Assessment of student's knowledge and awareness of autism spectrum disorder.

Developmental disorder as autism spectrum disorder (ASD) gives a specific image significantly deviating from the norm in the areas of social and communicative functioning of the child, including the ability to establish and maintain interpersonal relationships. It is difficult to determine the occurrence of autism in the world accurately. However, the WHO estimates one diagnosis in 160 children in the world. AIM: The aim of this study was to find how student's knowledge and awareness of autism spectrum disorder looks like. MATERIALS AND METHODS: To assess awareness of autism was used the KCAHW questionnaire (Knowledge About Childhood Autism Among Health Workers). The research consisted of 446 people. RESULTS: Students in the second year of studies achieve lower results than those of the fourth and fifth year of studies. Students of medical faculties are characterised by lower awareness of disorder than students of pedagogical faculties. CONCLUSIONS: The social level of knowledge is low. Especially among healthcare providers that are directly related to ASD.

The estimation of the functioning of families with ASD children.

BACKGROUND: Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a disease described as a neurodevelopmental disorder as the impairment of social and communication functions. Life of the people with ASD depends on the early introduction of intensive therapeutic programmes, modifying the undesirable behaviours, and aimed at teaching social and communication skills. AIMS: The goal of the present work is to estimation the functioning of families with an ASD child and compare it to the functioning of families with children not diagnosed with ASD. METHODS: The study was performed using Flexibility and Cohesion Evaluation Scales. The study included 70 parents of ASD children, and 70 parents with children without diagnosed ASD, as the control group. RESULTS: The parents of children with autism achieve lower results in the Balanced Cohesion sub-scale than the control group. Also, the parents of ASD children obtained higher scores in the Disengaged sub-scale than the control group. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this papers can suggesting the risk of the appearance of a disturbed family system, functioning in families with children with ASD, which should be a trigger for providing these families with early family functioning diagnosis and consequent support and therapy.

Attention and memory impairments in pediatric patients with cystic fibrosis and inflammatory bowel disease in comparison to healthy controls.

The main aim of the study was to analyze and compare attention and memory performance in pediatric patients with cystic fibrosis (CF), inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and in healthy controls. 28 patients with CF, 30 patients with IBD and 30 healthy subjects took part in the study (all in age range of 7-17). All subjects were in intellectual norm. To analyze the functioning of attention, the d2 Test of Attention by Brickenkamp (d2 test) was applied. Memory performance was assessed using the Benton Visual Retention Test (BVRT) and the Trial of 10 words. The CF and IBD groups committed significantly more errors in the d2 test than the healthy controls. The CF group also had significantly higher fluctuation rates and received significantly lower scores in overall concentration performance than the control group. Patients with CF made more mistakes and had fewer correct memory projections in BVRT than the healthy controls. Patients with IBD committed significantly more errors in BVRT than the control group. Patients with CF and IBD also got significantly lower scores in the Trial of 10 words than the control group. Pediatric patients with CF and IBD performed more poorly than the healthy controls on attention and memory tests. More distinct cognitive impairments were observed in the CF group. Further research is needed to find the underlying mechanisms and clinical and/or functional significance of observed cognitive deficits.

Are students prone to depression and suicidal thoughts?

INTRODUCTION: Depression may affect up to 9.8% of adolescents and young adults and is associated with significant life-long consequences. The aim of our study was to assess the association between symptoms of depression and demographic factors such as gender, having brothers or sisters, background (rural/small town or urban permanent place of residence), perceived financial status, current living arrangements, year and major area of study. MATERIAL AND METHODS: One thousand one hundred eighty-three students of medical or similar faculties, 71% of whom were females, anonymously answered the Kutcher Adolescent Depression Scale (KADS) and completed a demographic questionnaire. RESULTS: We found that 6.5% of all participants (n = 77) had depression according to Kutcher's criteria whereas 1.5% of them (n = 18) reported suicidal thoughts. We also observed the influence of such factors as gender (p < 0.009), year (p < 0.001), major area of study (p < 0.034), and financial status (p < 0.000-0.003), on depression scores. Moreover, depressive symptomatology was most frequent in subjects who were only children, in freshmen and in students of psychology (11.5%, 13.2% and 16.7% respectively). However, we did not observe an impact of such agents as students' permanent place of residence (p = 0.929) or current living arrangements on depressive symptoms (p = 0.940). CONCLUSIONS: Susceptibility to depression fluctuates throughout the course of study and depends on factors associated with the study itself such as the student's major or year of study and other socio-demographic agents, i.e. gender or self-reported financial status.

[Determinants of personality and risky road behaviors at work in drivers of medical transport vehicles in the Wielkopolska (Greater Poland) voivodeship]. / Determinanty osobowosciowe a drogowe zachowania ryzykowne w pracy kierowców pojazdów uprzywilejowanych transportu medycznego w województwie wielkopolskim.

BACKGROUND: Personality determinants are an important predicator of road behaviors in drivers. The main objective of the study was to determine the relationship between personality determinants (neuroticism, extraversion, level of anxiety - features) and distinguishable risky behaviors of drivers of medical transport vehicles. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study covered 106 male drivers from the Wielkopolskie Voivodeship, working in health care, having a license to drive emergency vehicles. To achieve the research objectives a questionnaire was developed and applied. It concerned risky road behaviors among drivers of medical transport. The personality suitability was determined using the questionnaire methods on self-assessment: Polish versions of Eysenck Personality Questionnaire - Revised (EPQ-R) and the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) questionnaire. RESULTS: It was shown that drivers with introverted characteristics declare driving vehicles of reduced technical efficiency more often than extroverts. The level of the anxiety as a trait A-characteristic affects the display of distracting behaviors, making decisions about driving a vehicle that is inefficient, driving in a bad psychophysical condition, as well as maintaining too small distance from the preceding vehicle. The higher the intensity of anxiety characteristics, the higher the intensity of given behaviors. CONCLUSIONS: Based on the study results, it can be assumed that there is a relationship between determinants of personality and the display of risky behaviors of drivers of medical transport vehicles. Thus it can be concluded that the level of extraversion and anxiety as a trait are the differentiating characteristics of respondents.

Are students prone to depression and suicidal thoughts? Assessment of the risk of depression in university students from rural and urban areas.

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVE: Depressive disorders in adolescents and young adults may have serious developmental and functional consequences, such as academic failure or persistent psychosocial problems. University students are affected by specific agents which may play a role in the onset of depression. The problem of student depression is particularly important in Poland because of a recent increase in student numbers, therefore, the aim of the presented study was to evaluate the prevalence of the risk of depression and suicidal thoughts among university students in Poznan, Poland, and to analyze the role of gender, current living arrangements, background (rural/small town or urban permanent place of residence), and reported financial status. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 1,065 respondent students, mean age 21.1 years, 72% of whom were females, anonymously answered a questionnaire on the risk of depression (Kutcher's KADS) and a demographics survey. The obtained data were then analyzed statistically with the SPSS programme. RESULTS: 6.1 subjects were at risk of depression while 1.6 % of them had suicidal thoughts. Among analyzed determinants, perceived financial status and student's background (permanent place of residence) were found to have a statistically significant influence on the risk of depression. CONCLUSION: Students with rural/small town background and/or lower rather than good reported financial status are more likely to become depressed.

[The reasons of smoking cigarettes among students in Poznan universities--a comparative study]. / Motywy palenia wsród studentów poznanskich wyzszych uczelni. Analiza porównawcza.

UNLABELLED: Smoking cigarettes is one of the most common factor disturbing health and a part of negative life style. The aim of the study was to estimate the frequencies of smoking cigarettes and their conditions among students of two Poznan universities: Poznan University of Medical Sciences and Poznan University and three lines: physiotherapy, midwifery, psychology. 84 persons participated in the study. 22.6% of them were smoking and almost 80% were not smoking. 51% persons smoked in the past. Author's questionnaire of own concept used in the study. The research was conducted according to law of care about personal data. RESULTS: 9.5% smoking responders did it after breakfast, 16.6 % at working place during breaks. The data show that stress is a main reason of smoking. Almost 9.5% smoke during brakes at work and in social circumstances. According to opinion of examined group, the joy, relax are the effects of smoking. There were no significant differences and correlations between fear as a state and character and smoking. However the frequency of smoking in the group was lower in comparison to medium values in population of central part of Europe in a group of women. There was no correlation between sex and the frequency of smoking. The frequency of smoking in a group was lower in comparison to data from Central Europe region.