Abstract:

The work deals with assessing the level of lifestyle and health-related behaviour of Slovak university students in a post-pandemic situation. Theories of health-related behaviour analyse the changes, help to identify the variables to be measured, as well as the timing and methods to be used. Managed interventions and programmes to change health-related behaviour require an understanding of the components of health behaviour as well as operational or practical forms of its´ prevention. New communication and information technologies have opened an unprecedented range of strategies to change health-related behaviour. The work suggests options for applying online educational strategies and procedures to correct individual lifestyle factors, such as healthy diet, mental health, regular regimen, physical activity, prevention, use an addictive substance. The research was conducted between December 2021 and February 2022 at Faculty of Sports University of Presov (Slovakia). The participants were students (n=87) which belonged to two various study programs: Sport for health and Special physical training in security forces. A standardised questionnaire Health-related behavioural scale (Dosedlová, Slováčková, Klimusová 2013) was used in methodology. We analysed and assessed the monitored factors of the lifestyle and movement regimen of undergraduates in terms of intersex differences, demographic aspects, focus of study programmes. We used mathematical and statistical methods to evaluate and process data: Mann-Whitney test, Spearman correlation coefficient, using the Shapiro - Wilk test (p < 0.001) we verified the normal distribution. The results indicated the prevalence of lifestyle risk factors for undergraduates: only 13% of the total population consume fruit and vegetables daily, only 19% of respondents regularly eat breakfast, only 5% avoid foods containing preservatives, artificial sweeteners, and thickeners, 45% eat in fast food. Safety in sport is taken care of by 26% of respondents, 37% prefer natural treatment to pharmaceutical preparations, and 65% of the total ensemble rests and relaxes sufficiently. Only 19% of respondents report optimal body weight, with an average of 7.5 hours/week dedicated on sport. Occasional marijuana use was reported by 24% of those surveyed, and 10% respondents use of hard drugs such as cocaine and heroin. We noticed a moderate correlation between factors: F1 healthy eating and F2 – prevention (r= 0.469); F3 – mental hygiene and F4 – regular regimen and physical activity (r=0.472). The analysis allowed us to verificate of our assumptions. Based on the results, educational strategies were applicated in the form of online webinars and courses from individual areas of healthy lifestyle, prevention of lifestyle diseases, health nutrition, basics of relaxation and regeneration, etc. We prepared online compensatory exercises and suggested of complementary physical activities to university students. The search for new educational strategies within the study programs of future experts in physical education and sport in Slovakia is gaining special importance in this time.

Keywords:

Lifestyle, movement regimen, health-threatening behaviours, online webinars, and courses.