The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the lifestyle of students of the State University of Applied Sciences in Nowy Sącz

Introduction A properly balanced diet and physical activity guarantee health and good psychophysical condition. The timing of the pandemic is associated with numerous limitations affecting food preferences and physical activity. Aim The study aimed was to determine the impact of pandemic isolation on student activity and dietary habits during COVID-19 isolation. Material and methods The study group consisted of students (n = 526) of the State University of Applied Sciences in Nowy Sacz. The research was an online survey (Google Forms). The questions included in the questionnaire concerning dietary habits and physical activity. Based on the data provided by the students, the body mass index (BMI) was calculated before and during the pandemic. Results Young women (n = 388) living in rural areas dominated among the respondents. A significantly higher mean BMI value was observed in men compared to women (p <0.05). However, no significant changes in the value of BMI were observed before and during the pandemic, both in women and men. On the other hand, its higher average value was observed for men and women living in the city compared to those living in the countryside. The impact of the pandemic on the reduction of physical activity was observed by all respondents, especially those living in the city. Women noted a greater impact of the pandemic on eating behavior, compared to men. Conclusions The COVID-19 pandemic changed the dietary habits and physical activity of students at the State University of Applied Sciences in Nowy Sacz

Assessment of nutrition and lifestyle of truck drivers

Introduction Man's lifestyle is of great importance for his health. Failure to comply with the rules of care for the physical and psychological sphere may be a risk factor for the development of lifestyle diseases. Drivers are a professional group that is particularly vulnerable to the influence of factors inconsistent with the principles of a healthy lifestyle, the most common of which are: improper habits and eating habits, the use of stimulants, insufficient physical activity, sedentary work, etc. Aim The aim of the study was to assess the diet and lifestyle of truck drivers. Material and methods The research tool was a questionnaire consisting of open-ended and choice questions concerning issues related to eating behaviors, regularity and frequency of eating meals, specific product groups, and health status. Based on the data provided by the drivers, the body mass index (BMI) was calculated. Results The respondents were dominated by men. Data analysis showed that some of them are overweight. Most of the respondents are characterized by proper eating habits related to the frequency and quality of the meals they eat. The most common ailments resulting from and related to the specificity of the work performed are back pain, nervousness, and sleep disorders. Conclusions There is a need to promote a healthy lifestyle among drivers, taking into account in particular the change and shaping of correct eating habits. The research can be the basis for further activities aimed at educating this professional group

Shifts in Female Facial Attractiveness during Pregnancy

It has been proposed that women’s physical attractiveness is a cue to temporal changes in fertility. If this is the case, we should observe shifts in attractiveness during pregnancy—a unique physiological state of temporal infertility. The aim of this study was to examine how women’s facial attractiveness changes during the subsequent trimesters of pregnancy and how it compares to that of nonpregnant women. Sixty-six pictures of pregnant women (22 pictures per trimester) and 22 of nonpregnant women (a control group) were used to generate four composite portraits, which were subsequently assessed for facial attractiveness by 117 heterosexual men. The results show considerable differences between facial attractiveness ratings depending on the status and progress of pregnancy. Nonpregnant women were perceived as the most attractive, and the attractiveness scores of pregnant women decreased throughout the course of pregnancy. Our findings show that facial attractiveness can be influenced by pregnancy and that gestation, even at its early stages, affects facial attractiveness. Considerable changes in women’s physiology that occur during pregnancy may be responsible for the observed effects

Zagrożenia zdrowotne wśród dzieci i młodzieży. T. 2

Praca recenzowana / Peer-reviewed pape

Growth, Nutrition and Economy : Proceedings of the 27th Aschauer Soiree, held at Krobielowice, Poland, November 16th 2019

Twenty-three scientists met at Krobielowice, Poland to discuss the role of growth, nutrition and economy on body size. Contrasting prevailing concepts, re-analyses of studies in Indonesian and Guatemalan school children with high prevalence of stunting failed to provide evidence for an association between nutritional status and body height. Direct effects of parental education on growth that were not transmitted via nutrition were shown in Indian datasets using network analysis and novel statistical methods (St. Nicolas House Analysis) that translate correlation matrices into network graphs. Data on Polish children suggest significant impact of socioeconomic sensitivity on child growth, with no effect of maternal money satisfaction. Height and maturation tempo affect the position of a child among its peers. Correlations also exist between mood disorders and height. Secular changes in height and weight varied across decades independent of population size. Historic and recent Russian data showed that height of persons whose fathers performed manual work were on average four cm shorter than persons whose fathers were high-degree specialists. Body height, menarcheal age, and body proportions are sensitive to socioeconomic variables. Additional topics included delayed motherhood and its associations with newborn size; geographic and socioeconomic indicators related to low birth weight, prematurity and stillbirth rate; data on anthropometric history of Brazil, 1850-1950; the impact of central nervous system stimulants on the growth of children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder; and pituitary development and growth hormone secretion. Final discussions debated on reverse causality interfering between social position, and adolescent growth and developmental tempo.Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Muse

Maternal childhood trauma is associated with offspring body size during the first year of life

Maternal childhood trauma (MCT) is an important factor affecting offspring size at birth. Whether the effect of MCT persists during the subsequent development remains unclear. We present the results of a semi-longitudinal investigation examining the physical growth of infants born to mothers with high (HCT) and low (LCT) childhood trauma during the first year of life. One hundred healthy mother-infant dyads were included based on following criteria: exclusive breastfeeding, birth on term with appropriate weight for gestational age. MCT was assessed using the Early Life Stress Questionnaire. The weight, length, and head circumference of the infant were taken at birth, 5 and 12 months postpartum. Separate MANCOVA models were run for infant size at each age. We found an association between MCT and infant size at 5 and 12 months. The children of mothers with HCT had higher weight and greater head circumference than the children of mothers with LCT. These results suggest that MCT might contribute to developmental programming of offspring growth during the first year of life. From an evolutionary perspective, the larger size of HCT mother's offspring might represent an adaptation to potentially harsh environmental conditions. This effect might be mediated by epigenetic changes to DNA and altered breast milk composition

Maternal distress and social support are linked to human milk immune properties

Possible alterations of maternal immune function due to psychological stress may reflect immunoactive factor levels in breast milk. This study aimed to assess the association between maternal distress and breast milk levels of secretory IgA (SIgA), IgM, IgG, and lactoferrin (LF). We hypothesized that this association is moderated by maternal social support achieved from others during lactation. The study group included 103 lactating mothers and their healthy five-month-old infants. Maternal distress was determined based on the State Anxiety Inventory and the level of salivary cortisol. Social support was assessed using the Berlin Social Support Scales. Breast milk samples were collected to test for SIgA, IgM, IgG, and LF using the ELISA method. Milk immunoactive factors were regressed against maternal anxiety, social support, salivary cortisol, and infant gestational age using the general regression model. Maternal anxiety was negatively associated with milk levels of LF (β = −0.23, p = 0.028) and SIgA (β = −0.30, p = 0.004), while social support was positively associated with milk IgG (β = 0.25, p = 0.017). Neither anxiety nor social support were related to milk IgM. No association was found between the level of maternal salivary cortisol and immunoactive factors in milk. Our results suggest that maternal psychological wellbeing and social support may affect milk immune properties

Antenatal classes in the context of prenatal anxiety and depression during the COVID-19 pandemic

Perinatal maternal anxiety and depression negatively affect intrauterine fetal development, birth outcome, breastfeeding initiation, duration, and milk composition. Antenatal classes potentially reduce the anxiety of pregnant women and may thus contribute to healthy infant development. The study investigates the relationship between participation in online or in-person antenatal classes and levels of anxiety and depression in Polish women during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study group included 1774 adult, non-smoking pregnant women. We compared the state anxiety (STAI-State) and depression levels (EPDS) in women who (i) attended antenatal classes in-person, (ii) attended online classes, and (iii) did not attend any of them. The statistical analyses included a GLM model and trend analysis, while controlling for maternal trait anxiety, age, pregnancy complications, trimester of pregnancy, previous pregnancies, and COVID-19 infections. We observed statistically significant differences in the level of anxiety (and depression). Women who did attend antenatal classes in person had the lowest levels of anxiety and depression. Considering the importance of maternal mental well-being on fetal development, birth outcome, and breastfeeding, in-person participation in antenatal classes should be recommended to pregnant women