The relationship between spirituality, health-related behavior, and psychological well-being

Studies suggest a positive association of spirituality and health behaviors with well-being (especially subjective well-being), but still the precise character of such relationships between all these constructs remains unknown. The present study aims to explore the relations between spirituality, health-related behaviors, and psychological well-being in the context of acquired education. A questionnaire survey was conducted among 595 students from six different universities, whose study programs either focused on the human body or the human mind and spirit. Path analysis and linear regression were used to model the relationship between the examined constructs. The results show that both spirituality and health-related behaviors are positively related to psychological well-being, and that the relationship with spirituality is also mediated by health-related behaviors. Only spirituality is associated with the type of acquired education, especially in the group of students whose studies focus on the human mind and spirit. Moreover, spirituality in this group seems to display a stronger relationship with psychological well-being. These findings may contribute to the better understanding of some significant determinants of psychological well-being. They carry important implications for the faculty members responsible for curriculum preparation to account for teaching contents related to the conduct of a healthy lifestyle and to spiritual development

Osoby starsze w opinii studentów

Elderly people as viewed by students Public media tend to present aged people as physically disabled and afflicted by age-related diseases instead of emphasising their power of empathy, their will to offer help and sympathetic presence to others, and their ability to enjoy life. The stereotypic attitudes towards the elderly could be gradually improved by permanent education. The aim of this study was to overview the attitudes of various groups of students towards elderly people and senility. A total of 98 students (second study year) from two higher schools participated in the study: from the University of Physical Education in Warsaw (Tourism and Recreation) and from Higher Vocational School in Racibórz (Pedagogy). They were requested to fill questionnaires ‘Attitudes towards the disabled’ of Sękowski (1999) modified by Szarota. It was found that students regarded elderly people with sympathy albeit senility was perceived unfavourably

Examination of Late Palaeolithic archaeological sites in northern Europe for the preservation of cryptotephra layers

We report the first major study of cryptotephra (non-visible volcanic ash layers) on Late Palaeolithic archaeological sites in northern Europe. Examination of 34 sites dating from the Last Termination reveals seven with identifiable cryptotephra layers. Preservation is observed in minerogenic and organic deposits, although tephra is more common in organic sediments. Cryptotephra layers normally occur stratigraphically above or below the archaeology. Nearby off-site palaeoclimate archives (peat bogs and lakes <0.3 km distant) were better locations for detecting tephra. However in most cases the archaeology can only be correlated indirectly with such cryptotephras. Patterns affecting the presence/absence of cryptotephra include geographic position of sites relative to the emitting volcanic centre; the influence of past atmospherics on the quantity, direction and patterns of cryptotephra transport; the nature and timing of local site sedimentation; sampling considerations and subsequent taphonomic processes. Overall, while tephrostratigraphy has the potential to improve significantly the chronology of such sites many limiting factors currently impacts the successful application

Collins and Sivers asymmetries in muonproduction of pions and kaons off transversely polarised protons

Measurements of the Collins and Sivers asymmetries for charged pions and charged and neutral kaons produced in semi-inclusive deep-inelastic scattering of high energy muons off transversely polarised protons are presented. The results were obtained using all the available COMPASS proton data, which were taken in the years 2007 and 2010. The Collins asymmetries exhibit in the valence region a non-zero signal for pions and there are hints of non-zero signal also for kaons. The Sivers asymmetries are found to be positive for positive pions and kaons and compatible with zero otherwise. © 2015

Mass sports and recreation events as effective instruments of health-oriented education

Effective health-oriented education in the area of sports and recreation events organization - is not a goal which is easy to achieve. The idea is certainly worthy of attention, since the benefits can be passed on to the organizer, sponsor and the entire society. The purpose of this paper is to present sports and recreation events as a means of promoting physical culture and health-oriented education. Motions, proposals, and preconditions (as described here) of effective educational intervention in the organization of events are based on 15-years-long secret (hidden) participatory observation of 141 different (in terms of their organizational specifics) street runs - both in Poland and in the neighbouring countries - Germany, Czech Republic and Slovakia. Sports and recreation events can become an effective instrument of education for a healthy lifestyle only if they are widely available (easily accessible), if they draw media attention, are popular, cyclical (recurring), have a specific program and atmosphere. The organizers of events in the area of physical recreation should not encourage competition but rather educate for regular participation in health-oriented training, while active participation in sports and recreation event might fit in the pre-planned health capacity control. For sports and recreation events to become a carrier of socially desirable values such as health or healthy lifestyle, promoters should intentionally put emphasis on these values and place them above commercial or marketing strategies of sponsors

HEALTH OR RIVALRY - MOTIVATION BEHIND AMATEUR PARTICIPATION IN LONG DISTANCE RUNNING EVENTS IN POLAND AND THE CZECH REPUBLIC

The aim of the study is to determine motivation of runners from Poland and the Czech Republic in the context of their participation in running competitions. In this study, correlations between age, experience, training period and motives for participation in the competition by comparing the cross-country runners from both countries was researched. The study examined the place of health in the structure of motives. The study involved 847 runners from Poland and 118 from the Czech Republic. The method of a diagnostic survey was carried out using questionnaires. Competition with ourselves, overcoming our own limits, and improving physical fitness are the main motives of runners who participate in running events. Motives related to health are placed in subsequent positions. Polish runners are more sport goal-oriented; this may result from the fact that in the Czech Republic recreational sport is more grounded in culture. Running events are an important element of cross-country passion, since up to nearly 45% of runners from the Czech Republic and more than half from Poland would limit the practice, or stop it, if they did not have eligibility to participate in competitions. Organizers of sports and recreational events involving road running should rather educate runners in the direction of healthy behaviors. They should enrich the content of health education emphasizing the value of active participation and healthy lifestyle over sports rivalry

Health Education as a Hidden Dimension of Health Education

Health education implemented in schools has always been pro-healthy medium value in spite evolving too slow as increasingly rapid socio-cultural transformations. Health is wealth in rich legacy of theory of physical education, but does not occur in a visible dimension of the school practice. Presenting problems associated with health education implementation in the school physical education was the main object of the research. School health education as a part of physical education as a result of recent educational reform plays a significant role as never before in history, but this role is still not fully conscious to the pupils, parents and teachers. The scientific study highlighted the need for changes in the training of physical education and need to support teachers the appropriate motivational training system.Wychowanie fizyczne realizowane w szkołach, choć nie nadąża za coraz szybszymi przeobrażeniami społeczno-kulturowymi, zawsze było nośnikiem wartości prozdrowotnych. Kategoria zdrowia istnieje w dużym zakresie w bogatym dorobku teorii wychowania fizycznego, natomiast nie występuje w zauważalnym wymiarze praktyki szkolnej. Celem pracy było ukazanie problemów związanych z realizacją edukacji zdrowotnej w ramach szkolnego wychowania fizycznego. W wyniku ostatniej reformy oświatowej edukacja zdrowotna w ramach wychowania fi zycznego zajmuje znaczące miejsce jak nigdy wcześniej w szkolnictwie, czego jednak wciąż nie do końca uświadamiają sobie uczniowie, rodzice i nauczyciele. W pracy zwrócono uwagę na konieczność zmian w kształceniu kadr kultury fizycznej i wsparcia nauczycieli odpowiednim motywacyjnym systemem doskonalenia zawodowego

Axiological Reflection on Healthy Lifestyle in Education

The issue of health is present in almost all spheres of life of contemporary man, pervades human life, is in the media, family, peer, in the school and other institutions. Presentation a healthy lifestyle as a universal value determines health and high level of quality of life and attempt to define its position in educational space was the main objective of this study. It seems that a small emphasis is put on a healthy lifestyle, understood as a value, it is not only the carrier of values, but is an autotelic value as well. Interdisciplinary qualified educators – leaders are needed to take a difficult task education to educate for the value of health. School should not be a place of marketing campaigns, with superficial information about health; ought to be a healthy environment, responsible, consciously creates and promotes a healthy lifestyle of the whole school communityProblematyka zdrowia jest obecna niemal we wszystkich obszarach życia współczesnego człowieka, przenika ludzkie życie, występuje w przestrzeni mediów, w środowisku rodzinnym, rówieśniczym, szkolnym i innych instytucji. Celem niniejszej pracy jest przedstawienie zdrowego stylu życia jako uniwersalnej wartości warunkującej zdrowie i wysoką jakość życia oraz próba określenia jej pozycji w przestrzeni edukacyjnej. Wydaje się, że niewielki nacisk kładzie się na zdrowy styl życia rozumiany jako wartość, a przecież jest on nie tylko nośnikiem wartości, ale stanowi też wartość autoteliczną. Potrzebni są interdyscyplinarnie wykwalifikowani liderzy i edukatorzy, którzy podejmą się trudnego zadania, jakim jest wychowanie do wartości zdrowia. Szkoła nie może być miejscem prowadzenia kampanii marketingowych z powierzchowną informacją o zdrowiu, ale powinna być środowiskiem zdrowym, odpowiedzialnie i świadomie kreującym oraz wspierającym zdrowy styl życia całej społeczności szkolnej.