Assessing health of children, adolescents and young people, including students, is a top priority of national healthcare in the Russian Federation and Kazakhstan [1–6]. However, taking into account certain indicators of health among students both in Russia [7–12], and in Kazakhstan [13–17], scientific research results are illustrative of an unfavorable condition.

Scientific research results confirm a negative trend in morbidity for all nosological entities among students [4, 18].

The purpose of the article is to perform a comparative assessment of health among the students of the Ural State University of Physical Culture and K. Zhubanov Aktobe Regional University considering their distribution by health groups during physical education classes.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A comparative analysis of health of students from the Ural State University of Physical Culture (n = 2,780) and K. Zhubanov Aktobe Regional University (n = 2,004) was performed based on medical records. Data extraction from medical records was used to collect data from 2018 to 2021 for the first and second years of education. No significant differences were found in relation to age and gender of the students.

Statistical data processing was carried out using Statistica 13.0 (StatSoft Inc., США) and Excel (Microsoft Office, 2010). A Student’s t-test was utilized to show the statistical difference with the probability of 95%.

RESEARCH RESULTS

Analysis of student’s distribution by health groups during physical education classes is the basis for selecting an optimal physical load considering the state of health.

An analysis of distribution of students from the Ural State University of Physical Culture and K. Zhubanov Aktobe Regional University by health groups during physical education classes was made using data extraction from medical records (tab. 1).

Those from the preparatory group predominated among university students. During transfer to the second year, there was a decrease in the number of students from the main group by 4.1% in the Ural State University of Physical Culture and by 6.6% in K. Zhubanov Aktobe Regional University (p ≤ 0,05). In the preparatory group, a number of students is increased by 3.8% in the Ural State University of Physical Culture and by 8.2% in K. Zhubanov Aktobe Regional University (p ≤ 0,05). In the special group, it is increased by 0.3% in the Ural State University of Physical Culture and decreased by 1.6% in K. Zhubanov Aktobe Regional University. The obtained results show there is a negative trend in the health of students within two years of education.

Table 2 (tab. 2) includes data on functional deviations among students of the Ural State University of Physical Culture and K. Zhubanov Aktobe Regional University distributed to the main and preparatory groups during physical education classes.

Deviations in the locomotor system predominate among the students of the Ural State University of Physical Culture with insignificant fluctuations during the first and second years of education (36–34%) and occupy the first position in the rank.

In K. Zhubanov Aktobe Regional University, locomotor diseases are ranked second among the second-year students (12% of students). Diseases of the eye and adnexa are ranked first (35% and 38% among the first- and second-year students, respectively).

In the Ural State University of Physical Culture, the second position in the rank is occupied by gastrointestinal disorders. In the Ural State University of Physical Culture and K. Zhubanov Aktobe Regional University, cardiovascular diseases are ranked third.

Diseases of the genitourinary system, respiratory diseases and ENT disorders are also available on morbidity patterns.

DISCUSSION OF RESULTS

According to the majority of trials, 30 to 50% of applicants have already had health problems [11]. A negative trend in health state of students for the whole period of education at the University is confirmed by the trial results represented in the publications [8, 9, 19]. The trial demonstrates the trend as well.

Comparison of health among students of different universities within the same region is of interest, too. For instance, a comparative analysis of health of students from three universities such as the Ural State University of Physical Culture, Chelyabinsk State University and South Ural State Medical University was performed. Comparison of state of health among students from different regional universities is also of interest as it establishes common and specific tendencies to develop strategic tasks improving health of the students. So, a comparative assessment of health of students from the Russian Federation and Kazakhstan allows to add to the available data on the effect produced by ethno-national and ecological factors on health of students across similar climate and geographical areas. Moreover, according to the list of countries by quality of healthcare, Bloomberg (2021) shows that out of 100 analyzed countries, 56^th and 58^th positions are occupied by Kazakhstan and Russia, respectively.

The obtained results with regard to the health of students from Russian and Kazakhstani universities confirm data of other researchers on deviations in the health of 50% students [9, 11, 12].

Scientists from Kazakhstan also confirm that health of students is worsened during their education at universities [16–18]. It is also shown in the present trial.

All this is confirmed by literature data on the necessary prevention and promotion of health among university students [3, 20].

In the previous work by Kalmakova ZhA (2014) it has been established that students’ diet is unbalanced with low energy content, and that a number of first-year students assigned to the groups of risk is increased. A complex program of health preservation and promotion is developed based on the results obtained by the author. It puts interrelation between the systems of healthcare, education and social structures engaged in organization of leisure among young students at its center [16].

In publications, it has been unanimously confirmed that ‘the state of health and associated life quality of students correlate with the way of life, physical activity…’ [21, 22].

However, it has been shown in this trial that apart from abundant literature data on the effect produced by diet and motor activity which are associated with locomotor and gastrointestinal disorders and metabolism, special attention should be given to diseases of the eye and adnexa occupying the leading positions in the rank.

Prevention of diseases of the eye and adnexa and development of preventive programs are required, which is shown in a number of publications [23–25].

CONCLUSIONS

The trial data are provided to establish differences and common trends in the changes of health among students from Chelyabinsk and Aktobe universities.

Based on medical records, a comparative analysis of health among students of the Russian Federation and Kazakhstan enabled to establish that at the initial stage of education at universities a number of students with a main health group during physical education classes constitutes 36–42% and gets decreased to 30–38% within the entire educational period; no significant differences have been found based on the analyzed parameters.

The obtained data on health assessment are the basis for the development of educational programs in the medicalbiological, natural-science areas and for the research work of students. The obtained results are also used to develop healthsaving and physical activity of the universities.