Changes in physical fitness and body build of women and men surveyed in 2004 and 2022-A longitudinal study.

Physical fitness plays a crucial role in determining human health and overall well-being. The objective of the study was to assess the changes in body structure and physical fitness among individuals examined in 2004 and 2022 (persons aged 32-34 and 50-52). The research material consists of data from the Krakow Continuous Study (KCS) of somatic development and physical fitness of people born in 1970 and 1972, conducted in Krakow in the years 1976-2022. In total, in 2004, 103 women and 122 men took part in the study, and in 2022-47 women and 67 men. Of these participants, 37 women and 53 men were present for both measurements. The following measurements were performed-physical fitness tests: handgrip strength of left and right hand, standing broad jump, sit-and-reach test and overhead medicine ball throw (2 kg); anthropometric measurements: body height, body weight and tissue composition, circumferences of the chest (relaxed and in deep inspiration), waist, hips, thigh, mid-upper-arm (MUAC, relaxed and in deep inspiration), forearm and calf, thickness of biceps, triceps, subscapular, abdominal, suprailiac and calf skinfolds; width of shoulders and hips, depth and width of the chest. A comparative analysis of the two series showed that all fitness test scores deteriorated. The percentage decrease was greater in women than in men in the tests of right and left handgrip strength and overhead medicine ball throw than in men, in the standing broad jump test similar in both sexes, in the sit-and-reach test-lower in women than in men. The greatest decreases were observed in the standing broad jump (by 14%) and the 2 kg medicine ball throw (15-12%), both in women and men. In contrast, the level of development of most of the somatic characteristics studied in 2022 was higher compared to the previous study, and, apart from body height, elbow and knee width and calf skinfold in both sexes, the differences in arithmetic means between the 2004 and 2022 series were statistically significant. Furthermore, the absence of involutionary changes in body height can be highlighted. In conclusion, the decrease in physical fitness occurring in adulthood and the increase in most somatic characteristics between 32 and 34 year-olds and 50 and 52 year-olds were confirmed.

DIFFERENCES IN THE PREVALENCE OF OVERWEIGHT AND OBESITY IN 5- to 14-YEAR-OLD CHILDREN IN KRAKÓW, POLAND, USING THREE NATIONAL BMI CUT-OFFS.

The problem of overweight and obesity in children and adolescents has been noted in many different countries. The aim of this study was to evaluate the differences in the percentage occurrence of overweight and obesity in Polish children depending on the criteria used, and to evaluate the usefulness of the Polish national database. The study sample comprised 3405 children aged 5-14 years (1674 girls and 1731 boys) from the city of Kraków, Poland, in 2009-2010. The BMI of each child was calculated and classified as overweight or obese according to three different reference BMI cut-offs: the International Obesity Task Force (IOTF), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Polish 2010 standard. To assess the statistical significance of the differences between these three applied reference datasets, a comparison of two proportions was performed and Cohen's kappa coefficient calculated. The prevalences of overweight were 15%, 11.3% and 9.5% (IOTF, CDC, Polish 2010, respectively) among boys and 15.5%, 11.6% and 9.9% among girls. The prevalences of obesity were 3.3%, 6.1% and 5.5% (IOTF, CDC, Polish 2010, respectively) among boys and 3.4%, 6.3% and 5.7% among girls. The different methods used generally showed good agreement. Nevertheless the prevalence of overweight and obesity differed significantly depending on the criteria used. In conclusion, the creation and updating of national databases based on large, representative groups is justified and provides the best reference for regional data. However, in order to ensure the comparability of results with those from other countries, it seems advisable to use cut-offs based on international data as well.

Overweight and obesity risk factors in children aged 3-7 years: a prospective study in the city of Kraków.

BACKGROUND: Early identified factors determining overweight and obesity in childhood may be important for preventive purposes. AIM: To evaluate the influence of the commonly accepted and hypothetical risk factors for overweight/obesity and their mutual relations, using the method of classification trees. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: The data were collected during anthropometric surveys carried out in 2010 in Kraków, Poland. The study involved 1042 pre-school children aged 3-7 years. BMI was calculated for all subjects classified as underweight, normal body weight and overweight, according to the IOTF cut-offs. In order to determine the correlation between genetic, environmental and lifestyle factors and the child's BMI, this study used information from a questionnaire filled in by the mothers. RESULTS: Relatively high birth weights, relatively long times of breastfeeding and father's obesity were conducive to the appearance of overweight and obesity in boys. Other overweight risk factors included alcohol consumption by the mother, her low education level and a relatively low mother's age at birth. Among girls, factors leading to overweight included high birth weight, high father's BMI and family situation reported as below very good by their mothers. It was found that a moderate duration of breastfeeding is conducive to a normal weight of children at pre-school age, although in boys this regularity is better documented. CONCLUSIONS: The biological, social and lifestyle factors related to the child's mother significantly determined the child's BMI.

Effect of Obesity Level on the Longitudinal Arch in 7- to 12-Year-Old Rural and Urban Children.

BACKGROUND: We sought to evaluate the influence of obesity level on the medial longitudinal arch (MLA) of the foot in 7- to 12-year-old children. METHODS: The study group consisted of 925 children (450 girls and 475 boys). All of the children were subjected to podoscopic foot examination and measurement of weight, height, three skinfolds, fat weight, and fat-free body weight. RESULTS: The most common type of MLA was high-arched foot, which was observed in the left foot of 523 children (56.5%) and in the right foot in 592 children (64%). In almost all of the age groups, high-arched foot was the most common disorder. High-arched foot was more common in girls than in boys, and boys displayed a higher percentage of flatfoot. Also, sex-related differences were more prominent in urban children. There was a strongly positive correlation between obesity level and MLA in the examined group. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that the type of foot arch is influenced by parameters such as age, sex, and obesity level. High-arched foot seemed to be the most frequent pathologic abnormality in the examined group, and flatfoot, which was predominant in boys and obese children, diminished with age. High-arched foot was a more common MLA type than flatfoot regardless of obesity level assessed on the basis of body mass index and sum of three skinfolds.

Prevalence of overweight and obesity in children aged 6-13 years-alarming increase in obesity in Cracow, Poland.

UNLABELLED: This study in children aged 6-13 years (n = 1,499) was performed between October 2008 and March 2009. Height and weight measurements were taken to calculate BMI. The prevalence of overweight and obesity was determined by means of IOTF cut-offs with respect to age. Alarming is the fact that the percentage of obese children in Cracow increased dramatically from 1.04% in boys and 0.20% in girls in 1971 to 7% in boys and 3.6% in girls in 2009. In this report, a higher percentage of overweight boys was observed in rural boys (28.14%) than in urban ones (27.31%). Obesity was identified in an almost twice as high percentage of urban boys (7.78%) as in rural ones (3.52%). A higher percentage of overweight girls was registered in rural areas (16.49%) than in urban ones (16.09%). Obesity was prevailing in rural girls (4.12%) relative to their urban counterparts (3.44%). The highest number of overweight urban boys was diagnosed in the group of 12-year-olds (n = 48) and rural boys in the group of 10-year-olds (n = 39), as well as in urban girls aged 11 (n = 17) and rural girls aged 9 (n = 9). The highest number of obesity was observed in rural boys aged 12 (n = 3) and in urban boys aged 9 and 10 (n = 9 in both groups). In the group of girls, obesity prevailed in urban 9-year-olds (n = 5) and in rural 7-year-olds (n = 5). CONCLUSIONS: Overweight and obesity affect boys almost twice as frequently as girls. Obesity is twice as frequent in urban boys as in their rural peers.

Socioeconomic determinants of menarche in rural Polish girls using the decision trees method.

The aim of this study was to assess the usefulness of the decision trees method as a research method of multidimensional associations between menarche and socioeconomic variables. The article is based on data collected from the rural area of Choszczno in the West Pomerania district of Poland between 1987 and 2001. Girls were asked about the appearance of first menstruation (a yes/no method). The average menarchal age was estimated by the probit analysis method, using second grade polynomials. The socioeconomic status of the girls' families was determined using five qualitative variables: fathers' and mothers' educational level, source of income, household appliances and the number of children in a family. For classification based on five socioeconomic variables, one of the most effective algorithms CART (Classification and Regression Trees) was used. In 2001 the menarchal age in 66% of examined girls was properly classified, while a higher efficiency of 70% was obtained for girls examined in 1987. The decision trees method enabled the definition of the hierarchy of socioeconomic variables influencing girls' biological development level. The strongest discriminatory power was attributed to the number of children in a family, and the mother's and then father's educational level. Using this method it is possible to detect differences in strength of socioeconomic variables associated with girls' pubescence before 1987 and after 2001 during the transformation of the economic and political systems in Poland. However, the decision trees method is infrequently applied in social sciences and constitutes a novelty; this article proves its usefulness in examining relations between biological processes and a population's living conditions.

[Selected nutritional behaviours of professionally active men in Cracovian population depending on the age]. / Wybrane zachowania zywieniowe aktywnych zawodowo mezczyzn z populacji krakowskiej w zaleznosci od wieku.

The aim of the research was to analyse selected rates of feeding manners among professionally active men in Cracovian population depending on their age. The research was carried out by means of an author's questionnaire and comprised 1453 men aged 18-70, Tadeusz Sendzimir's Steelworks Plant employees. The presented results prove that the most common feeding errors among working men are: lack of variety in food rations (about 2/3 of the respondents), irregularity of consuming meals (about 50%), low distribution of consuming supper before 7 pm (about 2/3), frequent eating in between main meals (about 1/3), low consumption of fruit and vegetables (about 2/3), fish (about 40%) and a high consumption of confectinery (about 40%). The research has shown that the percentage of faulty feeding choices among men diminish with their age.

[Normal and abnormal height and weight development in children and adolescents in Krakow--changes and trends in the last thirty years]. / Harmonia i dysharmonia rozwoju wysokosci i masy ciala w populacji dzieci i mlodziezy Krakowa -- zmiany z wiekiem i trendy w ostatnim trzydziestoleciu.

UNLABELLED: The aim of this study is to determine the frequency of height and weight disharmony in children and adolescents in Krakow, i.e. both overweight and underweight in relation to height and the trends in last thirty years. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 4532 individuals -- a random sample of children and adolescents (2416 boys and 2107 girls) were examined in 2000. The results of the examination were compared with data obtain in 1971 (random sample of 4090 individuals) and with results from 1983 (random sample of 6536 individuals). Percentile position of height and weight were compared: the difference of two or more percentiles channels classified the results as overweight or underweight depending on height. THE RESULTS: Of the research prove that the frequency of occurrence of dis-harmonious body built increases with age, both with regard to overweight and underweight related to height and this phenomenon is more frequent in girls. In last thirty years a progressive increase of frequency of overweight was observed, but in girls it was noticeable and statistically significant only in 1971 -- 1983.