health among students of the initial period of study was estimated at 52 points, among graduates – at 62 points (p≤0.05). The composite indicator of the quality of life associated with health was equal to 60 points for 1–3 year students, 67 points for 4–6 year students, (p≤0.05). The students of both age cohorts had a high incidence of chronic somatic pathology, the comorbidity index was 0.6, however, the number of visits to the doctor among senior students was significantly lower, in junior years (3.2/2.1, p≤0.05). The total indicator of the students' cognitive function was most strongly associated with physical activity (r=0.85, p≤0.05) and the state of physical health (r=0.73, p≤0.05). Conclusions. Cognitive functions in medical students correspond to normal values. The activity of executive functions, attention, concentration and working memory significantly improves in the process of studying at a medical university. Medical students value their health‑related quality of life highly, but most of them have chronic medical conditions. Senior students assess their psychological status more highly by optimizing the emotional component. The total indicator of the cognitive function of students is interrelated with the frequency of physical activity, the state of physical health, quality of nutrition, self‑assessment of mental health and psychological comfort.
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.
The goal of research consists in the study of correlation between the self-assessment of the life quality and behavioral stereotypes concerning the health of students of medical professions in terms of the structural and functional approach. 652 students of both sexes took part in this study, the sample showed the equal gender and age representation. Within the context of the empirical part of the study, the "MOS SF-36" questionnaire was used for studying the self-assessment of the life quality, for studying the basic behavioral stereotypes concerning the health, the questionnaire of the behavioral self-assessment of Pozdeeva ( 2008) as supplemented by authors was used. Correlation of variables was determined with a view to the Spearman's rank correlation coefficient. It was found that students assess their life quality within reference values; there was noted the high degree of implementation of behavioral attitudes concerning the health and psychohygiene; typically friends and teaching officers are referred to as behavioral influences while the variables quantitatively describing the life quality greatly correlate to indices characterizing the correlation with significant others, medical and physical activity of students. The data obtained during investigation allowed us to suppose that the structural and functional approach provides means for effective analysis of correlation between the life quality and the processes of students` behavior adjustment to the educational system of the medical university. In accordance with the results obtained, there is observed the significant functional dependence between the processes of implementation of behavioral attitudes concerning the health-preserving behavior, medical, physical activity and the life quality self-assessment. In addition, the revealed inclination of students to imitation of health-preserving behavioral elements is in good agreement with theoretical concepts of G. Tarde on imitating the behavior of significant others during the second insocialization, A. Bandura on "observation, imitation and identification" and is consistent with the principle of E. Thorndike concerning the choice of the most adaptive model of behavior in the new social environment.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
customersupport@researchsolutions.com
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Copyright © 2025 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.