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Introduction: It is a well-known fact that regular physical activity (PA) has a positive effect on a person's somatic health. Does PA have similar correlations with self-esteem in medical students of different cultural backgrounds? Objectives: To determine the intensity and correlations of PА and self-esteem in domestic and foreign undergraduate medical students Methods: We carried out a survey of 305 domestic and 241 international medical students of both genders at Ulianov Chuvash State University. For this aim we used the Sociocultural Health Questionnaire (E. Nikolaev) Results: We have established that with the same duration of the sessions the average frequency of physical activity (PA) of foreign medical students is higher than that of domestic students (p=.001). The latter more often exercise in gyms (p=.001) and consume bodybuilding supplements (p=.01). Foreign medical students' self-assessment of their health (p=.001) and sportiness (p=.001) is higher than that of domestic students (7.90 vs 6.98 и 6.72 vs 5.82 correspondingly). Higher frequency of PA correlates in domestic medical students with higher self-assessment of their successfulness (r=.47), attractiveness (r=.46), and confidence (r=.43); while in foreign students – of their sportiness (r=.49), confidence (r=.25), sociability (r=.23). Longer sessions of PA by domestic medical students are interrelated with higher self-assessment of their intellect (r=.35), confidence (r=.34), happiness (r=.34); while in foreign students – of sportiness (r=.47), health (r=.36), and successfulness (r=.36). Conclusions: The revealed data testify to the fact that PA of both domestic and foreign medical students closely correlates with positive assessment of their own personality. Disclosure of Interest: None Declared [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Heavy academic loads imposed on medical students explain why it is so important for a university to pay more attention to the issues of maintaining their students' mental health. Objectives: To compare the level of mental health and the need for mental health services in domestic and international medical students Methods: The survey covered 305 domestic and 241 international university students of the Faculty of Medicine. Their mental health level was measured with the SCL-90R questionnaire, their interest to mental health services - by means of a 5-point questionnaire. Results: The data achieved by measuring the level of mental health with the SCL-90R revealed that in both groups this level is within standard limits. However, the international students showed a higher level of psychopathological distress reflected by GSI index (χ2=2.14; р=.03). Both groups have experienced a visit to a psychiatrist or psychotherapist (12.13% and 8.3% correspondingly). Some of them have undergone treatment in connection with their emotional and behavioral problems (3.28% и 3.73%). Currently, they claim, with the same frequency, that they are in need of a psychiatrist's or psychotherapist's help (14.43% и 13.28%). Domestic students, as compared with international students show higher need (χ2=24.55; р=.001) for a psychologist's help (34.75% and 16.18%).With different frequency, 65.15% of the international students and 89.5% of the domestic students consider mental health services as necessary. Conclusions: When providing medical support to medical students, it is important to take into account their need for mental health services and to keep in mind their different cultural backgrounds. Disclosure of Interest: None Declared [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Medical education is intended to give future professionals knowledge about health care, which can be applied to them as well. How justified are expectations concerning eating behavior?. Objectives: The research goal is to explore prevalence, intensity and interconnections of disordered eating behavior manifestations in junior medical students. Methods: Using the Eating Disorder Inventory (EDI) and Skugarevsky & Sivukha's Body image questionnaire, we surveyed 101 male and female 1-2 year medical students (mean age 19.9). Results: Every second student out of three (66.3%) showed medium or high level of drive for thinness, every second (48.5%) revealed signs of bulimia, with all the surveyed demonstrating dissatisfaction with their body. High level of drive for thinness and bulimia was noted in every tenth (9.9%) and every sixth (18.8%) accordingly. All of them were female. Every third of the surveyed students (31.6%) showed also a high level of perfectionism, every second (56.4%) - interpersonal distrust, every sixth (17.8%) - interoceptive awareness. Every third revealed a high level of dissatisfaction with their appearance (34.6%), every second showed a medium level of such dissatisfaction (48.5%). At the same time, body image dissatisfaction directly correlated with drive for thinness (p<0.05) and bulimia (p<0.05). Conclusions: Medical students, more often females, have higher risks of developing eating behavior disorders. Trying to comply with the imposed standards of successfulness and beauty, being dissatisfied with their body image, they attempt at strict control of their meals. Knowledge of medicine acquired in their first two years of study does not always prevent this. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Conventional wisdom has it that medical students, who are supposed to work in health care services in their future, should be more responsible for their health and lead a healthy lifestyle. What signs of unhealthy behavior do they show in reality? Objectives: Our objective was to study dominating factors of unhealthy behavior in junior medical students. Methods: We used the Lutsenko & Gabelkova's questionnaire for health disorders (2013) to survey the first and second-year students of a medical faculty - 36 females and 65 males aged 18-25. Results: The research revealed that among the most evident signs of healthy behavior disorders in the surveyed students are as follows: insufficient self-control (25.7 %), which testifies for insufficient ability to control their emotions and cope with stress; emotional incompetence (19.8 %), which speaks about inability of future doctors to differentiate emotions, which can lead to conflicts or somatization of anxiety in a stressful situation; eating disorders (17.8%), seen as either inability to control meals or using food as means to cope with stress; self-destructing behavior in the form of consuming psychoactive substances (10.8%); drive for smoking (8.9%). Cumulative evident disorders of healthy behavior were revealed in 5.9% of the surveyed medical students. Conclusions: Most junior medical students follow healthy lifestyles. The main risk factor is the decline in deliberate selfregulation at the cognitive, emotional, and behavioral levels. To get a more holistic view, the given research should also involve senior medical students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Strict emotional control in patients is associated with negative clinical effects in cardiological practice. Are there any specifics in emotional control in cardiovascular patients? Objectives: The goal of the study was to find the difference in emotional expression control in cardiovascular patients of various nosological groups. Methods: The study involved 233 cardiac patients (60 with essential hypertension, 56 with valvular heart disease, 69 with stable coronary heart disease (SCHD), 48 with acute myocardial infarction (AMI)). The measuring instrument was Ban on the Emotional Expression questionnaire (Zaretsky & Kholmogorova). Results: The general level of ban on the emotional expression in all cardiovascular patients is significantly higher (p=0.0001) as compared to healthy people. Higher emotional control covered the whole spectrum of emotions except sadness (p=0.076). One-factor variance analysis showed credible differences among the groups in control of expressing fear (p=0.034), joy (p=0.019), sadness (p=0.016), and the general ban on expressing positive and negative emotions (p=0.003). Comparing the indices shown by SCHD and AMI patients we revealed that the level of the aggregate emotional control is credibly higher in AMI patients (p=0.0001), while SCHD patients were distinguished by a higher ban on anger expression (p=0.0315). In AMI patients, we revealed significant interrelations between the general emotional control and high blood pressure (r=0.35), between the ban on expressing sadness and diabetes mellitus (r=0.30). Conclusions: The findings highlight essential differences in emotional control in cardiovascular patients of various nosological groups, which underscores the importance of considering this specificity when planning prevention and treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]