EVALUATION OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY, BODY MASS INDEX AND SELF-ASSESSMENT OF PHYSICAL FITNESS IN FEMALE STUDENTS AND PUPILS OF TERNOPIL, WESTERN UKRAINE

Background. Lifestyle is one of the key factors that determines the proper development of human body, its systems and functions. An appropriate level of physical activity and BMI are thus integral components of a healthy lifestyle.

Material and methods. The study involved 333 female students of Ternopil State Medical University and 409 schoolgirls of Ternopil, western Ukraine. The International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ-L) was used as a research method. BMI and physical activity self-assessment rates were also considered.

Results. The surveyed female students of Ternopil State Medical University and schoolgirls of Ternopil (western Ukraine) demonstrate a high level of total physical activity. Most of the surveyed female students (71.1%) and pupils (59.4%) had normal body weight. The schoolgirls’ self-assessment of physical fitness was lower and more adequate when compared to that of female students. Besides, both students and pupils who indicated that they had no free time spent it in a more reasonable way than those who considered that they had enough of it or not enough.

Conclusions. The female students of medical university and female pupils of Ternopil are fully aware that physical activity is significant for their lives and that it constitutes a key factor to a healthy lifestyle.