Features of physical adaptation of first-yеar university students to an urbanizеd еnvironmеnt

Aim. The article is aimed at evaluating physiological adaptation (physical development, physical fitness and sickness rate) in first-year female university students not involved in sports to the urban conditions of the Kirov region. Materials and methods. Five hundred and thirty first-year female students not involved in sports (Vyatka State University, Kirov) participated in the study. Their physical development was estimated with the help of five anthropometric and eight physiometric parameters used for calculating 24 indices. To assess physical fitness, five types of tests were performed measuring general stamina, quickness, strength and other parameters. To evaluate the influence of urban environment, the participants were divided into three groups depending on the population of their home cities: “big city”, “small town”, “village”. Results. First-year female students, who used to live in a big city before entering the university, have smaller chest circumference at rest and at maximum inhalation/exhalation than the girls of the same height and weight, who used to live in small towns or villages. Urban environment influences physical fitness, which results in generally low stamina and strength typical for females living in Kirov. Conclusion. The results obtained show that the increase in urbanization puts pressure on the mechanisms of physiological adaptation in first-year female students who used to live in small towns and villages before entering the university.