Factor Structure of the Functional State of First-Year Students Living in the Tyumen Region

Abstract

Adaptation of first-year students to a new educational environment, coupled with the need to acclimatize to the specific conditions of the North, is accompanied by considerable stress, which has a significant impact on the body’s functional state. The purpose of this article was to determine the factor structure of the functional state of first-year students living and studying in the Tyumen Region, taking into account gender and regional characteristics. Materials and methods. The study involved 372 male and female first-year students (245 from Surgut and 127 from Tyumen). The state of the cardiovascular system was assessed using photoplethysmography (AngioScan-01P software package) and heart rate variability was analysed by means of cardiointervalography (VNS-Spektr device). Factor analysis was performed using Varimax rotation. Results. Factor structure of the functional state varied depending on the students’ gender and area of residence. Total variance of the five identified factors ranged from 76 % to 93 %. The first and most significant factor (28–38 % of the variance) was interpreted as the adaptability index. In students living in Surgut, the stress index dominated in the factor’s structure, indicating a high degree of centralization of heart rate control, which is probably associated with the adaptation to the harsher climatic conditions of the North. In students living in Tyumen, a leading role in the first factor was played by the parameters of optimal autonomic regulation (standard deviation of NN intervals, indicator of the adequacy of regulation processes). The second and third factors reflected the integral indicators of vascular pressure and autonomic regulation; the structure and contribution of the variables differed between the groups. Arterial stiffness parameters (fourth and fifth factors) had the smallest effect on the functional sate of students. Thus, the research found specific adaptation patterns determined by the combined influence of gender and environmental factors, which is important for developing personalized approaches to maintaining students’ health.