Attitude towards health among young people with different psychological ages.

The subject of this study is the attitude towards health from the perspective of the component model proposed by R.A. Berezovskaya – cognitive, emotional, and value-motivational. Examining and studying the attitude towards health from the perspective of this model in young people allows us to determine the extent to which a value orientation towards health, cognitive representations of health, and the motivational component of the attitude towards health, which leads to specific actions to preserve and strengthen physical and mental health, are formed. In the process of empirical research, the authors particularly focus on aspects of the attitude towards health in the context of the psychological age of the individual. The aim of this psychological study was to explore and describe the attitude towards health among young people with different psychological ages. The methodological support for the research included the "Five-Year Interval Assessment Method" (E.I. Golovakha, A.A. Kronik) and the "Health Attitude Questionnaire" (R.A. Berezovskaya). Statistical data processing was conducted using the Kruskal-Wallis test at a significance level of less than 0.05. The study sample consisted of 134 people aged 18-32 years. The research concluded that young people with a low psychological age (32 individuals) experience less anxiety in case of health deterioration, have a limited number of ways to preserve health in their representations, are less active behaviorally, and do not strive to improve their health status. Young people with a high psychological age (56 individuals) demonstrate a mature emotional attitude towards health, have a comprehensive understanding of ways to preserve it, but do not always strive for activity at a behavioral level. Young people with an adequate chronological psychological age (46 individuals) have the most developed culture of behavior that contributes to maintaining health. The obtained empirical data are scientifically novel as they reveal the connection between psychological age and attitudes toward health among young people. Another aspect of scientific novelty is that, considering the important feature of psychological age – its variability, programs for psychological support in the process of forming a responsible attitude towards health among young people can be developed.