THEORETICAL AND METHODOLOGICAL APPROACHES TO HYGIENE AS ONE OF THE COMPONENTS OF PHYSICAL EDUCATION OF ADOLESCENTS IN THE 1930S. XX CENTURY

Abstract

The article presents a comprehensive historical and pedagogical analysis of theoretical and methodological approaches to hygiene as an essential component of adolescents’ physical education in Ukraine during the 1930s.
The study identifies the socio-historical factors that intensified attention to health preservation during this period, including high child mortality rates, widespread infectious diseases, inadequate sanitary conditions, and the low level of public hygienic culture.
It is substantiated that hygiene in the structure of physical education was regarded as a multifaceted system encompassing rational nutrition, organization of work and rest, oxygen regime, sanitary and hygienic standards in educational institutions and living environments, as well as preventive health measures.
Particular attention is devoted to the use of natural health-promoting factors such as sunlight, air, and water, which were considered fundamental tools for strengthening the physical health of children and adolescents. The article analyses methodological recommendations regarding the organization of sun and air baths, water procedures, and their integration into physical education practices.
The research also reveals the significant role of sensory-motor activity as a biological and pedagogical basis for harmonious physical development. Emphasis on natural movements, outdoor games, labor activities, and age-appropriate physical exercises demonstrates the holistic nature of hygiene-oriented physical education during the period under study.
It is proven that theoretical and methodological approaches to hygiene in the 1930s combined medical, pedagogical, and biological dimensions, thereby establishing an integrated framework for adolescents’ physical development.
The article concludes that historical approaches to hygiene within physical education significantly influenced the further evolution of health-preserving educational systems and laid the groundwork for subsequent modernization of physical culture and health education.
The practical significance of the study lies in the possibility of applying this historical experience to contemporary educational reforms, particularly in the modernization of health-preserving technologies in general secondary and extracurricular education institutions.

Received: February 16, 2026
Accepted: March 04, 2026
Published: May 28, 2026