Satisfaction with the life of Polish women experiencing domestic violence.

Introduction: Domestic violence against a woman, inflicted by her husband/partner, disrupts the socially recognized model of partnership and family life and endangers the health and life of the victim. The aim of the study was to assess the level of satisfaction with the life of Polish women experiencing domestic violence and compare it to results of women not experiencing domestic violence. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on a convenience sample of 610 Polish women divided in two groups: victims of domestic violence (Group 1, n = 305) and women not experiencing domestic violence (Group 2, n = 305). Results and Conclusions: Most Polish women experiencing domestic violence are characterized by low life satisfaction. The mean value of life satisfaction in Group 1 was 13.78, SD = 4.88, significantly lower when compared to Group 2 (M = 21.04, SD = 5.61). Their satisfaction with life is related, among other things, to the form of violence inflicted upon them by their husband/partner. Abused women with low life satisfaction are most often victims of psychological violence. The most common cause is the perpetrator's addiction to alcohol and/or drugs. Assessment of their life satisfaction is unrelated to help-seeking and to the occurrence of violence in their family home in the past.

Perception of health, health behaviours and the use of prophylactic examinations in postmenopausal women.

BACKGROUND: Pro-health behaviours aim at disease prevention, recovery from an illness and maintenance of good health in a physical, mental and social sphere. The study had two main objectives: (a) to analyse health behaviours of postmenopausal women and their understanding of the notion of health, and (b) to analyse the relationship between individual categories of health behaviours and prophylactic activities undertaken by postmenopausal women. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted among a convenience sample of 510 postmenopausal women. Three study instruments were used: an original questionnaire and two instruments designed by Juczynski: the List of Health Criteria and the Health Behaviour Inventory. RESULTS: In the view of the respondents health was primarily synonymous with a feature, because the following three associations were given the highest priority when defining health: to be healthy means 'have all body parts functioning well' (M = 1.82), 'do not experience any physical problems' (M = 1.43) and 'not be sick, only occasionally suffer from flu, cold or indigestion'. The score for health behaviours was average (M = 86.18). The highest score was achieved in the area of prophylactic behaviours. General indicator of health-related behaviours was higher in women who rated their health as very good (p < 0.05). Women whose general indicator of health-related behaviours was higher regularly performed prophylactic gynaecological examinations (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Results showed that women after menopause treat health mainly as a feature of their body and condition specific for this period of life. The analysis of postmenopausal women's health behaviours and their perception of health helped to identify areas that require the focus of medical personnel in regard to health promotion and prophylaxis. The average general indicator of health-related behaviours is positive for this group of women as it shows that they care about their health, especially in terms of prophylaxis.

Attitudes of Teenage Mothers towards Pregnancy and Childbirth.

The problem of early motherhood is still a serious medical and social problem in many countries around the world. The aim of this study was to analyze the attitudes of teenage mothers towards pregnancy and childbirth. A retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted with the use of an original questionnaire containing a test to measure attitudes on a five-point Likert scale and a Life Orientation Test-Revised (LOT-R) to assess dispositional optimism. The study involved 308 teenage mothers between 13 and 19 years of age. Attitudes of teenage mothers towards pregnancy and childbirth were more often positive (90.6%) than negative (9.4%). Sociodemographic features determining the attitudes of teenage mothers towards both their pregnancy and childbirth included their age, marital status, current occupation, and main source of income. The type of attitude adopted by teenage mothers towards pregnancy and childbirth was significantly related to the level of their dispositional optimism.

Stress urinary incontinence after labor and satisfaction with sex life.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of the study was to assess the incidence of stress urinary incontinence in women after labor, its determinants,and to establish its effect on women's satisfaction with their sex lives. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The research implemented the Gaudenz-Incontinence-Questionnaire and the Sexual Quality ofLife-Female scale (SQoL-F). The principal inclusion criterion was the time of 3 to 6 months after labor. RESULTS: The research was carried out amongst 193 women. Thirty-two of the participants (16.6%) showed symptoms ofstress urinary incontinence after labor that were statistically correlated with the number of experienced labors (p = 0.044)and the newborn's weight (p = 0.016). The participants' sex life satisfaction was on average 75.47 ± 24.68. The respondentssuffering from stress urinary incontinence obtained a significantly lower (p = 0.006) average score for general sex life satisfaction(64.38 ± 26.15) when compared with women without symptoms of stress urinary incontinence (77.67 ± 23.86). CONCLUSIONS: The problem of incontinence after labor affected one in six women. Occupation, number of pregnancies,damage to the perineum during labor, and the infant's birth weight significantly dependent on the incontinence occurrenceafter labor. The onset of incontinence symptoms in women in the reproductive age has an adverse effect on theirsex life satisfaction.

Place of residence and age as variables differentiating health behaviours and perception of health by women past menopause.

INTRODUCTION: Research on the meaning of health and health behaviors is important for the development of health education programmes which should be tailored to the needs of patients. OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study is to determine whether the place of residence and age have an impact on health behaviours and the perception of health by women past menopause. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A survey method and three research instruments were employed: authors' questionnaire, the Health Behaviour Inventory and the Health Criteria List by Juczynski, and the Kupperman Index. The study was carried out among a sample of 102 women after menopause hospitalised in a hospital in eastern Poland. RESULTS: The overall health behaviour indicator (HBI) in the study group was found to reach an average value of 80.1±12.7points. A higher HBI indicator was found to be characteristic of urban rather than rural residents; however, there was no statistically significant difference (p>0.05). The age of respondents did not differentiate statistically their health behaviours (p>0.05). Women who reported their last menstruation before the age of 50 obtained higher results in the dimension of health practices (HPs) than those whose last menstruation ceased after the age of 50 (p<0.05). The respondents attributed the highest importance to health, understood as a property, a state and a goal. Statistically significant differences were observed in the importance of the statement according to which health is a process of "being able to work without tension and stress", as the respondents from urban areas assigned to it a higher average weight than those from rural areas (p< 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: A higher overall HBI, as well as indicators for particular categories, were characteristic of women from urban areas. Age did not significantly differentiate the women's health behaviours. Rural residents were dominant in the group of women who rated their health to be very good or good. The respondents attributed the highest importance to health understood as a property, state and goal.

Evaluation of the health behaviors of women in multiple pregnancies - a preliminary study.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of the paper was to assess which health behavior indicators were characteristic for women with a multiple pregnancy. MATERIAL AND METHOD: The study involved 35 women in multiple pregnancies. The inclusion criteria were: the completion of the 22nd week of pregnancy (22 Hbd, i.e., 22 weeks and 1/7) and the consent of the women to participate in the study. We used an original questionnaire devised by us specifically for our study, as well as a standardized research tool, Juczynski's Health Behavior Inventory questionnaire, for the assessment of the pregnant women's health behaviors. RESULTS: The overall rate of health behaviors was high and was on average 93.9 ± 10.8 points (7 sten scores). Indicators of the health behaviors of women in multiple pregnancies were high across all categories. However, the highest rate was observed in preventive behaviors. CONCLUSIONS: The overall rate of health behaviors of women with a multiple pregnancy and all the individual behavior category indicators were high. However, the highest rate was for preventive behaviors. The indicator values of the health behaviors of the pregnant women in the study were not dependent on the variables adopted in this paper.

Psychosocial problems of women with stress urinary incontinence.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study was evaluation of the influence of stress urinary incontinence on women's quality of life. MATERIAL AND METHOD: The study covered 275 women between 30-65 years of age. The study was conducted using the following tools: Gaudenz Questionnaire, King's Health Questionnaire (KHQ), Female Sexual Function Index (FIFI) Questionnaire, and a questionnaire devised by the authors of the study. RESULTS: The study shows that the disease has a negative effect on evaluation of the quality of thee women's lives. The symptoms of stress urinary incontinence had a significant influence on the feeling of emotional comfort, social and professional activity of the surveyed women - respectively p= 0.000; p=0.000; p=0.000. Nearly every third woman (28.7%) felt great mental discomfort related to the disease symptoms, 31.7% a considerable discomfort, 33.1% a moderate, and very few women (6.5 %) claimed that the disease had a minimal effect on their emotional state. About two-thirds of the surveyed women (68.7%) were sexually active, and the remaining 31.3% declared the lack of sexual intercourse. CONCLUSIONS: The occurrence of stress urinary incontinence symptoms affects the quality of life of women, especially their mental state and interpersonal contacts. Most women with the symptoms of stress urinary incontinence fulfill their sexual needs; however, many of them do not feel complete satisfaction with their sex life.

Determinant factors of health in rural women in their perimenopausal period.

UNLABELLED: The environment and lifestyle are known to exert an essential influence on the health of rural women in their perimenopausal period. OBJECTIVE: To assess the determinant factors of health in rural women in their perimenopausal period. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study was carried out in 150 patients of the Gynecological Clinic of the Independent Public Heath Care Team (IPHCT) in Tomaszów Lubelski, southestern Poland, between 1 August 2010 - 30 April 2011. The women, aged 40-60 years, lived in a rural environment or villages. The study used a Menopause Health Questionnaire (MHQ) and Menopause Symptom Scale (MSS). Statistical analysis was based on Chi-Square Test, as well as U Mann-Whitney test, with a pertinence level of p<0.05. Data basis and statistics were collected using computer software STATISTICA 9.0 (StatSoft, Poland). RESULTS: More than a half of the investigated patients lived in the country (60.00%), with the remainder coming from villages (40.00%). About two-thirds of the patients (66.00%) had completed college education, and the majority stated that their financial situation was bad (30.00%), or average (32.00%). Only every fifth woman (19.33%) regularly had a gynecological check-up each year. Signs of anxiety or a depressive mood appeared to depend essentially (respectively: p = 0.000; p = 0.02) on the professional status of the women. Only every fifth woman (20.7%) showed an appropriate weight. Just over a half of the rural women (50.67%) declared having a job. CONCLUSIONS: The professional status of rural women has a notable influence on their general well-being in the menopausal period. The majority of rural women hardly took care of their health or well-being. Worse (depressive) mood, irritability, frequent signs of anxiety, palpitation, heat strokes, and sexual disorders become important problems faced by women in the menopausal period.

Medical and psychosocial factors conditioning development of stress urinary incontinence (SUI).

INTRODUCTION: Stress urinary incontinence (SUI) is the most frequent type of urinary incontinence among adult women. OBJECTIVE: The objective of the study was evaluation of the effect of environmental, systemic and obstetrical factors on the development of stress urinary incontinence, and diagnosing and determination of areas in which changes could be made. MATERIAL AND METHOD: The study covered 313 females aged 30-75 living in the Lublin Region. The respondents were divided into two groups according to the clinical diagnosis, occurrence of symptoms of SUI or lack thereof: Group I - women with SUI symptoms (119), Group II - women without SUI (194). A diagnostic survey was conducted with the use of a self-designed research instrument based on the Gaudenz questionnaire, data from relevant literature and the 'competent judges' test. The following statistical tests were used to compare two structure indicators (fraction, frequency); chi-square test and t-Student test. Statistical analysis was performed by means of STATISTICA 9 (StatSoft) software. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: Statistically significant differences were found between the group of patients with SUI and the control group, with respect to the number of deliveries and their duration. The study showed that there is a statistically higher probability of the development of SUI in the case of surgical delivery, or natural childbirth of a baby with a birth weight of 4000 g or more. The study showed that hard physical work and past gynaecological surgeries are risk factors of urinary incontinence. Barriers of a psychosocial nature were also found (feeling of shame and embarrassment accompanying disclosure of the SUI), which minimized the respondents' participation in urinary incontinence prophylactic actions.

[The feeling of life satisfaction in patients after hysterectomy]. / Poczucie satysfakcji z zycia u pacjentek po histerektomii.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of the study was to evaluate the feeling of life satisfaction in women after hysterectomy MATERIAL AND METHODS: A group of 131 women after hysterectomy was included in the study patients of the PSPS Jan Bozy Hospital in Lublin. 95 of the respondents were treated surgically because of benign gynaecological diseases, hysterectomy was performed in 36 patients because of malignant cancer of genital organs. The time between the end of the treatment and the day of the study was 3 to 12 months. 10 domains of life satisfaction were evaluated, using the questionnaire LISAT-11. Each factor was evaluated using a 1-10 scale, starting with 1-grade which was treated as very unsatisfactory through grades 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 up to a very satisfactory grade. Statistical analysis was performed with the Chi2 test, the Mann-Whitney U test and the Kruskal-Wallis test. RESULTS: The respondents estimated their feeling of life satisfaction in particular domains in a comparative way. The obtained results can be placed in a range from 4 to 5 points. Relationships with the partner and financial situation were assessed as the worst. Women before 40 years of age declared much higher level of life satisfaction than women over 55 years of age. Fundamental differences in assessing the seven domains (p<0.05) were found between respondents suffering from cancer and the rest of the examined patients, except for contacts with friends and acquaintances, family life and the evaluation of mental health. CONCLUSIONS: Hysterectomy determines life satisfaction on an average level defined as 'rather satisfactory' in most domains of life. The type of indication for hysterectomy plays a significant role in the evaluation of the quality of life of women.

[Quality of life of women with urinary incontinence]. / Jakosc zycia kobiet z nietrzymaniem moczu.

UNLABELLED: The aim of the study was to estimate a quality of life of women treated for incontinence of urine. The study included 119 women hospitalized in Clinic of Gynecology of Medical University of Lublin for urine incontinence from January 2001 till September 2002. A questionnaire based on King's Health questionnaire was used as a tool. Data obtained from questionnaire prove a strong influence of symptoms of incontinence of urine (p < 0.05) not only on an estimation of health state, but first of all on daily duties and professional work of examined women. Symptoms of incontinence limit an interpersonal communication, participation in active rest, family life and sexual activity. About 2/3 (28.57%) of examined women estimate their psychic state as very bad, (31.93%) as bad and (32.77%) as a little poor and only few women (6.73%) state that problems with incontinence of urine have small influence on their emotional state. CONCLUSION: The appearance of urine incontinence symptoms have an influence on quality of life of women suffering from this disease.

[Urinary incontinence in pregnancy]. / Nietrzymanie moczu w okresie ciazy.

The aim of the study was evaluation of the frequency of urinary incontinence occurrence in pregnancy and the identification of the systemic and obstetric causes. The study was carried out on the turn of January to February among 146 women in childbirth staying at maternity wards of the Clinical Hospital and District Hospital in Lublin. It was stated, that incontinence problems in pregnancy were reported by 79.5% of the surveyed women. The symptoms of urinary incontinence in pregnancy were reported by 37.7% of women, and 38.2% of women declared to be unable to stop the stream of urine. The first symptoms of urinary stress incontinence occurred in 3.6% women before first pregnancy, in 12.7% women they occurred in the former pregnancy, and in 5.5% after previous delivery. In women with symptoms of urinary stress incontinence the BMI index was higher than in the rest of the studied group. This study revealed the correlation p < 0.05 between the occurrence of urine incontinence the profession (weight lifting).

[A prophylactic program for strain urinary incontinence]. / Program profilaktyki wysilkowego nietrzymania moczu.

The aim of the study was to work out a prophylactic program for strain urinary incontinence. Analysis of literature on the subject and results of own investigations presented in the first part of the paper indicate that the program of prophylaxis of strain urinary incontinence should primarily include: (1) Preparation of the medical staff (nurses, midwives) for propagating health education among women on prevention of strain urinary incontinence. (2) Preparation of adequate educational materials in the form of brochures, leaflets, information posters about symptoms, causes and prophylaxis of urinary incontinence indicating health care institutions available to all women when the disease is suspected or already present. (3) Propagation of problems connected with strain urinary incontinence in the mass media providing information to a wide audience in order to make people realize the significance of this social problem and break stereotypes associated with this disease of "shame". (4) Preparation of sets of exercises for the muscles of the base of the pelvis to be performed during pregnancy, confinement and menopause to maintain their proper function. (5) Indicating factors predisposing to strain urinary incontinence with focus on possibilities of their reduction or elimination.

[Involvement of men in parenthood]. / Zaangazowanie mezczyzn w rodzicielstwo.

The role of men in the care of their own and their partners' reproductive health and connected with it their participation in common family planning was noticed not long ago. In recent years the knowledge about a positive father's influence on child's growth has considerably increased. It has been proved that during pregnancy fathers parental role is already determined. The aim of the study was assessment of men's involvement in problems associated with parenthood. The investigations were carried out in Lublin and Brussels in the period from July to November 1999. They comprised 191 men, including 110 from Poland and 81 from Belgium. Participants were selected in a completely random manner. The investigations were performed by means of diagnostic survey with the use of questionnaire technique. To solve research problems of this paper own research tools were used which allowed to collect information concerning the subject of the study. Collected material was statistically analyzed and analytically described. Significance of differences between investigated characteristics was checked with chi 2 test. Analysis of study results indicates that: 1. Most men are not of the opinion that only a woman should protect herself against unplanned conception (81.5% Belgians and 50.0% Poles). 2. Belgian men much more frequently get involved in gaining experiences connected with pregnancy and child's growth by the presence during wife's talks with the doctor in charge of pregnancy, participation in delivery school's classes, presence during USG examinations, participation during labor (differences between study groups proved statistically significant p < 0.001). 3. Despite the fact that most men (98.8% from Belgium and 57.3% from Poland) showed positive attitude to family deliveries in hospital claiming that husband should accompany his wife during labor only one third of respondents from Poland (29.1%) took part in them while almost all Belgians (95.1%) actively confirmed their declaration.

[Assessment of the state of knowledge of women with urinary incontinence--a social problem]. / Ocena stanu wiedzy kobiet na temat nietrzymania moczu jako problemu spolecznego.

Urinary incontinence is also one of the commonest problems of the Polish society. It is estimated that every sixth woman in Poland suffers from this disease, which can be prevented by using adequate prophylactic measures. This study aimed at the assessment of the state of knowledge of women on the prophylaxis of strain urinary incontinence. Investigations were carried out from May to September 2001 among 194 patients hospitalised on the ward of operative gynaecology of one of the teaching hospitals in Lublin. The criterion of selection of women for the study was lack of symptoms of strain urinary incontinence. The analysis of results allowed to draw the following conclusions: though the knowledge of the term urinary incontinence was declared by nearly half of the respondents (42.8%), about two thirds of them (65.4%) assessed their state of knowledge in this sphere as unsatisfactory; women show great interest (85.7%) in information on urinary incontinence. The favourite forms of information in this sphere are educational materials--brochures, leaflets (58.2%), individual talks with a doctor, midwife (34.8%), demonstration of exercises of the floor of the pelvis (29.9%). The above conclusions enabled to state that the educational success and even doing away with strain urinary incontinence depends on the program of urinary incontinence prophylaxis.