Gender differences in stress perception and coping strategies through physical activity among students of Tula universities

The purpose of the study is to analyze stress perception, its contributing factors, and coping strategies among first-year students, taking into account gender differences. Research methods and organization. Methods of analysis and synthesis of literary sources, questionnaires, and methods of mathematical statistics were used. The study was conducted on a sample of 182 respondents (male and female students aged 18) – first-year students of Tula State University and Tula State Lev Tolstoy Pedagogical University. Research results and conclusions. The study assessed students' subjective perception of the stressfulness of student life, analyzed the frequency of exposure to academic stress factors, as well as their impact on students' well-being. Special attention was paid to identifying differences between male and female students in their choice of stress coping strategies, including the use of physical education means. The preferred types of physical activity chosen by students to reduce neuropsychic tension were specified, and students' perceptions of the effectiveness of physical education and sports in reducing stress were examined. The scientific novelty of the work lies in the differentiated approach to analyzing the relationship between gender, the subjective picture of stress, and the choice of physical education and health-improving activities at the stage of adaptation to higher education.