Physical and health development of female medical university students studying remotely during the COVID-19 pandemic

Background . The COVID-19 health crisis has had a major impact on public health, leading to the transition from teaching to online teaching due to school closures. Research conducted across five continents has revealed a lack of knowledge regarding how to assess various aspects of disruption during major disasters such as COVID-19. There is a lack of data on the physical development and health of medical students who have completed distance learning at school. Objective of this study was to assess the physical development and health of 1st-year female students of Yaroslavl State Medical University (YSMU) who received distance learning at school during the COVID-19 pandemic and isolation. Materials and methods . From September to November 2024, the Department of Physical Education and Sports of YSMU conducted a comprehensive examination of 84 1st and 2nd-year female students of the university who studied at secondary school during the COVID-19 period in the context of distance learning and decreased physical activity. The comparison group consisted of 192 female students enrolled in the 1st and 2nd courses of YSMU in 2016. Anthropometric observation was conducted by calculating the body mass index and performing functional tests of the respiratory (Shtange and Genchi`s tests) and cardiovascular systems. Based on the results of the medical examination by the medical commission, students with pathology were identified. Quantitative data were processed using the method of variation statistics. Results . The average age of first-year female students in 2024 was 20.4±0.8, in 2016–21.8±0.7 years. Female students in 2024 were distinguished by a significant increase in the proportion of students with overweight and grade 1 obesity. The results of functional tests in female students in 2024 indicate a decrease in the functional reserve of the respiratory and cardiovascular systems. In 2024, differences in the health of female students amounted to 40 %. At the same time, a fifth of the pathologies are due to digestive system disorders. Conclusions: 1) first-year female students of 2024, who were in distance learning mode during the COVID-19 pandemic, differed from the comparison group in terms of excess body weight and an increase in the number of students with grade 1 obesity; 2) deviations in the health of female students of 2024 are more common than in 2016, the most common pathology of the digestive system.