Influence of the degree of adaptability and lifestyle on the quality of life of medical university students

Abstract

Adaptive capabilities of young people enrolling at higher education establishments differ from person to person. Depending on the level of these capabilities, a new student may see his/her quality of life deteriorating and a variety of diseases developing. Against this background, investigation of the dynamics of students' adaptation to studying at a higher educational establishment acquires special urgency: the results of such an investigation would enable designing an effective psychological support program for such students. This study aimed to investigate how the quality of life of students changes as studying at a higher education establishment alters their degree of adaptation and lifestyle. The report compares the studied degree of adaptability and quality of life of the same group of students in their first and third years. By design, the study was prospective continuous; it involved 120 students. M. Gavlinova's two-factor questionnaire (SA, social-ANS) enabled study of the degree of adaptability. As for the quality of life of the participating students, it was registered with the help of the SF-36 questionnaire. Lifestyle of the students was assessed relying on the questionnaire designed to uncover the person's attitude to smoking, alcohol, drugs, physical culture and sports. The results obtained enabled development of recommendations aimed at identifying students running risks of maladjustment and illnesses with the aim to render such students targeted medical and psychological assistance and adjust the sanitary and epidemiological conditions of studying.