PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AS A TOOL FOR OVERCOMING STRESS AND CARDIOVASCULAR DISORDERS AMONG UNIVERSITY STUDENTS
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.32782/health-2025.4.27Keywords:
physical activity, stress, students, health, sportsAbstract
Among students, common stressors include the start of studies, changes in personal habits, living conditions, or diet, difficulties in relationships with academic supervisors or partners, and infections. The purpose of the study was to summarize the literature data on the prevalence of chronic stress among students of higher educational institutions and the impact of physical activity on managing academic stress. Methods and Materials of the Study: analysis of literature sources, surveys and questionnaires of 18-20-year-old students (1st-4th years) from the National University "Yuri Kondratyuk Poltava Polytechnic" to determine the level of stress and attitude towards physical activity as a method of stress management, statistical processing of the obtained data was carried out using the application packages "Excel" and "GraphPad Prism 5.0". Research Material: the sample consisted of 106 students from the National University "Yuri Kondratyuk Poltava Polytechnic", aged between 18 and 22 years. Of the participants, 47.16% (50 individuals) were male and 52.84% (56 individuals) were female. The survey was conducted anonymously via Google Forms, ensuring the confidentiality principle of psychological research. Research Results. The initial survey revealed that the majority of students have a positive attitude towards physical activity as a method of stress management. Out of 106 students, 87 had a very positive or positive attitude towards physical activity, accounting for about 82% of the respondents. Thirteen students had a neutral attitude, while only eight students had a negative or very negative attitude. Study results indicate the effectiveness of physical activity in reducing academic stress levels among students and improving their attitudes towards physical exercise. Conclusions. Changes in stereotypes upon entering university, the rhythm of life, and conditions of work and rest can cause frustration and stress in first-year students. Academic stress is an integral part of the educational process. To prevent the development of undesirable reactions, it is important to respond to it correctly and to engage in sports. Physical activity has a positive effect on overall health and well-being.
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