Do local governments in Poland care about the physical activity of the local community? Health promotion activities targeting physical activity organized by local government units

Introduction. When it comes to physical activity, activities at the local government level are extremely important, including, among other things, investing in the development of recreational and sports infrastructure in municipalities and counties, as well as implementing and financing health programs aimed at promoting physical activity among the population. Also, activities at the central level, implemented by the ministries of education, health, or transportation, aiming to implement policies that encourage the public to move, have a significant impact on the level of physical activity among young people. Objective. The study aimed to assess the prevalence of implementation of public health tasks by local government units in Poland, with a particular focus on activities in the area of physical activity. Material and methods. The study was conducted from May 13, 2020, to October 31, 2021. (18 months) in electronic form. The research group consisted of 1,118 representatives of local government offices of two levels: municipal (962 offices; 91.9% of the total) and district (91 offices; 8.1% of the total). According to the state at the time of the survey (as of 01.01.2021), Poland is divided into 16 provinces, 314 counties 2,477 municipalities (302 urban including 66 cities with county rights, 652 urban-rural and 1,523 rural). The survey covered 41.5% of municipalities and 29% of districts in Poland. Results and conclusions. The vast majority of local governments declare that they undertake activities in the area of physical activity, and these activities are often undertaken in cooperation with other local governments. Local governments very rarely implement health policy programs that include interventions in the area of physical activity, and among the reasons for not implementing such activities they usually point to financial and staffing problems

Review of available diagnostic options for Orthorexia Nervosa

Orthorexia Nervosa (ON) is one of the disorders with a psychological basis. The word ‘orthorexia’ comes from Greek, where ‘orthos’ means proper ‘orexia’ appetite. The disorder is characterized by an obsession with healthy eating, and as the disease worsens, significant food exclusions occur. In extreme cases of ON, the affected person forgoes eating any food, explaining it as a health concern. The degree of prevalence of ON in society is still highly questionable. Numerous studies indicate the prevalence of this problem, but there is no consistent data on the degree of severity of ON. The degree of severity of ON in the general population ranges from 6% to as high as 90%, such significant variation may be due to cultural reasons or a defect in the measurement tool. To date, a useful tool for diagnosing ON has not been developed, little that ON is still not treated as a separate disease or disorder. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to present diagnostic possibilities in the form of psychometric tools that can be used in conducting scientific research and in psychological and dietetic practice

The acute effects of post-activation potentiation on sport-climbing specific power exercises

The effect of performing biomechanically similar exercises in such order that resistance exercise was followed by plyometric, power or speed exercise is a temporal increase in power and force production. The physiological rationale for complex training effectiveness is a phenomenon known as post-activation potentiation (PAP). Only a few studies were dedicated to various aspects of sport climbers’ training and to our knowledge, no study has examined the effects of post-activation potentiation and/or complex training in climbing. The purpose of this study was to determine if there was a performance-enhancing response of power and power endurance exercises on the campus board that were performed after a high-load resistance exercise (weighted pull-ups). 12 climbers participated in the study. During the first testing condition, climbers were asked to hang on the lowest rung and perform three maximal reaches with their dominant arm, separated with 10 s rest periods. The second test involved touches to the rung just below climbers’ maximal reach, then coming back down to the bottom rung, and performing the same exercise with the second hand. The climbers were required to repeat this cycle as many times as possible in the 20 s period. After 10 min rest, climbers repeated both tests after preloading. The time interval between resistance exercise (weighted pull ups) and campus power or power endurance exercise was 4 minutes. On average during the test of maximal reach after weighted pull-ups, climbers improved their performance on the campus board by 3.11 cm. The difference between PRE and POST loading was statistically significant. The best of the reaches performed in the set was 2.23 cm higher after preloading. In the power endurance („Touches”) test, only a tendency toward difference between the number of reaches in baseline and after heavy resistance exercise was observed, although the effect size suggests moderate strength of the relationship between both conditions, The results indicate positive effect of weighted pull-up exercise on subsequent power exercises on the campus board. It should be noted, however, that results of the preload on campus board exercise varied between individuals and more studies are needed in order to determine the most effective protocol of pairs of exercises in sport climbers’ training

Exercise dependence among marathon runners in relation to their demographic and training status

Introduction and purpose. Taking into account that endurance athletes might be at an increased risk for exercise dependence there is a need for monitoring the prevalence and correlates of this phenomenon in them. The aim of the study was assessing the prevalence of exercise addiction among marathon runners and identify its socio-demographic and training correlates. Material and method. A total of 132 runners ranging in age from 18–69 years old took part in the study. To assess the exercise dependence a polish version of the Exercise Dependence Scale-21 was used. Results. The results suggest that being at risk for exercise dependence concerns 12% of runners and – except of withdrawal factor - is not related to sex but is related to age. No significant differences were found between training volume groups and exercise dependence. Conclusions. More than one on ten marathoners seem to be addicted to running suggesting the need to increase knowledge on this phenomenon in this community

Physical activity promotion at the local government level among the local community

Physical inactivity is a major public health issue. For the prevention and management of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), such as cardiovascular disease, type-2 diabetes, and a number of malignancies, regular physical activity is a critical protective factor. Along with helping to maintain a healthy weight and overall wellbeing, physical activity has positive effects on mental health, including the avoidance of cognitive decline and the symptoms of despair and anxiety. Local governments all across the world have responded to this problem by launching population-level projects that give locals access to exercise opportunities. Local governments, through the implementation of their own tasks of health promotion and protection, carry out public health tasks as defined by the Law of 11 September 2015 on Public Health. These tasks include activities in the area of physical activity.           The aim of the article was to show the role of local government in promoting physical activity among the local community. The article discusses such issues as WHO recommendations for physical activity as well as activities undertaken by local governments in the area of health promotion in the form of health policy programs and activities carried out in cooperation with NGOs

Electronic forms of entertainment in the context of physical activity and addiction risk – a knowledge review

A new way of spending leisure time browsing the Internet, using social networking sites, and playing games has created a new health problem: cell phone addiction. So-called phonoholism or netholism is most thriving among young people, who prioritize entertainment in the real world, which most often necessitates physical activity, over entertainment in the virtual world, which requires a more static approach. However, some companies have gone against the traditional use of phone games by creating multimedia city games that require a dynamic-movement approach. The aim of this review is to gather current theoretical knowledge about electronic forms of entertainment in the context of their influence on users' physical activity, creation of health potential and formation of risk of addiction to such forms of entertainment

Analysis of eating behavior of health science students in terms of emotional eating and restrained eating

Background. Two eating phenomena are associated with emotions and chronic stress: restrained eating and emotional eating. Restrained eating is defined as restricting food intake to control weight and mainly refers to the amount of food eaten. Emotional eating, on the other hand, focuses on eating in response to negative emotions. the literature emphasizes that people with orthorexia have significantly higher levels of stress, depression, and anxiety and lower life satisfaction than healthy individuals. Objective. The purpose of the conducted research was to assess the prevalence of emotionally driven eating behavior and restrained eating among health science students. The premise of the study was also to test whether there was a significant relationship between emotional eating and restrained eating and orthorectic behavior. Material and methods. The study was conducted among 200 randomly selected students of health sciences (dietetics and physical education). The TFEQ-13 and DOS scales were used in the study. Results and conclusions. Based on the study, it was concluded that there is no relationship between the occurrence of emotional eating and orthorexia in the studied group of people associated with health sciences. However, the hypothesis of the existence of these associations between restrained eating and the occurrence of orthorexia was supported. The group of restrained eaters was shown to include individuals with severe behaviors indicative of orthorexic tendencies or a full picture of the disorder

Eating disorders as a consequence of improperly managed weight reduction - a study among women with moderate physical activity

Background: Eating disorders are a growing public health challenge. They are characterized by complexity, requiring a wide spectrum of treatment due to the diseases present, somatic complications, body dissatisfaction, and communication difficulties. The purpose of this study was to assess the prevalence of eating disorder risk associated with poorly managed weight loss. Material and methods: the study was conducted on a group of 214 women using a questionnaire by indirect survey method through a form provided online. A proprietary survey questionnaire supplemented by two standardized questionnaires was used: EAT-26 and ORTO-15. Results: The body mass index of 149 respondents (70%) remained normal, while overweight and obese women accounted for a total of 23% - 14% (31 subjects) and 7% (19 subjects), respectively. The study using the EAT-26 questionnaire showed that among the 214 respondents, 98 women were at risk for eating disorders, accounting for 46% of the study group. A cutoff score of 20 was taken as the threshold. A statistically significant difference was noted between BMI and the risk of eating disorders (χ2=26.447; p<0.05), as well as a statistically significant difference between relationships with food and the risk of eating disorders (χ2=31.393; p<0.05). A study using the ORTO-15 questionnaire showed a risk of orthorexia among 184 female respondents (86%) in the study group when a 40-point cutoff is adopted. A statistically significant relationship was observed between the occurrence of orthorexia risk and eating disorders (χ2=4.980; p<0.05). In the group of female respondents with an identified risk of eating disorders, almost half of the respondents show a risk of orthorexia. Conclusions: The occurrence of eating disorders and symptoms indicative of orthorexia does not depend on sociodemographic factors. The appearance of ED may be influenced by the BMI of the subjects. The risk of eating disorders is influenced by relationships with food

Motivations in weight reduction and undesirable eating behaviors among women with excessive body weight (Poland)

The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between attitudes toward weight loss, taking into account: the motivating factors that determine the desire to attempt weight loss; the level of well-being and degree of motivation before and during the weight loss attempt; changes in attitudes after an unsuccessful weight loss attempt; the state of well-being after the completed weight loss attempt and the degree of severity of disordered eating according to the TFEQ-13 questionnaire. The study was conducted among 600 female users of forums for people with excessive weight. The research method used in this study was the author's questionnaire and the standardized Three-Factor Eating Questionnaire. A general survey questionnaire serving as a working tool was sent by Computer-Assisted Web Interview to community groups. The predominant group of respondents cannot even count the weight reduction attempts they have made during their lives (31%). Three attempts were made by 29% of respondents, and two attempts by 17%. Attempts to lose weight most often involved increasing current physical activity (overall responses), reducing the caloric content of meals (26%), and improving current eating habits (22%). Most people reduced their body weight from 6 kg to 10 kg (29%) or from 3 to 5 kg (27%). It was found that low a risk of aggravation was diagnosed in 45.5% of people, moderate in 44.5, and low in 10%. For lack of control over eating – a low risk was observed in 15.5% of people, moderate in 68.5% of people, and high in 16%. Evaluating eating under the influence of emotions, the highest risk of the studied phenomenon was observed in 50.5% of people, moderate risk in 36.5% of people, and low risk in 13% of people. The level of motivation significantly decreased when trying to reduce weight. No significant deterioration in well-being was observed before and during the weight loss attempt

Possibilities of education through sport - critical reflection

Year 2004 is established as the European Year of Education through Sport. Many people believe that participation in sport is beneficial to the process of education, indeed. But it has been also suggested that participation in sport may be detrimental for personality of young people. In this paper we would like to survey sport through the prism of pros and cons brought about by it to the process of education and to put forward some suggestions on how to release educational values from sport