A STUDY ON STRESS-RELATED SYMPTOMS AND THE POTENTIAL OF PHYSICAL EDUCATION CLASSES IN CORRECTING STRESS MANIFESTATIONS AMONG UNIVERSITY STUDENTS
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Author(s): | Borisova V. V., Dutova I. V., Dutova T. M., |
| Number of journal: | 3(76) | Date: | September 2026 |
| Annotation: | This article attempts to substantiate the corrective potential of physical culture tools in relation to stress-related symptoms observed in student youth. The key goal of the study is to assess the prevalence of stress manifestations and to identify the mechanisms of psycho‑emotional regulation manifested during physical education classes. The empirical basis consists of the results of an anonymous survey of 226 first‑year students (average age 18 years; gender balance – 50/50) from two leading universities in Tula – Tula State University and Tula State Lev Tolstoy Pedagogical University. A psychodiagnostic study was conducted to record the frequency of somatic, emotional, cognitive, and behavioral markers of stress, as well as to obtain a subjective assessment of the anti‑stress effects of physical activity. The data were processed using descriptive statistical methods, with a focus on gender comparisons. A high prevalence of stress‑related symptoms was identified: sleep disorders, muscle hypertonicity, anxiety, irritability, and procrastination dominate; at the same time, in girls, all recorded indicators significantly exceed those in boys. According to the data obtained, about 70% of the surveyed students tend to deny the need for professional psychological help, yet they recognize the high importance of physical activity in overcoming stressful states. Stable gender differences have been identified in the structure of anti‑stress expectations: the male part of the sample is oriented towards somatic (muscle relaxation – 21.1%) and affective (emotional tone – 22.0%) components, while the female part is oriented towards cognitive switching (distraction from current difficulties – 24.8%) and a decrease in anxiety states (17.5%). These differences require a revision of the unified approach to the organization of physical education and necessitate the introduction of differentiated programs that take into account the gender characteristics of stress management. The implementation of these programs can help reduce students’ psycho-emotional stress, and the results obtained can be useful to specialists in the field of pedagogy and psychology. The study contributes to the substantiation of the status of physical education as a universal, accessible and physiologically sound way of maintaining the health of students. | ||
| Keywords: | students, psycho‑emotional state, stress, stress‑related symptoms, physical activity, physical education classes, subjective sensations, anti‑stress effect, gender differences, stress prevention |
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| For citation: | Dutova I. V., Borisova V. V., Dutova T. M. A study on stress-related symptoms and the potential of physical education classes in correcting stress manifestations among university students. Biznes. Obrazovanie. Pravo = Business. Education. Law. 2026;3(76):386—392. DOI: 10.25683/VOLBI.2026.76.1729. |
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