Morphofunctional and hematological characteristics of health in students from the northern and southern regions of kazakhstan

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Over the past decade, the Republic of Kazakhstan has undergone various socio-economic transformations, which have revealed many negative factors affecting the health and quality of life of the population, especially the younger generation. AIM: The study aim is to study the morphofunctional and hematological parameters of the 1st year university students. METHODS: The health status for a total of 400 1st-year students, who arrived for studying from the northern regions (North Kazakhstan, Petropavlovsk) and the southern regions (Turkestan, Kyzylorda), was evaluated during the study. The study investigated some morphological and functional parameters of the organism (body length, body mass index, chest circumference, vital lung capacity, vital index, blood pressure, heart rate, etc.), and hematological indicators (the total number of red blood cells, white blood cells, the concentration of hemoglobin in the blood, etc.). The results were processed by means of variational and differential statistics. RESULTS: Comparing the physical health of students from both regions, a significant difference in main morphofunctional and hematological indices has been established. The functional indicators of the cardiovascular and respiratory systems were higher in students from the southern regions, which reflected a good adaptive reaction to studying at the university, as well as new climatic and geographical conditions. Students from the southern regions were reported to have lower red blood cell amounts and mild anemia compared to those from the northern regions. CONCLUSION: Therefore, constant monitoring of the health state among youth is required to develop effective tactics for the students’ smooth adjusting to living in new social and climatic conditions.