Relationship of frequency and severity of perimenopausal symptoms on the quality of sexual life of postmenopausal women living in urban and rural areas

Background: The changes that occur in a woman’s body during the perimenopausal period may influence feelings of attractiveness and perception of status in an intimate relationship, which may play a role in overall sexual satisfaction. Aim of the study: The present study aimed to analyze the influence of selected perimenopausal symptoms on the perception of satisfaction with sexual life in urban and rural women. Material and methods: This study included 224 women from urban areas and 106 women from rural areas who were using general practice services. Inclusion criteria were women who had not menstruated for 2–5 years. The measures used were the Menopause Rating Scale (MRS) and the Sexual Quality of Life-Female questionnaire (SQoL-F). Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient was used to assess the relationship between the severity of perimenopausal symptoms and satisfaction with sexual life. Results: A greater proportion of urban women reported symptoms in the perimenopausal period than rural women. Statistically significant correlations were observed for irritability (P = 0.03) and sexual problems (P = 0.01). However, rural women reported a greater degree of symptom severity. There was a statistically significant difference in severity of somatic and psychological symptoms between urban and rural women. In urban women, the average score for general satisfaction with their sexual life was 62 ± 19.96, whereas the average score for rural women was slightly less, 59 ± 23.56. A statistically significant inverse relationship was observed between the severity of perimenopausal symptoms and quality of sexual life, with values of Spearman’s rank correlation coefficients ranging from −0.490 to −0.064. Conclusions: Urban or rural residence had a slight influence on the frequency and severity of perimenopausal symptoms, and severity of symptoms had a significant influence on women’s satisfaction with their sexual life

Determinant factors of health in rural women in their perimenopausal period

The environment and lifestyle are known to exert an essential influence on the health of rural women in their perimenopausal period. Objective: To assess the determinant factors of health in rural women in their perimenopausal period. Material and methods: The study was carried out in 150 patients of the Gynecological Clinic of the Independent Public Heath Care Team (IPHCT) in Tomaszów Lubelski, southestern Poland, between 1 August 2010 – 30 April 2011. The women, aged 40-60 years, lived in a rural environment or villages. The study used a Menopause Health Questionnaire (MHQ) and Menopause Symptom Scale (MSS). Statistical analysis was based on Chi-Square Test, as well as U Mann-Whitney test, with a pertinence level of p<0.05. Data basis and statistics were collected using computer software STATISTICA 9.0 (StatSoft, Poland). Results: More than a half of the investigated patients lived in the country (60.00%), with the remainder coming from villages (40.00%). About two-thirds of the patients (66.00%) had completed college education, and the majority stated that their financial situation was bad (30.00%), or average (32.00%). Only every fifth woman (19.33%) regularly had a gynecological check-up each year. Signs of anxiety or a depressive mood appeared to depend essentially (respectively: p = 0.000; p = 0.02) on the professional status of the women. Only every fifth woman (20.7%) showed an appropriate weight. Just over a half of the rural women (50.67%) declared having a job. Conclusions: The professional status of rural women has a notable influence on their general well-being in the menopausal period. The majority of rural women hardly took care of their health or well-being. Worse (depressive) mood, irritability, frequent signs of anxiety, palpitation, heat strokes, and sexual disorders become important problems faced by women in the menopausal period

Medical and psychosocial factors conditioning development of stress urinary incontinence (SUI)

Introduction: Stress urinary incontinence (SUI) is the most frequent type of urinary incontinence among adult women. Objective: The objective of the study was evaluation of the effect of environmental, systemic and obstetrical factors on the development of stress urinary incontinence, and diagnosing and determination of areas in which changes could be made. Material and method: The study covered 313 females aged 30-75 living in the Lublin Region. The respondents were divided into two groups according to the clinical diagnosis, occurrence of symptoms of SUI or lack thereof: Group I – women with SUI symptoms (119), Group II – women without SUI (194). A diagnostic survey was conducted with the use of a self-designed research instrument based on the Gaudenz questionnaire, data from relevant literature and the ‘competent judges’ test. The following statistical tests were used to compare two structure indicators (fraction, frequency); chi-square test and t-Student test. Statistical analysis was performed by means of STATISTICA 9 (StatSoft) software. Results and conclusions: Statistically significant differences were found between the group of patients with SUI and the control group, with respect to the number of deliveries and their duration. The study showed that there is a statistically higher probability of the development of SUI in the case of surgical delivery, or natural childbirth of a baby with a birth weight of 4000 g or more. The study showed that hard physical work and past gynaecological surgeries are risk factors of urinary incontinence. Barriers of a psychosocial nature were also found (feeling of shame and embarrassment accompanying disclosure of the SUI), which minimized the respondents’ participation in urinary incontinence prophylactic actions

Underage pregnancy - a contemporary biopsychosocial problem

Obecnie w Polsce istnieje tendencja do obniżania wieku dziewcząt zachodzących w ciążę, a tym samym zwiększa się liczba porodów u nastolatek. Przebieg ciąży u małoletnich dziewcząt może zostać zaburzony wystąpieniem różnorodnych powikłań, będących skutkiem późnego objęcia opieką medyczną czy też brakiem należytej opieki lekarskiej. Ponadto ciąża u młodocianych, z uwagi na zaistniałą nową sytuację psychologiczną i społeczną, jest rozpatrywana jako problem w aspekcie osobistym i rodzinnym. Cel. Celem badań była identyfikacja problemów bio-psycho-społecznych niepełnoletnich ciężarnych. Materiał i metody. Badania przeprowadzano w pierwszym półroczu 2011 roku wśród ciężarnych niepełnoletnich, w wybranych placówkach publicznych i niepublicznych ochrony zdrowia, w województwie lubelskim. Badanie zostało przeprowadzone metodą sondażu diagnostycznego, z zastosowaniem techniki kwestionariuszowej. Narzędzie badawcze stanowił autorski kwestionariusz ankiety, zawierający pytania dotyczące charakterystyki respondentów i przedmiotu badań, a opracowany w oparciu o pięciostopniową skalę Likerta. Wyniki i wnioski. Małoletnie dziewczęta w chwili potwierdzenia ciąży odczuwają negatywne emocje. Młodociane ciężarne posiadają pewien zasób wiedzy, odnoszący się do zachowań prozdrowotnych kobiet w ciąży. Przejawiają świadomość szkodliwego wpływu używek na stan zdrowia dziecka. Rozumieją konieczność odbywania niezbędnej konsultacji lekarskiej w przypadku zaistniałych dolegliwości. Nieletnie ciężarne znają zalecenia dotyczące racjonalnej diety kobiety ciężarnej, aktywności fizycznej w ciąży, szkodliwości używek w ciąży, jednak nie wszystkie stosują się do tych zaleceń.Today in Poland, a downward tendency is observed in the age of girls becoming pregnant and, consequently, an increased number of childbirth among teenagers. The course of pregnancy in underage girls may be disturbed by the occurrence of various complications, which are the effect of receiving late medical care or the lack of appropriate medical care. In addition, due to the new psychological and social situation, pregnancy in underage girls is considered a problem from personal and family aspects. Objective. The objective of the study was identification of biopsychosocial problems among underage pregnant girls. Material and methods. The study was conducted in the first half of 2011, among underage pregnant girls reporting to selected public and non-public health care facilities in the Lublin Region, by the method of a diagnostic survey using a questionnaire technique. The research instrument was a questionnaire designed by the author, containing items concerning the respondents’ characteristics and the object of study, developed based on the 5-point Likert scale. Results and conclusions. At the moment of confirming pregnancy underage girls experience negative emotions. Underage pregnant girls possess a certain scope of knowledge with respect to health promoting behaviours of women in pregnancy. They show awareness of the hazardous effect of stimulants on the state of health of the baby, and understand the necessity for medical consultation in the case of complaints. Underage pregnant girls know the recommendations concerning a rational diet of a pregnant woman, physical activity in pregnancy, and the hazardous effect of stimulants in pregnancy; however, not all of them observe these recommendations

Background ionizing radiation and semen parameters of men with reproductive problems

Introduction and objective. The male reproductive system constitutes a set of tissues which are particularly sensitive to external factors. The aim of the study was to analyze the relationship between background radioactivity and the quality of the semen of the men who have reported to the infertility treatment facility in 2000–2016 in the Lublin region of eastern Poland. Materials and method. The radioactivity of the ground-level air layer obtained from the Institute of Meteorology and Water Management in Włodawa in the Lublin region was analysed. 4,250 spermiograms of patients who reported to the treatment facility for the first time due to infertility were analysed and correlated to background radioactivity in the Lublin region in 2000–2016. Results. A long-term decrease in the percentage of morphologically normal spermatozoa of the patients was observed (r=-0.970; p<0.001 in 2000–2009 and r=-0.925; p=0.003 in 2010–2016). Men’s age correlated negatively with sperm motility (r=-0.164; p=0.009) and morphology (r=-0.186; p=0.009). The percentage of spermatozoa with normal morphology was lowered by beta-isotopes of artificial origin in the air in 2000–2009 (r=-0.655; p=0.040) and by the exposure to gamma radiation of the ground-level atmosphere in 2010–2016 (r=-0.676; p=0.048). The percentage of sperm vitality was lowered by gamma radiation in the atmosphere (r=-0.636; p=0.006), but improved by beta isotopes in precipitation (r=0.686; p=0.002) in the whole of the analyzed period. Conclusions. The percentage of morphologically normal spermatozoa in patients who reported to the infertility treatment depends not only on the age of patient, but also on beta-isotopes of artificial origin and gamma radiation in the atmosphere. Beta isotopes in precipitation affect the improvement of sperm vitality

Material awareness on natural feeding

introduction. Natural breastfeeding is the only proper way to feed newborns and infants because it ensures their proper development. Breastfeeding enhances health and protects against the development of many diseases in childhood and adulthood. The primary benefits of breastfeeding include reduced incidences of infection in the respiratory system as well as a reduction in gastrointestinal and systemic infections. The benefits of breastfeeding also include decreased inflammation and improved immunity to disease in the infant. Further benefits of breastfeeding are reduced incidences of type 1 diabetes, Crohn’s disease, and rheumatoid arthritis. objective. The aim of the study was to assess the degree of knowledge on maternal breastfeeding among current expecting mothers. materials and method. The study comprtisded 147 mothers hospitalized in the Gynecology-Obstetrics Hospital University of Medical Sciences in Poznań, Poland, during late July – August 2012. results. For 139 (93.88%) of the surveyed women, breastfeeding was a priority regarding the health of the child. Respondents most often used professional literature in order to gain knowledge about breastfeeding (63.27%). The least popular way of acquiring knowledge was through the media (27.21%). conclusions. Analysis of the collected material on the surveyed women showed that women have a diverse range of knowledge about breastfeeding. Currently, breastfeeding is required to be promoted and supported by midwives, paediatricians and other health professionals