How did COVID-19 pandemic impact on healthy behaviours among Polish professionally active physiotherapists aged 20-50?

BACKGROUND: Due to the introduction of a number of changes to the health care system and the work nature of medical staff, theCOVID-19 pandemic still pose a public health challenge. The objective of the study was to characterize the health behaviours of Polish professionally active physiotherapists during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: The study included 104 Polish licensed and professionally active physiotherapists in whom health behaviours were assessed using an original questionnaire contained, among others, questions from the Global Physical Activity Questionnaire (GPAQ), the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), available via social media platforms. RESULTS: Among the physiotherapists, 34% worked directly with COVID-19 patients and 49% with those who had survived COVID-19. There were no statistically significant differences in most of the rates of physical activity undertaken by the physiotherapists surveyed (P > 0.05). Men were more likely to report taking up movement-related physical activity than women (P > 0.05). However, they spent more time sitting or lying down on a typical day (P > 0.05). The average time spent on the above-mentioned physical activities was also higher among the male participants than in the group of women (P > 0.05). There was an increase in the proportion of physiotherapists working over 40 h per week, from 29% before the pandemic to 38% during the pandemic. Statistically significant differences were observed for the products constituting the basison which of the diet of the examined physiotherapists was based (P < 0.05). The majority of the respondents reported no problems with falling asleep (p > 0.05). Stress related to the risk of contracting COVID-19, as well as concerns about the health of loved ones were more common and severe in the group of female subjects (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: During the COVID-19 pandemic, the health behaviours in some physiotherapists changed. Further studies are required to assess whether physiotherapists' health behaviours returned to baseline levels or slightly improved compared to the initial results. Also, it is necessary to introduce health-promoting initiatives that would focus on physiotherapists, support their positive health behaviours and provide special recommendations helping them to maintain health during a pandemic.

Musculoskeletal system injuries in the Polish Territorial Defence Forces.

BACKGROUND: Musculoskeletal system injuries (MSIs) are the major health problem of soldiers. The aim of this study was to assess the types of MSIs that occurred most frequently among soldiers and which parts of the body they generally affected. METHODS: The study included 140 Territorial Army soldiers, both men and women, serving in the Polish Territorial Defence Forces (TDF). Times and frequency of MSIs were assessed using an original questionnaire available via a web-based platform, the TDF Information Portal and the Yammer network. RESULTS: Among the participants, 42% reported MSIs, most often a single one (19%), incurred while doing military service. Damaged muscles and ligaments were the most common injuries in both groups (p>0.05). The knee joint was the main location of injuries for both sexes (24% in men vs 50% in women, p>0.05). Other parts of the body often affected by injuries were the shoulder joint (24%, p>0.05), head, spine, wrist, fingers, ankle and feet (19% each) in the male soldiers and the ankle (24%), spine (14%), head, chest, shoulder joint and foot (10% each) in the female soldiers. Injuries reoccurred with similar frequency in the female and male soldiers (43% vs 40%, p>0.05) and had the same location in both groups (43% vs 40%, respectively, p>0.05). Difficult terrain, too intensive military training and heavy loads were the main risk factors for MSIs in both groups (p>0.05). CONCLUSIONS: More than half of all the participants (19% of the men and 33% of the women) reported at least one injury incurred during military service. Over 40% of all the study subjects had reinjuries. The males and females were similar in terms of the most common type and location of MSI. Occurrence of MSIs rarely required interruption in the military training/service.

Types of the locomotor system injuries and frequency of occurrence in women pole dancers.

BACKGROUND: Pole dance (PD) is combination of various disciplines elements, including acrobatics, sport gymnastic and dance. Developing this skill is associated with an increased risk of the locomotor system injuries, which are inherent in amateur and professional PD trainings. The aim of the study was examination which kind of the locomotor system injury was generally appeared among pole dancers and in which part of the body it generally occurred. METHODS: The study included 213 women (aged 25,74±5,7 years) training PD. Types and frequency of the locomotor system injuries were assessed using an original questionnaire via social media platforms. RESULTS: Among participants, 58% reported the locomotor system injury during training, most often in its main part (88%). Joint overload and muscle tear were the most common types of injuries in both groups (P>0.05 and P=0.0094, respectively). Shoulder joint was the main location of injuries in amateur and professional dancers (44% vs. 50%). Often injuries also concerned: forearm (22%, P=0.0305), biceps femoris muscle and ankle joint (19% each) in amateurs and biceps femoris muscle (34%), wrist joint and spine (22% each) in proffessionals. Injuries were renewed more often in professionals than in amateurs (55% vs. 68%, P=0.0251) and concerned mainly shoulder joint in both groups (39% vs. 41%, P=0.0036). CONCLUSIONS: More than half of all participants declared at least one injury during PD training. Joint overload was the most common injury among all pole dancers. Shoulder joint was the most injuried both in amateur and professional pole dancers. More than half of all women experienced recurrent injuries, most often of shoulder joint.

Changes in lipid and apolipoprotein levels in response to 8-week cardiac rehabilitation in men with coronary artery disease.

Concentrations of selected lipoproteins are currently useful cardiovascular risk assessment indicators, especially in monitoring lipid-lowering therapy. AIM: The aim was to evaluate the influence of 8-week mid-term CR on apolipoproteins: A-I, B, E and VLDL in CAD patients in relation to conventional lipid profile and prior coronary intervention: PCI or CABG. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 93 male patients admitted to CR after PCI or CABG. At baseline and after CR, conventional lipid profile parameters and VLDL concentrations were evaluated. Apolipoproteins: A-I, B, E were also determined. Basic anthropometric indicators and measurements of hemodynamic and exercise tolerance at rest and peak workload in exercise testing (HR, sBP, dBP, DP, W) were measured. RESULTS: After CR, depending on revasculazation intervention, no changes in HDL-C, LDL-C, TG and VLDL values were observed (p>0.05). Reduction in apoA-I was noted in PCI group (p=0.0254). No statistically significant changes in apoB and apoE were found in groups. Significant increase in apo B/apo A-I index was observed only in PCI group (p=0.0329). PCI and CABG patients did not differ in hemodynamic and exercise tolerance parameters, except sBP in rest and dBP at peak workload in exercise testing (p=0.014 and p=0.031). Regardless on type of intervention, there was observed statistically significant increase in Wpeak (p=0,0000 in both groups) and DPpeak (p=0.0000 in PCI-patients and p=0.0003 in CABGpatients) after CR. CONCLUSIONS: CR has various effects on lipid concentrations. Indicators of conventional lipid profile and selected apolipoproteins are not optimal parameters allowing assessment of effectiveness of CR program in such a short time, this role is well fullfilled by the hemodynamic and physical exercise indices. Apo B/apo A-I ratio value suggests an increasing risk of IHD complications, especially in post- PCI group. CR program requires intensification of lipid-reducing therapy and education on lifestyle modification.

Metabolic risk in men with ischaemic heart disease and their participation in ambulatory comprehensive cardiac rehabilitation.

BACKGROUND: With a growing population of patients with ischaemic heart disease (IHD), the number of interventional cardiology and cardiac surgery procedures is also increasing. This is particularly the case for patients with multivessel coronary disease who are treated with percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI) and coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). A considerable part of the IHD population are subjects with metabolic syndrome (MetS) who participate in comprehensive cardiac rehabilitation (CCR) programs as a part of secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease. AIM: To evaluate prospectively conventional risk factors within MetS, including uric acid (UA) level, in men with IHD after PCI or CABG who participated in ambulatory CCR. METHODS: The study included 90 adult men (mean age 59.1 ± 7.31 years) with IHD after PCI (n = 63, 70%) or CABG (n = 27, 30%) referred for ambulatory CCR on average 30-60 days after an acute coronary syndrome. All subjects were examined twice 2 months apart - at the referral for CCR and after completion of CCR. MetS was diagnosed based on the measurement of systolic and diastolic blood pressure, waist circumference (WC), and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, triglyceride (TG), and fasting blood glucose levels. In all subjects, UA level was also measured and the waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) and body mass index (BMI) were calculated. Following clinical evaluation and exercise test, each patient underwent 24 interval training sessions on a cycle ergometer. The patients received drug therapy including beta-blockers, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, statins, and acetylsalicylic acid. As a part of CCR, the patients also received education regarding healthy lifestyle changes including physical activity, healthy diet, stress coping techniques, effects of nicotine and alcohol, and effective methods to eliminate these habits. RESULTS: In most subjects, WC, BMI and WHR did not change significantly after the period of 2 months of CCR, and WC and BMI increased in the CABG subgroup (p = 0.00003 and p = 0.0178, respectively). Irrespective of the type of cardiac intervention, significant increases in exercise capacity and physical effort tolerance were observed after 2 months of CCR (p < 0.00001). TG level increased in all participants (p = 0.0514) and in the PCI subgroup (p = 0.0489). Systolic blood pressure decreased in all participants (p = 0.0216) and in the PCI subgroup (p = 0.0043). Mean UA level also decreased in all patients regardless of the type of cardiac intervention. Overall, the proportion of patients with the diagnosis of MetS did not change significantly after 2 months of CCR (36% vs. 31%, p > 0.05). However, the rate of MetS decreased in the PCI subgroup (from 46% to 29%, p = 0.043) and increased in the CABG subgroup (from 11% do 37%, p = 0.0562). CONCLUSIONS: The effect of participation in CCR on the metabolic risk in men with IHD varies depending on the type of earlier cardiac intervention. The metabolic risk decreased in patients treated with PCI, while it increased in those treated with CABG. In order to reduce the metabolic risk, particularly in CABG patients, a CCR program requires intensification of the patient support including educational activities regarding diet and weight reduction as well as individually prescribed physical activity.