Students healthy lifestyle and the strategy of adaptation to the university environment

Abstract

The article substantiates the sociological approach to health-saving behavior as the most promising direction of strengthening students' health. Despite the wide possibilities of motivation for the health-saving behavior of students, the problems of its formation, which are due to both social and cultural characteristics, currently remain. The health of students is largely determined by the prevalence of self-preservation practices. The article discusses the problem of the relationship of students' attitudes regarding a healthy lifestyle and their self-preservation practices and the impact of the need to adapt to learning at the university. The empirical basis of the study is the materials of author's research, firstly, mass representative farrowings of students of Kazan Federal University (Kazan, Russia) (N = 12468 in 2017 and N = 2712 in 2018), and secondly, a series of focus groups (N = 8). Sports and other physical activity, along with nutrition and sleep, are recognized by most students as important factors determining health and beauty. It is significant that it is these factors that are largely determined only by the efforts of the person himself that the students are aware of. As part of the adaptation period, students usually make new friends and gain experience in drinking. However, most students successfully cope with a difficult period and do not acquire bad habits, it is even considered not fashionable. On the contrary, students learn to plan their day wisely, find time for sports, prepare healthy meals for the whole day, and try to take care of their own psychological mood, taking responsibility for their own health.