The Current State of the Problem Regarding the Aging Rates in Youth
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.32782/2415-8127.2026.74.18Keywords:
aging rates, health status, higher medical education studentsAbstract
Introduction. Accelerated aging in youth is a serious condition in which the actual biological age exceeds the chronological age by 10–15 years. The current causes of this in Ukraine are the constant stress people experience during the war, sedentary lifestyle, unbalanced diet, and disruptions of circadian rhythms, which lead to disturbances in sleep and rest periods. All these aspects make adequate recovery of the body impossible, which, in turn, leads to health worsening, exacerbation of chronic diseases, reduced work capacity, and the onset of chronic stress, anxiety, and depression. Objective of the study. To determine the aging rates and health status among medical students at Danylo Halytsky Lviv National Medical University. Materials and methods. The study involved 192 medical students. The examination methods included: the analysis of modern literature sources, the evaluation of human biological age using V.P. Voytenko's method (questionnaires, anthropometric studies, instrumental examinations, as well as the Ozeretsky, Stange, and Genchi tests), and methods of mathematical statistics. Research results and discussion. The study revealed that a large portion of the subjects was characterized by a low level of physical activity and ignored a healthy lifestyle. When analyzing the results, it was established that accelerated aging rates were more characteristic of males. In terms of health status, the vast majority of examined individuals of both sexes belonged to functional classes IV and V, which are characterized by accelerated or significantly accelerated aging rates and poor health. Conclusions. Among the causes of accelerated aging rates in modern youth–in addition to chronic stress, high emotional load, and circadian rhythm disruptions–one can confidently include a sedentary lifestyle and the presence of harmful habits. The obtained results indicate a sharp acceleration in aging rates and a deterioration in the health status of young people. Therefore, it is urgently necessary to develop professional recommendations and implement them into practice to combat stress, engage youth in sports and encourage a mindful and respectful attitude toward one's body.
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