Active or Passive Aging? Analysis of Selected Socioeconomic Factors in the Polish Population.

The aim of this study was to identify the factors that determined the participation of people aged 60 years and older in physical activity (PA) at least once or more frequently in the year before the survey. The analysis included sociodemographic variables, any certificate of disability, level of physical fitness, and declared sports skills. The study used data from the "Participation of Poles in Sports and Physical Recreation in 2012" survey (designed and conducted by Statistics Poland). Questionnaires from 2724 people qualified for analysis. An analysis of frequency and odds ratio (followed by logistic regression analysis) was used to evaluate the determinants of participation of older adults in PA. Participation in PA was declared by 23.7%, most often by older adults aged 60-64 years (chi2 = 67.72; p < 0.001). With age, the likelihood of participation in PA declined until the age of 75, when the percentage of active participants increased to 27.4%. Of the variables analyzed (logistic regression model), only very good (p < 0.001) and good (p = 0.002) levels of self-rated physical fitness, secondary (p = 0.014) or tertiary (p = 0.003) education, and a higher number of declared sports skills (p < 0.001) had a favorable effect on the frequency of participation in PA. The low PA of Poles aged 60 years and over (especially those entering retirement age) requires social intervention. Instead of focusing sports policy on increasing the number of participants, it seems more reasonable to focus on individuals living in rural areas with lower socio-professional status and physical fitness. It is necessary to use an individual approach (according to abilities, skill level, and needs) and create systems of interrelations that would provide older adults with support (including the use of social resources).

Cycling to work: Business people, encourage more physical activity in your employees!

BACKGROUND: Cycling to work has been promoted all over the world. Contemporary employers invest in human capital (create a friendly work environment, care about the quality of life and health of employees). OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to evaluate the popularity of cycling to work and the motivations and barriers to this activity. METHODS: The study used data obtained from the survey Using cycling in everyday transportation conducted at the request of the Ministry of Sport and Tourism. The data were collected by means of computer-assisted personal interviewing (CAPI). RESULTS: A mere 9.9% of Poles commute to work by bike, but they cycle to work on a regular basis (68.6% of respondents do this several times a week for 1 to 6 months). They mostly cycle to improve/maintain health and physical fitness and for reasons concerning environmental protection. According to 49.5% of respondents, the infrastructure at the workplace is insufficient for commuting by bike. A substantial problem is the lack of changing rooms or places to change clothes (44.0%) and no access to showers (22.2%). In the opinions of 66.7%, the promotion of regular commuting to work by bike requires extension of the cycling infrastructure. CONCLUSIONS: The results indicate the necessity of employers' investment in the infrastructure and cycling facilities.

Influence of Running Phases on the Postural Balance of Modern Pentathlon Athletes in a Laser Run Event.

Background: The Laser Run combined event is part of the modern pentathlon, consisting of successive shooting and running phases. The main factor hindering accurate and fast shooting is the increasing fatigue caused by running effort. The aim of this study was to assess the impact of the running phases on the postural balance in the shooting position of pentathletes in a Laser Run event. Methods: 25 modern pentathletes (18.6 ± 1.7 years), members of the Polish Association of Modern Pentathlon, completed a Laser Run event. During each shooting series, a Zebris dynamometric platform recorded the displacement of the centre of pressure (COP). Results: Significant changes in the average velocity of the COP (F = 3.43; p = 0.0223) and the width of the ellipse of the COP shifts area WoE (F = 3.30; p = 0.0259) between the first and the second shooting series were observed. The average velocity of the COP in series I was 72.6 m/s and increased to 84.3 m/s in series II. In turn, the average width of the ellipse of the COP in series I reached 29.1 mm and in series II, 34.1 mm. Conclusions: The fatigue caused by the running phases in the Laser Run affects the stability of the shooting position of pentathletes. Disturbances that occur after the first running phase are maintained at the same level during the subsequent shooting series. The fatigue level does not affect the magnitude of the disturbances of the postural balance in the shooting position.

Short-Term and Medium-Term Impact of Retirement on Sport Activity, Self-Reported Health, and Social Activity of Women and Men in Poland.

Background. The aim of this study was to assess how retirement affects the short-term (up to 2 years after retirement) and medium-term (2-4 years) sport/exercise activity (S/EA) of Poles. To gain a broader context for interpretation, the effect of retirement on self-rated health status, attitudes, social activity, and sexual life was analysed. Methods. A quasiexperiment utilizing data from the longitudinal study Social Diagnosis and radius-matching method was conducted. Retiring men and women were matched with similar, nonretiring ones to make comparisons of differences in S/EA and other outcomes interpretable in terms of causality. Results. Retirement does not have a significant effect in the short term on S/EA of men (p=.440) and women (p=.340). The satisfaction of men with their health status in this period was improved (p=.007), although they more often declared health problems that impaired their everyday functioning (p=.045). Women rarely reported serious health problems (p=.024). In the medium perspective, retirement had the effect on reducing S/EA in men (p=.012) and various dimensions of their social life. Although men tend to worry more often about their health (p<0.001), they are less likely to suffer from problems with moving (p=.001) and fatigue (p=.013). Despite the fact that women are more often satisfied with their health (p=.027), they also more often complain about heart or chest pain (p=.010), body pain (p=.009), and fatigue (p=.007). Conclusion. It is necessary to prepare employees for retirement much earlier than in the preretirement age. In addition to raising awareness of the effect of S/EA functions, it is necessary to monitor the physical activity of employees and to use appropriate programmes for (1) maintaining motivation among employees who are physically active before they retire and (2) raising awareness and encouraging physical activity in employees who are physically passive.

Static Postural Balance in Modern Pentathletes: A Pilot Study.

Postural balance is a key element of shooting effectiveness, which determines the outcome of modern pentathlon competitions. The aim of the study is to examine the postural balance of 27 pentathletes (12 females and 15 males; mean age: 18.0 ± 1.8 years), and 26 physically active, untrained subjects (12 females and 14 males; mean age: 22.5 ± 1.4 years), and to investigate the impact of footwear on the stability of the shooting position in pentathletes. Methods: Static postural balance was examined during quiet stance in four test conditions (standing in footwear with eyes opened, standing in footwear with eyes closed, standing barefoot with eyes opened, and standing barefoot with eyes closed). During each postural balance measurement, the participant remained still on the platform, with their arms in front of their body. Postural balance in the shooting position was only evaluated in the group of pentathletes. The athlete was asked to assume a comfortable shooting position on the platform and to aim at the target. Standard pentathlon targets and pistols were used in the study. Measurements were carried out twice (barefoot and in footwear). Results: In all conditions, pentathletes achieved lower values of posturographic measures than in the control group. In non-visual conditions, measures describing the surface area of the centre of pressure decreased in pentathletes and increased in the control group. Both pentathletes and non-athletes were equally stable barefoot as in footwear. Footwear did not affect postural sway in the shooting position in pentathletes. Conclusions: Pentathletes were found to have significantly better stance stability and were less vision-dependent in postural balance than untrained subjects. Bearing in mind that the shooting position of pentathletes was as stable barefoot as in footwear, the main factors which were most likely responsible for minimising body oscillations in the pentathletes were their high level of concentration and conscious control of body alignment.

Postural balance and rifle stability in a standing shooting position after specific physical effort in biathletes.

The aim of the study was to evaluate the effect of maximal specific physical effort on postural balance and rifle stability in biathletes in a standing shooting position. The study included 10 junior elite biathletes. The measurements were taken with the Vicon system and AMTI force platform. Postural balance and rifle stability characteristics were determined at rest as well as 1 and 5 min post maximal specific physical effort which was performed on a ski ergometer and continued until exhaustion. Maximal physical effort exerted a significant effect on all examined postural sway and rifle sway characteristics. The duration of the post-exercise changes was longer than 5 minutes. Higher post-effort rifle sway was observed in the vertical direction than in the across the shooting line direction. Post-effort postural balance impairment in the shooting line was much greater than in the across the shooting line direction. Moreover, a strong correlation was found between postural balance and rifle stability. Maximal physical effort influenced postural balance and rifle stability during aiming. Rifle sway during aiming in a standing shooting position seems to be coordinated with the postural sway of the biathlete's body. Thus, an increase in postural sway contributes to greater sway and lesser stability of the rifle.

Relationships between Physical Activity and Quality of Life in Pregnant Women in the Second and Third Trimester.

BACKGROUND: The problem of an inadequate level of physical activity (PA) is important in the context of its relationship with the quality of life (QoL) of pregnant women. The aim of this study was to analyze the relationships between PA and QoL among pregnant women. METHODS: The study analyzed 346 questionnaires filled in by pregnant women (157 in the second trimester and 189 in the third). The tool used for assessment of PA was the Pregnancy Physical Activity Questionnaire-Polish version (PPAQ-PL). The quality of life (QoL) was assessed by the World Health Organization Quality of Life Questionnaire-short form (WHOQoL-Bref). The results obtained from the PPAQ-PL and WHOQoL-Bref questionnaires for women in the second and third trimesters of pregnancy and intergroup differences were analyzed. RESULTS: There was a significant correlation in the group of women in the second trimester of pregnancy between quality of life in the physical health domain and the intensity and type of physical activity. The women who rated their quality of life higher in this domain declared higher energy expenditures (EE) associated with vigorous activity (R = 0.159, p ≤ 0.05), as well as with occupational activity (R = 0.166; p ≤ 0.05) and sport/exercise activity (R = 0.187; p ≤ 0.05). In women in the third trimester, higher EE related to sport/exercise activity coincided with higher assessments of the overall quality of life (R = 0.149, p ≤ 0.05) and general health (R = 0.170, p ≤ 0.05). In the case of the psychological domain (R = 0.161, p ≤ 0.05) and social relationship domain (R = 0.188; p ≤ 0.05) of QoL, positive correlations occurred with EE related to vigorous activity. In contrast, high assessment of physical health domain coincided with higher EE related to occupational activity (R = 0.174; p ≤ 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Our study makes an important contribution to knowledge concerning the correlations between PA and QoL in pregnancy. The results suggest the need for improvement in prenatal care and promotion of PA programs for pregnant women.

Martial Arts as a Form of Undertaking Physical Activity in Leisure Time Analysis of Factors Determining Participation of Poles.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this paper was to analyze selected sociodemographic and economic factors that determine practicing martial arts (MA) in Poland. Our hypothesis states that MA constitute a niche sport, which is a result of conditions shaping the decision to undertake them: perception through the lens of the media/entertainment business (rather than primary values), insufficient space for practicing, as well as high costs. METHODS: The study was based on a survey conducted on a representative sample of Poles (n = 12,183). Results for 470 participants declaring some level of proficiency in MA were presented (including 124 declaring active participation). In order to verify statistically significant differences, a Chi-Square test, single-agent logistic regression analysis, and adds ratio were applied. RESULTS: 3.0% of respondents declared basic skills in MA, while advanced skills were declared by 0.9% participants. Only 1% were active practitioners. The leading motivation was "pleasure" (62.1%), followed by "keeping fit and maintaining healthy body shape" (21.8%) and "health" (7.3%). The probability of participation in MA decreased with age (40 years of age being the turning point). As for young people, there is a 15 times lower chance of married individuals undertaking MA, while possessing advanced skills doubles the probability. School provides a place to practice MA during school years, but there is a problem with continuation at a later age (18.8% declaring classes organized at school vs. 5.4% organized at work). CONCLUSIONS: Reversing the trend of decreasing popularity of MA requires promotion on each level of education and creating opportunities to continue participation after graduation. There is a need to increase the availability of cheap sport facilities in the vicinity of the place of residence or work. In case of adults, it is important to build platforms facilitating contact with MA centers.

Eye on the Ball: Table Tennis as a Pro-Health Form of Leisure-Time Physical Activity.

Background: The article is devoted to an analysis of leisure-time (amateur) table tennis in Poland, its practitioners and the regularities of their activity. Methods: The study examined 12,406 persons in 4689 households (representative for the population). We used binary logistic regression and descriptive statistics in order to identify the patterns and determinants of table-tennis practice in Poland. Results: Table tennis is practised by 2.8% of population, and by 6.6% of physically active Poles. Among adults it is predominantly an occasional recreational game, not performed as a sport per se. Among children, it is often the part of physical education (PE) classes. Statistically significant predictors of contact with table tennis are: gender, age, income, place of residence, children in the household and being a student. Conclusions: Due to the undeniable benefits of table tennis (health, pleasure, personal and social development), the sport is recommended for use as a tool in increasing the (overall low) physical activity of Poles. Its popularization requires promotion in the media (as a health-oriented activity) and using various channels, including public places, the workplace (as part of corporate social responsibility) and physical education classes at school.

Measuring physical activity during pregnancy - Cultural adaptation of the Pregnancy Physical Activity Questionnaire (PPAQ) and assessment of its reliability in Polish conditions.

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVE: The assessment of physical activity during pregnancy is crucial in perinatal care and it is an important research topic. Unfortunately, in Poland there is a lack of one commonly accepted questionnaire of physical activity during pregnancy. The aim of this study was to adapt the Pregnancy Physical Activity Questionnaire (PPAQ) to Polish conditions and assess the reliability of its Polish version (PPAQ-PL). MATERIAL AND METHODS: The PPAQ was translated from English into Polish and its reliability tested. 64 correctly completed (twice, one week apart) questionnaires were qualified for analysis. Test-retest reliability was assessed using Intraclass Correlation Coefficient (ICC). RESULTS: As a result of the adaptation and psychometric assessment, in the Polish version of the questionnaire the number of questions was reduced from 36 to 35 by removing the question concerning 'mowing lawn while on a riding mower'. The ICC value for total activity was 0.75, which confirms a substantial level of reliability. The ICC values for subscales of intensity ranged from 0.53 (light) - 0.86 (vigorous). For subscales of type, ICC values ranged from 0.59 (transportation) - 0.89 (household/caregiving). CONCLUSIONS: The PPAQ-PL can be accepted as a reliable tool for the assessing physical activity of pregnant women in Poland. Information obtained using the questionnaire might be helpful in monitoring health behaviours, preventing obesity, as well as designing and promoting physical activity programmes for pregnant women.

Gaze Control in One Versus One Defensive Situations in Soccer Players With Various Levels of Expertise.

Experienced and less experienced soccer players were compared in terms of their gaze behavior (number of fixations, fixation duration, number of fixation regions, and distribution of fixations across specific regions) during frontal 1 vs. 1 defensive situations. Twenty-four men (eight experienced soccer players, eight less experienced players and eight non-players) watched 20 video clips. Gaze behavior was registered with an Eye Tracking System. The video scenes were analyzed frame-by-frame. Significant main effect of the group (experience) was observed for the number of fixation regions. Experienced soccer players had a lower number of fixation regions than the non-soccer players. Moreover, the former group presented with significantly larger percentage of fixations in the ball/foot region. These findings suggest that experienced players may use a more efficient search strategy than novices, involving fixation on a lesser number of areas in specific locations.

Influence of Posturographic Protocol on Postural Stability Sways During Bipedal Stance After Ankle Muscle Fatigue.

The aim of this study was to analyze the persistence of exercise-induced changes in postural stability and to verify if they last long enough to be captured by two sequential posturographic tests. The study, including 12 healthy young men (M age = 20.7 year, SD = 0.7), comprised two sessions (Sessions I and II). Each session included one physical exercise, along with two posturographic measurements taken prior to and after the effort, respectively. During Session I, open-eye test was followed by closed-eye test. This order was reversed during Session II, when closed-eye test was followed by open-eye test. The physical exercise protocol included repeated standing dual-heel raise until refusal. Regardless of the test order, markedly stronger effects of exercise-induced fatigue were documented during the first posturographic measurement. Only one reliable posturographic measurement can be taken if the fatigue protocol results in a short-term disruption of postural stability. The adverse effects of exercise-induced fatigue may no longer be observed during the subsequent test. As a result, the extent of post-exercise changes in postural stability may be underestimated leading to erroneous conclusions.

The Efficiency of a Visual Skills Training Program on Visual Search Performance.

In this study, we conducted an experiment in which we analyzed the possibilities to develop visual skills by specifically targeted training of visual search. The aim of our study was to investigate whether, for how long and to what extent a training program for visual functions could improve visual search. The study involved 24 healthy students from the Szczecin University who were divided into two groups: experimental (12) and control (12). In addition to regular sports and recreational activities of the curriculum, the subjects of the experimental group also participated in 8-week long training with visual functions, 3 times a week for 45 min. The Signal Test of the Vienna Test System was performed four times: before entering the study, after first 4 weeks of the experiment, immediately after its completion and 4 weeks after the study terminated. The results of this experiment proved that an 8-week long perceptual training program significantly differentiated the plot of visual detecting time. For the visual detecting time changes, the first factor, Group, was significant as a main effect (F(1,22)=6.49, p<0.05) as well as the second factor, Training (F(3,66)=5.06, p<0.01). The interaction between the two factors (Group vs. Training) of perceptual training was F(3,66)=6.82 (p<0.001). Similarly, for the number of correct reactions, there was a main effect of a Group factor (F(1,22)=23.40, p<0.001), a main effect of a Training factor (F(3,66)=11.60, p<0.001) and a significant interaction between factors (Group vs. Training) (F(3,66)=10.33, p<0.001). Our study suggests that 8-week training of visual functions can improve visual search performance.

The Effects of Sports Vision Training on Binocular Vision Function in Female University Athletes.

Binocular vision is the most important visual cue for spatial orientation in many sports. In this study, we investigated how binocular vision was influenced by an eye training program that may be used to improve individual's oculomotor function. The experiment involved twenty-four female student athletes from team ball sports (soccer, basketball, handball). After an initial testing session, 12 participants were randomly allocated to the experimental group. Optometric investigation which included synoptophore testing and a test of dissociated horizontal phoria based on the Maddox method was performed three times: before the experiment, after eight weeks of eye training (3 times a week for 20 minutes), and four weeks after the experiment was terminated. Eye exercise methodology was based on orthoptic, sport and psychological aspects of performance. The phoria screening examination showed that exophoria was the most frequent disorder of binocular vision. Low fusional vergence range was also observed. Following the training period, 3 of the 6 oculomotor variables improved. The greatest effect was observed in near dissociated phoria (χ(2) =14.56, p=0.001 for the right eye; χ(2) =14.757, p=0.001 for the left eye) and fusional convergence (χ(2) =8.522, p=0.014). The results of the retention test conducted four weeks after the experiment confirmed the effectiveness of the vision training program. The results of the study suggest that binocular functions are trainable and can be improved by means of appropriate visual training.

The Relationship between Levels of Physical Activity and Quality of Life among Students of the University of the Third Age.

AIM: The assessment of quality of life (QoL) among elderly people is of great importance when preparing health care programmes for this social group. Many researchers indicate that poor health is less frequently observed in senior citizens who display levels of physical activity (PA) prescribed by WHO. The aim of the study was to investigate the relationship between the level of PA among students of the University of the Third Age (U3A) and their self-assessment concerning their QoL. METHODS: The research sample consisted of 131 students from three U3A in West Pomeranian Voivodeship in Poland. PA was assessed with the aid of a short Polish version of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ). The assessment of QoL was conducted with the use of a Polish version of the WHO Quality of Life--BREF instrument (WHOQOL-BREF). RESULTS: The present study has shown that highly active U3A students declare high QoL in the psychological and social domains more often than other respondents. CONCLUSION: The level of PA recommended by WHO has a positive impact on the perceived QoL. Possible differences are visible mostly in the assessment of different domains of life in relation to the presented levels of PA.

Nutritional habits in the light of general health behaviours of pregnant women.

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVE: Teaching pregnant women behaviours connected with care for one's health condition and a healthy lifestyle is crucial in perinatal care. Desired health behaviours, including nutritional habits, play an important role in the health of the mother, as well as the proper development of the foetus. The aim of the presented study was to analyse the subjective assessment of nutritional habits in the light of general health behaviours of pregnant women. MATERIALS AND METHOD: Research was conducted on a sample of 81 women in Szczecin. The methodological basis for investigation was Juczynski's Health Behaviour Inventory (HBI). General index of intensity of health behaviours (GIIHB) was calculated by adding the results for all the 24 statements included in the HBI. Four categories of health behaviours were analysed separately: proper nutritional habits, preventive behaviours, positive thinking and health practices. The study presents the analysis of proper nutritional habits (PNH) in the light of GIIHB of women attending antenatal classes. RESULTS: Results indicate that the PNH of pregnant women displays a positive correlation with their GIIHB (r=0.654; p<0.05). It is also shown that the PNH (r=0.26, p<0.05) and GIIHB (r=0.35; p<0.05) are related to the age of pregnant women participating in antenatal classes. CONCLUSIONS: Research indicates the need for education of pregnant women, initiatives and campaigns aimed at propagating and promoting proper health behaviours, including nutritional behaviours. There is a positive relationship between the PNH of women participating in antenatal classes and their GIIHB. Such measures should be addressed to women regardless of whether they participate in antenatal classes or not, and regardless of their age or level of education.

Does athletic training in volleyball modulate the components of visual evoked potentials? A preliminary investigation.

This longitudinal study investigated visual evoked potentials (VEPs) in 11 young female volleyball players who participated in extensive training for 2 years. The control group consisted of 7 age-matched female students who were not involved in any regular sports activity. Recordings of VEPs were performed twice: baseline recording (i.e., before training began) and after 2 years of systematic, volleyball-specific athletic training. The effect of athletic training on visual signal conductivity was assessed by recording the latency of N75, P100 and N135 components of the VEPs waveform. Extensive experience with volleyball training reduced signal conductivity time through visual pathway. Specifically, the latency of P100 was reduced on average by 2.2 ms during binocular viewing. Moreover, athletes had reduced N75 latency (difference of 3.3 ms) for visual stimuli that generated greater response from peripheral retina. These results indicate that sport training can affect very early sensory processing in athletes.