Babych V.І., Lugovskoi О.Е.

Lugansk national university of the name of Taras Shevchenkо.

THE URGENCY OF FORMATION

OF HEALTH CULTURE

IN STUDENTS OF MINING SPECIALIZATIONS

Health is rightfully considered the highest value. Unfortunately, very often people realize it only after losing it partially or completely. Nowadays most of the population lacks the fashion for health, which is especially true among the rising generation and students. At the same time, we understand that exactly this category of people in our country is going to ensure the prosperity of our state. No doubt that only a healthy person can work to the full extent providing his country with prosperity. In connection with this, the formation of health culture in future specialists is a very important issue of the present time. Without decreasing the significance of formation of value attitude to one’s own health as well as taking into account necessary knowledge and skills for strengthening and preserving of health of all future experts, we think that special attention should be given to students with mining specialization. As a rule, it is stipulated by difficulties and peculiarities of their future work.

The work of coal miners is a hard type of occupation both physically and emotionally. Pressure is very high: work under ground in a dark and restricted space leaves traces on health of a person. Health impairment of experts in coal mining industry is especially acute in Donbas region. It is connected with a great number of factors that influence human health badly: severe ecological situation, imperfect system of health protection, specific character of hard work of coal miners which includes noise and vibration, irrational illumination and ventilation, forced body position, neuropsychic, visual and aural overtension, heavy physical labour etc. All the above mentioned reasons often cause such chronic diseases among coal miners as black-lung disease, chronic bronchitis, dust bronchitis, conio-tuberculosis, radiculopathy, vibration disease, arthrosis, cataract, heart and vascular diseases etc [4, P. 32-37].

According to the medical research, the difference between biological and passport age among coal miners is 15-20 years. Thus, under his biological factors a 40-years old coal miner corresponds to 55-60-years old person. This is precisely why the death rate among coal miners at working age is very high [5, P. 29-31], and life expectancy of coal miners in Donbas decreases each year; at present, coal miners pass away at 55 years old on average [3]. This situation must direct future coal miners at obtaining wide knowledge of keeping and strengthening their health in present ecological circumstances and severe working conditions. That’s why a higher educational establishment should provide future experts in coal mining with all the necessary knowledge and skills on formation, promotion and preservation of their own health in all aspects (spiritual, mental and physical).

Basing on experts of International Labour Organization regarding occupational health supervision and improvement of working conditions (Geneva, 1997) which assume interdisciplinary approach in primary prophylaxis of occupational risk for workers’ health (with professions of high occupational risk in particular) [2], and the research materials of experts of Donetsk National Technical University, we can single out the following priority areas for health protection of coal miners: formation and implementation of comprehensive programmes of preventive health care which include priority hygienic measures for labour and environment improvement; rationalization of terms of employment; arrangement of medical and social prophylaxis and promotion of occupational health service at the place of production, timely diagnostics and correction of prior-disease states as a result of screening programmes: development of new institutions and organization departments of health care to provide health improvement, medical and social rehabilitation of health and working capacity with the use of efficient medical and social technologies for recreation and preservation of miners’ health; development and implementation of medical and social principles of contract working system aimed at disease prevention, decrease of risk, disability and sudden death at execution phase in extreme conditions; providing priority of prophylactic direction in work of medical personnel who care about miners.

We think that all above-mentioned priorities lack the main aspect – the formation of human understanding. This means that the work should be aimed not only at rehabilitation and treatment, but also at formation of health culture at higher educational institutions. It is important for the health of a worker to be done not only by outsiders, there must be personal initiative to preserve and strengthen health of the worker himself in all aspects with proper knowledge and skills obtained at higher educational institutions. Thereby, after graduating a higher educational institution we will get not only a highly skilled specialist in the sphere of mineral resource industry, but also an individual capable of preserving and increasing his own health.

Bibliography

1. Horashchuk V.P. Theoretical and methodological approaches in formation of health culture at school: Dissertation for obtaining Doctor of Education : spec. 13.00.01 – ‘General pedagogy and history of pedagogy” / Valerii Pavlovych Horashchuk – Luhansk, 2004. – 414 pp.

2. ILO Labour world // ILO Ed. MBT. – Geneva, – 1997. – № 4. – p. 5. 

3. International Centre for Policy Studies http://www.icps.com.ua

4. Piktushanskaya Т.Е. Occupational morbidity among coal miners as a criterion of assessment and management of occupational risk // Labour medicine and industrial ecology. – 2009. – № 1. pp. 32-37.

5. Mnuhin А.H., Bryuhanov А.М - Occupational safety //Coal of Ukraine.– 2007. – №7. – pp. 29-31.

Information about authors:

Babych Vjacheslav Іvanovych, Ed.Dr , associate professor of chair in physical rehabilitation and valeology of Lugansk national university of the name of Taras Shevchenkо

Address: Oboronna Str. 2, Luhansk, 91011, Luhansk Taras Shevchenko National University, tel.: 8 0 642 53-55-15.

Mob. tel.: 095 40 76 892 – Babych V.I.