The association between physical activity and quality of life among people aged 60-89 living in own homes and nursing homes.

BACKGROUND: The aim of the study was to obtain a response to the question of whether and how physical activity (PA) among people aged 60-89 years impacts quality of life and other sociodemographic characteristics (sex, age and place of living). METHODS: Among 341 respondents aged 60 to 89, including 273 women (80%) and 68 men (20%) successfully completed IPAQ and WHOQOL AGE questionnaires. In the study were used International Physical Activity Questionnaire - IPAQ and World Health Organization Quality Of Life - Age - WHOQOL-AGE in Polish version. RESULTS: The average total physical activity, including vigorous-intensity physical effort, moderate-intensity physical effort and walking amounts to 1381.87 ± 1978.60 MET-min/week. The average quality of life for the whole group of older people as evaluated with WHOQOL AGE scale was 64.79 (SD = 14.76; min:18.77-max: 98.07). Statistical analysis between physical activity and life quality proved significant dependence for the global life quality rating (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Our research has shown that PA improves quality of life among older people. Higher scores of quality of life were obtained in the F1 subscale (satisfaction) than in the F2 subscale (meeting expectations) in both age groups. Age significantly affects quality of life for older people.

The influence of SARS-CoV-2 infection on the quality of life of women who reach menopause.

Introduction: At the time of the COVID-19 pandemic, providing adequate medical care in all its aspects, including the care of women with menopause and keeping social distance, was a challenge. Menopause results in a lower level of oestrogens and progesterone, which is the cause of lower immunological response and may result in more people being ill with COVID-19. The aim of the research was to evaluate the correlation between being sick with COVID-19 and the quality of life of women with menopause. Material and methods: The research was done in a group of 249 women with menopause. The criteria deciding about inclusion into the group were as follows: female gender, age 40-65 years, time after infection with SARS-CoV-2 virus 14-30 days, no hospitalization, and diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 virus infection by means of anti-gene test. A propriety survey was used as well as medical documents analysis and a questionnaire with standardized WHOQOL-BREF. SPSS Statistics 27.0 program was used for statistical analysis. In all calculations p < 0.05 was accepted as the level of significance. Results: While evaluating the quality of life in the case of women after suffering from COVID-19 caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, no statistically significant difference was observed. The correlation between the level of satisfaction with one's health and suffering from SARS-CoV-2 was within the range of α = 0.1, with a significance level p = 0.061. Conclusions: No statistically significant correlation was noted between the quality of life of women with menopause after SARS-CoV-2 and women who did not suffer from it.

LIFESTYLE AND QUALITY OF LIFE IN WORKING-AGE PEOPLE AFTER STROKE.

Recommendations for changing one's lifestyle in the aspect of factors that increase the risk of another stroke are often included in the plan of caring for patients after stroke. The style of life is connected to the quality of life and can be formed not only by socialization but also by conscious work on its health-promoting aspect. Lifestyle is a unique configuration of everyday behavior depending mostly on the quality of life available. The aim of the research was to identify the correlation between lifestyle and quality of life in people of working age after stroke. There were 279 patients after first-ever ischemic or hemorrhagic stroke, including 131 women and 148 men. Abbreviated version of the World Health Organization Questionnaire and the Sickness Impact Profile scale were used to examine the quality of life. For assessment of the quality of life, the following indicators were created: lifestyle before stroke and lifestyle after stroke. Less healthy lifestyle before stroke resulted in lower quality of life in the psychological and environmental sphere of life in these people after stroke, especially those having suffered stroke six months to two years before. Better quality of life in people after stroke was found to be connected to a pro-health lifestyle.

[Awareness and knowledge as prerequisites for health oriented behavior]. / Swiadomosc i wiedza warunkiem prozdrowotnych postaw pracowników w miejscu pracy.

The major aim of the Workers' Hearing Protection Program, undertaken by the Provincial Center of Occupational Medicine in Kielce, is to protect worker's hearing against adverse effects of occupational noise. The level of workers' awareness and knowledge of noise exposure was assessed during the initial state diagnosis. The anonymous survey covered 945 workers from 19 plants in the Swietokrzyskie province. In this group, 31% of workers was exposed to 75-85 dB(A) and 69% of workers to over 85 dB(A); 88% of those under study were aware of the exposure to the occupational exposure level (OEL) and 69% of them regarded their work as arduous and harmful. The workers reported that noise affected mostly their hearing organ (77%) and nervous system 61%). Of the 69%, only 39% of the workers exposed to noise exceeding 85 dB(A) were aware of that fact. The workers reported that the most frequent sources of information on noise levels in their workplaces were: heads of departments (44%), employees of work safety and hygiene section (44%), and physicians (23%). The results of the study indicate that occupational health services at workplaces should not limit their activities to therapy, but they should also carry out health education and perceive it as a basis for efficient protection of health and promotion of health conducive behavior.