Student health care practices: assessing the long-term effects of the COVID-19 pandemic

Background. The COVID-19 pandemic has identified the need to transform the usual practices of health care. The behavior of most social groups, including students, has become more health-preserving. However, the sustainability of the changes raises questions, determining the potential increase in health risks for young people associated with behavioral factors.

The aim. To identify and assess the degree of consolidation of changes in health care practices formed during the COVID-19 pandemic and in the post-pandemic period among Russian students.

Materials and methods. The study, which has a mixed design (mix methodology), was conducted in autumn 2023 – spring 2024. Three Russian universities in the Volga region, the Urals and Siberia have implemented a series of focused interviews (n = 10) and a formalized survey (n = 415) of students of social and humanitarian specialties.

Results. The COVID-19 pandemic period led to the introduction of student health care practices such as the use of antiseptics and medical masks, self-isolation and vitamin intake. The high level of stress actualized the concern for mental health. However, specific physical health practices have lost popularity: only 7.9 % of students continue to use medical masks, and a quarter of respondents do not take care of their health beyond personal hygiene. Among men, this figure is 31.5 %. At the same time, mental health practices such as communication with loved ones and meditation have become more common, which may be due to the high level of anxiety in Russia.

Conclusion. The behavior of young people remains stable and only changes slightly under the infl  e of external factors. The COVID-19 pandemic has had a short-term impact on the health behavior of Russian youth, forcing them to pay more attention to personal hygiene measures. Health-saving practices specifi to the pandemic, for example, antiseptics or medical masks, have not taken root and have entered the “post-pandemic” pattern only among students with a high level of responsibility for their health.

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