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Czy środowisko może mieć wpływ na jakość życia pacjentów z astmą oskrzelową?

Marta Malinowska-Cieślik

Public Health and Governance, Volume 10, Issue 1, 2012, pp. 25-30

https://doi.org/10.4467/20842627OZ.12.004.0891

Health related quality of life assessment is an topic in public health, especially in socially meaningful chronic diseases. Chronic diseases such as asthma reduce the patient’s quality of life significant. The influence of environmental factors on health has been interested researchers for many years also in the public health area. Nowadays, we know that the clinical symptoms of the disease is a result of genotype-environment interaction. Despite our reach data of environmental threats, studying their influence on health or chronic diseases course seems insufficient. Thus, the analysis of relations and environmental factors influence on the quality of life assessment of patients with asthma may supplement the knowledge of environment influence on a human being. Previous research show that changing dust in the air and pollution causes increase or decrease of allergic symptoms, whereas the relations of life quality assessment of patients with asthma with the environment influence is not unequivocal.

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Ocena prewencji przemocy rówieśniczej wśród nastolatków w Polsce z perspektywy zdrowia publicznego

Marta Malinowska-Cieślik

Public Health and Governance, Volume 12, Issue 1, 2014, pp. 17-25

https://doi.org/10.4467/20842627OZ.14.002.2894

This article assesses Poland’s performance with respect to the level of adoption, implementation and enforcement of national level policy actions to address adolescence peer to peer violence prevention. The assessment is based on an examination of current national policies to support the prevention of violence amongst adolescents, accurate to July 2013. The analysis included the assessment of adolescents violence surveillance, government lead and national strategy for peer to peer violence prevention (e.g. bulling and cyberbulling), capacity, such as school related actions, telecommunications services (help lines) and media campaigns on the violence prevention. Policies selected were based on current best evidence for good practices in peer violence prevention.

To gather information on each of the policies being examined, the law and policy documents were reviewed, and the relevant government departments were contacted. The assessment tool – a questionnaire – developed in the frame of the European Project TACTICS (Tools to Address Childhood Trauma, Injury and Children’s Safety) was applied. Each policy was assessed on 3-points scale: whether it had been adopted, if it was partially or fully implemented and as appropriate was being enforced.

The following scores were obtained for each the area of peer violence prevention among adolescents. The overarching policies, government leadership, and surveillance was assessed in 86%, and the capacity related to resources at schools and, interventions on peer violence prevention was assessed in 88%.

Generally, the national level in addressing adolescence peer to peer violence prevention in Poland was graded as good performance. However, the further actions are required, particularly in improvement of regular, annual estimation of incidences of peer violence possible, and at school related actions, especially mandatory education in life skills, health curriculum including sexual, intimate partner abuse prevention, and bulling (cyberbulling), and sexual abuse prevention programs (e.g. counselling) at schools.

There are some good programmes and services available in Poland to build capacity both for victims and perpetrators. However follow-up and monitoring is needed, to ensure implementation, particularly for those aimed at low and high secondary schools. The monitoring of the places where alcohol and drugs are available needs to be improved and better executed. Moreover the development and implementation of all available resources for adolescents at the communities level should result also in decrease of prevalence of peer to peer violence.

The government approved the National Program of Domestic Violence Prevention, which does not include other areas, except home, of adolescence violence occurring outside of the school setting (e.g., dating and intimate partner violence, and cyberbulling) and this leaves a gap that should be addressed. The development of national guidance and policy regarding assessment in situations of potential, suspected risk would strengthen existing services. Education on prevention of dating and intimate partner violence would provide another opportunity to screen for risk of these types of sexual violence amongst youth.

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Ocena prewencji urazów i promocji bezpieczeństwa dzieci i nastolatków w Polsce

Marta Malinowska-Cieślik

Public Health and Governance, Volume 10, Issue 2, 2012, pp. 80-94

https://doi.org/10.4467/20842627OZ.12.011.0898

Injury is the leading cause of death and disability in children and adolescents in Poland. In 2009, 1220 children age 0-19 years died as a result of injury. If the rate of injury deaths in Poland could be reduced to the level of the Netherlands, it is estimated that 703 (58%) of these lives could have been saved.
The aim of this study was to assess child and adolescent unintentional injury prevention in Poland through national law and policy.
The study was based on an examination of law and policies existing and implemented or enforced in Poland which support child safety, including specific injury areas such as road safety, water safety, fall prevention, poisoning prevention, burn and scalds prevention, choking and strangulation prevention. The review of law and policy documents, as well as interviews by phone or e-mail with representatives of government departments was conducted. The questionnaire developed in the frame of the European Project TACTICS (Tools to Address Childhood Trauma, Injury and Children’s Safety) was applied. Each policy and law as a marker for specific injury areas was assessed on 3-points scale.
The following scores were obtained for each of the areas of child and adolescent injury prevention in Poland (out of possible 100%): 89% in moped and motor scooter safety, 86% in poisoning prevention, 75% in pedestrian safety, 75% in cycling safety, 75% in water safety and drowning prevention, 64% in burn and scalds prevention, 59% in passenger and driver safety, 59% in choking and strangulation prevention, 50% in fall safety.
Child home safety related to prevention of falls, burns and scalds, choking and strangulation has not received the adequate attention. The greatest gains in injury prevention have been made in road safety and poisoning prevention. It is important to both continue these efforts and give equal attention to injuries occurring in and around the home, sport and leisure environments. There is a need to support and fund good practices injury prevention measures based on community level targeting families with low socio-economic status.

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Ocena prewencji przemocy wobec dziecka w Polsce z perspektywy zdrowia publicznego

Marta Malinowska-Cieślik

Public Health and Governance, Volume 12, Issue 1, 2014, pp. 3-16

https://doi.org/10.4467/20842627OZ.14.001.2893

This article assesses Poland’s performance with respect to the level of child violence prevention applying public health approach, based on an examination of current national policies to support the prevention of violence toward children (0–18 years) in July 2013. The analysis included the child violence surveillance, leadership and capacity, law and its’ enforcement, children’s rights protection, national policies, programmes and strategies, national media campaigns and education that support the child maltreatment, neglect and abuse prevention.

The review of law and policy documents, interviews by phone or e-mail with representatives of government departments was conducted. The questionnaire developed in the frame of the European Project TACTICS (Tools to Address Childhood Trauma, Injury and Children’s Safety) was applied. Each policy was assessed on 3-points scale.

The following scores were obtained for each of the overarching policies of child violence prevention in Poland (out of possible 100%): 80% in child violence surveillance system and leadership,75% in children’s rights protection, 63% in capacity related to support to the child-victim, and 71% in child maltreatment, neglect, and abuse prevention.

Poland is doing a good job at the national level in addressing violence against children in all areas examined. However, the violence area scores indicate that further action is required in most areas, particularly in overarching polices addressing violence against children in the area of capacity related to support to the child-victim, and specific policies for the prevention of child maltreatment, neglect and abuse.

Poland has undertaken a number of actions in the area of leadership and infrastructure including an national strategy in child domestic violence prevention. However, the level of child violence control and prevention in other settings is poor and not sufficient.

Policies of children’s right protection need further efforts to ensure full implementation. There is a need for Poland to fund and support the implementation and monitoring of existing evidence-based good practices, paying particular attention to vulnerable groups such as children with disabilities, migrant children, children from minority groups (i.e. Romani children) and those in care institutions.

There are some good programmes and services available in Poland to develop capacity both for children themselves and their families. However follow-up and monitoring to ensure implementation, particularly for those aimed at kindergartens and schools is needed. The monitoring of implementation of all available resources for school-aged children are required, which result also in decrease of socio-economic inequalities.

The government approved the National Program of Domestic Violence Prevention, which does not include other areas of child maltreatment or abuse occurring outside of the domestic setting (e.g., sexual abuse occurring outside the home) and this leaves a gap that should be addressed. The development of national guidance and policy regarding assessment in situations of potential, suspected child maltreatment, neglect or abuse would strengthen existing services. The addition of home visits for new parents that include education on prevention of child violence would not only increase capacity, but would also provide another opportunity to screen for the risk of child violence.

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Percepcja jakości powietrza oraz jej skutków zdrowotnych jako przedmiot badań w obszarze zdrowia publicznego

Marta Malinowska-Cieślik

Public Health and Governance, Volume 10, Issue 1, 2012, pp. 13-24

https://doi.org/10.4467/20842627OZ.12.003.0890

Perceived air quality is an important measure for evaluating the health impact and quality of life in studies that have been carried out in the area of public health for years. The aim of this paper is to review and sum up the multidisciplinary knowledge regarding this topic, as well as to outline some main insights presented in the field of risk perception research. The literature on the perception of air pollution risks is structured around the five topics, proposed by the authors. Particular attention is focused on research that explores such issues as: factors influencing the air quality perception, the association between the subjective assessment of air pollutants and their objectively measured levels, the influence that perception of air quality has on human attitudes and activities.
The paper concludes by evaluating the relevance of the reviewed knowledge for the future research and the field of public health practice.

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Fazy gotowości do zmiany zachowań i ich uwarunkowania a zachowania w sferze aktywności fizycznej i żywienia wśród starszych pacjentów objętych w Krakowie opieką pielęgniarek środowiskowo-rodzinnych. Implikacje dla promocji zdrowia

Marta Malinowska-Cieślik

Public Health and Governance, Volume 9, Issue 1, 2011, pp. 60-75

https://doi.org/10.4467/20842627OZ.11.004.0341

In frame of the European Project CHANGE (Care of Health Advertising New Goals for Elderly people) the study of health behaviours regarding healthy nutrition and physical activity was conducted on patients in age of 60 and more covered with care of community nurses. Objectives: To assess association between physical activity and nutritional habits, stages of change of these behaviors among older patients and other psychosocial conditions regarding planning of health education intervention to change their health behaviours.

Methods: 108 persons at age avg. 69.6 (SD 60–87) were interviewed by questionnaire (assessing the frequency of intake of particular food products, physical activity, motivation and stage of change these behaviors, satisfaction with physical condition and general wellbeing) by the trained community nurses.

Results: Results showed sedentary style of life in most studied patients. Among physical activity the frequency of daily walking was the highest (69%), while 70% of older people did not exercise. In study group 42% were not aware of importance of physical activity for their health. But the awareness of importance of healthy nutrition was high, and about half of study group (48%) reported that they eat meals with reduced fat, and 80% eat high fiber food. The rules of healthy nutrition were not fully respected. Positive correlations were shown between intention to change, stage of change of health behavior and performance of physical activity and healthy eating. Those behaviors were positively related to well-being and satisfaction with physical condition.

Conclusions: Health promotion programs for older patients should be planned in different way depending on their stage of change of health behaviors. There is a need to raise awareness of importance of physical activity, and to educate older patients about recommended types of exercises and recreation. In case of recommendations of healthy nutrition, the awareness is high and performance definitely more frequent, therefore health promotion programs should stimulate development of permanent social support to maintain change of these behaviors.

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Marta Malinowska-Cieślik

Collegium Medicum Jagiellonian University

Collegium Medicum Jagiellonian University