Assessment of the efficiency of the application of modern health technologies in the educational process of high schools

Abstract

The health problem of student youth is exacerbated by unfavourable political, social, economic, and environmental factors and is driven by the growing need to maintain students’ health. The solution to this problem lies in the idea of creating, substantiating, and implementing innovative health technologies into the educational process of higher education institutions. The study aimed to investigate the features of using hardening in the educational process of a higher education institution as an innovative health technology and to determine its effectiveness. The study involved 50 first-year students of the Faculty of History and Geography at Poltava National Pedagogical University named after V.G. Korolenko, aged 17 to 20 years. It was found that only 37% of students are engaged in regular physical activity. A significant percentage of young people who do not engage in physical education and sports (74%) suffer from minor health deviations in the cardiovascular and respiratory systems, colds, and musculoskeletal disorders; 57% lead a sedentary lifestyle, which leads to weight gain. It was discovered that students recognise the positive impact of hardening on health but do not use hardening methods sufficiently or regularly. The main reasons for the irregular use of hardening activities are a lack of time and insufficient motivation. The effectiveness of the hardening technology was substantiated and experimentally proven, which included, in addition to physical education classes at the university, involving students in health groups, using pool sessions, sauna visits with contrast showers, the duration of which gradually increased, as well as independent activities at home (air baths, mouth rinsing with cool water, neck rubbing with a cool towel, walking barefoot). The results can be used in higher education institutions to improve the physical and mental health of student youth, enhance the functional state and adaptive capabilities of the body, increase resistance to diseases, and normalise body weight, thereby contributing to their academic success and overall quality of life.