Increased occupational physical activity does not improve physical fitness.

AIM: To determine the possible influence of high physical load in the workplace on the physical fitness of employees. METHODS: The subjects (494 men) were tested by means of Baecke's questionnaire for evaluation of the Work Index, measuring occupational physical load. The EUROFIT battery of tests was used for testing the functional and motor abilities of the subjects. RESULTS: Subjects with a higher Work Index (n = 274) performed worse than the subjects with a lower Work Index (n = 220), indicating that high physical load in the workplace does not necessarily mean improvement in functional and motor abilities. The "heavy" workers were only found to have a stronger handgrip. This could be attributed to the fact that physical activity performed at the workplace did not have adequate intensity, volume, and duration to effect positive changes in other motor and functional capacities.

Treatment of osteomyelitis and infected non-union of the femur by a modified Ilizarov technique: follow-up study.

AIM: To review the results of the management of chronic post-traumatic osteomyelitis and infected non-union with bone defects of femur using the Ilizarov technique with a modified apparatus assembly. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Thirty patients treated by the Ilizarov method because of chronic fistulous osteomyelitis and infected pseudoarthroses of the femur were included in the prospective study between 1989 and 1999. Their mean age was 39.4+/-14.4 years (range, 25-80 years). The follow-up period lasted for 24 to 126 months. RESULTS: The infection was eradicated in 29 patients before the fixator removal. Excellent bone healing was found in 12, and excellent functional result in 5 out of 30 patients. There was a total of 87 complications in 30 patients. CONCLUSION: Ilizarov technique is a method of choice in saving the limb with chronic osteomyelitis and infected pseudoarthrosis. Because of the additional injuries, bone healing in affected limb may be superior to the functional result.

Body composition and functional abilities in terms of the quality of professional ballerinas.

The objective of this research was to determine the variability of the sample of professional ballerinas in the space of characteristics of their body composition and some functional characteristics according to the requirements of their roles in ballet. The sample of examinees was comprised of 30 professional ballerinas, members of the Croatian National Theatre Ballet (15 soloists and 15 members of the corps de ballet). The data showed that the soloists were characterized by a significantly larger knee diameter, significantly lower thickness of skin folds on the trunk and the lower fat body mass percentage, as well as by greater grip strength. Aerobic capacity was only moderately more developed than in fit people who participated in physical exercising because of recreational reasons, and there were no differences between soloists and the members of the corps.

Physical activity of urban adult population: questionnaire study.

AIM: To assess the level of physical activity of an urban population according to gender, age, smoking, and educational differences. METHODS: The sample comprised 594 men and women living and working in Zagreb, Croatia. Work, sport, and leisure-time activity indices were obtained by the Baecke's questionnaire. Significance of differences was tested by the Student's t-test. The relation between the indices and the education was determined by correlation analysis. RESULTS: Women had lower work and sport indices score, and higher leisure-time activity index. After the age of 50, women participated significantly more in sport activities than men. There was a negative correlation between the education and the work index, and a significantly positive correlation between the educational level and the sport activity index, regardless of gender and age. Women smokers participated to a significantly lesser extent in sport activities than women non-smokers. Such differences were not observed in men. CONCLUSION: People with lower educational level sustain more workload at their jobs than those with higher education. More educated people participate more in sport activities, although leisure time activity is not significantly related to education. In women, participation in sport activities negatively correlates with the smoking habit.