[Awareness of health hazards in view of demonstrated behavioural patterns both conducive and detrimental to health]. / Swiadomosc zagrozen w aspekcie prezentowanych zachowan pro i antyzdrowotnych.

BACKGROUND: Credibility of physicians depends not only on their knowledge and achievements in therapies they manage but also on daily manifested behavioural patterns, directed at maintaining and augmenting own health as well as prevention of diseases. A patient will hardly trust members of medical staff if their health-related behaviour indeed contradicts the scientific evidence they quote. WORK'S OBJECTIVE: The study is chiefly aimed at establishing whether future physicians' awareness of health hazards, associated with behavioural patterns detrimental to health, e.g., cigarette smoking - does influence elimination of such attitudes. Oral hygiene among the studied group was also evaluated, and the potential relationship between the examined behavioural profiles verified. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Questionnaire-based diagnostic survey was employed. The study was conducted throughout the first half of 2012. Altogether 166 last-year students of Medical Faculty participated; questionnaire-return rate was 83%. The study is a part of a larger project, involving students of other City of Poznan universities. RESULTS: Most respondents estimate their health as "good" (60.08%). As far as their behavioural patterns are concerned the future physicians declare a detrimental-to-health lifestyle (49.40%). This self-assessment is reflected in their everyday conduct: 13.25% admit cigarette smoking while in 21.69% of the respondents dental defects exist. Preventive actions are also conspicuously rare among those who should be particularly convinced of their importance - 56.02% visit their dentist only having noticed an annoying change or experiencing toothache. CONCLUSIONS: Awareness of health-hazards associated with behavioural patterns influences the life-style of future physicians. Some individuals in the related group, despite the acquired professional knowledge, do not appear to modify their unfavourable behavioural profiles, and in a number of cases actually extend their scope. 2. Failure to augment one's well-being is of multifaceted nature. 3. University teachers should emphasise shaping not only of knowledge in the future health-care providers but also of their attitudes. Implementation in practice of this premise will ensure optimal effectiveness of the learning process and will enable the physicians become credible entities within a health-care system.

[Tobacco smoking, alcohol consumption and physical activity among patients with Type 2 diabetes]. / Palenie tytoniu, alkohol i aktywnosc fizyczna wsród pacjentów z cukrzyca typu 2.

The present article is focused on tobacco smoking, alcohol consumption, and necessary physical activity, and how they contribute to everyday life of diabetic patients. The article is based on a study comprising 106 such patients, treated in two leading centres of diabetological care in the City of Poznan. Fifty eight male and 48 female patients were examined. Eighty nine per cent of the studied group were convinced of the negative effect of tobacco smoking on human health, 9% - had no opinion in this matter while 2% - expressed rather astonishing, in the study's context, view on the supposedly beneficial influence of smoking on health. Forty three patients in the studied group never smoked, 47 - gave up the habit while 16 - still smoked. Analysis of the respondents' knowledge on the glycaemic effect of alcohol proved interesting. Only 54 persons knew that alcohol consumption considerably diminished level of glucose in the blood, occasionally leading to severe hypoglycaemia whereas 27 had no opinion on the matter, and 16 thought that alcohol actually increased the level of glucose in the blood. Three respondents did not think alcohol influenced a diabetic's body in any way. Thirty four per cent declared abstinence. Physical activity, in the view of 90% of the subjects, beneficially influenced the health of a diabetic patient, 5% - did not form an opinion about it, and another 5% suggested an unquestionably negative effect of physical effort on health. Daily physical activity, continued for at least 30 minutes, declared 53% of the examined group, 3 times a week - 13%, and 5 times a week- 8%. The remaining subjects exercised even less frequently or at all.

[Prevalence of tobacco smoking among nurses and the awareness of harmfulness of smoking habit]. / Rozpowszechnienie palenia tytoniu wsród pielegniarek a swiadomosc szkodliwosci nalogu.

INTRODUCTION: Smoking is one of several well documented harmful agents that people voluntarily expose to. Nurses are considered by society as the authority in the field of health, what means that they should take advantage of their accomplishments and references in procedures concerned with prophylaxis and smoking habit treatment. For these reasons - nurses' attitude to smoking is so crucial. Solving the problem of smoking within this profession is important for both nurses and their patients. AIM: The aim of the research was the assessment of prevalence of smoking among the nurses from the Lodz district and the knowledge about harmfulness of smoking. MATERIAL AND METHODS: There were 74 respondents taken into account of nursing personnel: 73 female and 1 male. There was authors' questionnaire prepared for the study. RESULTS: Basing on the research - 40% of the nursing personnel were smokers. The majority of respondents (57%) smoke more than the half of pack of cigarettes and stress is the most common reason (47%). Currently smokers more often came from families where other members smoked cigarettes (63%). More than half of respondents (57%) do not mind smoking while their friends are in their own home. Studies showed that only 57 % smokers undertook attempts to stop smoking, mostly for health reason. Health and financial considerations were the cause of cessation of tobacco use by smokers in the past. CONCLUSION: Smoking by nursing personnel is wide. It is important to nursing personnel to be aware of the existence of the relationship between change in patient health behavior, and attitude of persons who learn them to live healthy. On the basis of self-knowledge regarding the scope of the harmful effects of smoking tobacco, the research showed that the level of knowledge had no significant effect on health behavior study of nursing personnel.

[Occurrence of cigarette smoking among pregnant women]. / Rozpowszechnienie palenia papierosów wsród kobiet ciezarnych.

Life-style is defined as any set of human behavioural patterns, either conducive or detrimental to health. It is the most important factor influencing health. Cigarette smoking is emphasised as one of its determinants, as far as behavioural patterns detrimental to health are concerned. The article chiefly focuses on presenting the occurrence of cigarette smoking among pregnant women. The intermediate objectives were to identify the behavioural patterns discussed, concerning the immediate social surroundings of the future mothers. The study was conducted in the Province of Wielkopolska in 2009. It included 105 pregnant women. A diagnostic survey was applied; the tool: a questionnaire. It was established that the majority of the pregnant respondents assessed favourably both their own health and the preparation to their future role as mothers, 60.95% and 68.57%, respectively. All women participating in the study did not smoke, in contrast to their immediate family members, the majority of whose smoked. Pregnancy requires maintaining a proper life-style from a concerned woman: it influences her and her child's well-being. One of the main tasks of public health specialists is to provide young women with information set, concerning health promotion and shaping of desirable attitudes, conducive to health. Education concerning such a life-style should be directed not only at pregnant women but also at their spouses.

[Tobacco smoking among hospitalised patients with coronary arterial disease]. / Palenie tytoniu wsród osób hospitalizowanych z powodu choroby niedokrwiennej serca.

The impact of tobacco smoking on the development of cardio-vascular diseases, including coronary arterial disease (CAD) is very well known by now. More than 1/3 of the Polish adult population are affected which roughly corresponds with WHO accepted percentage of smokers world-wide (over 30%, over 15 years of age). Smokers with cardio-vascular problems are, naturally, even more dramatically affected. The article focuses on selected consequences of tobacco smoking among patients with coronary arterial disease. One hundred patients, already diagnosed with CAD, and hospitalised because of it, formed the studied group (71 male, 29 female). A survey questionnaire was employed as a tool, to inquire the subjects on elements of their life-style, encompassing both declared, acquired knowledge on behavioural patterns conducive to health and its implementation in every-day life. The life-style patterns included, for example, proper diet, physical activity and tobacco smoking. The study results showed that 97% of the group were well aware of the negative influence of smoking on their health (the remaining 3% left the question unanswered). None of the respondents was convinced of the alleged positive aspects of tobacco smoking. At the same time, 17% of the subjects with CAD still smoked, 56% ceased smoking, and the remaining 27% never smoked. The study revealed moreover that the very realisation that nicotinism influenced the CAD progress was instrumental in ceasing smoking by the 56% of former tobacco addicts. Tobacco smoking remains an issue among persons with diagnosed coronary arterial disease. A clear discrepancy was noted, between the almost 100% awareness of the habit's harmful consequences and reality of every-day life.

[Tobacco smoking among hospitalised patients with arterial hypertension]. / Palenie tytoniu wsród hospitalizowanych osób z nadcisnieniem tetniczym.

Currently 33% of the Polish adult population smoke tobacco (42% males and 25% females), which is a serious issue, particularly in the context of cardiovascular diseases. A study of the extent of smoking among patients with arterial hypertension (AH) served as the basis for the present article. The studied group comprised 100 patients hospitalised due to AH, 46 males and 54 females. A survey, aided by a specially designed questionnaire, was the method of the medical part of the study. It concentrated on health-related behaviour patterns conducive, or not, to AH treatment such as: systematic control of blood pressure, proper diet, physical activity, and tobacco smoking. The respondents were also asked to indicate the sources of their knowledge on the proper, in this context, lifestyle. The study revealed that 46.0% of the subjects smoked; most of them males, inhabitants of a large city (both genders), over 50-year-old, and with secondary school education. The majority of the group, while declaratively fully aware, thanks to the received information, of the necessity of the cessation of smoking - fails to react appropriately. Tobacco smoking constitutes a vital issue among the AH patients. The physician is not always the source of knowledge on the threats, associated with the addiction. The fact that 2/3 of the patients aware of the necessity of smoking cessation fails to do so is a reason for concern.

[Cigarette smoking among nursing personnel employed in the oncology departments, in the context of the educational tasks performed]. / Palenie papierosów przez pielegniarki zatrudnione na oddzialach onkologicznych w aspekcie realizowanych zadan edukacyjnych.

Cigarette smoking has become a popular occurrence in the 21st Cent. It was recognised by the WHO as a disease and classified as the one associated with the addiction. The list of illnesses related to smoking is still expanding while the adult smokers keep living shorter. These observations should then be reflected in creating "a fashion for non-smoking" among the health care professionals. The analysis of the extent of cigarette smoking among the nursing personnel, employed in the oncologic departments was the chief objective of the present study. The diagnostic survey was the employed method of research. It was aided by a questionnaire. The studied group comprised 100 male and female nurses, randomly selected, and employed in the oncologic departments. The survey was performed between April and June, 2007. The return rate was 71%. The results will be confronted with the earlier assessment done by the male and female nurses. The study revealed that the majority of the nursing personnel, employed in the oncologic departments do not smoke. The main reasons behind the cessation of smoking by the respondents, the former smokers, were: health considerations (45.5%), and the social ones (36.4%). It was also established that the personnel are aware of the influence of the demonstrated behavioural patterns, both conducive and detrimental to health, on the fact of being credible during a health education session, performed by them. Cigarette smoking by nursing personnel, employed in the oncologic departments is not a widespread occurrence. The personnel should, as often as possible, direct their educational actions on the patient and his/her family, and emphasise the influence of the proper life-style on the preservation of health, its improvement, and the prevention of diseases or complications. Alerting the nursing personnel to the association between the behaviour patterns of the therapeutic team, and the behaviour patterns and attitudes conducive to health of their patients, is important.

[Tobacco smoking, physical inactivity and stress in 40-year-old patients with cardiovascular diseases]. / Palenie tytoniu, brak aktywnosci fizycznej i stres u 40-letnich pacjentów z chorobami ukladu sercowo-naczyniowego.

In the randomised study of 1037 40-year-old inhabitants of the City and the (former) Province of Poznan, born 1959, the occurrence of such cardiovascular diseases as arterial hypertension and ischemic heart disease was established in this subpopulation. Their association with the life-style of the subjects was also assessed. A structured questionnaire was developed for this study, comprising the basic socio-demographical data, the elements of life-style, a self-assessment of one's health as well as subjective and objective medical examination, and the results of selected laboratory tests. The prevalence of arterial hypertension was established at 22.47%, while that of ischemic heart disease at 3.96%. Such negative to health behavioural patterns as tobacco smoking (36% of smokers were hypertensive, obesity--29% had BMI in excess of 30, physical inactivity in 52% of the hypertensive subgroup)--were revealed among those with cardiovascular diseases. Poor coping with emotional stress was also found among the latter group. The results indicate the necessity of more intensive health education, directed at both the healthy population and at those with cardiovascular diseases.

[Causes of hospital admission among 40-year-olds]. / Przyczyny przyjec do szpitala wsród osób czterdziestoletnich.

The work constitutes a part of the larger project "Comparative analysis of some elements of health state among 40-year-old inhabitants of the City and the Province of Poznan, born 1938, 1959", backed by National Committee of Sciences, performed in the Dept. of Public Health, Chair of Social Medicine, K. Marcinkowski University of Medical Sciences, in Poznan. Altogether 1037 persons, born in 1959, were medically examined as to their social background, education, life-style, and their current health picture. Some of the key elements were compared, where possible, with a similar, though much larger group of those born in 1938. The article focuses on the 40-year-olds born in 1959, and describes the causes of their hospitalisation throughout the year preceding the examination. Place of residence, gender and education of the persons examined were taken into consideration. The results point to the prevailing causes of hospitalisation, such as cardiovascular disease, diseases of the digestive and urinary tract, and consequences of accidents and poisonings.

[Serum lipid disturbances, obesity and diabetes among 40-year-old inhabitants of the city and the province of Poznan with arterial hypertension and coronary heart disease in the context of the negative elements of health behaviour]. / Zaburzenia lipidowe, otylosc i cukrzyca wsród 40-letnich mieszkanców Poznania i województwa poznanskiego z nadcisnieniem tetniczym (NT) i choroba niedokrwienna serca (CHNS) a zachowania niesprzyjajace zdrowiu.

A study, aimed at arterial hypertension and coronary heart disease (CHD) prevalence and identification of risk factors concerning cardiovascular diseases among the population of 40-year-old inhabitants of the City and the Province of Poznan, born 1959 (1037 subjects) in the context of selected elements of life-style, was conducted in the Department of Public Health of Poznan University of Medical Sciences, between 1999-2001. A structured questionnaire was developed specifically for this study comprising the basic socio-demographical data, and also the standard, subjective and objective, medical examination, and the results of selected laboratory tests.

[Cigarette smoking among 40-year-old residents living in Poznan and its Province]. / Nalóg palenia tytoniu w populacji czterdziestolatków Poznania i województwa poznanskiego.

The article begins with the outline of the history of cigarette smoking all over the world, the epidemiological picture of that phenomenon in Europe and the world, and briefly discusses the group of tobacco-dependent diseases. Cigarette smoking among 40-year-olds, living in Poznan, and its Province, was presented in greater detail, according to place of residence, education, gender, the time-length of smoking and the number of cigarettes smoked. The work constitutes a part of the larger project "Comparative analysis of some elements of health state among 40-year-old inhabitants of the City and the Province of Poznan, born 1938, 1959", backed by National Committee of Sciences, performed in the Dept. of Public Health, Chair of Social Medicine, K. Marcinkowski University of Medical Sciences, in Poznan. Altogether 1037 persons were medically examined as to their life-style, and their current health picture. More than 20 cigarettes were smoked by 45% of the smokers in the studied group; males, married ones, those with basic education, and those living in the City of Poznan--dominate.

[Reasons for systematic, primary and specialist care of the over-40 population in the city and province of Poznan]. / Przyczyny systematycznej opieki podstawowej i specjalistycznej nad 40-letnimi mieszkancami miasta Poznania i województwa poznanskiego.

The work constitutes a part of a larger project "Comparative analysis of some elements of health state among 40-year-old inhabitants of the City and the Province of Poznan, born 1938, 1959", backed by National Committee of Sciences, performed in the Department of Public Health, Chair of Social Medicine, K. Marcinkowski University of Medical Sciences, in Poznan. Altogether 1037 persons, born in 1959, were medically examined as to their social background, education, life-style, and their current health picture. Some of the key elements were compared, where possible, with a similar, though much larger group of those born in 1938. The article focuses on the 40-year-olds born in 1959, and describes the causes of admission by their respective family physicians, as well as specialists (secondary care). Place of residence, gender and education of the persons examined were taken into consideration. The results point to the prevailing causes of admission, such as arterial hypertension, diseases of the digestive tract (gastric and duodenal ulcer), and of locomotor system.