ISSN 0798 1015

Vol. 40 (Number 17) Year 2019. Page 18

Quality Management System of Social Policy on Students’ Healthy Lifestyle in Russia

Sistema de gestión de la calidad en la política social sobre el estilo de vida saludable de los estudiantes en Rusia

GAISINA, Lyutsiya M 1.; BURHANOVA, Flura B. 2; MINAKOV, Pavel A. 3; YAMINOVA, Svetlana A. 4; RAKHIMKULOVA, Leysan A. 5 & GAINANOVA, Albina G. 6

Received: 20/02/2019 • Approved: 05/05/2019 • Published 27/05/2019

Contents

1. Introduction

2. Methodology

3. Results

4. Discussion

5. Conclusion

Bibliographic references

1. Introduction

According to some specialists, it can take a whole life to develop a healthy lifestyle. The feedback from the changes in the organism from a healthy lifestyle is not immediate, the positive effect of maintaining a healthy lifestyle can be sometimes suspended for years. Unfortunately, people frequently “try” this healthy lifestyle, and without obtaining quick results return to their former lifestyle, which is not surprising at all. The initial period of transition to a healthy lifestyle requires supporting person’s aspiration, providing reasonable advice, pointing to the positive changes in health and functional indicators, etc. (Gorokhova, Gaisina, Gareev, Shutov, Shakirova, 2018; Gaisina, Barbakov, Koltunova, Shakirova, Kostyleva, 2017).

Researchers have been particularly interested in the social group of students recently due to a number of objective reasons. T.V. Ischenko stresses the fact that students are a part of youth social and demographic community: “Students are a special group of people, the intelligentsia reserve; they comprise young scientists of approximately the same age and education level. They are representatives of all classes, social strata and groups of the population” (Ischenko, 1975; Abaskalova, 2001; Avdeeva, Ashmarin, Stepanova, 2000).

The researcher N.F. Fedotova refers to eight blocks of modern students’ personal qualities:

1) qualities, characterizing civil position: honesty and principles, collectivism, public activity, the sense of duty;

2) qualities, necessary for the future professional occupation: inspiration with the profession, diligence, energy and businesslike character, leadership qualities;

3) “business” qualities and skills, necessary for everyday routine and family: the ability to provide oneself and one’s family financially, practical qualities in everyday life, ability to combine production work with household duties, ability to spend money wisely;

4) personal willpower: persistence, self-discipline, determination;

5) humanistic qualities: kindness and compassion, care for close people, loyalty in love and friendship, softness and compliance;

6) communication abilities and skills: companionship, optimism, decent behavior in society, the ability to deal with people;

7) qualities, characterizing the intelligence development: education and the range of world outlook, ability to understand thoughts and feelings of other people, good sense of humor, sobriety of mind and reasoning;

8) qualities, related to the desired public image: physical health, attractive appearance, tidiness, ability to support one’s image (Fedotova, 1984).

The Russian scientist I.I. Brekhman was one of the first to focus on the problem of developing the fundamentals of a new science about health and healthy lifestyle, and in 1980, he introduced the term “valeology” (as a derivative of the Latin word “valeo” – “health”, “be healthy”). Thereafter, this term has been commonly used, and valeology as a science and academic discipline is getting more and more popularity not only in Russia but far beyond its boundaries.

Numerous works by S.G. Akhmerova, A.I.Burkhanov, Z.A. Bakirova, G.V. Lavrinenko and other sociologists testify to the unfavourable changes in the health of the Russian population. This process is particularly noticeable among children, teenagers and young people. According to different authors, morbidity rate among students fluctuates between 200-700 and 1200 per 10,000 people. Moreover, during the university years the students’ health deteriorates, as a rule, and declaratory calls on young people can hardly be effective (Lavrinenko, 1997). In particular, the curricula for higher education institutions lack instructions on preventing diseases among students, strengthening their health, increasing mental, physical and, accordingly, academic activity level. Thus, it is suggested to establish healthy lifestyle departments, health centers, psycho-corrective groups of medical and psychological help for students, etc. (Akhmerova, Zhuravleva, 1994; Vardomatsky, 1989).

According to some surveys, students’ evaluation of their health is usually inadequate, and, besides, they  lack personal responsibility. The sociologist Ye.A. Maleichenko considers the concept of life quality to be the methodological basis for studying individuals’ attitude to their health. The motivation for a healthy lifestyle is immediately connected to the individual’s social status. It should be built during the interiorization of basic occupational roles into the individual’s life, as it is a system-forming factor of the social status.

Ye.A. Maleichenko reveals the components of health preservation, which depend on the individual: maintaining hygienic norms of behavior, medical activity, increasing awareness of a healthy lifestyle. The most important elements of hygienic behavior are as follows: a rational diet, motional activity, general health strengthening and anti-stress events, complete relaxation, etc. According to Ye. A. Maleichenko’s survey, generally, students’ health deteriorates during their years of studies (Maleichenko, 2007).

It is obvious that modern diseases are primarily caused by lifestyle and everyday behavior. Presently, a healthy lifestyle is considered to be the basis for disease prevention. Such facts as children’s death rate decrease by 80%, general death rate decrease by 94%, and the increase of the average life expectancy by 85% in the USA are not due to the medical advances, but to the improvement of living and working conditions, coupled with people’s lifestyle rationalization. Meanwhile, 78% of men and 52% of women in Russia follow an unhealthy lifestyle (Sekerin, Gaisina, Shutov, Abdrakhmanov, Valitova, 2018; Gaisina, Mikhaylovskaya, Khairullina, Ustinova, Shakirova, 2015; Zhuravlev, 2012).

2. Methodology

Shaping a healthy lifestyle among students needs constant and unfailing guidance. The authors carried out the survey targeted at expert assessment of the problem. The method applied was an expert quiz. The sample size amounted to 1000 people. The sampling was quotable, the quotable indicator was the respondent’s place of work.

Bashkir State University (BSU) administration staff and heads of the departments took part in the survey. The survey was held in April 2017 in the University in the form of self-completed questionnaires. 46% of the respondents were women and 54% – men.  Figure 1 depictsthe distribution of the respondents, depending on the term of service in the government bodies and public organizations dealing with young people’s problems.

Figure 1
Term of service in government bodies and public organizations dealing
with young people’s problems (percentage of the total respondents)

 Source: based on the authors’ sociological survey

Among the experts taking part in the questionnaire, 74% had higher education, 12% had science degrees, 4% had incomplete higher education, 10 % – secondary vocational education.

The question addressed to the experts in the questionnaire was “Which problem is the most topical for the young generation of Russia?”. The distribution of answers to the given question is represented in Figure 2.

Figure 2
Distribution of experts’ opinions on the most urgent problem for the
young generation in Russia (percentage of the total respondents)

 Source: based on the authors’ sociological survey

According to the obtained data, 35% of the respondents consider poor health to be the most urgent problem for the Russian youth, 27% of the respondents reported homelessness, 23% of the experts mentioned early alcoholism, the minority of the respondents (15%) pointed out child prostitution. Thus, health improvement is the most urgent issue to be considered and solved.  The issue of students’ health is vitally important under current pressing social and economic conditions. Students of higher education institutions form the future socio-economic, intellectual, and creative potential of the country.

Students can be referred to the higher risk group, because complex age problems of modern students are aggravated by the negative effect of the crisis in the dominant spheres of society and state. 

It is crucial to determine how the respondents treat the notion of healthy lifestyle, what they imply by it, in order to manage the formation of students’ healthy lifestyle. The experts answered the following question: “What are the components of a healthy lifestyle?” The distribution of answers is represented in Figure 3.

Figure 3
Healthy lifestyle components
(percentage of the total respondents)

*responses total is above 100% due to the multiple-choice question
Source: based on the authors’ sociological survey

The results of the research prove that the basic component of a healthy lifestyle as seen by the majority of the respondents (43%) is physical activity, 37% point out a rational diet, 30% – maintaining good hygiene, 29% – organized daily regime, 24% – healthy nervous system, and 17% – spiritual harmony. The minority of the respondents reported fruitful work (20%) and spiritual harmony (17%). All the components of this category should be equally taken into account when forming a healthy lifestyle. Managing healthy lifestyle formation among students should be initiated by the university authorities through holding various events and programmes which support young people’s health. Prevention of illnesses and medical service are the obligatory parts of this process. Thus, the following question was addressed to the respondents: “What programmes on medical treatment and disease prevention among students are the most effective in your opinion?” (See Figure 4)

Figure 4
Effective programmes on medical treatment and disease prevention
among students (percentage of the total respondents).

Source: based on the authors’ sociological survey

The Bashkir State University authority staff reported preventive measures/medical examination as the most effective measure (38%), 32% chose vaccination, 15% – health resort treatment. Other programmes accounted for less than 10% (support for seriously ill students – 7%, autonomous medical stations – 8%).

Medical treatment of the university students is carried out under the state territorial programme that guarantees free medical health care. BSU is attached to the municipal health care center – Polyclinic No. 49, where students can appeal for medical assistance.

The respondents were also offered to choose the most effective programmes on developing and supporting students’ physical activity (see Figure 5).

Figure 5
Effective programmes on developing and supporting students’ physical activity
(percentage of the total respondents).

Source: based on the authors’ sociological survey

As to the effectiveness of the programmes to support students’ physical activity, half of the respondents reported mass sporting events (47%), one-fifth of the respondents reported support of sports and fitness activities, as well as individual sports – both accounted for 19%, and less than 15% chose support of team sports. 

The obtained data analysis revealed the correlation between two random variables – factors that hinder a healthy lifestyle and the respondent’s occupation (correlation ratio made up 0.8) (see Figure 6).

Figure 6
Factors hindering a healthy lifestyle in relation to the respondent’s
occupation (percentage of the total respondents).

Source: based on the authors’ sociological survey

3. Results

The obtained results show that the higher the respondent’s position is, the more frequently they point out the following causes that hinder a healthy lifestyle: lack of time (74% – as reported by higher level university chiefs, 65% – by midlevel chiefs, and 35% – by qualified specialists). Lack of the experience in implementing physical activity programmes, in contrast, acquires more importance with lower expert ranks (6% – as reported by higher level chiefs, and 15% – by qualified specialists).

The respondents pointed out the University events aimed at supporting students’ health (see Figure 7).

Figure 7
University events aimed at supporting students’ health
(percentage of the total respondents).

*responses total is above 100% due to the multiple-choice question
Source: based on the authors’ sociological survey.

Most of the respondents reported the following measures: 93% – regular sports events, 86% – medical help at the University medical center, 79% – services of the University preventive health care facilities/resort centers, 74% – appeal to the University medical aid post, 62% – use of the University sports facilities, etc. Thus, these facilities are provided by BSU and contribute to the formation of students’ healthy lifestyle.

The University provides the following conditions for preserving and improving students’ health:

• annual medical examination (once a year);
• complete medical examination by the specialists in addition to obligatory professional medical examination;
• the right to choose extracurricular activities on the way to a healthy lifestyle;
• a canteen providing 240 seats. It meets all the requirements and state standards, serves hot meals for students and university staff during 10-minute breaks and a long 30-minute break. The canteen working hours allow the students to spend plenty of time at the University after classes, contributing to their active participation in leisure activities;
• the educational process which takes into account students’ intellectual and individual features;
• a well-managed, stable academic time-table for studies and teaching practice, leisure interest clubs, arts societies, sports sections;
• a scheduled programme of studies;

Measures on restricting students’ smoking are essential for promoting students’ healthy lifestyle. The experts were asked about forms of punishment for unsanctioned smoking which are warranted at the University. Figure 8 depicts the distribution of answers to the question. 

Figure 8
Forms of punishment for unsanctioned smoking at the University
(percentage of the total respondents)

Source: based on the authors’ sociological survey

4. Discussion

The analysis results showed that the most common punishments for unsanctioned smoking are as follows: 37% – warning of the drop-out, 27% – verbal warning, conversation. That means the students who do not obey the rules are at first warned verbally, and in case of repetitive violations the administration applies stricter punishments as the drop-out from the University.

There are a number of state target programmes on healthy lifestyle in the Republic of Bashkortostan. The respondents were asked to estimate the effectiveness of these programmes. Table 1 represents the obtained data. 

Table 1
Effectiveness of the state target programmes on promoting healthy lifestyle
(percentage of the total respondents)

Source: based on the authors’ sociological survey.

Most experts (over 50%) noted that the existing programmes on promoting students’ healthy lifestyle are ineffective. A single long-term target programme “Health care development in Bashkortostan Republic for 2013 – 2020s” is qualified as rather successful (63%).

It is deemed necessary to work out a complex of state programmes which contribute to improving youth health and eliminating negative factors that affect a healthy lifestyle (Gaisina, Bakhtizin, Mikhaylovskaya, Khairullina, Belonozhko, 2015; Gaisina, Belonozhko, Tkacheva, Abdrakhmanov, Grogulenko, 2017 Gaisina, Belonozhko, Tkacheva, Abdrakhmanov, Grogulenko, 2017).

5. Conclusion

Nowadays youth health protection can be provided only through a comprehensive approach involving other social institutions, besides health care. Institutional mechanisms of health protection are needed. However, presently, these mechanisms address only some aspects of the problem. They are unable to cover the whole problem and even produce dysfunctional effect.  

Educational process duration also deteriorates health. Regarding the current situation, more public institutions should be involved, and the priorities and functions of the education system are to be reviewed. Studying is natural for young people, thus, activities on shaping healthy lifestyle, as well as teaching them self-protection behavior, can easily fit into the education process. Educational impact is essential to this process, and it should be aimed at arranging students’ activities that help to develop a healthy lifestyle. However, current pedagogic activities like planning, arranging education process and working out programmes for academic disciplines are non-systematic and do not increase awareness of a healthy lifestyle and self-protecting behavior.

Family is another significant institution in healthy lifestyle formation. During the child’s socialization within the family parents share their knowledge of health protection skills, work and leisure, meals regime, awareness of the hygiene, physical culture, and of unhealthy habits. Parents’ lifestyle is transmitted to their children from birth, forming their health accordingly. The better care, treatment and education in physical and hygienic culture children get, the healthier they are going to be. Effective functioning of the family nowadays requires state support: carrying out family-oriented educational activity, which will increase parents’ awareness of a healthy lifestyle.

Young people’s engagement in publicly beneficial activities would help to implement these tasks concerning a healthy lifestyle. Support and development of volunteering is the most effective and universally accepted way to meet this goal, as volunteering is a component of the state youth policy, education and health protection policies. This enables us to transit from methods of supporting young people to those of developing their potential for the sake of the country. Young volunteers and volunteer programs need support in such sports as football, volleyball, hockey, basketball, etc. Establishing student and school amateur sports clubs would enable young people to participate in sports and mass sports activities. Young people’s participation in such activities will help to form the positive image of the youth. Support and development of youth volunteering will contribute to involving young people in social practice, which is one of the effective mechanisms to form a healthy lifestyle among young people.

Bibliographic references

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Akhmerova S.G., Zhuravleva I.V. (1994). Comparative estimation of hygienic education level among the students of two higher institutions. Hygiene and sanitary measures, 1,  45-47.

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Fedotova N.F. (1984). Social and psychological problems of the person’s moral education. Leningrad.

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Gaisina L.M., Belonozhko M.L, Tkacheva N.A., Abdrakhmanov N. Kh, Grogulenko N.V. (2017). Principles and methods of synergy modeling of management system at oil and gas sector’s enterprises. Espacios, 38(33), 5.

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1. Ufa State Petroleum Technological University, Ufa, 450062, Russia. E-mail: gaisina.l.m@mail.ru

2. Bashkir State University, Ufa, 450076, Russia

3. Ufa State Petroleum Technological University, Ufa, 450062, Russia

4. Bashkir State Agrarian University, Ufa, 450001, Russia

5. Sterlitamak Branch of Bashkir State University, Sterlitamak, 453103, Russia

6. Ufa State Petroleum Technological University, Ufa, 450062, Russia