We are more alike than you think. Age distribution of the quality of life among persons with and without disabilities

Purpose: In this article we apply the age perspective to assess the quality of life (QoL) of persons with disabilities. Using a single measurement tool, we compare age profiles in the quality of life of persons with disabilities to the population without disabilities. By doing so, we examine whether the general patterns (such as U-shaped profile) are observed also among the population with disabilities, hence assessing how heterogenous this group is. Methods: We have constructed a multidimensional measurement model identifying overall and nine dimensions of the quality of life using structural equation modelling. The model conceptually is based on the Eurostat guidelines. All analyses are based on EU-SILC survey data, carried out in Poland in 2015. Results: The quality of life for both groups has inverse, right-skewed U-shape. The maximum value is achieved for the age group of 30–34 and after this threshold a constant decline is observed. The QoL scores for the population with disabilities are obviously significantly lower. Additionally, they are more heterogenous, and with greater variation between men and women. In a majority of the domains we also observe lower scores for persons with disabilities. However, people with disabilities are similarly diversified by age as persons without disabilities. Conclusion: Our study suggests that people with disabilities are similarly diversified by age as persons without disabilities. Therefore, disability means something different for younger and older persons and this difference is reflected in their quality of life. It means that public policy for persons with disabilities should also be diversified, avoiding ‘one-for-all’ policy

A didactic stand for testing the erosion process

W pracy przedstawiono projekt mobilnego stanowiska do badań procesu erozji uderzeniowej. Konstrukcja urządzenia pozwala na prowadzenie badań w zamkniętych pomieszczeniach, a niektóre czynności pomiarowe zostały zautomatyzowane. Urządzenie umożliwia ocenę wpływu kąta padania ścierniwa na intensywność zużycia erozyjnego. Parametrami, którymi można sterować, są: kąt padania strugi ścierniwa, odległość dyszy od badanej powierzchni, prędkość ścierniwa, rodzaj ścierniwa. W poniższej pracy została opisana koncepcja i zasada działania stanowiska.The paper presents a project of a mobile stand for research on the erosion process. The construction of the device makes it possible to conduct tests in closed rooms, and some of the measurement activities have been automated. The device enables the assessment of the influence of the angle of abrasive fall on the intensity of erosion wear. Parameters that can be controlled are: the angle of incidence of the abrasive stream, the distance of the nozzle from the tested surface, the speed of the abrasive, the type of abrasive. In this paper describes the concept and principle of operation of the stand

Individual quality of life and the environment - towards a concept of livable areas for persons with disabilities in Poland

Background: The United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities [1] highlights the need to create proper socioeconomic and political conditions for persons with disabilities, with a special focus on their immediate living conditions. According to the Convention, these conditions should be built to ensure that persons with disabilities have the potential to enjoy a high quality of life (QoL), and this principle is reflected in the notion of livable areas. The crucial aspect of this framework is the relationship between the individual QoL and the environment, broadly understood as the socioeconomic as well as the technical conditions in which persons with disabilities function. Methods: The basic research problem was to assess the relationship between individual QoL for the population with disabilities as a dependent variable and livability indicators as independent variables, controlling for individual characteristics. The study used a dataset from the EU-SILC (European Union Statistics on Income and Living Conditions) survey carried out in 2015 in Poland. The research concept involved several steps. First, we created a variable measuring the QoL for the entire population with disabilities. To measure the multidimensional QoL, we used Sen's capability approach as a general concept, which was operationalized by the MIMIC (multiple indicators multiple causes) model. In the second step, we identified the livability indicators available in the official statistics, and merged them with survey data. Finally, in the last step, we ran the regression analysis. We also checked the data for the nested structure. Results: We confirmed that the general environmental conditions, focused on creating livable areas, played a significant role in shaping the QoL of persons with disabilities; i.e., we found that the higher the level of the local Human Development Index, the higher the quality of life of the individuals living in this area. This relationship held even after controlling for the demographic characteristics of the respondents. Moreover, we found that in addition to the general environmental conditions, the conditions created especially for persons with disabilities (i.e., services for this group and support for their living conditions) affected the QoL of these individuals. Conclusions: The results illustrate the need to strengthen policies aimed at promoting the QoL of persons with disabilities by creating access to community assets and services that can contribute to improving the life chances of this population

Modern therapeutic modalities enabling preservation of procreative potential in women treated for genital malignancies

Recent decade saw a significant progress in the diagnosis of prognostically important features of neoplasm, in particular those influencing critically the choice of techniques and protocols of oncological treatment. Principles of therapeutic approach to patients with genital malignancies, which were valid in the past, most often neither took into consideration the age of patients, nor was the issue of preservation of procreative functions considered as clinically important. In recent years, the situation in this area underwent a dramatic change. In patients of procreative age, the measure of therapeutic success is not as much standard parameters, e.g. long-term survival rate or recurrence risk, but rather overall quality of life and in particular preservation of ability to procreate. At present, in most locations of early-stage female genital malignancy, there is a possibility to spare procreative function. Based on reports in recent publications, we undertook a review of current views on management of malignancies of uterine cervix, uterine mucosa and ovary enabling preservation of procreative potential of women involved.Ostatnie dziesięciolecie to czas, w którym dokonał się znaczący postęp w rozpoznawaniu istotnych prognostycznie czynników charakteryzujących nowotwór, zwłaszcza tych, które w sposób znaczący wpływają na wybór metody leczenia onkologicznego. Obowiązujące w przeszłości zasady postępowania terapeutycznego stosowane w leczeniu nowotworów złośliwych narządu rodnego najczęściej nie uwzględniały wieku pacjentek i możliwości oszczędzenia funkcji rozrodczych jako istotnego klinicznie elementu. Sytuacja w tym zakresie uległa w ostatnich latach zasadniczej zmianie. U chorych w wieku rozrodczym miarą sukcesu terapeutycznego są obecnie nie tylko typowe parametry, jak odsetek wieloletnich przeżyć czy też ryzyko nawrotu, ale również jakość życia – w tym szczególnie zachowanie zdolności do rozrodu. Obecnie w większości lokalizacji wczesnych postaci nowotworów narządów płciowych kobiecych istnieje możliwość oszczędzenia zdolności do prokreacji. Bazując na doniesieniach współczesnego piśmiennictwa, dokonano przeglądu aktualnych stanowisk i opinii na leczenie nowotworów szyjki macicy, błony śluzowej macicy oraz jajnika z oszczędzeniem zdolność do rozrodu