Physical activity and self-esteem in domestic and foreign medical students

TL;DR

This study explores how physical activity relates to self-esteem in domestic and foreign medical students, finding cultural differences in their exercise habits and self-perception.

Contribution

The study reveals distinct correlations between physical activity and self-esteem dimensions in domestic versus foreign medical students.

Findings

Foreign students have higher physical activity frequency and self-assessment of health and sportiness compared to domestic students.

Domestic students' physical activity correlates more with self-assessment of successfulness, attractiveness, and confidence.

Foreign students' physical activity correlates more with self-assessment of sportiness, health, and successfulness.

Abstract

It is a well-known fact that regular physical activity (PA) has a positive effect on a person’s somatic health. Does PA have similar correlations with self-esteem in medical students of different cultural backgrounds?

To determine the intensity and correlations of PА and self-esteem in domestic and foreign undergraduate medical students

We carried out a survey of 305 domestic and 241 international medical students of both genders at Ulianov Chuvash State University. For this aim we used the Sociocultural Health Questionnaire (E. Nikolaev)

We have established that with the same duration of the sessions the average frequency of physical activity (PA) of foreign medical students is higher than that of domestic students (p=.001). The latter more often exercise in gyms (p=.001) and consume bodybuilding supplements (p=.01). Foreign medical students’ self-assessment of their health (p=.001) and sportiness (p=.001) is higher than that of domestic students (7.90 vs 6.98 и 6.72 vs 5.82 correspondingly). Higher frequency of PA correlates in domestic medical students with higher self-assessment of their successfulness (r=.47), attractiveness (r=.46), and confidence (r=.43); while in foreign students – of their sportiness (r=.49), confidence (r=.25), sociability (r=.23). Longer sessions of PA by domestic medical students are interrelated with higher self-assessment of their intellect (r=.35), confidence (r=.34), happiness (r=.34); while in foreign students – of sportiness (r=.47), health (r=.36), and successfulness (r=.36).

The revealed data testify to the fact that PA of both domestic and foreign medical students closely correlates with positive assessment of their own personality.

None Declared