ABSTRACT
Introduction and Objective. Lifestyle and its related health behaviour are significant factors affecting health. The aim of this study was to define a selection of factors influencing the health behaviour of paramedics from the Masovian Province, the biggest in Poland. Materials and method. The study group consisted of paramedics employed in Emergency Response Teams (ERT) on the territory of Masovian Province. The study involved 238 participants: 223 men and 15 women. The mean age of the participants was 39.03±9.27 years for males, and 31.93±7.76 years for females. The research was carried out between May 2019 – September 2019 using the diagnostic survey method, including Jurczyński’s Health Behaviour Inventory (HBI), Courtauld’s Emotional Control Scale (CECS) and the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-28). Results. The health behaviours of the participants were defined as average. The probability of exhibiting proper health behaviours increases with age (OR=2.178, 95% Cl: 1.030–4.604;p 0,042), the ability to control emotions, especially on the depressive mood scale, (OR=0.901, 95% Cl: 0.827–0.981;p 0.017) and the general health condition, i.e., the less anxiety or insomnia the participating paramedics experience, the higher the chance of them exhibiting proper health behaviours (OR =0.809, 95% Cl: 0.725–0.903;p 0.000) or not experiencing social dysfunction (OR=0.760, 95% Cl: 0.628–0.920;p 0.005). Conclusions. As an occupational group, paramedics require help from their employers and other specialists in the fostering of proper health behaviour in order to experience a good quality of life in the workplace and beyond. Educative measures have to be undertaken in the paramedic population, especially with regard to ameliorating eating habits, handling stress, burnout prophylaxis, and counteracting musculo-skeletal disorders.
ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION: Research into occupational exposure to biological pathogens during medical personnel work is to a small degree concerned with paramedics. Coming in contact with biological pathogens, like HIV, HCV and HBV viruses, tubercle bacilli, or recently the SARS-CoV-2 virus in the workplace is a contamination risk. This study aims to analyze the occupational exposure of paramedics to biological pathogens at work, the possibilities of paramedics developing contagious diseases as occupational illnesses, and the prophylaxis this involves. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The publication was prepared on the basis of a literature review of works available in the PubMed, SCOPUS, and Google Scholar databases, and on websites of institutions functioning in the area of public health. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE STATE OF KNOWLEDGE: In Poland, in 2020, there were 1 255 625 cases of SARSCoV-2 registered, 3020 of which are cases found in paramedics, and 12 524 cases of Lyme borreliosis, 990 HBV cases, 942 HCV cases, 934 HIV cases. In 2020, there were 1861 occupational diseases, 504 of which were contagious or parasitic. Approximately 37 000 needlesticks are estimated to happen every year in medical facilities. 40% to 80% of the people who got injuries or cut in the workplace did not report the incident. CONCLUSIONS: There is a need to implement prophylactic and preventative measures to prevent occupational needlestick injuries and blood-borne infections amongst paramedics. Paramedics show insufficient knowledge of their ability to apply for an occupational disease diagnosis caused by exposure to biological pathogens present in the work environment. Copyright © 2021 Via Medica.