SELF-ASSESSMENT OF A HEALTHY LIFESTYLE AMONG YOUTH OF CHERNIHIV REGION

Abstract

Purpose of the study: Based on a survey of different age groups of young people in Chernihiv region, to determine young people’s attitudes toward a healthy lifestyle and to conduct a comparative analysis of the responses of each age group, as well as to identify the components of a healthy lifestyle that, according to the assessment results, require special attention from educators, psychologists, social pedagogues, and social workers. Methodology. The methodology of our study involved conducting a survey among young people from three age groups: senior school students (14–16 years old), university students (17–22 years old), and employed young people representing various professional groups (23–35 years old). A total of 209 respondents participated in the survey. When developing the closed-ended questions of the questionnaire “Healthy Lifestyle of Ukrainian Youth” (using Chernihiv region as an example), which provided for multiple-choice answers, we relied on the recommendations of the “Ukrainian Healthy Eating Plate”, the guidelines of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine, and scholarly views that define a healthy lifestyle as a harmonious combination of physical, physiological, spiritual, psychological, and social ways of life, encompassing a wide range of factors.The representativeness of the sample was somewhat complicated by high migration and the mobility of young people under the current conditions of war and russian aggression. The survey was conducted from October to December 2025. Students of the 1st–3rd years of study in the specialties “Social Work and Counselling” and “Social Work” of the Educational and Scientific Institute of Psychology and Social Work of T.H. Shevchenko National University “Chernihiv Colehium” were involved in its organization as volunteers (a total of 23 people). The survey and data processing (collection, analysis, visualization) were carried out on the Google platform. Scientific novelty. The results of the survey demonstrated a discrepancy between young people’s knowledge and aspirations toward a healthy lifestyle and healthy nutrition, which confirms the data of nationwide Ukrainian studies regarding the difficulties young people face in following the practice of healthy nutrition. Conclusions. The results of the survey of three age groups of youth in Chernihiv region generally showed positive trends in understanding the value of health and a healthy lifestyle and its individual components; however, at the same time, problems were identified in all age groups regarding the theoretical understanding and practical implementation of behavioural life strategies according to certain indicators, especially in the group of working youth. This highlights the need to strengthen educational and preventive work already at the stage of school education, as well as to develop and implement social technologies for a healthy lifestyle, preservation and strengthening of health in order to minimize its risks.