A multi-method approach to investigation of morphophysiological and psychological adaptation in young men and women - students of Moscow universities
This work is devoted to the search of relationship between parameters of morphophysiological and psychological adaptation in modern students during the senior years at different Moscow institutions. In this work we used materials of comprehensive anthropological examination and psychological testing of 124 Russian young women and 74 young men aged 20-23 years, who are senior-year students in different Moscow academic institutions (MSU, MSPPU etc.). The program of morphophysiological study included measurement of more than 20 body-build parameters, assessment of body composition components using the bioimpedance analyzer «Medass АВС-01», determination of functional characteristics of the cardiovascular system and the level of cortisol in saliva samples. The level of morphophysiological adaptation was assessed according to Bayevsky’s method. For determination of general psychological adaptation, Kokorin’s test (based on questionnaires by Rogers and Diamond) was used. Parameters of situational and baseline anxiety were assessed using Spielberger’s method modified by Hanin. For determination of temperament characteristics (extra/introversion and neuroticism), Aizenk’s test was used. The majority of examined young women (54%) and 42% of young men are characterized by satisfactory morphophysiological adaptation. The group with functional tension included 35% of young women and 33% of young men. The rate of unsatisfactory adaptation is 3 times higher in young men (20%) in comparison with young women (6%). The reasons for the decrease in adaptation capabilities in young men might be related to their greater sensitivity to unfavorable ecological, social, economic and stress factors. During the assessment of general psychological adaptation, satisfactory results were observed in 66% of young men and 44% of young women. The number of representatives with tension in psychological adaptation was 1.5 times higher in the group of young women (p<0.01) in comparison with the group of young men (56% and 34%, correspondingly). Apparently, this is stipulated by increased emotionality and higher social-psychological responsibility of young women during the academic term as well as during the examination period, when the observation was performed. To investigate the relationship between the level of salivary cortisol and parameters of morphophysiological and psychological adaptation, a series of factor analyses with different sets of characteristics were carried out. In both sexes, we revealed a consistent tendency to improvement of general psychological adaptation, decrease in values of neuroticism, situational and baseline anxiety in representatives with good development of the muscular system. Analysis of the association between the level of cortisol and different parameters of stress-resistance demonstrated a trend towards increase in the level of salivary cortisol with the increase in neuroticism, situational and baseline anxiety and simultaneous decrease in parameters of general psychological adaptation, which corresponds to the physiological action of cortisol. Groups with different levels of salivary cortisol are selected based on the results of the canonical analysis of morphological parameters and psychological adaptation characteristics (p<0.05). Young men and women with high level of salivary cortisol are characterized by relatively smaller skeleton dimensions, decreased subcutaneous fat deposition, low active cell mass (an indirect parameter of relative hypodynamia), good adaptation to excessive passive rest and decreased adaptation to high energy expenses. The conducted multi-method study helped to reveal a pattern of combined variability of morphophysiological and psychological adaptation parameters in the examined young men and women: with the increase in the muscle component of the body-build, improvement of psychological adaptation and decrease in parameters of neuroticism, situational and baseline anxiety can be seen in both sexes. Decline in the level of general psychological adaptation can be observed in young men and women with small skeleton dimensions and decreased fat deposition (gracile body-build), low active cell mass (indirect parameter of relative hypodynamia) and high level of salivary cortisol.