Trends in Parent-adolescent Communication in the Czech Republic between 2002 and 2014: Results of the HBSC Study.

OBJECTIVE: Good parent-child communication is associated with adolescent well-being. The aim of the present study was to report time trends in parent-adolescent communication in biological and stepfamilies in the Czech Republic between 2002 and 2014 and to assess gender and age differences. METHODS: The research sample consisted of 16,160 adolescents aged 11, 13, and 15 years (48.1% of boys) who participated in the 2002, 2006, 2010 and 2014 surveys within the Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) study in the Czech Republic. The trends in family communication were evaluated using logistic regression. RESULTS: Compared with 2002, a significant increase in the ease of communication with biological parents was observed in 2014. On the other hand, the adolescents' perception of communication with stepparents did not change in this period. Compared with the girls, a higher rate of boys reported communication with their father or stepfather as being easy throughout the study period. The ease of talking to biological parents decreased with age. CONCLUSION: The growing positive trend demonstrated an improvement in communication in intact families at the beginning of the 21st century, while communication with stepparents remained unchanged from 2002 to 2014. The increase in rates of ease of communication with biological fathers was reported by both genders. However, the ease of talking to biological mothers grew mainly among boys.

[Association of the meaning of life with satisfaction, the occurrence of subjective complaints and the family's economic status in the population of lower secondary school students].

INTRODUCTION: Feeling of meaning in life is extremely crucial factor of mental health. The lack of it can result in various disorders. Many authors, especially those connected with current of humanistic psychology underline the teenagers' life sense. THE AIM: The aim of the paper was to examine the level of satisfaction with life, the frequency of psychosomatic complaints by junior high school students as well as the estimation of economical status of family and the analysis of meaning in life with above mentioned factors. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The research was carried out in 2015 at 70 schools from all over the country, in group of 3695 lower secondary school students of I-III classes at the age of 13-17 (M=14,9; SD=0,87). The analysis connected with meaning in life using the shorten version of Purpose in Life Test (PIL) as well as analysis of life satisfaction using Cantril scale were taken up. What is more, the subjective physical complaints using single-factor shorten scale and economic status of family with the usage of material resources FAS scale (Family Affluence Scale) were examined. The statistical analysis included a one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), t-student test post-hoc test as well as multivariate logistic regression model. RESULTS: The average level of meaning in life among the examined students was 24,7 points (the summary scale 0-36 points), the boys achieved higher score than girls. The students satisfied with life (t=28,0; p<0,001), with rare physical complaints (F=124,8; p<0,001) and from affluent families (F=15,4; p<0,001) were significantly characterized by higher average level of meaning in life than students who were dissatisfied with their life, often or fairly suffer from health complaints and live in families of at most average level of affluence. CONCLUSION: The meaning in life is positively connected with satisfaction with life, lack of subjective complaints and family affluence. Because there is a lack of analysis linked with school teenagers' meaning in life in Polish literature, another research involved not only shorten but also full version of this tool should be conducted.

Social support and family communication as factors protecting adolescents against multiple recurrent health complaints related to school stress.

INTRODUCTION: One reason of increased psychological and somatic health problems in adolescence is intensification of stress in school and everyday life. There is little evidence to what extent the level of school achievements shapes this relationship. AIM: The aim of the study was to investigate determinants of subjective health complaints in schoolaged children, taking into account the interaction effects. METHODS: Anonymous survey was conducted in Poland in 2013/2014 on the sample of 4,545 students, as a part of the HBSC (Health Behaviour in School-aged Children) study. On the basis of prevalence of eight symptoms in the past 6 months, a standardized index of health complaints (SCL - Subjective Complaints Checklist) was calculated (0-100). To predict its variability three hierarchical linear models (five blocks) were estimated, separately for three levels of school achievements. Support from family, classmates and teachers as well as family communication were considered as protective factors, which can reduce the negative impact of stress. All analyses were adjusted for age, gender and family affluence. RESULTS: The standardized SCL index was equal to 23.2 in boys and 32.5 in girls. The high level of school stress was reported by 28.5% boys and 35.6% girls, respectively. Regarding these two measures, similar patterns of change were observed, increase with age and with deterioration of academic achievement. Final multivariate models explained 22-25% variability of SCL, slightly more among worst students. Accumulation of low family support and high level of school stress caused the highest increase in the SCL index in very good students. CONCLUSIONS: School performance is an important determinant of subjective health complaints in adolescence, also modifying the impact of other risk and protective factors.

[School performance as a mediator of the association between family affluence and risk behaviour in adolescents in Poland].

It can be assumed that family socioeconomic status does affect the frequency of undertaking risk behaviours by adolescents directly or indirectly, i.e. by having impact on other proven risk factors. The objective of the study was to show the combined influence of family affluence and school performance on alcohol consumption and tobacco and marijuana smoking, defined as risk behaviour syndrome. Material and Methods: The survey was conducted on a nationwide sample of 1,202 adolescents aged on average 15.6 years (SD=0.31), who participated in the HBSC (Health Behaviour in School-aged Children) survey. Structural equation models were used in the analysis in order to test the hypothesis that school performance is a mediator of the association between family affluence and risk behaviour. Results: It was found that 23.0% of adolescents smoked tobacco; 40.8% drank alcohol; 10.2% smoked marijuana. One fifth of the respondents used one of those substances frequently, i.e. more than 5 days in the last month. It was shown that family affluence is strongly correlated with school performance (p<0.001), however, there was no direct relationship with the general level of psychoactive substance use (p=0.481). In analysing individual substances, only with regard to marijuana it was found that it was used less frequently in more affluent families. School performance resulted to be a stronger mediator of the relationship between family affluence and risk behaviour in girls (Sobel's test: p=0.013) than in boys (p=0.111). In the analysis of the social determinants of the health behaviour of adolescents, indirect correlations and confounding variables should be considered. Worse school performance may be the cause or effect of a more frequent psychoactive substance.

Trends in adolescents' perceived parental communication across 32 countries in Europe and North America from 2002 to 2010.

BACKGROUND: The quality of communication with parents is a determinant of health and well-being during adolescence, being predictive of self-esteem, self-rated health and the ability to navigate health risk behaviours. METHODS: This article describes trends in adolescent's (aged 11, 13 and 15 years) perception of communication with mothers and fathers by gender across 32 European and North American countries from 2002 to 2010. Analyses were performed on 425 699 records employing a General Linear Model (MANOVA). RESULTS: In most countries, significant increases in the prevalence of ease of communication with both mothers and fathers were observed, with the greatest positive changes over time in Estonia, Denmark and Wales. In some countries, the opposite trend was found with the greatest negative changes occurring in France, Slovenia and Poland. Across the pooled dataset, a significant positive trend was observed for ease of communication with father, for both boys and girls and for ease of communication with mother for boys only. CONCLUSION: The temporal trends demonstrated an increase in a positive health asset for many young people, that of family communication. Positive trends may be a feature of the economic boom over the past decade coupled with cultural changes in attitudes to parenting, especially fathering.

Trends in overweight prevalence among 11-, 13- and 15-year-olds in 25 countries in Europe, Canada and USA from 2002 to 2010.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to assess recent changes in the prevalence of overweight (including obesity) among 11-, 13- and 15-year-olds in 33 countries from 2002 to 2010. METHODS: Data from 25 countries from three consecutive survey cycles (2002, 2006 and 2010) that had at least 80% response rate for self-reported height, weight and age were analysed using logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: Overweight prevalence increased among boys in 13 countries and among girls in 12 countries; in 10 countries, predominantly in Eastern Europe, an increase was observed for both boys and girls. Stabilization in overweight rates was noted in the remaining countries; none of the countries exhibited a decrease over the 8-year period examined. In the majority of countries (20/25) there were no age differences in trends in overweight prevalence. CONCLUSION: In over half of the countries examined overweight prevalence did not change during 2002-2010. However, increasing overweight prevalence was noted in many Eastern European countries over this time period. Overweight prevalence remained high in several countries in Europe and North America. These patterns call for continued research in youth overweight and highlight the need to understand cross-national differences by examining macro-level indicators. Such research should feed into developing sound translations and practices to prevent and reduce overweight in youth.

Physical activity as a factor protecting teenage boys from tobacco and marihuana use.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study was to answer the question if physical activity protects teenagers from psychoactive substance use, and whether this relationship depends on gender and activity intensity and frequency. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: The study was conducted in 2013/14 as part of the international HBSC study (Health Behaviour in School-aged Children), using the method of auditorium survey, conducted among a random sample of Polish teenagers. In the analysis, only answers of the oldest group of respondents (1484 students aged 14.6-16.5) were taken into consideration. Girls constituted 52.8% of the sample; 75.6% of pupils attended 3rd grade of lower secondary school. The research tool was an international questionnaire containing, among others, questions about physical activity (moderate and intense) and the use of psychoactive substances (tobacco, alcohol, marihuana) within 30 days prior to the survey. RESULTS: In respect to both moderate and intense physical activity, boys were more active than girls (p<0.001). Within 30 days preceding the study, 39.0% of respondents drank alcohol, 23.5% smoked cigarettes, and 10.7% smoked marihuana. Among the group of boys, the more physical activity they undertook, the less they smoked tobacco and used marihuana. With regard to alcohol in boys and among girls, for all psychoactive substances, association with physical activity has not been confirmed. The chance of abstinence from cigarettes and marihuana rose about 2-4 times in boys who devoted at least one hour four times a week to moderate physical activity. CONCLUSION: Physical activity protects boys from tobacco and marihuana use. Preventive programs designed to reduce these psychoactive substances use should engage teenagers in physical activity.

Teenagers' perception of being an active patient and putting the concept into practice.

AIM: To analyse the results of research on how adolescents understand the "active patient" concept, how often they undertake that role depending on gender and on whether they are suffering from a chronic disease. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The research was conducted in a group of 14-15 year-olds. It comprised qualitative research (focus groups, N=24) concerning the way the concept of an "active patient" is understood and quantitative research (questionnaire study, N=716). The research tool was an anonymous authored questionnaire with questions concerning the role of the active patient and chronic illnesses. RESULTS: The idea of the "active patient" was not understandable to the teenagers, but they were able to enumerate many kinds of behaviours which are typical for such a patient. Among the 7 kinds of such behaviours, only two (presenting their ailments to the doctor and following the doctor's recommendations) were always or almost always followed by over half the respondents. The frequencies of undertaking behaviours typical for an active patient by girls and boys were similar. Teenagers with chronic diseases more often behaved actively during their visit to the doctor, but less frequently followed the doctor's recommendations. CONCLUSIONS: Few adolescents actively participate in the process of diagnosis and treatment. There is a need for early education of children and young people to become active patients, since such an attitude promotes health throughout one's lifetime. Such education is first of all the task of doctors and nurses, and it can be effective only if the inter-communication skills with patients are improved. It is a necessity to support young people with chronic diseases in their treatment and in coping with their disease.

How well do Polish teenagers meet health behaviour guidelines?

OBJECTIVE: To estimate the prevalence of meeting health behaviour guidelines regarding eating breakfast, fruit and vegetable consumption and physical activity and to identify adolescents who accumulate the unhealthy behaviours. SUBJECT AND METHODS: Cross-sectional study was conducted in 2008 in adolescents aged 13-year-old (N = 574). They self-reported their physical activity (MVPA--Moderate-to-Vigorous Physical Activity), regularity of breakfast eating and fruit and vegetable consumption. The adherence to physical activity and nutritional guidelines were described. Relationships between dependant variables and sex and place of residence were examined. Cluster analysis was used to identify subgroups of youths whose accumulate the unhealthy behaviours. RESULTS: The proportion of adolescents who met each health recommendation varied: 69% ate breakfast on 5 school days, 46.9% consumed at least once a day fruit and vegetable and 27.5% performed recommended daily physical activity. Boys were significantly more active (p < 0.001) and ate breakfast more frequently than girls (p < 0.04). A gender difference in fruit and vegetable intake was not statistically significant. Only 11.5% of adolescents fulfilled all three recommendations, more often boys than girls (p = 0.020). Almost 54% of adolescents had multiple unfavorable health behaviours, and 14,1% all three of them - significantly more often girls than boys (p = 0.011). For adolescents with two risk behaviours, the most prevalent cluster was formed by not meeting the physical activity and fruit and vegetable recommendations. CONCLUSIONS: The unhealthy behaviours tend to accumulate among teenagers - more often in girls than in boys, becoming the risk factors for different chronic diseases. Widespread dissemination of healthy lifestyle guidelines among adolescents, their parents and teachers, and undertake interventions aimed to reduce unhealthy behaviours could bring health benefits in the future.

[Selected family socio-economic factors as predictors of peer violence among school children in Poland]. / Wybrane czynniki spoleczno-ekinomiczne srodowiska rodzinnego jako predyktory przemocy rówiesniczej wsród mlodziezy szkolnej w Polsce.

AIM: Analyses concerning peer violence among girls and boys aged 13-17 years, in the context of socio- -economic characteristics of the family: family structure, parental employment status and perceived family wealth. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Preliminary data from the recent HBSC studies conducted in 12 voivodeships in Poland in 2013 was used. The analyzes concerned 2300 students aged 13-17 years (45% boys) and focused on the following types of violence: being a perpetrator and a victim of bullying, participation in fights and cyberbullying. Chi-square test analysis and multivariate logistic regression models were used. RESULTS: Significantly more boys than girls experienced bullying (28% vs. 22%) and was perpetrators of violence in the school (39% vs. 25%). The youth from single-parent families significantly more often than students from two-parent families, participated in fights and was the perpetrators of violence in the school. Being a perpetrator and a victim of violence concerned mostly students from poor families and boys, whose father was unemployed. The following risk factors was identified- among boys: low economic status of the family (victims of bullying) and single-parent family (victims of cyberbullying), father's unemployment (the perpetrator of bullying) and age 13-14 years (victims and perpetrators of bullying, participation in fights) and among girls: low economic status of the family (cyberbullying), mother's unemployment and age 13-14 years (victims of violence). CONCLUSIONS: The family socio-economic factors, gender and age determine the type and the prevalence of peer violence. Low economic status of the family and single-parent family increases the risk of experiencing violence. For the prevention of bullying the educational role of the father and his commitment to family budget are important.

The feelings of adolescents connected with medical visits and their perception of the physicians' behaviour.

OBJECTIVE: To analyze research results relating the feelings of adolescents connected with their medical visit and their perception of the physician's behaviour in treating them as patients during the visit. MATERIAL AND METHOD: The research was conducted on a group of 14-15-year-olds (N=716), students of lower secondary schools located in 5 voivodeships. The research instrument was an anonymous authored questionnaire with questions concerning their last visit at the physician's: its time, purpose, and feelings connected with the visit, as well as reasons for these feelings and the variety of the physician's behaviours conducive to good communication with the adolescent patient. RESULTS: More than half (56%) of the respondents visited the physician within the previous 3 months, 64% because of illness, complaints or injury. The visit was accompanied by a range of different feelings, in most cases indifference (32%) and relief (21%). However, every seventh teenager showed anxiety and fear. The justification of these feelings varied and related to: the physician as a person, the physician's behaviour, the expectations and beliefs of the teenagers, the behaviour of other patients and the functioning of the healthcare system. Most of the teenagers (70-87%) decided that the physician undertook 8 out of the 11 ways of behaving named in the questionnaire as promoting good communication with the patient. Most physicians provided information about results of the study, used understandable words and actively listened to patients. The behaviours undertaken least often were asking encouraging questions and taking interest in the patient as an individual. Every fifth teenager was not examined in a way that showed respect to his/her privacy. CONCLUSIONS: Most young patients view the physician's behaviour towards them in a positive way. It should be pointed out to physicians how important it is to encourage adolescents to ask questions, treat them as individuals and respect their privacy.

[Health enhancing behaviors of teachers and other school staff]. / Zachowania prozdrowotne nauczycieli i innych pracowników szkoly.

BACKGROUND: Any activity undertaken for the purpose of health enhancing behavior is an important element of taking care of one's health. The aim of this paper was to analyze the frequency of health enhancing behaviors and avoiding health-risk behaviors among teachers and other school staff by gender and age. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The sample consisted of 750 teachers and 259 individuals of non-teaching staff of 22 health promoting schools. A questionnaire that included Positive Health Behaviors Scale for Adults and questions on avoiding risk behaviors were used as a research tool. RESULTS: Of the 32 analyzed health enhancing (positive) behaviors, only 11 were undertaken by teachers and 10 by non-teaching staff at a desirable frequency (always or almost always) in a group of more than 50% of respondents. Almost one third of health enhancing behaviors were under taken with this frequency by less than 20% of respondents. The highest deficits concerned physical activity, nutrition and mental health-related behaviors, and the lowest concerned safety. Deficits in all positive health behaviors were smaller in teachers than in non-teaching staff, in women than in men and in older than in younger teachers. The majority of respondents, mostly teachers, irrespective of gender and age did not undertake risk behaviors. CONCLUSIONS: There was a lot of deficits in the healthy lifestyle of teachers and other school workers what is alarming from the point of view of school workers' health, their tasks and their role in shaping positive health behavior in children and adolescents. There is a great need for taking actions to improve the situation, such as the development of health promotion programs addressed to teachers and other school staff, including issues concerning healthy lifestyles in teacher's pre- and in-service training, counselling in the area of healthy lifestyle in preventive health care of school staff.

The Influence of Socioeconomic Factors on the Body Characteristics, Proportion, and Health Behavior of Children Aged 6-12 Years.

BACKGROUND: The research aimed to determine how socioeconomic factors influence the body structure and health behaviors of children in a suburban commune. METHODS: Data from 376 children aged 6.78 to 11.82 years from Jablonna, Poland, were analyzed. A questionnaire was used to gather information regarding the socioeconomic status and dietary habits of these children, and physical measurements such as height, weight, pelvic width, shoulder width, chest, waist, hip, and arm circumferences, and three skinfolds were taken. Hip index, pelvi-acromial index, Marty's index, BMI (body mass index), WHR (waist-hip ratio), and the sum of three skinfolds were calculated. One-way analysis of variance, Student's t-test, and X2 test with p < 0.05 were used. RESULTS: The size of the family and the level of education and occupation of the fathers had a significant impact on the body proportions of the children. Children from larger centers with more educated parents were seen to have healthier eating habits and higher levels of physical activity, and their parents were less likely to smoke cigarettes. CONCLUSIONS: It was concluded that the development environment of the parents, such as their level of education and profession, play a more important role than the size of birthplace.

Influence of body build on hand grip strength, simple reaction time and strength of the abdominal muscles in prepubertal children.

The aim of the study was to assess whether the body build has an impact on hand grip strength, muscle endurance and time reaction in children. The material of the research were 376 children from 6.78 to 11.82 years old in 2018. Body weight, height, waist, hip and mid-upper-arm circumferences, triceps and subscapular folds were measured. The BMI, body fat and AHtR (arm-circumference-to-height ratio) were calculated. The hand grip strength, simple reaction time (Quickstick) and strength of the abdominal muscles (endurance) were tested. Two-way ANOVA and correlation analyses with significance level p < 0.05 were used. Children with normal BMI values are characterized by better simple reaction time than their obese peers, while overweight and obese children estimated on the basis of BMI, AHtR and body fat perform were better in hand grip strength. In the case of strength of the abdominal muscles, there were no differences in children with different body build. The normal build and body weight promotes the proper development of children, which also is reflected in the results of motor performance and fitness tests.

[Overweight and obesity in lower-secondary school students in relation to selected behavioural factors. Changes in 2006-2010]. / Nadwaga i otylosc wsród uczniów gimnazjum w zaleznosci od wybranych czynników behawioralnych. Zmiany w latach 2006-2010.

INTRODUCTION: The HBSC (Health Behaviour in School-aged Children) survey, repeatedly carried out among school children in Poland, allows to follow the trends in the occurrence of overweight and obesity as well as changes in selected behaviors, which may influence body weight. THE AIM of this paper is to assess in the years 2006-2010 the prevalence of excess and changes of Polish adolescents' body weight, depending on the pattern of behaviors associated with physical activity and leisure time. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Data was taken from the 2006 and 2010 HBSC surveys carried out on a total sample of 7133 lower secondary school children. Cluster analysis was applied to define leisure time activity patterns. Combined physical activity index and the average time spent watching television and playing computer games per day were taken as criteria for classification. RESULTS: In 2006-2010, the proportion of adolescents with overweight or obesity (according to WHO 2007 criteria) increased from 17,7% to 22,0% in boys and from 7,9% to 13,4% in girls. In 2006, the proportion of pupils with overweight and obesity ranged from 12,6% to 17,1% in six defined subgroups, while in 2010 it ranged from 12,6% to 24,7%. No increase of overweight was observed in the cluster representing positive health behaviors. However, the decline in the proportion of adolescents that could qualify to this group is alarming. CONCLUSION: High physical activity does not always offset the impact of sedentary activities on increase of body mass.

[The relationship between casual paid work, the use of psychoactive substances and school problems among upper secondary school students]. / Zwiazek miedzy dorywcza praca zarobkowa a uzywaniem substancji psychoaktywnych oraz problemami szkolnymi uczniów szkól ponadgimnazjalnych.

BACKGROUND: The issue of casual work is rarely mentioned in Poland in the studies of adolescent health and its determinants. The article includes a preliminary analysis of the links among work, psychoactive substance abuse and school problems in older adolescents. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The examined data relate to the age-homogenous group of 989 upper secondary-school students surveyed in 2011.The questions were derived from the Polish version of the CHIP-AE (Child Health and Illness Profile - Adolescent Edition) questionnaire. Cigarette smoking, mild and strong alcoholic drinks consumption and marihuana use were analysed with regard to the preceding month. A combined index - a scale of psychoactive substance use (SUSP) was calculated from the perspective of the entire life. The other index - a scale of the intensity of school problems (SNPS) was built around four questions about the occurrence of such problems within the preceding month. RESULTS: Within the examined group, 27.2% of the surveyed admitted to working outside their household. One in five worked for more than 10 hours a week. Working adolescents significantly more often used psychoactive substances than their non-working peers. The risk of a significant threat from psychoactive substances rose twofold in the comparison of working and non-working youth - OR=1.99 [95% CI(OR): 1,44-2,74]. Correspondingly, there was an increase in the risk of intensified school problems (SNPS) - OR=2.25 [95% CI(OR): 1,64-3,08].Working more than 10 hours a week results both risk factors rising to 2.34 and 2.70 respectively. Over threefold rise in the frequency of neglecting work or its bad performance was identified (OR=3.19; [95% CI(OR): 1,90-5,36]), when comparing the adolescents with the smallest and the biggest intensity of school. problems in the working group. CONCLUSIONS: Upper secondary school students undertaking paid work outside their household are in the risk group for psychoactive substance use and school problems. It is advisable to conduct deeper research on the motives for undertaking work and its impact on the development of adolescents, including longitudinal studies and qualitative research.

[Overweight and obesity among parents and their 13-old children in Poland]. / Nadwaga i otylosc rodziców i ich 13-letnich dzieci w Polsce.

OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY: To examine the prevalence of overweight and obesity among parents and their 13-year-old children in Poland, and relationships between parental and child obesity. PARTICIPANTS AND METHODS: The study was conducted in 2008 as a part of prospective cohort follow-up study from 1995. The sample included 579 children (289 girls, 290 boys), their parents (549 mothers, 487 fathers). Parental height and weight were self-reported. Height and weight of children were performed by school nurses. IOTF criteria was used to determine overweight and obesity in children. For adults overweight was defined as BMI > or = 25.0 and obesity BMI > or = 30.0. The relation of parental-child overweight was tested by the odds ratio (OR). RESULTS: The prevalence of overweight was 43.4% for mothers and 71% for fathers (p < 0.001), including obesity respectively 12.3% and 20.3%, more often among rural mothers (48.1%) than urban (38.5%) (p = 0.69). Prevalence of childhood overweight was 16.7% for boys and 13.5% for girls, obesity respectively 2.4% and 1.0%. Overweight was observed more often in urban than rural areas, respectively 17.1% and 13.3%. OR for child hood overweight was the highest when both parents were overweight OR = 3.90 (1.57-9.72), when the mother alone was overweight OR = 2.55 (1.56-4.16), when father alone--OR = 2.10 (1.09-4.05). CONCLUSION: Overweight and obesity is a family problem. In the obesity prevention, interventions should be directed towards the entire family.

Overweight and obesity among adolescents in Poland: gender and regional differences.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the prevalence of overweight and obesity in Polish adolescents in 2005 using both the International Obesity Task Force (IOTF) cut-offs and a national reference; to compare this to data collected in 1995; and to assess whether there were differences in overweight or obesity by gender and place of residence in 1995-2005. DESIGN: BMI was calculated from measured height and weight, collected in a cross-sectional study in five regions of Poland in 2005. Adolescents were categorised as normal, overweight or obese based on IOTF cut-off values, and by national weight for stature tables, where the 90th and 97th percentiles were used as cut-off values for overweight and obesity. SETTING: Population-based study set in Poland. SUBJECTS: A two-stage sampling method was used to recruit 8065 pupils (3980 boys and 4085 girls) aged 13-15 years. RESULTS: The prevalence of overweight and obesity was 12·5 % and 1·9 %, respectively. No significant gender differences were found, either in overweight or obesity. The prevalence of overweight and obesity in 2005 had increased 2 % compared to 1995. Overweight and obesity among adolescents were not related to urban-rural residence, but there were significant regional differences. CONCLUSIONS: Monitoring trends in overweight and obesity among adolescents in all regions of Poland using the same reference criteria is important. Since regional differences in overweight and obesity rates among adolescents were observed both in 1995 and 2005, future research should investigate the potential causes of these differences.

[Prevalence of growth and nutritional status disorders among Polish 13-year-olds in the first decade of 21st century]. / Wystepowanie zaburzen wzrastania i stanu odzywienia u polskich 13-latków w pierwszej dekadzie XXI wieku.

AIM OF THE STUDY: to examine the prevalence of nutritional status and growth disorders in 13-year-olds in Poland by sex and place of residence and changes during the period 2005 to 2008. PARTICIPANTS AND METHODS: The study was conducted in 2008 as a part of prospective cohort follow-up study of 605 children (305 girls and 300 boys), from birth to 13 years. Analyses of anthropometric measurements: height and weight were performed. Institute of Mother and Child growth references for height-for-age and BMI-for-age (1999) were used to assess physical disorders. RESULTS: The prevalence of overweight (BMI > or = 85th percentile) was 14% and underweight (BMI < 5 percentile) was 4,1%. Short stature (< 10th percentile of height) was found in 6%, and 6,2% were above 97th percentile of height. We found no statistically significant difference in nutritional and growth status disorders by sex and place of residence. The overall prevalence of overweight (including obesity) did not change from 2005 to 2008. Prevalence of underweight decreased especially among boys (9% to 3,1%, p=0,010) and among adolescents from rural area (8,2% to 4%, p=0,058). We found some evidence for equalization of the percentages of short stature in boys and girls, rural and urban adolescents. The tall stature rate rose only among girls (3,8% to 8,3%, p=0,050). CONCLUSIONS: Disappearance of the prevalence of physical disorders by sex and place of residence has been observed in the last few years in Poland. Overweight among 13-year-olds is not growing and acceleration of height is still observed.

[Protective factors as determinants of subjective complaints in 15-year-old adolescents]. / Czynniki ryzyka i ochronne wsród uwarunkowan subiektywnych dolegliwosci mlodziezy 15-letniej.

The study is based on the theory of resilience. Data obtained in Polish schools in 2006 on 2 287 15-year-old pupils were analyzed within HBSC (Health Behaviour in School-aged Children) study. The index of multiple subjective complaints was defined as the main outcome measure. Adolescents provided information on family and local area well-off, social support, quality of family relations, social self-esteem, and school climate. Each of six factors was classified into low, average and high level, and then 12 dummy variables were defined with average level as the reference category. To identify which dummy variable had significant effect upon subjective complaints linear regression model controlled for age was estimated, as well as two gender specific models. We found that strong social bonds are more important for predicting adolescents subjective health than economic factors. However, the effect of protective factors appeared to be lower than had been expected.