The impact of parents' health behaviours on their preferences regarding vaccinations in Bialystok, Poland.

BACKGROUND: Currently, as the number of vaccinated children in Poland and throughout Europe is decreasing. Many factors impact on the rate vaccination and parents' health behaviours may affect the frequency of vaccinations. The aim of the study was to assess the association of parents' health behaviors with children's vaccinations. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey was conducted from July 2015 to June 2016 to assess to assess the association of parents' health behaviors with children's vaccinations in Bialystok city, Poland. We used the the Inventory of Health Behaviours and an original questionnaire including demographic data and questions about vaccination. Three hundred parents were recruited from the Pro Medica Family Medica Center in Bialystok, Poland. RESULTS: Only 3.7% of respondents did not vaccinate their children. The level of health behaviours was average in 42.3% of the respondents, low in 33%, and high in 24.7%. Significant differences in health behaviours, mainly the level of normal eating habits (p = 0.038) and positive mental attitude (p = 0.022), were found in relation to views on the toxicity of vaccines. Participants who reported that vaccines can cause autism engaged in a higher level of prophylactic behaviours. Respondents who vaccinated their children with combined vaccines had a significantly higher level of health practices. CONCLUSIONS: Parents preferred health behaviours did not effect on children vaccination. Parents who believed in the toxicity of vaccines were more concerned about proper nutrition, had a positive mental attitude, and engaged in a higher level of preventive behaviours and health practices. Parents who did not vaccinate their children had lower levels of normal eating habits. Parents who vaccinated their children with combined vaccines had a higher level of health behaviours, especially in terms of health practices.

Mandatory and recommended vaccinations in Poland in the views of parents.

Background: Vaccinations are currently the key element in the prevention of the spread of infectious diseases. We studied parents' opinions about mandatory and recommended preventive vaccinations in Poland. Methods: A diagnostic survey using an original questionnaire was done in a group of 300 parents. Results: A total of 3.7% of parents did not vaccinate their children. 90% were aware of the threat potentially posed by infectious diseases, and 73.7% knew that breastfeeding alone does not ensure sufficient protection against them. 28% believed that it is necessary to vaccinate a child against all diseases, 51.7% that the number of vaccinations is insufficient, and 62.7% that vaccine use is safe. 40.7% thought that unvaccinated children should not be able to attend nurseries and kindergartens, as they pose a threat to other children. Postvaccinal adverse events occurred in 21.3% of children, mainly (71.9%) an increase in body temperature above 38°C. 88.3% were informed about possible vaccine-induced complications, most often by nurses (79.7%). 88% of the respondents were aware of the possibility to switch to an alternative immunization program, 92% were informed on the possible administration of recommended vaccines, and 53% took advantage of combined vaccines. Conclusions: Views on vaccinations were mostly varied, depending on the age, sex, education, and financial situation of the respondents. Most of the parents who did not vaccinate their children believed that immunity can be acquired by infection. They were in favor of a limited number of vaccinations, were more critical of the vaccination program in Poland, considered the vaccines used in Poland to be unsafe, and blamed vaccines for multiple developmental defects and autism in children. Parents whose children experienced vaccine-induced adverse reactions were more likely to have doubts before the next vaccination.

[Occurrence of fungal pathogens in the delivery rooms of a hospital obstetrics department]. / Analiza wystepowania patogenów grzybiczych w powietrzu sal oddzialu polozniczego.

OBJECTIVES: Assessment of the incidence of fungal pathogens in air of the operating rooms from one of the hospitals in Bialystok. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Investigations were conducted in selected rooms of obstetrics department. Material for mycological studies was air sampled at the entrance of hospital building, the entrance to operating room, hall and selected rooms of the department. Fungi were identified using the standard microbial procedures: The monitoring of airborne fungi pollution was done using SAS SUPER 100 (pbi international). Classification of the isolated fungi was done with an accordance to the current procedures. RESULTS: In the air of 16 rooms of obstetrics department different numbers of fungal colonies from 0 to 560 CFU/1000L of air were isolated. Fungi were not isolated from the air samples of preparing, septic, operating and family deliveries rooms. The highest number of fungi colonies were isolated at the entrance the hospital. The following fungal pathogens isolated from the air were: Candida albicans. non-Candida albicans, Penicillium species, Cladosporium species and Aspergillus species. CONCLUSIONS: 1. The different number of fungal colonies was found depending on type of the hospital room. 2. The highest number of fungal colonies was isolated from the air samples of patients rooms 3. No fungal colonies were isolated from the septic, operating and family deliveries rooms 4. The main fungal pathogen isolated from the air samples was Candida albicans.

[Nurses opinion on the necessity of educating psychiatric patients and their families]. / Potrzeba edukacji chorego psychicznie i jego rodziny w opinii pielegniarek.

AIM: To gather information on the need for educating psychiatric patients and their families by the nursing staff. METHOD: An anonymous questionnaire was especially constructed for this study. 628 nurses who worked in different health institutions (except for psychiatric departments) were asked to answer the questionnaire. RESULTS: Getting the patient ready for functioning in the normal world and showing him ways to cope with the illness were considered as the most important educational themes. It is disturbing to note that 14.01% of the responders did not answer this question at all. According to the nurses, the families should be educated well on how they should deal with their ill member. Most of those questioned declared a readiness to educate the ill, but only 31.8% of them felt only minimally prepared for the task. The best form of learning to be an educator were (according to 79.7% responders) training seminars in the preferable form of talks, lectures or lessons. The medical doctor should be the one who would help in the educational role. CONCLUSIONS: The majority of the nurses believe that they are not prepared well enough for this educational function. Only 4.5% of those studied did not show any need for educating patients and their families. Training seminars for nurses should be organized, so that the nurses feel competent to educate patients and their families. Interdisciplinary teams dealing with the issue of educating patients and their families should be formed.

[Women's knowledge of health behaviors in the puerperium]. / Wiedza kobiet na temat zachowan prozdrowotnych w pologu.

UNLABELLED: The study was conducted on one hundred women hospitalized in obstetrical departments of hospitals in Bialystok. Material was collected using anonymous inquiry in the accordance with methodology of questionnaire creation. Over half responders (55%) correctly defined puerperium, however 19% of them couldn't explain what it means. Near 1/3 women answered that bloody puerperal excrements may be present to the end of puerperal period, 41% of women answered that during puerperium they are allowed to bath and only 22% of them considered physical exercises to be profitable. 52% of responders knew that newborn child should be breastfed for six months and that breastfeeding prevents breast from incidents of occlusion. 20% of mothers considered breastfeeding to be preventive from defects of bite and dental caries. CONCLUSIONS: 1. Definition of puerperium caused problems for most of women. 2. The period of puerperium affected the mode of lifestyle and hygiene of women but most of them did not consider physical exercises to be profitable. 4. The most of women knew that breastfeeding is necessary for appropriate growth of their children.