[Children nutrition and food preparation conditions in orphanages]. / Warunki i sposób zywienia wychowanków domów dziecka.

The study was carried out in all orphanages listed in sanitary-epidemiological stations. The main purpose of the study was to assess children nutrition and sanitary-hygienic conditions of meal's preparation in orphanages. Inspectors of Children's and Youth's Hygiene Departments of the sanitary-epidemiological stations assessed, by means of a uniformed questionnaire, the sanitary-hygienic conditions of kitchens and dinning-rooms and quality of diet served in orphanages. From total 327 children's homes (with 16471 inmates aged from 3 days up to 25 years) included in the study, 93% were run by State, 6% by the Church and 1% by Foundations. Results of the study showed that in majority of orphanages the sanitary conditions of meal preparation and consumption were satisfactory. Kitchens with proper equipment were recorded in 301 orphanages (92%), with good ventilation in 316 orphanages (97%) and with sufficient lighting in 304 orphanages (93%). Dietary assessment of children showed that in some orphanages inmates have eaten too few meals a day. In contrary it must be emphasized that in 241 orphanages (73%) the meals were served five times a day. It leads to assumption that in remaining 27% such a way of meals giving should be possible to achieve.

[Hygienic assessment of conditions for education and recreation of students in children's homes]. / Ocena higieniczna warunków do nauki i rekreacji wychowanków domów dziecka.

The study was carried out in 1995 in all children's homes listed in the sanitary-epidemiological stations in the country, with 16,471 inmates, among them 13,778 were attending elementary and secondary schools. The conditions for education and recreation in these homes were studied by the workers of the children and adolescent sections of the sanitary-epidemiological stations overseeing children's homes in the area of their coverage. For the study a uniform questionnaire was used. On the basis of the results the conclusion is put forward, that the conditions of education and recreation of children differ considerably from one home to another. In most homes the conditions for education and recreation are good. In certain homes short-comings were found, e.g. insufficient lighting of working places, which require actions for their elimination to avoid possible consequences for health. The actions undertaken for sending in 1995 of a possibly high number of inmates to summer or winter camps were brought into realization in a considerable degree. In summer 71% and in winter 23% of the inmates attending schools participated in various forms of organized recreation.

[Evaluation of health conditions in orphanages in Poland]. / Ocena warunków zdrowotnych w domach dziecka w Polsce.

The reported study was carried out in all orphanages controlled by the health conditions in these homes and inquiry form was evolved which made possible recording of deviations from the required state of hygiene and from the sanitary-technical requirements. In the realization of the study workers of the children and youths hygiene of the sanitary-epidemiological stations were participating. These workers supervised normally these homes in their areas. Out of 327 homes 93% were run by the state, 6% by the church and 1% by foundations; 30% of the homes were in rural areas, 45% in small towns, and 25% in province capitals. In 1995 these homes housed 16,471 inmates, 8,839 boys and 7,632 girls. On the basis of the obtained information it could be said that the health conditions varied greatly between these homes, and depended in a high degree on the care shown for the good of the inmates, and on the commitment of the staff. The poor sanitary-epidemiological conditions in certain homes were due to poor technical state of the buildings exploited during many years. Faulty were noted also due to negligence of the users of these homes. It is necessary to undertake current and remote future actions for improving these conditions of orphanages from the viewpoint of hygiene.

[Some life style elements in students from public and non-public secondary schools]. / Niektóre elementy rozkladu dnia uczniów publicznych i niepublicznych liceów ogólnoksztalcacych.

The studies were performed on 825 school-children 16-17 years old (512 girls and 313 boys) from first and second classes of secondary schools in some district towns in our country. 406 school-children attended public and 419 non-public schools. In the study was used a questionnaire worked out in the Institute for Children and Youth in Berlin. The analysis of the data collected by our co-workers of the District Sanitary-Epidemiological Stations enable the following conclusions: In both groups of pupils from the public and non-public secondary schools similar abnormalities in their everyday life detrimental for health were found. Improper dietary habits, sleep deficits, short time for physical activity belonged to the most important and most frequent lifestyle abnormalities. 18% of the respondents went to school without eating breakfast at home, 19% took their breakfast not every day and 3% of the examined pupils don't eat breakfast at all. During the working-days 14% of pupils were eating no warm meal. This was the cause more frequent in pupils from non-public schools (19%) than from public schools (4%). 18% of the respondents were eating not always dinner on working days. 82% of pupils were going to bed too late: 49% after 10 o'clock p.m. and 34% after 11 o'clock p.m. Greater irregularities were found among boys (92%) than among girls (76%). 13% of pupils from the public and non-public schools spent only 30 minutes, the way to school included, in the fresh air and 54% pupils in the public schools and 43% in non-public schools--about 1 hour.

[Parents, from the opinions of students in the first classes of general education secondary schools]. / Rodzice w ocenie uczniów pierwszych klas liceów ogólnoksztalcacych.

In cooperation with the workers of the Province Sanitary-Epidemiological Stations in Bydgoszcz, Gdansk, Koszalin, Cracow, Lódz, Poznan and Wroclaw an inquiry study was carried out of 839 students (517 girls and 322 boys) of the first classes of secondary schools, of whom 518 attended state schools and 321 attended schools run by non-governmental agencies. Since no statistically significant differences were found between girls and boys and between both types of schools, the results are presented for the whole studied population. Only 57% of the students regarded that in difficult situations they could rely on help and support of their parents; 55% considered that a mutual understanding existed between them and their parents; 7% described their relations with their parents as bad; 47 regarded their home atmosphere as calm and serene; 9% reported their families as contankerous; in 6% of the families quarrels between parents were frequent, and 15% of the students experienced such quarrels as particularly depressing, with 38% of girls and 14% of boys ruminating them even during lessons. Of interest were the data concerning spending of leisure time with parents. Time was spent with parents on school-days by 20% of the responders, and on Saturday and Sunday by 34%. On the other hand, time was not spent with parents on school-days by 37%, and during weekends by 16%. On weekdays 26% of female students from state-run schools and 12% of those from other schools spent the leisure time with their parents. Only 55% of the responding boys considered that the time spent with parents was sufficient.

[Evaluation of school and afterschool activities of public and nonpublic secondary school students]. / Ocena obciazen zajeciami szkolnymi i pozalekcyjnymi uczniów publicznych i niepublicznych liceów ogólnoksztalcacych.

The studies were performed on 825 school children (512 girls and 313 boys) from 1st and 2nd classes of secondary schools in som voievodship capital cities. 406 school children were from public, and 419 from non-public schools. The questionnaire prepared in the Institute for Children and Youngsters Institute in Berlin was used in this study. The evaluation of collected responses made possible to state the following conclusions: The organization of school and out school activities in public and non public schools was incorrect in several aspects ie. incorrect from the hygienic point of view organization of classes during day, too early beginning of the classes, too late ending of the classes in some week days, too long time needed to complete homework, and too late return to home after completing out school activities. The difficulties in homework completing were stated by school children from both public and non public schools. In 52% cases the parents helped in homework and 12% of children reported private lessons as an additional help in homework. The analysis of responses concerning frame of mind of school children showed better situation of pupils from non public schools. Only 15% of non public school children expressed reluctancy towards schools, as compared to 21% from public schools. The relationships between pupils and teachers did not worsened during consecutive years in non public schools, as opposite to public schools where the worsening of these relationships during the consecutive years was evident.

[Assessment of health conditions in student dormitories in Poland]. / Ocena warunków zdrowotnych w domach akademickich w Polsce.

The health conditions in all students' hostels in Poland were assessed in 1992 using a standardized set of criteria. The study was carried out by workers from the divisions of children and adolescent hygiene of all sanitary-epidemiological stations in whose areas were the hostels. The data obtained in 1991 were compared with those from the years 1983 and 1977, since the methods, range and organization of these studies were identical in these years. Out of the total number of 388 hostels in the lists supplied by 35 sanitary-epidemiological stations the health conditions were assessed in 382 hostels (98%). The hostels not assessed in this action were those where repair works were conducted. The assessment demonstrated that in the studied period from 1977 to 1991 the health conditions in students' hostels have improved significantly. The observed improvement was due, in a high degree, to reduced number of inhabitants in the hostels, and with modernization of the buildings which had not been built for accomodating students. The shortcomings of the sanitary-hygienic conditions in some hostels suggest the need for undertaking of current and long-term actions for improving artificial as well as natural lighting in dwelling rooms and rooms for reading, providing of optimal conditions for maintenance of personal hygiene, and for conditions of recreation, wherever possible, in the immediate vicinity of hostels. A disquieting tendency is the reduction in the number of students taking meals in students' canteens, with increasing organization of feeding on individual level, which, in view of the present falling economic resources of the population can have serious health consequences.

[Evaluation of psychophysical stress and prevalence of tiredness symptoms in private secondary school students]. / Ocena obciazen psychofizycznych a rozpowszechnienie objawów zmeczenia uczniów spolecznych liceów ogólnoksztalcacych.

The study was carried out on 603 students (330 girls and 273 boys) from secondary private schools in several province capitals. Among them 321 were in the first classes and 282 in the second classes. The purpose of the study was an assessment of the psychophysical stress experienced by these students and the prevalence of tiredness symptoms among them. Psychophysical stress was assessed by means of a questionnaire containing questions grouped so that it could be possible to determined the stress connected with learning at school, work beyond the lessons, timetable of work, situation in class and family, and the general wellbeing. The answers to all questions were given point scores. The total score as a sum of these points provided information about the total psychophysical stress. On the other hand, the answers to certain questions described the objective stressful situations to which the student was exposed, and his/her subjective experiencing of the troublesomeness of these stresses. The prevalence of subjective experience of tiredness was studied by means of a questionnaire in which the answers received points from 0 to 4. The results of the study made possible the following conclusions. The magnitude of the total psychophysical stress of girls in the first and second classes was greater than that of boys.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

[Prevalence of tobacco smoking and knowledge of harmful effects of smoking among school children in Warsaw]. / Rozpowszechnienie palenia papierosów a wiedza uczniów szkól warszawskich o szkodliwosci palenia.

The study was carried out on 1493 school children (740 girls and 753 boys) from randomly selected Warsaw schools. Among them 1006 attended classes 6 and 8 of elementary schools, and 487 attended 2nd classes of secondary schools; vocational schools, technical schools and general education secondary schools. The inquiry for data collecting was based on the variable serving for description of the prevalence of smoking and determination of the extent of knowledge possessed by the children on harmful effects of smoking. The obtained results were subjected to statistical analysis. It was found that 51% of these children, more boys than girls, had already tried smoking. Most boys smoked their first cigarette at the age or 10 and 12 years, and girls at 14 years. The first contact with cigarettes had already been made by 31% children in class 6, 55% of those in class 8 of elementary schools, 53% of students in class 2 of general education secondary schools, 71% of those in class 2 of technical schools and 79% of those in vocational schools. The first contact with smoking was not meaning that these children continued smoking; from 46% to 77% of them in various classes or schools do not smoke at all. In the studied population 84% (more often girls than boys) do not smoke, but 7% smoke daily (twice as many boys as girls) and the mean number of daily smoked cigarettes is 11. At least one weekly smoke 4% of children. The mean number of weekly cigarettes is 40, but girls smoke 29 and boys 47, on average. Less than once weekly smoke 5% of children, both girls and boys. Most children smoking daily attend 2nd classes of vocational schools.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

[Hygienic and health conditions at scout camps]. / Warunki higieniczno-zdrowotne na obozach harcerskich.

In 1990, 230 scout camps organized throughout the whole of Poland (except for the Legnica and Lódz voivodeships) were inspected. In co-operation with the staff of the children's and youth hygiene departments of the provincial sanitary-and-epidemiological stations, the data concerning the hygienic and health conditions at scout camps collected. Moreover, information on medical care, health state and nutrition at these camps was obtained. The data showed that in the period under survey, despite some exceptions, the hygienic and health conditions at scout camps could be regarded as satisfactory, when making allowances for the current limited organizing, financial and staff-related possibilities of scouting. In the present difficult economic situation of Poland, when the standard of living of many families is low, special attention has to be given to balanced nutrition of children, which is decisive of their normal psychophysical development.

[Psychophysical load of students in the first year of community secondary schools]. / Obciazenie psychofizyczne uczniów klas pier wszych spolecznych liceów ogólnoksztalcacych.

The material comprised 179 first-grade pupils (92 girls and 87 boys) of private high-schools in several big cities. The psychophysical load of pupils was evaluated using a standard questionnaire containing 77 questions. These questions were arranged in groups allowing for estimation of psychophysical load related to school lessons, extracurricular activities, daily timetable, pupil's situation in the class and family, and his psychic feeling. The results were treated statistically; moreover, they were compared with the results of earlier studies on 518 first-grade pupils (346 girls and 172 boys) of public high-schools in the same cities. The results lead to the following conclusions: In both private and public high-schools the psychophysical load of girls exceeded that of boys. Likewise, the objectively existing load-causing situations and subjective feelings of the troublesomeness of these situations were a greater nuisance to girls. Psychophysical loads of these girls and boys were somewhat slighter in private than in public high-schools. This decrease in psychophysical load of girls and boys attending private high-schools is associated with smaller loads related to school lessons and to the pupil's situation in the family and class, as well as is due to his better psychic feeling. Loads related to extracurricular activities were similar for girls and boys, irrespective of the kind of high-school. Loads associated with school timetable were in private schools similar for girls and boys, whereas in public schools they were somewhat higher for girls.

[Psychophysical stress among students of secondary schools during the years of education]. / Psychofizyczne obciazenie uczniów liceum ogólnoksztalcacego a lata nauki.

A group of students attended in successive classes of secondary schools were examined in the school-years 1984/85--1987/88. The studied material comprised 165 students (116 girls and 42 boys) beginning education in the first classes. In second classes were 161 students, in third--160 students and in four classes--149 students. The psychophysical stress of the students was assessed by a standardized 77 questions grouped so that it was possible to assess the psychophysical strain connected with school-education, work outside school, day timetable, situation in the class and in the family and physical well-being. The sum of the points obtained in the answers provided information about the general psychophysical stress the answers to certain questions described objectively the stressful situations and the personal experiencing of the troublesomeness++ of them. It was found that with longer time spent in school psychophysical situation of girls and boys was deteriorating because the psychophysical stress from classes to classes was increasing. The psychophysical stress of students in compared classes differed for both sexes. It was greater in girls in successive classes. The objective stressful situations and the personal experiencing of this stress increased among girls from year to year. The psychophysical stress connected with objective situation deteriorated in the fourth classes among boys, nevertheless the subjective experiencing of this stress was raised to its highest value. The final examination (diploma from a European gymnasium) determined a great emotional stress of students, especially for boys.

[Changes in psychophysical load of high school students as a result of educational reform]. / Zmiany obciazen psychofizycznych uczniów liceum ogólnoksztalcacego w wyniku reformy nauczania.

The material comprised 2679 secondary school pupils (1959 girls and 1020 boys) from several Polish big cities, among whom 1281 pupils took up the old school program and 1968--the new program. The present studies were initiated in school year 1985/86 and were completed in 1989/1990. The psychophysical load of pupils was evaluated by means of a standard questionnaire comprising 77 questions grouped into problems, allowing us to determine the pupil's psychophysical load associated with school education, extra school occupations, daily time-table, situation in the class and family as well as psychic general feeling. The overall score obtained for all answers informed about the total psychophysical load. Answers to selected questions objectively specified the prevailing load-causing situations, as well as estimated the subjective feeling of the burden of these loads. The results led to the following conclusions: both prior to and after the introduction of changes in school programs (educational reform), the overall psychophysical situation of girls and boys deteriorated with years of school education. Introduction of changes in school programs has led to an increase overall psychophysical load of pupils in all classes compared, with the exception of the final class (before the examination for the secondary-school certificate). After the educational reform, the load was heaviest in the second class of secondary school. The psychophysical load of girls exceeded that of boys. Likewise, the loads associated with the objectively prevailing load-causing situations as well as those associated with subjective feeling of the burden of these loads were heavier in girls than in boys, both before and after the introduction of changes in school programs.

[Changes in psycho-physical stress in third-class high school students as a result of school reform]. / Zmiany obciazen psychofizycznych uczniów klas trzecich liceum ogólnoksztalcacego w wyniku reformy nauczania.

Before the introduction of school reform 344 students of third classes of high schools (238 girls and 106 boys) were examined, and after introduction of the reform - 373 students (240 girls and 133 boys) were examined. The psychophysical stress of the students was assessed by means of standardized inquiry containing 77 questions grouped so that it was possible to evaluate psychophysical stress connected with ++school work, home work, timing of work during the day, situation of the student in class and in family, and with the psychic state. The sum of points obtained from all questions gave information on the total psychophysical stress. Responses to certain questions defined objectively the situations of stress and subjective experiencing of their fatigue. The school reform increased the general psychophysical stress. Before and after introduction of the reform in school programmes the stress felt by girls was greater than that of boys. The introduction of changes in the programmes had a different effect on the intensity of stress in girls and boys. In girls the stress resulting from the objectively existing stressful situation, from schoolwork and timing of work during the day was greater. The stress experienced by boys was increased in the aspects of schoolwork, situation of the student in his class and family, and psychic state, as well as subjective experiencing of stresses.

[Comparison of psychophysical stress in students in the first and second grades at secondary schools]. / Porównanie obciazen psychofizycznych uczniów klas pierwszych i drugich liceum ogólnoksztalcacego.

The study was carried out on 298 students (216 girls and 82 boys) beginning education in the first classes of secondary schools in Bydgoszcz, Cracow and Poznan. After one year the same students were examined again (282 second class students, 197 girls and 85 boys). The psychophysical stress was determined using an inquiry with 77 questions grouped in such a way that it was possible to pinpoint stress related to school education, work outside school, day timetable, situation of the student in class and family, and psychic wellbeing. The total score of all answers provided information on the total psychophysical stress. The answers to the questions pointed to the stressful factors and subjective feeling of the troublesomeness of these factors. It was found that with longer time spent in school the psychophysical stress was increasing. Although the stress resulting with objectively existing situations was at a similar level in both compared classes in the case of girls, and was slightly higher in the second class for boys, the subjective feeling of troublesomeness of these situations increased evidently in the second year both for boys and girls. The psychophysical stress of students in both compared classes differed for both sexes. In girls the psychophysical stress, subjective feeling of troublesomeness of work related to lessons, work timetable, student's situation in class and family and psychic wellbeing were greater in the first and second year of education. Only the magnitude of stress connected with work outside school was similar for boys and girls, and it was similar in both compared classes. The obtained results suggest the need for a differential approach during education to girls and boys, since girls are more susceptible to the effects of various stressful factors.

[Changes in psychophysical loads of junior high school students as a result of the educational reform]. / Zmiany obciazen psychofizycznych uczniów klas pierwszych liceum ogolnoksztalcacego w wyniku reformy nauczania.

Prior to introduction of changes in the education programme in 1985/1986 a group of 400 students (277 girls and 123 boys) were examined. They were in the first class of the colleges in several cities. One year later, after a reform of the education programme, another group of first-year students were tested (212 girls and 117 boys) in the same schools. The psychophysical strain of the students was assessed by means of a standardized inquiry containing 77 questions grouped so that it was possible to assess the psychophysical strain connected with school education, work outside school, timing of work during a day, situation in the class and in the family, and psychic wellbeing. The sum of the points obtained in the answers provided information about the general psychophysical strain. The answers to certain questions described objectively the stressful situations and the subjective experiencing of the difficulties of them. Psychophysical strain of first class students before and after the introduction of changes in the education programme differed between girls and boys. The strain experienced by girls was greater than that of boys, but the changes in the education programme decreased the difference between them in the intensity of strain. The reform of the education programme increased the total psychophysical strain of girls and boys, due to increased strain related to the objective stressful situations of first class students and to subjective experiencing of this strain.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)