Health behaviors of Bydgoszcz high school graduates

Lifestyle affects the physical, mental, social development, health and learning ability. It seems that there are differences in the health behaviors  of young females and males, however these differences are not well described. The aim of the current study was to assess the lifestyle of eighteen-years old and to compare their health behaviors of young persons according to their gender. The study was conducted among 98 students of high schools in Bydgoszcz (35 females and 68 males). All participants were 18 years old. The questionnaire was prepared especially for the purposes of the study, a part of the questions of this questionnaire was taken from the Canada Fitness Survey. The physical activity, mode of nutrition, use of stimulants, hours of sleep, time spent in front of screens and the level of stress were taken into consideration while assessing the teenagers’ lifestyle. The lifestyle of high school graduates is worrisome. It is characterized by low level of physical activity, irregular nutrition, not enough fruits, vegetables and water consumed. A large group of young people drink alcohol, smoke tobacco and marijuana, sleep too short. Males also spend too many hours in front of a television, computer or other similar device. Differences in the health behaviors of  women and men appear to be significant. The prevalence of alcohol abuse in this group is very high and affects both sexes. The sex differences in the health-promoting behaviors among men and women in this group of adolescents seems to diminish. Observed unhealthy behaviors indicates the urgent need for health education, especially those that educate the student about the value of the person, the value of health, and the development of social skills that underlie personal development. The foremost priority is  risk prevention implementation in primary schools. Further research and continuous monitoring of health behaviors in different age groups  is needed as well as  to implement and permanently evaluate specific, comprehensive programs among children and adolescents

Retrospektywna analiza pacjentów w aspekcie rozpowszechniania nadużywania alkoholu wśród chorych z udarem mózgu leczonych w Oddziale Neurologii

Introduction. Alcohol is a drug that is harmful to many organs, especially the brain, and may contribute to worse recovery in stroke patients treated in a neurological ward. There are few works in the literature dealing with alcohol-related problems in patients with stroke.Aim. Assessment of the prevalence of alcohol abuse in stroke and its impact on the diagnostic and therapeutic process in groups of patients diagnosed with harmful alcohol consumption or alcohol dependence syndrome.Material and Methods. The material consisted of 2770 medical records of patients hospitalized in the Department of Neurology with the Stroke Treatment Sub-Department at the Specialist Hospital of Stanisław Staszic in Piła from January 1 to December 31, 2015, which were analysed in terms of alcohol abuse by patients. Patients with stroke (40 people) were analysed in detail. The results of laboratory tests, risk factors, gender and age of the patients were analysed. The following methods of scientific research were used in the study: analysis of medical records, statistical analysis of quantitative and qualitative data with the use of STATISTICA v. 13.3 computer program by StatSoft.Results. There were 40 patients with ischemic and haemorrhagic stroke who abused alcohol in total (29.85%). Among patients with stroke, 70% presented harmful drinking, 30% — alcohol dependence syndrome. More than two risk factors for stroke were reported more frequently in the group of patients with stroke who abused alcohol than in those with stroke but did not abuse alcohol (38.8% vs. 30.0%; p = 0.0561). In laboratory studies, stroke patients who abused alcohol compared to non-drinkers had a statistically significantly higher red blood cell (MCV) volume, higher levels of the liver enzymes ASPAT and ALAT; p < 0.05.Conclusions. The lack of real information on the amount of alcohol consumed by a patient can make the diagnostic and therapeutic process very difficult, and thus delay the full diagnosis and implementation of the appropriate therapy. The study should be extended to include a prospective assessment. In order to increase the detection of alcohol abuse in patients, an objective interview, psychological assessment focused on the problem would be necessary, and the use of questionnaires with short, simple but precise questions that would allow to quantify the alcohol problem in a patient. (JNNN 2020;9(4):145–151)Wstęp. Alkohol jest używką, która oddziałuje szkodliwie na wiele narządów, a zwłaszcza na mózg i może przyczyniać się do gorszego zdrowienia pacjentów z udarem mózgu leczonych w oddziale neurologicznym. W literaturze mało jest prac poruszających problemy alkoholowe u pacjentów z udarem mózgu.Cel. Ocena rozpowszechnienia nadużywania alkoholu w udarach mózgu i wpływ na proces diagnostyczno-terapeutyczny w grupach pacjentów, u których zdiagnozowano picie alkoholu szkodliwe lub zespół zależności alkoholowej.Materiał i metody. Materiał stanowiło 2770 historii chorób pacjentów hospitalizowanych w Oddziale Neurologii z Pododdziałem Leczenia Udarów Mózgu w Szpitalu Specjalistycznym im. Stanisława Staszica w Pile w okresie 01.01.–31.12.2015 r., które analizowano pod kątem nadużywania alkoholu przez pacjentów. Szczegółowej analizie poddano chorych z udarem mózgu (40 osób). Analizie poddano wyniki badań laboratoryjnych, czynniki ryzyka, płeć i wiek chorych. W pracy posłużono się następującymi metodami badań naukowych: analiza dokumentacji medycznej, analiza statystyczna danych o charakterze ilościowym i jakościowym z wykorzystaniem programu komputerowego STATISTICA v. 13.3 firmy StatSoft.Wyniki. Pacjentów z udarem mózgu niedokrwiennym i krwotocznym nadużywających alkohol łącznie było 40 (29,85%). Spośród pacjentów z udarem mózgu 70% prezentowało picie szkodliwe, 30% — zespół zależności od alkoholu. W grupie pacjentów z udarem nadużywających alkohol w porównaniu do pacjentów z udarem ale nie nadużywających alkoholu częściej odnotowano występowanie powyżej dwóch czynników ryzyka udaru (38,8% vs 30,0%; p = 0,0561). W badaniach laboratoryjnych pacjenci z udarem nadużywający alkohol w porównaniu do nie pijących mieli znamiennie statystycznie większą objętość krwinki czerwonej (MCV), wyższy poziom enzymów wątrobowych ASPAT i ALAT; p < 0,05.Wnioski. U pacjentów z udarem mózgu należy zwracać szczególną uwagę na to czy nadużywają alkohol. Brak prawdziwej informacji na temat ilości spożywanego przez pacjenta alkoholu może bardzo utrudniać proces diagnostyczno-terapeutyczny i tym samym opóźnia postawienie pełnej diagnozy i wdrożenie właściwej terapii. Badanie należałoby rozszerzyć o ocenę prospektywną. W celu zwiększenia wykrywalności nadużywania alkoholu u pacjentów konieczny byłby wywiad obiektywny, ocena psychologiczna ukierunkowana na ten problem, zastosowanie ankiet z krótkimi, prostymi, ale precyzyjnymi pytaniami, które pozwoliłyby oszacować problem alkoholowy w sposób ilościowy u pacjenta. (PNN 2020;9(4):145–151) &nbsp

Stress and lifestyle of the adult youths in Bydgoszcz

Nowadays, we observe an increase of stress and unhealthy behaviours in the youth. Health behaviours are the basic components of life style and may affect not only physical health but also other dimensions of health, including mental health, which is a growing health problem for young people. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the connection between stress level that affects the youth before secondary school graduation exam with selected health behaviours. The youth that are now several months before secondary school graduate exam are characterized by a moderate level of stress. Some of the health behaviours are conditioned upon the stress level of secondary school graduates. This applies to smoking marijuana and number of hours spend in front of the screen of computer, TV and other similar devices. Lifestyle can be affected by stress level but also by many other factors. This suggests the need of applying qualitative research, which may contribute to implementing effective prevention of negative health behaviours

Happiness In Active And Retired Athletes

Elite athletes lead exceedingly complicated lives. When living under conditions of high demand and allostatic load, happiness may be seriously endangered. Even though many athletes initially feel relief after finishing their athletic career, some of them still suffer depressed mood. The aim of the study was to assess the level of happiness and the differences in happiness profile between active and retired elite athletes. Also, the sport discipline and social support were taken into consideration as factors influencing athletes’ happiness – a construct that reflects people’s subjective and global evaluations of their lives. 110 active and retired elite athletes from Poland filled in three psychological questionnaires, which reflect subjective happiness: the Flourishing Scale (FS) to assess core aspects of social-psychological functioning, The Emotional Wellness Scale (EWS) to assess the affective component of happiness and Satisfaction With Life Scale (SWLS) to assess the judgmental component of subjective well-being. No significant differences were found neither between active and retired athletes, nor between individual and team sport. However, we found significant influence of social support on both retired and active athletes’ happiness. These findings have implications for how well athletes cope with stress which, in turn, could shed light on the development of factors that may provide a buffer against adversity and build resilience.Elite athletes lead exceptionally complicated lives. When living under conditions of high demand and allostatic load, happiness may be seriously endangered. Even though many athletes initially feel relief after finishing their athletic career, some of them still suffer from a depressed mood. The aim of the study was to assess the level of happiness and the differences in happiness profile between active and retired elite athletes. Also, the sport discipline and social support were taken into consideration as factors influencing athletes’ happiness – a construct that reflects people’s subjective and global evaluations of their lives. 110 active and retired elite athletes from Poland completed three psychological questionnaires, which reflected subjective happiness: the Flourishing Scale (FS) to assess core aspects of social-psychological functioning, The Emotional Wellness Scale (EWS) to assess the affective component of happiness and Satisfaction With Life Scale (SWLS) to assess the judgmental component of subjective well-being. No significant differences were found between active and retired athletes, nor between individual and team sport. However, we found a significant influence of social support on both retired and active athletes’ happiness. These findings have implications for how well athletes cope with stress which, in turn, could shed light on the development of factors that may provide a buffer against adversity and build resilience

Association between physical fitness and cognitive performance in 19-24 year old males

The present study aimed to explore the association between physical fitness (PF) and cognitive performance in a sample of 19-24 year old males. Two hundred and eleven young males (20.2 +/- 1.5 years) participated in the study. Cognitive functioning tasks including information processing speed and inhibitory control were measured in addition to PF and motor fitness components such as aerobic fitness, static strength, explosive strength, agility and speed. Regression analysis showed that after adjustment for potential confounders (e.g. age, socioeconomic status, adiposity and physical activity), aerobic fitness (represented by shorter time in the one-mile run) was positively associated with composite inhibitory control scores (standardized beta = 0.17; p = 0.04) and negatively associated with Delta Simon (standardized beta = -0.21; p = 0.04). Explosive strength was negatively associated with composite information processing scores (standardized beta = -0.24; P = 0.01), and composite inhibitory control scores (standardized beta = -0.22; p = 0.02). Speed of movement, agility and static strength were not associated with any of the cognitive tests. In conclusion, aerobic fitness and explosive strength but not speed, agility or static strength might be indicators of underlying cognitive functioning tasks in 19-24 year old males

Long-term survival following surgical ablation for atrial fibrillation concomitant to isolated and combined coronary artery bypass surgery-analysis from the polish national registry of cardiac surgery procedures (KROK)

The current investigation aimed to evaluate long-term survival in patients undergoing isolated and combined coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) with concomitant surgical ablation for atrial fibrillation (AF). Procedural data from KROK (Polish National Registry of Cardiac Surgery Procedures) were retrospectively collected. Eleven thousand three hundred sixteen patients with baseline AF (72.4% men, mean age 69.6 ± 7.9) undergoing isolated and combined CABG surgery between 2006–2019 in 37 reference centers across Poland and included in the registry were analyzed. The median follow-up was four years (3.7 IQR 1.3–6.8). Over a 12-year study period, there was a significant survival benefit (Hazard Ratio (HR) 0.83; (95% Confidence Interval (CI): 0.73–0.95); p = 0.005) with concomitant ablation as compared to no concomitant ablation. After rigorous propensity matching (LOGIT model, 432 pairs), concomitant surgical ablation was associated with over 25% improved survival in the overall analysis: HR 0.74; (95% CIs: 0.56–0.98); p = 0.036. The benefit of concomitant ablation was maintained in the subgroups, yet the most benefit was appraised in low-risk patients (EuroSCORE < 2, p = 0.003) with the three-vessel disease (p < 0.001) and without other comorbidities. Ablation was further associated with significantly improved survival in patients undergoing CABG with mitral valve surgery (HR 0.62; (95% CIs: 0.52–0.74); p < 0.001) and in patients in whom complete revascularization was not achieved: HR 0.43; (95% CIs: 0.24–0.79); p = 0.006. View Full-Text

On-Pump vs Off-Pump coronary artery bypass surgery in atrial fibrillation : analysis from the polish national registry of cardiac surgery procedures (KROK)

BackgroundNo single randomized study has ever before addressed the safety of On-Pump coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) vs Off-Pump CABG in the setting of atrial fibrillation (AF) and data from small observational samples remain inconclusive.Methods and findingsProcedural data from KROK (Polish National Registry of Cardiac Surgery Procedures) were retrospectively collected. Of initial 188,972 patients undergoing CABG, 7,913 presented with baseline AF (76.0% men, mean age 69.1±8.2) and underwent CABG without concomitant valve surgery between 2006-2019 in 37 reference centers across Poland. Mean follow-up was 4.7±3.5 years (median 4.3 IQR 1.7-7.4). Cox proportional hazards models were used for computations. Of included patients, 3,681 underwent On-Pump- (46.52%) as compared to 4,232 (53.48%) who underwent Off-Pump CABG. Patients in the latter group less frequently were candidates for complete revascularization (PConclusionsOff-Pump CABG offered 30-day survival benefit to patients undergoing CABG surgery and presenting with underlying AF. On-Pump CABG was associated with significantly improved survival at long term

The Level of Self-Esteem May Influence the Effect of Positive Self-Statements. An EEG Alpha Asymmetry Pilot Study

(1) Background: Affirmative statements are widely recognized as a reliable tool that enhances personal resources to manage life demands, including stress-coping and emotional adaptability. However, recent data suggest that contrary effects can be obtained regarding the global self-esteem level. The current study focused on an approach for recognizing affirmation-induced responses in electroencephalographic (EEG) alpha asymmetry. (2) Methods: EEG data were collected from a total of 45 males (16–20 years) on a baseline condition and compared to EEG data produced when listening to positive self-statements, regarding self-esteem as a covariate. (3) Results: The study revealed relative left-frontal alpha asymmetry, indicating an approach-related motivational state, and right alpha asymmetry in parieto-temporal regions, indicating lower anxiety. This increased with higher self-esteem scores, with a more prominent moderation effect in experimental conditions. These results support and extend previous reports suggesting an adverse effect of positive self-statements for people with lower global self-esteem. (4) Conclusions: Positive self-statements may produce a differing physiological effect regarding an individual’s global self-esteem level, with an adverse effect for people with lower self-esteem scores. These data highlight the need to consider differentiation of psychological approaches between people with higher and lower self-esteem levels