Hygienic-comparative assessment of study load and mental work capacity in students of different profile technicums

This study presents a hygienic-comparative assessment of academic workload and mental work capacity among students enrolled in technicums of different professional profiles. A total of 240 students from technical, medical, and pedagogical technicums were examined using timing observations of the daily schedule, the Kraepelin counting test, and the proof-reading (correction) test for attention and mental performance. The daily academic load, including classroom hours, homework, and extracurricular activities, was calculated and compared across profiles. Results showed that students of technical technicums experienced the highest total study load and demonstrated a more pronounced decline in mental work capacity by the end of the school day, whereas pedagogical-profile students showed comparatively better stability of attention and lower fatigue indices. The findings indicate a need for profile-specific correction of daily schedules and rational organization of the educational process to preserve the health and working capacity of adolescent students.