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Volume 12, Issue 1

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2014 Next

Publication date: 2014

Licence: None

Editorial team

Scientific Editors dr hab. Joanna Mazur, dr Marta Malinowska-Cieślik

Issue content

Marta Malinowska-Cieślik, Michał Zabdyr-Jamróz, Bartosz Balcerzak, Monika Ścibor

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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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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Hanna Nałęcz, Mireille Roillet

Public Health and Governance, Volume 12, Issue 1, 2014, pp. 26 - 35

https://doi.org/10.4467/20842627OZ.14.003.2895
Projects that aim to encourage healthy lifestyles among children or adolescents require a multilateral approach that targets values, beliefs, and attitudes. This kind of influence requires close well-planned cooperation between families, schools, peers, and youth organizations. The distribution of roles and tasks – as well as efficient communication as an element of good cooperation, partnerships, networking, and synergy – becomes a key determinant of a project’s success and the maintenance of children’s behaviour. The aim of this article is to clarify the concepts and notions connected to synergy and partnerships focusing on health, as well as to point out the measuring tools which could be usefull in this area, and also to present examples of projects that serve as international best practices of health target synergy for the child and adolescent population.
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Natasha Daniels, Lorraine Burke, Anne O’Donnell, Olive McGovern, Colette Kelly, Maureen D’Eath, Saoirse Nic Gabhainn

Public Health and Governance, Volume 12, Issue 1, 2014, pp. 36 - 44

https://doi.org/10.4467/20842627OZ.14.004.2896
The participation of young people in the research process can be empowering for the participants and valuable for the research outcomes. This paper presents the methods used and outcomes of involving youth in the development of priorities for the Health Behaviour in School-aged Children study in Ireland.
Two participative workshops were conducted with young people: the first focused on identifiying what is important for people to understand about young people’s lives; the second served to expand and prioritise the themes identified, for the purpose of developing questionnaire items. Following idea generation, discussion and voting four themes emerged as priorities. These were; ‘Diversity and Individuality’, ‘Independence’, ‘Mental Health’ and ‘Bullying’.
The process enabled young people to prioritise dimensions of their lives that deserved further quantitative research attention. The findings of the study identify the potential of such a methodology to transform the path of any research project concerning young people.
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Zbigniew Izdebski, Krzysztof Wąż

Public Health and Governance, Volume 12, Issue 1, 2014, pp. 45 - 55

https://doi.org/10.4467/20842627OZ.14.005.2897
The authors of the article discuss the terms of sexual health, reproductive health and sexual rights with reference to young people. They describe the health problems connected with psychosexual adolescence. Then the authors, on the base of their own research, present risky (anti-health) sexual behaviors of young people both in the real world and in the Internet as well as the consequences such as sexually transmitted diseases and unwanted pregnancies. The authors emphasize importance of support from professionals, especially doctors, for young people in solving problems connected with their sexual and reproductive health.
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Joanna Mazur , Anna Kowalewska, Tibor Baska, Erik Sigmund, Hanna Nałęcz, Agnes Nemeth, Dorota Zawadzka

Public Health and Governance, Volume 12, Issue 1, 2014, pp. 56 - 67

https://doi.org/10.4467/20842627OZ.14.006.2898
The aim of this paper is to present the patterns of the health behaviour in adolescents from Visegrad countries (Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia). The data concerning 5,588 15-year-old students were used, surveyed during the 2009/10 school year within HBSC study (Health Behaviour in School-aged Children). Five clusters with different behaviour patterns were found. The most positive model (high level of physical activity and a low level of risk behaviours) was found in 35.6% of adolescents from those countries. However, in 26.7%, relatively high physical activity co-exists with a high or very high level of risk behaviours. In all the countries, more negative models can be found in poor families and students with poor academic achievements. Adolescents categorised into more positive behaviour patterns are more satisfied with their lives. Members of different clusters should be approached with different prevention programmes, taken into account the specifics of each country.
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Agnieszka Pisarska

Public Health and Governance, Volume 12, Issue 1, 2014, pp. 68 - 74

https://doi.org/10.4467/20842627OZ.14.007.2899
The study was aimed at the assessment of trends in medicines use, taken for pain ailments (headache and stomachache), negative emotional conditions (sleeplessness, nervousness, depression), and lack of energy among adolescents.
An anonymous questionnaire was administered to 15-year-old students in random sample of middle school classes from Warsaw. In 2004 data were taken from 722 students, in 2008 from 1133 students, and in 2012 from 937 students.
Results showed that in the last month before the study 24–30% of students used pain-relievers occasionally, approximately 20% used such medicines frequently. Medicines against negative emotional conditions and lack of energy were less prevalent. The prevalence of pain-reliever use was stable, however, changes in the prevalence of medicine use for negative emotional conditions were noted.
Mental health promotion and prevention program, addressing over-the-counter medicine use should be developed.
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Joanna Gajewska, Witold Klemarczyk, Jadwiga Ambroszkiewicz, Magdalena Chełchowska, Mariusz Ołtarzewski, Halina Weker

Public Health and Governance, Volume 12, Issue 1, 2014, pp. 75 - 81

https://doi.org/10.4467/20842627OZ.14.008.2900
An influence of the 3-months weight-reduction programme on vitamin D concentration in obese prepubertal children was evaluated. The programme consisted of dietary and physical activity modifications and behaviour therapy including individual psychological care for the child and its family. The recommended daily intake from low-energy diet was 1200–1400 kcal/day. Vitamin D intake was lower in obese children before and during therapy in comparison to the controls and recommended intake. Hypovitaminosis D in obese children corresponded to decreased vitamin D intake and was more prevalent during fall/winter than spring/summer. Analysis of diet and measurements of the serum vitamin D concentration in obese children during weight-reduction therapy may be useful for monitoring of this vitamin status and for modifications of diet or supplementation. Further longitudinal studies are necessary to study the relationship between obesity, weight loss and vitamin D in prepubertal children.
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Agnieszka Kozioł-Kozakowska, Beata Piórecka, Małgorzata Schlegel-Zawadzka

Public Health and Governance, Volume 12, Issue 1, 2014, pp. 82 - 89

https://doi.org/10.4467/20842627OZ.14.009.2901
Preschool period is a stage of intensive development of the food preferences and the pro-health attitudes associated with normal eating behaviors and consequently eating habits in adulthood. The aim of the study was to assess eating behaviors of children attending kindergartens in relation to selected socio-economic factors in their families.
The study was conducted in a group of 325 children, whose average age was 5.23 ±1.30 years, attending nine kindergartens in Krakow. The questionnaire was filled in by 51.4% (N = 167) of parents of boys and 48.6% (N = 158) of girls. To conduct qualitative assessment of nutrition habits the Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ) was used with addition of questions regarding the socio-economic situation of the surveyed families. Differences in selected dietary behaviors of children were evaluated by gender, family income and parents’ educational level. The study indicates the existence of the relationship between food-related behaviour of preschool children and parents’ education level and family income.
The resulting image of dietary behaviours of children in the study group has identified numerous anomalies that require an active and ongoing nutrition education for children and their parents.
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Agnieszka Małkowska-Szkutnik

Public Health and Governance, Volume 12, Issue 1, 2014, pp. 90 - 98

https://doi.org/10.4467/20842627OZ.14.010.2902
The aim of this paper is to explore the relationships between level of social support (from teachers and peers) and perception of school environment: general attitude toward school, academic achievement and level of school stress. The study was conducted in 2013 within the framework of the international HBSC study, on a group of 3346 students aged 11–15 years; 47.7% boys; 17.6% with chronic conditions. Four patterns of relations with teachers and peers were identified by the use of the cluster analysis methods (k-means methods). Analysis were done separately for the healthy students and students with chronic conditions. School functioning was associated with perceived of social support. Healthy students, compared with students with chronic conditions, more frequently were high level of social support from two sources simultaneously (from teachers and peers). Among students with chronic conditions more important was the support from peers rather than teachers. Interventions should be directed at the integration of healthy students and students with chronic conditions.
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Katarzyna Okulicz-Kozaryn, Joanna Raduj, Anna Borucka

Public Health and Governance, Volume 12, Issue 1, 2014, pp. 99 - 108

https://doi.org/10.4467/20842627OZ.14.011.2903
Aim: To assess, in the context of other socialization factors, importance of alcohol specific parenting practices for adolescents drinking behaviors.
Method: Questionnaire data collected from the random sample of Warsaw 15-year old students (N = 984) on: alcohol use and getting drunk, perception of parental rules and attitudes toward alcohol use by a child, child’s monitoring and support by parents, school climate and support by peers.
Results: Logistic regression analysis confirmed that parental disapproval of alcohol use by teenagers and setting clear rules forbidding alcohol use are significant protective factors. Among adolescents who already drink, the risk of getting drunk is lower if they communicate openly with parents about their alcohol related behaviors. Parental factors seem to be more significant for girls than for boys and for those who have not initiate alcohol use yet.
Conclusions: More research and preventive activities is needed to strengthen parents in their alcohol specific parenting behaviors.
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Monika Brzostek, Joanna Zyznawska, Małgorzata Kulesa-Mrowiecka

Public Health and Governance, Volume 12, Issue 1, 2014, pp. 109 - 114

https://doi.org/10.4467/20842627OZ.14.012.2904
In the last few years, adaptive sport and adaptive physical education as forms of physiotherapy have gained increasing interest around the world and also in Poland. This thesis discusses application of alpine skiing in social rehabilitation for the persons with disabilities.
It describes how skiing can help overcoming problems with personal and social behavior and influence on looking at once life, in order to compare the sense of coherence of skiers with and without disabilities.
The research involved 31 Polish (16 disabled and 15 without disabilities) and 27 American (12 disabled and 15 without disabilities) responders. It was based on a Sense of Coherence Questionnaire SOC-13 by Aaron Antonovsky.
Conclusions: The level of coherence among disabled skiers is comparable to those without disabilities.
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Słowa kluczowe: child abuse, child maltreatment, law, Poland, policy, prevention and surveillance, public health, adolescent violence, bulling and cyberbulling, dating and intimate partner violence, law, Poland, policy, public health, surveillance and prevention, health promotion, synergy, partnerships for health, Viasano, Keep Fit!, ENHPS, HBSC, health, Ireland, participation, research, Youth, psychosexual development, reproductive health, risky sexual behaviors, sexuality, sexual health, adolescents, international comparisons, patterns of behaviour, physical activity, psychoactive substances, adolescents, medicines, somatic and mental ailments, children, obesity, weight-reduction therapy, vitamin D, eating habits, education level, parents, preschool children, chronic conditions, perception of school environment, social support, students with chronic conditions, alcohol, adolescents, parental practices, parental attitudes, alpine skiing, people with disabilities, sense of coherence questionnaire