Risk factors for disagreement between self and proxy reports on physical activity of children and young adolescents

Self and proxy-reports sometimes are the main source of information on physical activity among schoolchildren. To pool the together, the knowledge on comparability is required. The main aim of the study was to assess the comparability of data gathered from schoolchildren and their mothers concerning physical activity of youths and to identify factors associated with disagreement. A cohort of 91 children (66% girls), aged 7-15 years, and their mothers were studied using a questionnaire in a cross-sectional design. Information gathered included average leisure time physical activity during the summer and winter weeks over one year prior to the interview. The observed level of Lin’s concordance correlation coefficient for agreement between children and their mothers varied from 0.32 for TV/movie viewing to 0.79 for non-seasonal activity. Sedentary lifestyle (>25.5 hours in sedentary activity/week) was identified as a factor associated with disagreement in reports on general seasonal activity (OR=5.47, 95%CI: 1.78-16.83) and on seasonal team games (OR=5.42, 95%CI: 1.74-16.88). Increase in categories of BMI percentiles was associated with an increased risk of disagreement (p for trend 0.037, 0.041; respectively). The comparability of information on the level of children’s and young adolescents’ leisure time physical activity depends on the nature of this activity. Sedentary lifestyle and increased body mass index may be responsible for disagreement in some types of physical activity. The use of parental proxy reporting as a supplementary source of information on the level of physical activity of children should be applied, if ever, with caution

Job stress and mortality in older age

Objectives: This paper aims to assess the relationship between the determinants of the psychosocial work environment, as expressed in terms of JDC or ERI models, and all-cause mortality in older individuals. Materials and Methods: The baseline study was conducted on a cohort comprising a random sample of 65-year-old community-dwelling citizens of Kraków, Poland. All of the 727 participants (410 women, 317 men) were interviewed in their households in the period between 2001 and 2003; a structured questionnaire was used regarding their occupational activity history, which included indexes measuring particular dimensions of their psychosocial work environment based on Karasek's Job Demand-Control model and Siegrist's Effort-Reward Imbalance model, as well as health-related quality of life and demographic data. Mortality was ascertained by monitoring City Vital Records for 7 years. Analyses were conducted separately for men and women, with the multivariate Cox proportional hazard model. Results: During a 7-year follow-up period, 59 participants (8.1%) died, including 21 women (5.1% of total women) and 38 men (12%) (p < 0.05). Significant differences in the number of deaths occurred regarding disproportion between physical demands and control in men: those with low physical demands and low control died three times more often than those with high control, regardless of the level of demands. The multivariate Cox proportional hazard model showed that significantly higher risk of death was observed only in men with low physical demands and low control, compared to those with low physical demands and high control (Exp(B) = 4.65, 95% CI: 1.64-13.2). Conclusions: Observed differences in mortality patterns are similar to the patterns of relationships observed in health-related quality of life (HRQoL) level at the beginning of old age; however, the relationship between efforts and rewards or demands and control and mortality was not fully confirmed

Essential and toxic metals in oral fluid : a potential role in the diagnosis of periodontal diseases

Recently, many studies have investigated the relationship between the level of metals in the body and various diseases. The objective of this study was to examine any possible influence of periodontal disease upon the concentration of metals in oral fluid and blood and to explore the usability of applying cluster analysis coupled with the analysis of selected elements in oral fluid, calcium (Ca), copper (Cu), iron (Fe), magnesium (Mg), manganese (Mn), zinc (Zn), cadmium (Cd) and lead (Pb), for effectively distinguishing people affected by periodontitis from healthy individuals. The quantification of eight metals in oral fluid and blood samples was performed by two inductively coupled plasma techniques–inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) and inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES). Most of the examined elements were detected at elevated concentration in the oral fluid of periodontal patients. However, the differences were statistically significant in the case of three metals: Cu, Mg and Mn (p < 0.05). Approximately, fivefold increase in the concentration of Cu, threefold-elevated levels of Mn and a twofold increase in the concentration of Mg were found in the oral fluid of the periodontal patients compared to the controls. Cluster analysis confirmed the statistical significance of the differences in the level of metals in the oral fluid between the two groups in most cases, plus enabled the correct classification of the subjects into patients and controls. The relationship between concentrations of metals and periodontal disease may in the future serve to prevent the development of such disease

Wykorzystanie analizy korespondencji do określenia relacji między budżetem czasu osób starszych a subiektywną oceną stanu zdrowia

Background. Time budget in older age seems to be very important and significant indicator of healthy ageing.Material and methods. Multivariate correspondence analysis (MCA), with object principal normalization method,was used to explain the relation between the time budget and self-rated health in older age in the cohortsample of 733 age group 65 years old, citizen of Kraków.Results. Results showed that characteristics of time budget of 65 year old women in week days, was related totwo categories of their self-rated health: high (i.e. excellent and very good), and low (i.e. good, mean and bad).Women who self-rated their health higher used to worked more than women who scored their health as low.Women who scored their health as high used to spend more time for household activities, and on meeting withfriends than women with low self-rating health. Women who scored their health as low spend up to 2 hours forhousehold duties only.Results of MCA revealed that characteristics of time budget of men in week days was related to four categoriesof their self-rated health: very good, good, mean and bad. As far as self-rating health increases in men, therealso increases the amount of time spent for household duties, meeting with friends or other activities like hobby.Opposite to women time spent for taking care of other family member was not related to self-rated health.Similar analysis was done for Sunday time budget of men and women.Conclusions. Obtained result showed that time budget of 65 year old citizens of Kraków was related to theirself-rated health.Wstęp. Sposób spędzania czasu w wieku starszym jest jednym z podstawowych wyznaczników zdrowego starzeniasię.Materiał i metody. Do przedstawienia relacji między budżetem czasu a subiektywną oceną stanu zdrowiaw kohorcie 733 mieszkańców Krakowa w wieku 65 lat wykorzystano wielozmiennową analizę korespondencji,z główną obiektową metodą normalizacji.Wyniki. Wyniki pokazały, że charakterystyka budżetu czasu 65-letnich kobiet w dni robocze różnicowała kobietyoceniające swoje zdrowie wysoko (tzn. jako doskonałe i bardzo dobre) i nisko (tzn. jako dobre, średnie i złe).Kobiety oceniające swoje zdrowie wysoko pracowały dłużej niż kobiety, które oceniały swoje zdrowie nisko.Kobiety o wysokiej ocenie stanu zdrowia poświęcały więcej czasu na zajmowanie się domem oraz spotkaniaz przyjaciółmi. Kobiety oceniające swoje zdrowie nisko spędzały średnio nie więcej niż 2 godziny dziennie nazajęciach domowych.Wyniki MCA wykazały, że charakterystyka budżetu czasu w dni robocze różnicowała cztery kategorie mężczyzn:o bardzo dobrej, dobrej, średniej i złej ocenie. Mężczyźni oceniający swoje zdrowie wyżej poświęcali więcej czasuna obowiązki domowe, spotkania z przyjaciółmi oraz inne aktywności, takie jak hobby. W przeciwieństwie dokobiet, czas spędzany przez mężczyzn na opiece nad innymi członkami rodziny nie zależał od ich subiektywnejoceny stanu zdrowia.Analogiczne analizy przeprowadzano dla świątecznego budżetu czasu kobiet i mężczyzn biorących udziałw badaniu.Wnioski. Otrzymane wyniki pokazały, że charakterystyka budżetu czasu 65-letnich mieszkańców Krakowa byłazależna od ich własnej oceny stanu zdrowia