Introduction. Arterial hypertension, the prevalence of which in the adult population of developed countries varies from 20-50%, is one of the most significant risk factors of cardiovascular disorders, being the principal cause of mortality in Europe and leading to a deterioration in the quality of life and to disability. Aim. The purpose of this study was to assess nurses’ knowledge on the current classification of BP levels and hypertension as well as of its prevalence and clinical consequences. Material and methods. The study included 1,108 participants (W-1,089, M-19, aged 21-60, 0-37 years of work experience). The study was conducted in 2007-2009 using the diagnostic survey method. Results. Half of the respondents correctly defined the prevalence of arterial hypertension in Poland and indicated the levels of optimal blood pressure and the arterial hypertension threshold. The best-known consequences of hypertension were stroke (93.5%), coronary heart disease (86.1%) and heart failure (84.6%). Sex, place of residence, length of service, holding a Bachelor’s diploma and completion of specialization training were not found to significantly affect the respondents’ answers. Significantly more correct answers were given by respondents aged 20-25 who had not started to work yet, those who were not married, and graduates from master’s degree studies in nursing. Conclusions. The study subjects demonstrated a moderate level of knowledge of the prevalence rate, classification of BP levels and diagnostic criteria for arterial hypertension, and an acceptable level of knowledge of hypertension complications.

Introduction. Proper oral hygiene has a significant effect on the health of the entire body, but frequent brushing of teeth and proper diet can substantially reduce dental caries risks. Aim. The aim of the work is the comparison of oral hygiene habits among Polish and foreign students of Medical University of Lublin. Material and methods. We have carried out a survey among 279 Students of Medical University of Lublin. The respondents comprised 189 students from Poland and 90 students of English Division who come from USA, Canada, Taiwan, India, and Norway. The survey questions concerned the frequency of tooth brushing, consumption of sweets, and dental office visits. The results were statistically analysed. Results. The results are summarized in Tables 1-5. The respondents were divided into two groups: Polish and foreign students. Statistical analysis has revealed statistically significant difference between Polish and foreign students concerning the frequency of dental office visits, brushing teeth, tongue cleaning, and subjective evaluation of oral health condition. There is no statistically significant difference in frequency of sweets consumption. Discussion. Research results concerning oral health care awareness of the students of Medical University of Lublin were compared to the results of Kawamura from Hiroshima, Usman from India, Wędrychowicz-Welman from Poznań, among others. Conclusions. Students of Medical University of Lublin demonstrate sufficient level of oral health awareness. Foreign students visit dental office more often to check-up their teeth. Both groups of respondents usually brush their teeth two times a day, regularly clean tongue and evaluate their oral health condition as good.

Introduction. Since September 2012, pursuant to the decision of the Minister of National Education, a new curriculum basis has been in force in Polish schools, delegating almost all the tasks connected with implementing health education to the teacher of physical education and the subject taught by him/her. One of the closest partners of the teacher of physical education is supposed to be the school nurse. Aim. The aim of the survey was to define the scope of cooperation of nurses working in educational communities and teachers of physical education in implementing health education nearly a year after introducing the new curriculum basis. Material and methods. The opinions of 46 school nurses from two non-state healthcare centres were investigated. The analysed group consisted in 100% of nurses taking care over the total population of students of schools in Lublin (43,948 students in 87 different-type schools). A diagnostic survey and elements of monographs of selected schools were used, together with the analysis of documentation of the healthcare centres. Results. Over 32% nurses stated that cooperation with teachers of physical education is very rare and less effective than with other teachers, and nearly 24% admitted that they did not cooperate with them at all. When cooperation occurs, in 58.7%, it concerns physical culture and promoting motor activity, prophylaxis of accidents and injuries (almost 48%), and education associated with hygiene (approx. 24%). Despite the fact that over 10% students are overweight or obese, only 5 nurses cooperate with the teacher of physical education in the field of nutritional education. Only 3 respondents identified the teacher of physical education as the leader of health promotion at school and confirmed his/her greater activity in the recent period. In Health Promoting Schools, nurses have a better opinion about teachers of physical education and they cooperate with them more often. Conclusions. According to the surveyed school nurses, their cooperation with teachers of physical education in implementing school health education – excluding the area of motor activity – is minimal and ineffective, despite substantial needs in this domain existing in the population of students and new requirements put in front of teachers in the new curriculum basis.

The implemented invasive prenatal diagnosis (IPD) in Poland includes three procedures of obtaining biological material of the fetus (amniocentesis, chorionic villus sampling, percutaneous umbilical cord blood sampling) and its biochemical, cytogenetic and molecular analysis. This enables a reliable verification of several thousands of genetic defects, and in consequence leads to planning appropriate care and treatment of the child. Unfortunately, the invasive prenatal diagnosis may turn out to be deadly for the fetus and may cause health loss of the pregnant woman. Sadly, all invasive procedures include risks of life or health loss. Another important ethical issue is the frequent use of the unfavorable diagnosis as a basis for a legal termination of the pregnancy. The aim of the article is to remind the conditions, necessary for an ethical conduction of the IPD and the establishment of the directions in the Polish invasive diagnostics that will lead to a true “humanization of medicine”. The plane on which the analysis will be conducted is the ontological personalism, characterized by epistemological and ethical realism. In this perspective, the basic criterion for the moral judgment is the integral wellbeing of the person. IPD is thus ethical, when its main goal is to aid the unborn child and its mother. The postulates of each stage of the diagnosis can be summarized in four general orders: ensuring access to the test, taking maximum precautions, physicians’ empathy, integration of therapy and palliative care.

Introduction. Our health depends on our lifestyle in almost 60%, while genetic and environmental factors are of minor importance. Lack of physical activity, the use of stimulants and inappropriately balanced diet are the causes of substantial reduction of fitness and psychological efficiency. Such a lifestyle might have adverse influence on our health and bring serious consequences in later years. Aim. The aim of the study was to evaluate the level of knowledge and the health behaviours concerning physical activity, the nutrition, stimulants intake and the use of reduction diets by the female students of master’s degree course of The Faculty of Physiotherapy of The University of Physical Education in Wrocław and the European Studies of The University of Wrocław. Material and methods. Thirty healthy female students of physiotherapy and thirty female students of the European studies participated in the present study. The study was performed by the use of questionnaire, which was fulfilled anonymously by the participants and consisted of 60 closed and semi-closed questions. Results. The present analysis of the health behaviours shows that most of the female students (90%) practise some kind of physical activity. The main reasons for that are benefits for health and care for the outlook. Only 40% of respondents eat meals regularly, whereas 73% and 63% of female students of physiotherapy and female students of the European Studies, respectively, do not eat breakfasts at all. In addition, 75% of all these students do not smoke cigarettes and 51% use a reduction diet. Conclusions. The present results show that despite the irregularity of lifestyle, all these students try to bring health behaviours in their life. It is noteworthy that the lifestyle of female students of physiotherapy is on a very high level. They set a good example, showing a high level of physical activity, avoiding the use of stimulants and eating high-value meals.

Introduction. The factors that influence gaining good results of prophylactic programs are human attitudes to health. These attitudes manifest themselves as individual beliefs and health-oriented behaviors. Aim. The aim of the research was to investigate relations between the health control types and health behaviors performed by the university students. Material and methods. The research was conducted in the group of 532 Polish university students in 2009. The average age in the researched group was M=20.74 (SD=1.542). Two questionnaires were used in the survey: the Multidimensional Health Locus of Control Scale (MHLC) worked out by Wallston, Wallston & R. DeVellis and the Inventory of Health Behaviors (IHB) by Juczynski. The MHLC scale allows for evaluating three dimensions of the health locus of control, namely: Internal Health Locus of Control (IHLC), Powerful Others Health Locus of Control (PHLC) and Chance Health Locus of Control (CHLC). The Inventory of Health Behaviors (IHB) allows for estimating various kinds of health behaviors categorized into four groups: diet habits, preventive behaviors, positive psychical attitude and health practices. Results. The health behaviors correlate most strongly with the PHLC dimension. The higher result in the PHLC dimension was obtained, the higher were the results in the following three dimensions: preventive behaviors, positive psychical attitudes and health practices. Conclusions. Students manifest the belief that internal control (IHLC) prevail over external sources of health control (PHLC, CHLC). In the studied group, the women have exhibited significantly greater intensification of good diet habits and preventive behaviors. The main factor modifying preventive behaviors performed by researched students is the belief in the influence of other people on the students’ health status.

Introduction. Oral health contributes much to people’s quality of life. Proper oral hygiene is one of the most important methods of preventing the development of caries and periodontopathy. Aim. The aim of the study was to evaluate the impact of providing oral health instructions to orthodontic patients once and more frequently in a 2-year study. Material and methods. The study group consisted of 60 patients with malocclusion aged 10-20 years. The patients were divided into 2 groups: group A – patients with malocclusion treated using fixed dental appliances to whom dental hygiene instructions were provided on a regular basis, group B – patients with malocclusion treated using fixed dental appliances to whom dental hygiene instructions were provided only once. Group A received dental hygiene instructions at several points in time (T0, T1, T2, T3, T4 and during check-up appointments), whereas group B was presented with the instructions at T0 only. The study was performed using the plaque indices PlI and API, and the gingival indices GI and SBI. The differences between the groups were evaluated using the ANOVA test and the NIR value. Results. It has been confirmed that correct form of providing information about oral hygiene to patients undergoing orthodontic treatment with fixed orthodontic appliances and regular contact with the patients during check-up appointments is beneficial for the state of periodontium and oral hygiene in general. For this reason, it decreases the risk of complications during orthodontic treatment. Conclusions. Orthodontic treatment is not detrimental to oral health provided that comprehensive oral hygiene instructions are given to the patient.

Introduction. Systematic study of the population’s health condition is a primary goal of national healthcare and should be a base for taking significant resolutions as far as the state health policy is concerned. The comparison of the main negative indicators of the Poles’ health condition broken down by the province shows a vast diversity. Aim. The aim of the study is to present the current health situation of the Łódzkie province. Material and methods. The study uses the information about health condition and chosen factors of Poland’s health situation by the province included in the publications of the Central Statistical Office, National Institute of Hygiene, Regional Centre of Public Health in Łódź, the Government Population Council in the years 2007-2010. Results. It is worth noticing that Łódzkie province has the highest percentage of retirement age population in Poland (18.5%, Poland 16.5%), a very high feminization ratio – 110.2 (Poland 107.1) as well as the lowest population growth factor -2.24‰ (Poland +0.9). The overall standardized mortality rate was (2010) at 1017.0/100 thousand of people (Poland 784.2). Deaths due to cardiovascular system failure comprised 46% of all deaths, however, the standardized mortality rate in Łódzkie province was the highest in Poland and amounted to 509.8/100 thousand people (Poland 449.6). The life expectancy of Łódzkie province inhabitants was the lowest in Poland for both males and females, and amounted to 70.1 and 79.4 years in 2010. The incidence of viral hepatitis and tuberculosis, as well as road safety coefficients, are also very low in the Łódzkie province. Conclusions. The poor health condition is influenced to a great extent by socio-demographic population structure, feminization and progressive population aging. In recent years, in the Łódzkie province, the general standardized mortality rate, as well as the number of deaths due to cardiovascular diseases, external causes and diseases of the digestive system, have been the highest in Poland.

Introduction. Smoking brings about negative consequences such as addiction and disturbance of the natural homeostasis of organism. Physical activity and the amount of sleep also seem to be vital as far as the health is concerned. Aim. Evaluation of the influence of smoking habit on physical activity, length and quality of sleep among medicine students and confirmation if the origin takes part in this correlation. Material and methods. An anonymous questionnaire was distributed to 134 Polish (P group), American (A group) and Norwegian (N group) students of the Medical University of Lublin. Students were asked about their sport preferences, smoking habits, sleeping and studying habits. To assess differences between the three study groups the Kruskal-Wallis test, Mann-Whitney U-test and Chi-square test were used. Results. The majority of students from the P, A and N groups do not smoke. Among the P group, nonsmokers made up 90%, among A group, 88% and in the N group, 80%. All three groups of medical students claim that smoking negatively influences physical condition. In group P, 10% of students reported sleep-related problems, while in groups A and N, 30.4% and 24%, respectively. All of the smokers think that their sleep duration is not long enough in comparison to the nonsmokers. Conclusions. All three ethnic groups of medical students demonstrated an overall positive attitude towards living a healthy lifestyle, however significant differences were observed between the groups of different origins. The results indicated that smoking strongly influences different habits.

In 2006 there the International Congress of Physical Activity and Public Health was held in Atlanta. Researchers and practitioners from around the world participating in that event agreed that there is the urgent need to undertake research on the role of physical activity in preventing diseases and there is a need to organize periodic congresses to present research results and exchange views in this area. The initiative met with great interest of researchers and the effect of that was a rapid progress in research in this field of science. During the Second International Congress of Physical Activity and Public Health in Amsterdam in 2008, there were presented the latest results related to the assessment of physical activity level, the recognition of sedentary behavior as distinct risk behaviors, as well as the role that various environments and policies play in forming human behavior. The same issues were major themes at the Third Congress of Physical Activity and Public Health in Toronto in 2010. The result of that congress was the adoption of the final document, which addresses the problem of lack of physical activity and the spread of sedentary lifestyle among all communities in the contemporary world. The papers discuss the essential bases and the process of ratification of that document as a basis for the promotion of physical activity in the different communities around the world. The document is called “The Toronto Charter for Physical Activity: A Global Call for Action”.