Physical activity and self-esteem in domestic and foreign medical students.

Nikolaev, E.; Zakharova, A.; Dulina, G.; Hartfelder, D.; Petunova, S.; Grigorieva, N.; Lazareva, E.; Maksimova, N.; Litvinova, E.; Vasilieva, E.; Fakhraei, S. S.

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

FOREIGN students; MEDICAL students; PHYSICAL activity; SELF-evaluation; SELF-esteem

European Psychiatry, 2024, Vol 67, pS679

0924-9338

Academic Journal

10.1192/j.eurpsy.2024.1412