Features of the Internal Picture of the Health of School Graduates and Primary School Students of a Medical University

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The word "health" flashed in our lives more than once on the pages of textbooks, articles on forums, in the good wishes of relatives. We face it every day, but often it comes to mind only at the moment when we realize that we are already sick. It seems that the word "health" has such a simple meaning, which does not require a deep understanding, but as soon as it is neglected a little, it is already irrevocably slipping out of our lives. That is why it is extremely important to carefully examine your inner picture of health in order to ensure well-being, vitality of mind and body for many years to come.

Health psychology is a field of science that studies methods for preventing various psychosomatic diseases and increasing a person's adaptive capabilities in a social environment [1]. It includes an understanding of the psychological etiology of diseases, factors and conditions that affect the body on the way of its individual development. Health psychology, as a field of scientific knowledge, is characterized by the following provisions:

1. the occurrence of diseases is due to a number of reasons that combine biological, social and psychological factors;

2. illness does not make a person a passive victim; it is important to understand that the responsibility for the health of the patient lies not only with the attending physician, but also with him;

3. it is necessary to follow a holistic approach to treatment; it is the basis for the formation of proper interaction between a medical worker and a patient, a trusting relationship between them;

4. an important component is the relationship between the body and the psyche; with an increase in emotional stress and stress on the nervous system, the dynamics of the development of diseases increases significantly.

Health includes several components: physical (organic), mental, social, sexual, moral and professional.

The organic level is an important component of the formation of the human condition. Various types of physical disorders also entail mental changes (cognitive impairment, regular anxiety, apathy, etc.). The main criteria for physical health are: the degree of functional development of the body, its physical fitness, as well as the availability of sufficient reserves to ensure adaptation to stress. The ability to mobilize these adaptive reserves at the right time is the most objective indicator for assessing the physical well-being of a person.

The mental level of health reflects diseases of the psychosomatic type. It is the basis for the formation of psychological stability - balance, resistance and stamina. The criteria for this level include the degree of compliance of the body's responses with the strength of the stimulus, understanding of responsibility for one's actions and for loved ones, the ability to set goals and move towards them, and so on...

In this regard, the system of communication of a person's personality with the phenomena of reality that can harm health and an individual assessment of physical and mental health, which in the literature has been called the internal picture of health, becomes important.

The internal picture of health includes the following components [2]:

1. cognitive - determines the level of awareness of the individual in the field of health;

2. emotional - demonstrates a person's feelings about the state of personal health;

3. behavioral component - reflects the aspirations of the individual in the direction of health, a healthy lifestyle, as well as priority actions in circumstances associated with deterioration;

4. value-motivational - provides a link between the cognitive and behavioral components of maintaining health.

A properly formed internal picture of health in children and young people allows timely control of behavior aimed at protecting health. Analysis of scientific literature data from modern studies of the internal picture of the health of young people (schoolchildren, adolescents, students) in a number of cities in our country (St. Petersburg, Vladivostok, Arkhangelsk, Magnitogorsk, Belgorod, Kursk) made it possible to draw the following conclusions.

Young people base their cognitive ideas about health and wellness on information from health professionals, some high school students realize that health is a necessary condition for achieving life goals and success. However, it should be noted that both schoolchildren and students (of medical universities) have an undeveloped cognitive component of their attitude to health; cannot accumulate and systematize scientific information about health and technologies for its conservation.

The emotional block in young people from the indicated places of residence is similar: young people in a state of health experience positive emotions, and when it worsens, they are upset and depressed. It is not common for all young people to experience feelings of guilt and shame for the deterioration of their health.

The behavioral block also turned out to be similar for residents of different regions of the country. To maintain health, young people (both high school students and students) understand what is needed observe the basic postulates of a healthy lifestyle (nutrition, work and rest regime, bad habits, sports). But at the same time, they do not consider the role of health systems, special nutrition, hardening as components for maintaining health.

The results of the analysis of the value-motivational component deserve special attention, since it reflects a deep discrepancy between the ideas of young people about a healthy lifestyle, the behavior that should be carried out to maintain health, and the real actions that young people take.

The analysis of the inner picture of the health of young people in our city of Voronezh was no exception. We conducted a study of 250 respondents (graduates of the gymnasium N.G. Basov and secondary school, first-year students of VSMU named after N.N. Burdenko). All participants in the study expressed distrust of information about health savings from the media and an average level of trust in doctors. Of intermediate importance were magazines, Internet resources and popular science books (including those for students).

All participants in the study understand the high importance of the lifestyle factor. However, the significance of the contribution of the “lifestyle” components (nutrition, medical care, bad habits, professional activity, etc.) is realized to a greater extent by students - future doctors.

When their health deteriorates, young people experience anxiety, they are upset, anxious, depressed. A significant lack of calmness is noted by secondary school respondents and students. To a lesser extent, schoolchildren respondents feel guilty about changes in their health. A more pronounced regret can be noted among students in comparison with schoolchildren. In practice, health care is realized to a greater extent among students of the gymnasium in the form of: playing sports, relative control of the daily routine, monitoring weight, and avoiding bad habits. School graduates and junior medical students fail to properly implement: physical activity, observe the work / rest regimen, control body weight.

In all the studied groups of young people, visiting a doctor for the purpose of health prevention and the use of special health-improving systems is not of practical importance. In case of malaise, the respondents of all three groups attach similar importance to both a visit to the attending physician and self-treatment, the advice of acquaintances. In the group of students, there is a more pronounced lack of proper attention to health.

The data obtained allow us to conclude that the promotion of the concept of a healthy lifestyle is highly effective. Today's young people with different levels and areas of education are well aware of the relationship between health and lifestyle. However, modern schoolchildren do not fully understand the role of factors that make up a healthy lifestyle, regardless of the level of educational programs. There is a lack of understanding of the relationship between maintaining a high level of health and the possibility of achieving life values; understanding of one's own responsibility for one's health and the reasons for the inability to take care of one's health sufficiently.

About the authors

Elizaveta Romanovna Orekhova

Voronezh State Medical University named after N.N. Burdenko

Email: lizzka413@gmail.com
ORCID iD: 0009-0002-3126-7640

Student of the 2nd year of the Faculty of General Medicine

Russian Federation, 10 Studentskaya str., Voronezh, 394036, Russia

Angela Pavlovna Astashchenko

Voronezh State Medical University named after N.N. Burdenko

Email: cercea1@rambler.ru
ORCID iD: 0000-0001-6416-6454

Candidate of Biological Sciences, Associate Professor of the Department of Normal Physiology of N.N. Burdenko VSMU

Russian Federation, 10 Studentskaya str., Voronezh, 394036, Russia

Diana Vladislavovna Shilnikova

Voronezh State Medical University named after N.N. Burdenko

Email: dianashilnikova777@gmail.com
ORCID iD: 0000-0003-0094-8427

Student of the 1st year of the Faculty of General Medicine

Russian Federation, 10 Studentskaya str., Voronezh, 394036, Russia

Kristina Saikovna Sayan

Voronezh State Medical University named after N.N. Burdenko

Author for correspondence.
Email: ksayyan@mail.ru
ORCID iD: 0009-0005-6584-812X

Student of the 1st year of the Faculty of Medicine and Prevention

Russian Federation, 10 Studentskaya str., Voronezh, 394036, Russia

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