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Anita Liput-Sikora,1 Anna Maria Cybulska,2 Wiesława Fabian,1 Marzanna Stanisławska,2 Magdalena Sylwia Kamińska,3 Elżbieta Grochans,2 Anna Jurczak4 1Primary Care Center (NZOZ Przychodnia Medycyny Rodzinnej SJ), Szczecin 71-521, Poland; 2Department of Nursing, Faculty of Health Sciences, Pomeranian Medical University in Szczecin, Szczecin 71-210, Poland; 3Subdepartment of Long-Term Care, Department of Social Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, Pomeranian Medical University in Szczecin, Szczecin 71-210, Poland; 4Department of Specialized Nursing, Faculty of Health Sciences, Pomeranian Medical University in Szczecin, Szczecin 71-210, PolandCorrespondence: Anna Maria CybulskaPomeranian Medical University in Szczecin, Faculty of Health Sciences, Żołnierska 48, Szczecin 71-210, PolandTel +48 91 48 00 910Fax +48 91 48 00 905Email anna.cybulska@pum.edu.plPurpose: The aim of this study was to analyze the severity of changes in cardiovascular risk factors (hypertension, overweight and obesity, carbohydrate metabolism disorders, burdened family history) and to assess the risk of a cardiovascular incident according to the Systematic Coronary Risk Evaluation (SCORE) algorithm in the same group of patients over a five-year interval.Patients and Methods: The research method was analysis of medical records of patients from the area of West Pomeranian Province, Poland, included in the Cardiovascular Disease Prevention Program of the National Health Fund five years after the first examination (2012/2013 vs 2017/2018). We collected data on changes in the levels of selected cardiovascular risk factors over five years and calculated the SCORE values.Results: In the second measurement (after five years), the odds of obesity were about 2.5 times higher. The repeated BMI measurement showed that after five years more respondents were classified as overweight and obese compared with the first measurement (p = 0.000; η2 = 0.056). The repeated SCORE measurement indicated that after five years the SCORE values significantly increased compared with the first measurement (p = 0.000; η2 = 0.588). Statistically significant differences (p < 0.05) were also found between the first and the second measurements of arm circumference, waist circumference, BMI, diastolic blood pressure, heart rate, and triglycerides. The risk of visceral obesity was statistically significantly higher for men than for women (RHM = 1.47).Conclusion: In the group of patients examined twice over five years, the incidence of obesity, including abdominal obesity, significantly increased. Furthermore, five years after the last examination, the risk of a cardiovascular incident significantly increased. The participants had higher values of such parameters as: arm circumference, waist circumference, BMI, diastolic blood pressure, heart rate, and triglycerides.Keywords: cardiovascular disease, risk factors, prevention, SCORE

Background: The purpose of the research was to check opinions of students of various stages of education in the Pomeranian province about the attractiveness of Nordic Walking in comparison with other activities.

ObjectivesStudents experience considerable stress and anxiety during the course of their studies, which has a significant impact on their health and hinders the learning process. There are many stressors that can intensify stress, which is why choosing the right strategies for coping with stress and self-esteem is so important.MethodsThe study was conducted on 798 students of the School of Public Health at the University of Warmia and Mazury in majors: nursing, midwifery, emergency medicine and dietetics (subgroup 1; n = 428; 53.77%) and at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, major: veterinary medicine (subgroup 2; n = 368; 46.23%). The study employed the diagnostic survey method using a questionnaire technique including Rosenberg’s Self-Esteem Scale, MINI-COPE, PSS-10, and a self-questionnaire.ResultsThe scores obtained by over half of the students were indicative of low global self-esteem, whereas over 80% of the students felt stress at a high intensity. Moreover, it was shown that the veterinary medicine students demonstrated a higher intensity of coping strategies, i.e., active coping (p

IntroductionSanguisorba officinalis L. is classified as a medicinal plant and used in traditional medicine. The root of this plant is mainly used as a medicinal raw material, but the above-ground parts are also a valuable source of health-promoting biologically active compounds.MethodThe study aimed to evaluate the antioxidant activity and total polyphenol content (TPC) of extracts prepared in 70% and 40% aqueous ethanol solution (dry extract content 50–500 g/L) from the aerial parts of S. officinalis. The essential oil was isolated from the tested raw material, and its composition was determined using GC-MS. Ethanolic extracts and essential oil have been tested for antibacterial activity. The extract in 70% v/v ethanol (dry extract content: 500 g/L) was subjected to HPLC analysis for the content of selected phenolic acids and an ex vivo skin permeation study. The ability of these metabolites to permeate and accumulate in the skin was analysed.ResultsExtracts prepared at both ethanol concentrations showed similar antioxidant activity and TPC. Depending on the method, concentration of solvent, and dry extract content (50–500 g/L), the activity ranged from 1.97 to 84.54 g Trolox/L. TPC range of 3.80–37.04 g GA/L. Gallic acid (424 mg/L) and vanillic acid (270 mg/L) had the highest concentrations among the phenolic acids analysed. Vanillic acid (10 μg) permeates the skin at the highest concentration. The highest accumulation in the skin was found for 2,5-dihydroxybenzoic acid (53 μg/g skin), 2,3-dihydroxybenzoic acid (45 μg/g skin), and gallic acid (45 μg/g skin). The tested ethanolic extracts exhibited antibacterial activity. Samples with a dry extract concentration of 500 g/L showed the largest growth inhibition zones. The most sensitive strains to these extracts were P. aeruginosa (24 mm), S. lutea (23 mm), and S. pneumoniae (22 mm). The smallest inhibition zones were observed for B. subtilis (17 mm). The essential oil showed weaker antimicrobial activity (growth inhibition zone 8–10 mm). The GC-MS method identified 22 major components of the essential oil, including aliphatic hydrocarbons, unsaturated terpene alcohols, aliphatic aldehydes, unsaturated and saturated fatty acids, sesquiterpene, phytyl ester of linoleic acid, nitrogen compound, phytosterol, terpene ketone, phenylpropanoids, aliphatic alcohol, diterpenoid, aromatic aldehyde, and aliphatic carboxylic acid.DiscussionThe conducted research has shown that ethanolic extracts from Sanguisorbae herba are a valuable source of compounds with antibacterial and antioxidant potential, including phenolic acids. The fact that selected phenolic acids contained in the tested extract have the ability to permeate and accumulate in the skin provides the basis for conducting extended research on the use of extracts from this plant raw material in cosmetic and pharmaceutical preparations applied to the skin.

(1) The aim of our study was to determine the attitudes of medical students toward organ donation in the case of brain death. (2) The study was conducted among 1348 medical students from three medical universities in Poland. The research tool was the Polish version of the standardized questionnaire concerning attitudes toward organ donation and transplantation (ODT) [PCID-DTO RIOS: A questionnaire designed by the ‘International Collaborative Organ Donation project about organ transplantation and donation]. (3) Some sources of information on organ donation were found to have a significant impact on the recipients’ knowledge of brain death. These were books, friends, family, lectures in other centers, social media, and the Church. Medical students holding the opinion that recovery and leading a normal lifestyle after brain death is impossible were significantly more likely to donate their organs after death, not for religious reasons and not because they wanted to survive their own death. (4) The medical students in our study showed a high level of awareness and favorable attitudes toward ODT. However, the number of registered donors was low. It is important to educate students on these issues to raise the awareness of both future medical professionals and the public on organ transplantation procedures. The public should be made aware that transplantation procedures are of a high standard, and that the law protects both donors and recipients. These measures would reduce recipients’ waiting time, and certainly increase the statistics of the number of life-saving and health-saving procedures.

IntroductionNon-adherence to treatment recommendations is a significant problem, as it contributes to the progression of the disease and to the exacerbation of distressing symptoms. Failure to cope with the disease and elevated levels of stress, in turn, influence the choice of strategy for coping with a difficult situation, and thus adherence to recommendations.ObjectivesThe purpose of our study was to evaluate the impact of the subjects’ stress coping styles on therapeutic adherence, life satisfaction, disease acceptance and quality of life (QoL) in people with mood disorders.MethodsThis survey-based study included 102 respondents diagnosed with mood disorders, living in the West Pomeranian Voivodeship. It was performed using the sociodemographic questionnaire and standardized tools: The Coping Inventory for Stressful Situations (CISS), The Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS), The Short Form-36 (SF-36) Health Survey, The Adherence to Refills and Medication Scale (ARMS), and The Acceptance of Illness Scale (AIS).ResultsSome 47.06% of the respondents suffered from depressive disorders, while 34.31% had depression or mixed anxiety disorder. Patients who made greater use of an emotion-focused style were found to have significantly lower life satisfaction than other patients. Moreover, this style was related to such SF-36 domains as general health, social functioning, role emotional, vitality, and mental health, as well as to physical component summary (PCS) and mental component summary (MCS).ConclusionTreatment non-adherence is a serious challenge in the treatment of patients with mood disorders. Individuals who do not adequately follow treatment recommendations often resort to alternative activities as a mechanism for coping with difficult situations. Patients who predominantly adopt an emotion-oriented coping style tend to experience lower life satisfaction and greater difficulty accepting their condition compared to their peers. Conversely, patients who adopt a task-oriented coping style report better quality of life than those who rely on emotion-oriented coping or alternative activities.

ObjectivesWorkaholism is an addiction, however the obsessive-compulsive components alone may prove insufficient in determining its nature. The aim of the following study was to determine the mediating role of depressiveness in the relationships between workaholism and personality traits according to the five-factor model among Polish women.MethodsThe research study was carried out among 556 women residing in the West Pomerania Voivodeship in Poland. The research was based on a survey performed using a questionnaire technique. The following research instruments adapted to Polish conditions were employed to assess the incidence of work addiction among female adults: The NEO Five-Factor Inventory (NEO-FFI), The Work Addiction Risk Test (WART) Questionnaire, and The Beck Depression Inventory–BDI I-II.ResultsA positive correlation between the intensity of neuroticism and the work addiction risk was revealed (β = 0.204, p