Tradisioneel is individue se vermoëns, belangstellings en persoonlikhede tydens beroepsvoorligting
en werwings- en keuringsprosesse geassesseer, terwyl slegs enkele studies op die liggaamlike
gesondheid van tweedejaarstudente, as intreevlakwerknemers vir sakeondernemings
in Suid-
Afrika, gefokus het. Die hoofdoel van hierdie navorsing was om die stand van die kardiovaskulêre
gesondheid van universiteitstudente in hul tweede jaar (as intreevlakwerknemers) te bepaal. Die
motivering vir die studie was tweeledig: eerstens om die huidige kardiovaskulêre gesondheidsrisiko
van studente te bepaal, en tweedens om hulle in te lig oor die mate van risiko waaraan hulle
blootgestel is. Die studie was ’n kwantitatiewe deursneestudie wat onderneem is om inligting in te
win oor die kardiovaskulêre gesondheid van universiteitstudente. Die steekproef wat vir hierdie
navorsingstudie gebruik is, het bestaan uit 162 universiteitstudente in Suid-Afrika wat almal tussen
18 en 25 jaar oud was. Die resultate het aangedui dat 55.6% van die betrokke studente aan hoë
bloeddruk gely het. Uit laasgenoemde groep studente is 81.1% as prehipertensief gediagnoseer,
terwyl stadium 1-hipertensie by 18.9% gediagnoseer is. Altesaam 64.8% van al die deelnemende
studente se tellings is in die hoër meetgebied van die Kardiale Stresindeks (KSI). Ongelukkig het
61% van dié studente met verhoogde KSI-tellings ook hoë bloeddruk getoon. Benewens verhoogde
harttempo en bloeddruk het 15.2% van die deelnemers ook swak harttempoveranderlikheid
getoon. Dus het byna 10% van die totale steekproef verhoogde kardiale stresvlakke, verhoogde
harttempo en hoë bloeddrukvlakke vertoon. Die resultate dui daarop dat universiteitstudente
heeltemal onbewus is van hul kardiovaskulêre gesondheid en van die moontlikheid dat dit ’n
invloed op hul loopbane kan hê. Beroepsvoorligters, industriële sielkundiges, opvoedkundige
sielkundiges en praktisyns op die gebied van menslikehulpbronbestuur kan hierdie inligting
voordelig binne die bestek van hul praktyk gebruik om beroepsvoorligting aan fisiologiestudente
te verskaf. Dié praktiese benadering sal fisiologiestudente ook in staat stel om vas te stel wat hul eie
kardiovaskulêregesondheidsrisiko’s is.
Traditionally, individuals’
abilities, interests and personality were assessed during career guidance and recruitment and
selection processes; however, only a few studies focused on the actual health of second-year
students, as entry-level employees for business in South Africa. The main research purpose was
to determine the cardiovascular health of second-year university students’ (as young entry-level
employees). The motivations for the study are two-fold: to determine the current cardiovascular
health risk of students, and to educate the students about such risk. The study was a quantitative
cross-sectional study to determine university students’ cardiovascular health. The sample used in
this research study consisted of 162 university students in South Africa, between the ages of 18
and 25 years. The results indicated that 55.6% students had high blood pressure. Then 81.1% of the
latter group of students were identified as prehypertensive, while 18.9% were considered as having
stage-1 hypertension. Students exhibited elevated cardiac stress as well. Altogether 64.8% of all the
participating students scored in the elevated range of the Cardiac Stress Index (CSI). Unfortunately,
61% of the students with elevated CSI readings also exhibited high blood pressure. Furthermore, of
the latter group, 15.2% exhibited poor heart rate variability, as well as elevated heart rate and blood
pressure. Therefore, nearly 10% of the total sample exhibited elevated cardiac stress, an elevated
heart rate and high blood pressure levels. The implications of the results are that university students
are unaware of their cardiovascular health and that it may have an effect on their careers. Career
counsellors, industrial psychologists, educational psychologists, and human resource management
practitioners may benefit from this information in their scope of practice to guide physiology
students in their career. This practical approach also allows physiology students to determine their
own cardiovascular health risks.
