THE INFLUENCE OF SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS ON THE LEVEL OF EARLY-SCHOOL-AGED CHILDREN’S MOTOR ABILITIES – BLURRING OF DIFFERENCES IN THE ECONOMICALLY UNDERDEVELOPED AREAS

Aim: The aim of the study was to determine differences in the level of motor abilities of 7-9-year-old girls and boys in relation to the socioeconomic status of their families . Material and Methods: The research was conducted in 12 primary schools in two regions of Poland namely of Warmia & Mazury and Pomorskie voivodeship, on the total of 1205 pupils (584 boys and 621 girls) aged 7-9. Selected economic factors such as the type of school (public or private), monthly income per household member, and the number of children in a given family were accepted as the independent variables. The factors behind social status included the place of residence and parents’ educational background. In order to determine the level of motor abilities, 13 motor tests were applied. Results: The research revealed that motor tests such as 1 and 3 min. Burpee test and medicine ball throws (forward and backward) appeared to show the biggest differences in the level of motor abilities of the children whose social and economic status varied. The results of these tests as well as those of the shuttle run were significantly higher for the girls from the families of high social status than for the boys of low social status. Social status to a greater extent than economic one differentiated the tested motor abilities, especially in the case of the girls from families marked by high social status, who scored better than boys. The exception is the skipping with clapping of hands – 8 s trial, which differentiated only the tested categories of economic status, especially when referred to the girls. Conclusions: Owing to the small number of significant differences between high and low social and economic status in both sex groups in the motor tests applied, it can be assumed that in the less developed, agriculture and tourism-oriented areas there has occurred blurring of the differences in the level of children’s motor abilities depending on their social and economic status

Do the short die young? Evidence from a large sample of deceased Polish adults

Body height is associated with various socioeconomic and health-related outcomes. Despite numerous studies, the relationship between stature and longevity remains uncertain. This study explores the association between self-reported height and lifespan. Data from 848,860 adults who died between 2004 and 2008 in Poland were collected. After excluding a small proportion of records due to missing data or errors, we examined records for 848,387 individuals (483,281 men, age range: 20–110 years; 365,106 women, age range: 20–112 years). Height was expressed as standardized residual variance derived from linear regression in order to eliminate the variance of year of birth on height. After the elimination of the cohort effect, five height classes were designated using centiles: very short, short, medium, tall and very tall. The differences between sexes and among classes were evaluated with two-way ANOVA and post hoc Tukey’s test. The effect size was assessed using partial eta squared (η2). Pearson’s r coefficients of correlation were calculated. The effect of sex on lifespan was nearly 17 times stronger than the effect of height. No correlation between height and lifespan was found. In conclusion, these findings do not support the hypothesis that taller people have a longevity advantage. We offer tentative explanations for the obtained results

Is Increased Facial Asymmetry Associated With The Use Of Hormonal Contraceptive Among Polish Young Women In Wroclaw?

Fluctuating asymmetry (FA) is the small random deviations from a perfect bilateral symmetry in a morphological trait. It is considered as an indicator of biological quality and developmental stability of individual. Adverse environmental conditions and high levels of sex steroids may increase FA. Symmetry in women was found to be related with phases of the menstrual cycles (MC). This cross sectional study aimed to compare facial symmetry between women using and not using hormonal contraceptives with reference to the phases of their fertile and non-fertile phases of MC. Participants were 150 young adult Polish female students in Wrocław, Poland. Facial photograph of each woman was taken and information on the use of hormonal contraception, date of menarche, number of days past since the last menstruation (beginning of bleeding) were collected. Measurements of facial asymmetry were taken digitally in pixels on facial photographs by using ImageJ software. The results revealed that the women who used HC had a significantly higher total and central facial FA than those who did not use HC. However, the women in relatively non fertile phase did not demonstrate a difference in FA among the non-users of HC

Body composition and level of physical activity of elderly people living in north-eastern Poland associated with socioeconomic factors

Introduction: Studies conducted in various regions of the world have indicated that physical activity level, body composition and socioeconomic variables can be associated. Therefore, the objective of this study was to determine whether socioeconomic factors are associated with level of physical activity and differences in the body composition of elderly people living in north-eastern Poland.Materials and Methods: The study involved 774 older residents (60 years or more). Physical activity levels were measured with the International Physical Activity Questionnaire. The respondents’ body composition was determined with an InBody 270 analyser. Pairs of means were compared with Student’s t-test; more than two means were compared with one-way ANOVA; and proportions were compared with the chi-square test. Statistical significance was defined as p≤0.05.Results: The marital status of men and women was significantly associated with differences in physical activity level and body composition. The place of residence and level of education of women (but not of men), were also significantly associated with differences in body composition. Age and material situation were not significantly associated with differences in body composition and physical activity level.Conclusion: The mean values of parameters of body composition in the surveyed group exceeded the norms. The level of physical activity of the subjects is at a sufficient level, but in the case of women it depends on socio-economic characteristics. Therefore, there is a need to find effective ways to support older adults in maintaining (or increase) their physical activity with a particular focus on women

Relationships between anthropometric and body composition characteristics and age in Polish women over 60 as affected by their socioeconomic and health status and physical activity levels

Background: Little is known about changes in anthropometric and body composition (A&BC) characteristics during the aging process. Research indicates that body composition can be linked with socioeconomic status (SES), health status (HS), and physical activity (PA) levels.Aim: The aim of this study was to evaluate age-related changes in A&BC characteristics in female seniors aged 60+ in view of their SES, HS, and PA levels.Methods: The survey was conducted in November and December 2022 on a total of 661 female seniors. A questionnaire survey was conducted to obtain information about the participants’ socioeconomic status (chronic diseases, health status, marital status, membership in social organizations, financial status, place of residence, education). The respondents’ PA levels were assessed with the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ), and their A&BC characteristics were determined in a bioelectrical impedance analysis with the InBody 270 body composition analyzer. The relationships between A&BC characteristics and age were evaluated based on the values of the Pearson correlation coefficient (r).Results: The mean values of Percent Body Fat (PBF), Body Mass Index (BMI), and the waist-hip ratio (WHR) were relatively high (37.2%, 28.5 kg/m2, and 0.8, respectively) and indicative of overweight and gynoid obesity. A higher number of significant negative correlations between A&BC characteristics and age were observed in seniors with lower values of SES, HS, and PA, which points to more rapid involutional changes in this group of respondents. A segmental analysis also revealed significantly lower values of fat-free mass (FFM) and body fat mass (BFM) (both indicators were calculated in percentage and kg), in particular in the upper limbs, in women with lower SES, HS, and PA levels.Conclusion: Environmental factors, including biological, physiological, environmental, psychological, behavioral, and social factors, are significantly associated with aging in women. Age-related changes in A&BC characteristics tend to proceed more rapidly in female seniors with low values of SES and HE and insufficient PA levels

A Bulb of Narcissus on the Egyptian Mummy from University of Wrocław Collection

The object of the present study is the ancient bulb of the narcissus found on the mummy, probably of the Ptolemaic period, brought to Wrocław from Italy in the sixteenth century AD. For about four hundred years the mummy was kept by the successive owners of one of pharmacies in Wrocław, and after the World War II became the possession of Wrocław University. Computed tomography made in 2002 revealed an atypical object lying under the left hand of the mummy. Extracted in 2004 it appeared to be the bulb of a flower, and botanical analysis has revealed that it represents the Narcissus tazetta L. species. Although the narcissus was known in Egypt, its identification in the ancient sources has never been attempted. Thanks to the analysis of the bio-medical properties of the narcissus, compared with some descriptions of remedies proposed by the medical papyri Ebers and Hearts, as well as with some religious magical texts an identification of the sennut plant with narcissus is proposed here.The object of the present study is the ancient bulb of the narcissus found on the mummy, probably of the Ptolemaic period, brought to Wrocław from Italy in the sixteenth century AD. For about four hundred years the mummy was kept by the successive owners of one of pharmacies in Wrocław, and after the World War II became the possession of Wrocław University. Computed tomography made in 2002 revealed an atypical object lying under the left hand of the mummy. Extracted in 2004 it appeared to be the bulb of a fl ower, and botanical analysis has revealed that it represents the Narcissus tazetta L. species. Although the narcissus was known in Egypt, its identification in the ancient sources has never been attempted. Thanks to the analysis of the bio-medical properties of the narcissus, compared with some descriptions of remedies proposed by the medical papyri Ebers and Hearts, as well as with some religious magical texts an identification of the sennut plant with narcissus is proposed here

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

Atrakcyjność fizyczna człowieka jako sygnał biologiczny

Human physical attractiveness as a biological signalOpinions about human beauty attractiveness may come as a surprise when expressed by a biologist, all the more so because this seems to be a matter of an individual sense of aesthetics taste which, in any case, changes in time and space, and depends on fashion, local culture, social class, etc. No one is surprised, however, to see a biologist interpreting the behaviour of animals based on their appearance, for example in the mating season. Why, then, should biology of humans physical anthropology not deal with such links in people? The article examines typical responses of persons observing various traits of physical appearance and explains their biological, in particular evolutionary, meaning. The author emphasises the role of the features which are indicators of physical health and predictors of fertility. He takes into account various age categories and sex-specific differences. His analysis covers the important physical characteristics, such as height, weight and body proportions, some details of the face and hands, pigmentation of the skin, hair and even voice timbre.Human physical attractiveness as a biological signalOpinions about human beauty attractiveness may come as a surprise when expressed by a biologist, all the more so because this seems to be a matter of an individual sense of aesthetics taste which, in any case, changes in time and space, and depends on fashion, local culture, social class, etc. No one is surprised, however, to see a biologist interpreting the behaviour of animals based on their appearance, for example in the mating season. Why, then, should biology of humans physical anthropology not deal with such links in people? The article examines typical responses of persons observing various traits of physical appearance and explains their biological, in particular evolutionary, meaning. The author emphasises the role of the features which are indicators of physical health and predictors of fertility. He takes into account various age categories and sex-specific differences. His analysis covers the important physical characteristics, such as height, weight and body proportions, some details of the face and hands, pigmentation of the skin, hair and even voice timbre

The proximal causes of human aging: random molecular damage or hyperfunction of the developmental programs?

Obecnie istnieją dwa podejścia teoretyczne do ostatecznych przyczyn starzenia się człowieka. Są to poglądy deterministyczne i modele stochastyczne. Odrębną grupę teorii stanowią koncepcje proksymalne, dotyczące mechanistycznych przyczyn starzenia się. Jednak niedawne badania eksperymentalne przeprowadzone na odległych ewolucyjnie organizmach modelowych wykazały, że starzenie się może być konsekwencją ewolucyjnie zaprogramowanych i konserwatywnych ścieżek sygnalizacyjnych, w tym ścieżki insulina/IGF-1 oraz ścieżki MTOR i nie wynika pierwotnie z akumulacji losowych uszkodzeń molekularnych. Na tej podstawie sformułowano interesującą teorię hiperfunkcji, dotyczącą ważnego "quasi-programu" opisywanego przez tzw. "MTOR-centryczny" model starzenia się, który będąc koncepcją konkurencyjną do teorii ciała jednorazowego użytku oferuje zupełnie nowe podejście do licznych problemów i paradoksów współczesnej biogerontologii, a także umożliwia przewidywanie zupełnie nowych zależności. Celem niniejszego artykułu jest zaprezentowanie i porównanie obu stron sporu, opierając się na wybranych wynikach ostatnich badań eksperymentalnych z zakresu biogerontologii oraz współczesnej wiedzy dotyczącej najważniejszych wybranych aspektów starzenia się i długowieczności człowieka, w tym na temat związku pomiędzy wysokością ciała osób dorosłych a długością życia.Currently, there are two main theoretical approaches to understanding of the ultimate causes of human senescence. These are deterministic views and stochastic models. Proximate theories of aging constitute a distinct group of conceptions, and they involve mechanistic causes of aging. However, recent experimental studies carried out on evolutionarily distant model organisms have shown that aging can be a consequence of evolutionarily programmed and conserved signaling pathways, including insulin/IGF-1 pathway and MTOR (mechanistic target of rapamycin), and does not result primarily from random accumulation of molecular damage. Based on this, an alternative and interesting theory of hyperfunction has been recently formulated, including the important "quasi-program" described by the "MTOR-centric" model of aging, rival to the disposable soma theory, and offering a completely different approach to numerous problems and paradoxes in current biogerontology, as well as allowing the prediction of entirely new relationships. The aim of the article is to present and compare the views of both parties in the dispute, based on the results of recent experimental biogerontological studies and the contemporary knowledge of selected major aspects of human aging and longevity, including findings on the relationship between body size and lifespan