Scientific journal
European Journal of Natural History
ISSN 2073-4972
ИФ РИНЦ = 0,301

Personal portfolio

SELF-ASSESSMENT OF ACTUAL NUTRITION OF FOREIGN STUDENTS OF THE PREPARATORY FACULTY

Abakumova L.V. 1 Khrenkova V.V. 1
1 Rostov state medical University of the Ministry of Healthcare of the Russia
Article in PDF
1784 KB
1. Abakumova L.V., Khrenkova V.V. Diagnosis of subject competences in biology of foreign students from the preparatory faculty // European journal of natural history. – 2017. – № 2. – P. 28.
2. The WHO global strategy in diet, physical activity and health. Approved by the World Health Assembly resolution 57.17, 22 may 2004 [Electronic resource]. – Access: http://www.un.org/russian/esa/social/ who_diet.htm.
3. Methodical recommendations on study of actual nutrition and health status of the population in connection with the nature of nutrition. Moscow: Ministry of Health USSR, 1984. – 113 p.
4. Khrenkova V.V., Mostovaya E.P., Lobanova I.Yu., Sokolova E.E., Karchava Sh.K., Abakumova L.V. The influence of systematic physical activities and sports on the high school student body // In the book: Physical culture, sport, health, and longevity: the basics of familiarizing for the younger generation the ideals and values of Olympism. Materials of the Third all-Russian with international participation research and practice conference. Science editor: Lysenko Alla Viktorovna. – 2014. – P. 277–282.
5. Khrenkova V.V., Abakumova L.V., Gafiiatullina G.Sh. Express-evaluation of foreign students adaptation successfulness in conditions of intensive studying at the preparatory faculty of the medical university // Biomedical electronics. – 2016. – № 5. – P. 58–59.
6. Voloschenko O.I., Zadorozhniy V.I., Roginskaya A.A., Abakumova L.V. The problems of teaching biology to foreign students at the preparatory faculty of RSMU and their solutions // European journal of natural history. – 2015. – № 1. – P. 15.
7. Zadorozhniy V.I., Voloschenko O.I., Roginskaya A.A., Abakumova L.V. About the succession of teaching biology to the foreign students of the preparatory faculty and the main faculties of the Rostov State Medical University // European journal of natural history. – 2015. – № 1. – P. 15–16.

25 boys and 29 girls aged 18 to 20 years from Europe, Asia, Africa, who were studying for 5-6 months by the time of the survey at the preparatory faculty of Rostov state medical University participated in self-assessment of actual nutrition. Some forms of inadequate actual nutrition among the students were identified: overeating, irregularity, imbalance, disturbance of ration proportions. Possible reasons for this are the lack of students’ awareness in nutrition, insufficient understanding of the principles of healthy nutrition, lack of knowledge about the components of products, high intellectual load and the associated lack of free time, difference in cultural food traditions, the lack of the familiar food. For the purpose of correction of dietary style and nutrition of students, we have developed and put on notice the guidance based on WHO recommendations.

The analysis of foreign students’ nutrition at the initial stages of the educational process is one of the ways of overcoming the existing adaptation problems [1, 5, 6, 7], because balanced diet along with physical activity are important parts of healthy lifestyle [4]. 25 boys and 29 girls aged 18 to 20 years from Europe, Asia, Africa, who were studying for 5-6 months by the time of the survey at the preparatory faculty of Rostov state medical University passed the self-assessment of actual nutrition. A questionnaire approved by the Ministry of Health and modified by us was offered to the students [3]. To the question, “Do you eat healthy food?” there were 16.7 % of affirmative answers, 16.7 % of negative answers and the remaining 66.6 % – “Not always”. About 60 % of questioned indicated that sometimes (48.1 %) or often (11.1 %) they overeat; around 65 % sometimes (50 %) or often (14.8 %) abuse of fatty foods, about 89 % sometimes (51.9 %) or often (37.0 %) – abuse of sweets, about 85 % sometimes (42.6 %) or frequently (42.6 %) – abuse of starch. According to 37.0 % of the respondents, the reason of eating unhealthy food is the lack of time; 13 % of students believe that the reason is their laziness; the remaining 33.3 % chose the answer “other”. 13 % of respondents indicated that they do not strive to eat healthy, the other 87 % said that they are trying to stick to healthy food, eating more fruits and vegetables (48.1 %), fish and meat (44.4 %), cereals (11.1 %), dairy products (11.1 %). The vast majority of respondents (61.1 %) believe that it is necessary to eat properly for the maintenance of health or for medical reasons, another 31.2 % consider that it helps improving appearance, 12.9 % suppose that it is just a common trend. More than half of respondents indicated that they notice how nutrition affects their health and appearance (51.9 %); the remainder did not notice the perceptible effect. It should also be noted that the vast majority of the patients (88.9 %) do not smoke or drink alcohol, more than half of the surveyed (51.9 %) do sports. But only 66.7 % of the respondents have no complaints about the health condition.

Thus, we have identified some manifestations of the actual nutrition inadequacy among students of the preparatory faculty: overeating, irregularity, imbalance, disturbance of ration proportions. Possible reasons for this – lack of awareness of students in nutrition, insufficient understanding of the principles of healthy nutrition, lack of knowledge about the components of products, high intellectual load and the associated lack of free time, difference in cultural food traditions, the lack of the familiar food. For the purpose of correction of dietary style and nutrition of students, we have developed and put on notice the guidance based on WHO recommendations [2].

The work is submitted to the International Scientific Conference “FUNDAMENTAL AND APPLIED IN MEDICINE BIOLOGY”, November 9–15, 2017, UAE (Dubai), came to the editorial office оn 17.09.2017.