Determinants of physical activity in adult population vs. existing recommendations

praca podwójnie recenzowana, czasopismo indeksowane w Index Copernicus/ double reviewed paper (double-blind review process), journal indexed in Index CopernicusPurpose: The aim of the study is to assess the determinants, level and type of physical activity undertaken by adults in relation to the recommendations on physical activity. Basic procedures: The study group consisted of 225 people aged 18-68 years. Selection of the sample was stratified. As the research technique the Polish version of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) was used, short version. For statistical analysis, Statistica 10 PL was used. In all analyses considered relevant were those effects, for which the level of test probability p was lower than the assumed relevance level a = 0.05 (p <0.05). Main findings: The study shows that women practice less intensively and for shorter time than men. As in the case of gender and physical activity, there is a significant difference (p=0.0170) as far as the type of education, and frequency of undertaking intense and moderate physical activity are concerned. People with a secondary education undertake both intense and moderate physical activity more often and for longer periods of time, in comparison to people with higher and primary education. The research shows that physical activity levels do not increase with the education level. There is not a statistically significant difference between profession and the degree of intensity of exercise. Conclusions: There is a significant correlation between gender and education, and performed physical activity. Age and profession are not factors determining the level of physical activity.Czasopismo (publikacja) współfinansowane przez Ministerstwo Nauki i Szkolnictwa Wyższeg

The problem of postural defects in children and adolescents and the role of school teachers and counselors in their prevention

Artykuł recenzowany / peer-reviewed articleWady postawy ciała zarówno u dzieci jak i młodzieży stanowią istotny problem zdrowotny, a zarazem wyzwanie dla podstawowej opieki zdrowotnej oraz środowiska nauczania i wychowania. Kluczową rolę w diagnozowaniu wad postawy ciała odgrywa pielęgniarka szkolna. Celem opracowania jest ocena częstości występowania wad postawy u dzieci i młodzieży oraz ukazanie roli pracowników środowiska nauczania i wychowania w ich zapobieganiu. Wyniki badań przesiewowych uczniów wskazują na liczne nieprawidłowości w zakresie układu kostno-stawowego, a tym samym częste występowanie wad postawy ciała. Wdrożenie i realizacja gimnastyki korekcyjnej wydaje się być zatem kluczowym działaniem kompensująco-naprawczym, umożliwiającym zahamowanie progresji zmian. Istnieją jednak pewne utrudnienia, zmniejszające szansę na odpowiednio wczesne wdrożenie takich działań. Brak bilansu zdrowia uczniów w ostatniej klasie szkoły gimnazjalnej opóźnia wykrycie wady i może skutkować jej utrwaleniem. Może to prowadzić do deformacji, a w efekcie kosztów związanych z późniejszym leczeniem i rehabilitacją. Dokonywany w tym czasie przez ucznia wybór szkoły ponadgimnazjalnej w dużej mierze rzutuje na przyszłość młodego człowieka, bowiem występujące wady stanowią przeciwwskazanie do wykonywania niektórych zawodów, o czym młody człowiek dowiaduje się już po podjęciu decyzji o wyborze szkoły.The body posture defects, both in children and adolescents are an important problem of public health and also a challenge for primary care and teaching environment. A school nurse plays the key role in the diagnosis of body posture defects. The aim of the study is to assess the frequency of postural defects in children and adolescents and the role of the school environment in their prevention. The results of screening tests in students indicate numerous irregularities in the osteoarticular system, and thus the occurrence of defects of body posture. Implementation and exercising of corrective gymnastics seems to be a key compensating and repairing activity, enabling the inhibition of changes progression. However, there are certain obstacles, reducing the chance for early implementation of these activities. The lack of medical examination of students in last grades of primary school and high school may delay the detection of body defects and may result in permanent abnormalities. This can lead to deformation and, consequently, high costs of treatment and rehabilitation. The proper choice of secondary school has a significant influence on the future of a young person, as the occurring body defects prevent from performing certain professions, however, the young person becomes aware of such contraindications once the decision about the school has already been made

Level of physical activity realized by adults from the Tarnow region – a preliminary study

Artykuł recenzowana / Peer-reviewed article Praca została zaprezentowana w sesji plakatowej podczas IV Ogólnopolskiej Konferencji Naukowej „Człowiek w zdrowiu i chorobie, promocja zdrowia, leczenie i rehabilitacja”, Tarnów, 19-20 IX 2014Wprowadzenie. Aktywność fizyczna to element życia, na który coraz częściej zwraca się uwagę. Nie tylko doniesienia naukowe, ale i przykłady z życia potwierdzają tezę, iż aktywność fizyczna, a właściwie wychowanie fizyczne, stanowi istotny czynnik warunkujący zdrowie każdego człowieka. Cel badań. Ocena poziomu i rodzaju aktywności fizycznej realizowanej przez osoby dorosłe z regionu tarnowskiego. Materiał i metoda. Badana grupa liczyła 225 osób w przedziale wiekowym 18-68 lat. Dobór próby był warstwowy. Jako technikę badawczą wykorzystano polską wersję Międzynarodowego Kwestionariusza Aktywności Fizycznej (IPAQ) w wersji krótkiej. Wyniki. Intensywną aktywność fizyczną w ciągu tygodnia uprawiało 72% respondentów. Prawie 96% badanych chodziło/spacerowało i wszyscy ankietowani siedzieli w ciągu ostatnich siedmiu dni, jednak przez różny okres czasu. Niepokojący jest fakt, że umiarkowaną aktywność (np. szybki marsz, wchodzenie po schodach, jazda na rowerze, pływanie, taniec) będącą minimalną porcją wysiłku prozdrowotnego, podejmowało codziennie zaledwie 11% ankietowanych, 14% przez 2-3 dni w tygodniu, zaś aż 23% nie podejmowało w ogóle. Wniosek. Poziom aktywności fizycznej w badanej grupie osób dorosłych z Tarnowa jest zróżnicowany, nie niski, ale wciąż niewystarczający w odniesieniu do zalecanych norm.Introduction. Physical activity is a part of life which increasingly draws attention. Not only scientific reports, but real life examples confirm the thesis that physical activity and physical education are important determinants of human health. Aim. To assess the level and type of physical activity realized by adults from the Tarnow region. Material & Method. The study group included 225 people aged 18-68 years. The selection of the sample was stratified. As a research technique the Polish short version of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) was used. Results. Intense physical activity was cultivated during the week by 72% of the respondents. Almost 96% of the respondents spent time walking and all spent time sitting in the past seven days, but for different periods of time. Disturbing is the fact that moderate activity (e.g. quick march, climbing stairs, cycling, swimming, dancing) which is the minimum health effort, was undertaken daily scarcely by 11% of the surveyed, by 14% of them 2-3 days during the week, and more than 23% of the respondents did not make any such effort at all. Conclusion. The level of physical activity in the adult group from Tarnow is diversified, is not low but still insufficient with regard to the recommended standards

Anthropometric measures of body composition used in obesity diagnosis – an overview

Artykuł recenzowany / peer-reviewed articleTendencje zdrowotne dotyczące zwiększania masy i wymiarów ciała wśród dzieci, młodzieży, a także osób dorosłych w Polsce nie są optymistyczne. Polska należy do krajów, w których to zjawisko, a właściwie problem zdrowotny zaznacza się w sposób szczególny, tj. ma charakter wzrostowy. O ile BMI (Body Mass Index, wskaźnik Queteleta II) uważany był do tej pory za adekwatny (optymalny) wskaźnik antropometryczny obrazujący stosunek masy ciała do wysokości ciała, tym samym na jego podstawie dokonywana była ocena prawidłowości bądź nieprawidłowości budowy lub funkcjonowania organizmu, tak w ostatnich latach został opracowany nowy miernik odnoszący się do procentowej zawartości tkanki tłuszczowej w ciele, a mianowicie BAI (Body Adiposity Index), czyli wskaźnik otłuszczenia ciała. Różnice w interpretowaniu tych samych cech somatycznych u różnych osób za pomocą obydwu wskaźników pozwalają wnioskować, iż BMI nie jest najbardziej rzetelnym miernikiem obrazującym ilość tkanki tłuszczowej w organizmie. Odnosi się bowiem do oceny masy ciała, a nie bezpośrednio do zawartości tkanki tłuszczowej. Rozpatrując wskaźniki BMI i BAI w kontekście zapobiegania chorobom sercowo-naczyniowym na podstawie dostępnych w piśmiennictwie wyników badań można stwierdzić, że obydwa wskaźniki w zróżnicowanym stopniu korelują ze zwiększonym ryzykiem występowania tych chorób. Wskaźnik BAI umożliwia szybsze i bardziej precyzyjne diagnozowanie otyłości i ryzyka chorób z nią związanych, jednak wymaga dalszej walidacji. Pomimo tego, zalety BAI predestynują go do włączenia do zestawu stosowanych powszechnie wskaźników antropometrycznych. W niniejszej pracy została poddana ocenie wiarygodność porównywanych wskaźników w świetle dotychczas uzyskanych wyników badań naukowych.Health trends of increasing body mass and size among children, adolescents and adults in Poland are not optimistic. Poland is one of the countries where this phenomenon, and in fact a health problem, has a rising tendency. So far, BMI (Body Mass Index, Quetelet index II) has been considered as an adequate (optimal) anthropometric indicator showing the ratio of body mass to height and on its basis the assessment of the regularity or irregularity of the body was possible. In recent years however, a new BAI measure (Body Adiposity Index) has been developed, which refers to percentage of body fat. The differences in interpretation of the same physical traits of individuals between both indicators allow us to conclude that BMI is not the most reliable measure of the body fat volume, since it refers to the assessment of body mass but not directly to body fat percentage. Both BMI and BAI, considered in the context of heart-cardiovascular disease prevention, on the basis of latest research results available in the literature, show different degrees of correlation with the risk of cardiovascular disease. BAI enables a faster and more general diagnosis of obesity as well as the risk of obesity-related diseases but needs further validation. Nevertheless, the advantages of the new BAI indicator predestine it be used as a conventional anthropometric measure together with BMI. This work is a comparative study on both indicators, as well as the assessment of their credibility based on the available literature

An Objective Assessment of Men’s Physical Activity during Cooper Test based on the Direct Monitoring by Accelerometer ActiGraphWGT3X

Physical activity should play an important role at every age and on every stage of human life. It affects health, well-being and the quality of life. The authors of the paper have shown the use of accelerometer as a device for testing physical activity. They used a group of runners, who during a promoting project of physical activity called &ldquo;Cooper Test for all&rdquo;, applied accelerometer ActiGraph WGT3X. It was placed on the person&rsquo;s waist. The use of accelerometer valuably complements the survey methods aimed at physical activity levels

The Level Of Leisure Time Physical Activity Of Students Vs. The Health Locus Of Control

According to the theory of Health Locus of Control there is a correlation between the health locus of control and performing health-oriented activities. The aim of this work is to present the relationship between the level of students’ leisure time physical activity and the health locus of control. The study covered students from Poland, Slovakia and Ukraine. It comprised 3851 full-time students, aged 25 or less, studying at different departments (polytechnics, humanities, medical studies, mathematics and natural science as well as physical education). Two research tools were used in the study: MHLC form B (The Multidimensional Health Locus of Control Scale) and Minnesota Leisure Time Physical Activity Questionnaire MLTPAQ. The findings were processed by means of descriptive methods and the method of statistical inference. The average level of leisure time physical activity of women is lower than men’s by approximately one third. The students representing the medium level of physical activity (1000-1999 kcal/week) constituted the highest percentage (32.5 %). Regardless of gender, people with a higher level of physical activity are characterised by a higher level of internal locus of their health control. Together with the increase in the level of leisure time physical activity, the internal locus of health control increases as well. In the test group women constitute the highest percentage of people whose level of physical activity is below the recommended health standards (below 1000 kcal/week).According to the theory of Health Locus of Control there is a correlation between the health locus of control and performing health-oriented activities. The aim of this work is to present the relationship between the level of student leisure time, physical activity and the health locus of control. The study covered students from Poland, Slovakia and Ukraine. It comprised 3851 full-time students, aged 25 or under, studying at different departments (polytechnics, humanities, medical studies, mathematics and natural science as well as physical education). Two research tools were used in the study: MHLC form B (The Multidimensional Health Locus of Control Scale) and Minnesota Leisure Time Physical Activity Questionnaire MLTPAQ. The findings were processed by means of descriptive methods and the method of statistical inference. The average level of leisure time physical activity of women is lower than that of men by approximately one third. The students representing the medium level of physical activity (1000-1999 kcal/week) constituted the highest percentage (32.5 %). Regardless of gender, people with a higher level of physical activity are characterised by a higher level of internal locus of their health control. Together with the increase in the level of leisure time physical activity, the internal locus of health control increases as well. In the test group women represented the highest percentage of people whose level of physical activity was below the recommended health standards (below 1000 kcal/week)

Diversity of change in body mass index and skinfold thickness between different study courses within four years of study among the male students in a university in Poland

Objective: This study examined whether there were significant changes (expectedly increase) in BMI (Body Mass Index), and relative subcutaneous body fat during the four years of study in a university and compared these changes between the students of different courses, viz., Computer science, Law and administration, Humanities and Physical education.Design: This was a prospective follow up study with measurements at two time points with gap of four years. Body mass index, Triceps, subscapular, mid-axillary, abdominal, supra-illiac and medial-calf skinfold thicknesses were measured at two points of time, just after entrance to university and again after completion of four years. Student’s T-test, one-way ANOVA, and repeated measures ANNOVA (two-way) were employed to assess significance of differences in anthropometric measures between groups of students.Setting: The study was conducted at the University of Rzeszów, Poland.Participants: 191 young men university students aged approximately 19.5 years and 24.0 years, at the beginning and after four years, respectively, during this study.Results: Students of all courses underwent increments in BMI, absolute- and relative skinfold thicknesses, except that the students of physical education course did not show change in skinfold thicknesses relative to BMI.Conclusions: It has been concluded that the change in the adiposity profile during the years of study at university varied according to the course types. Further, detailed studies on the nature and cause of such variation occurring between course types may lead to better understanding etiology of overweight and obesity before entering to adult life