Introduction. Excessive body mass in turn may contribute to the development of many health disorders including disorders of musculoskeletal system, which still develops intensively at that time.Aim. The aim of this study was to assess the relationship between children’s body mass composition and body posture. The relationship between physical activity level of children and the parameters characterizing their posture was also evaluated.Material and Methods. 120 school age children between 11 and 13 years were enrolled in the study, including 61 girls and 59 boys. Each study participant had the posture evaluated with the photogrammetric method using the projection moiré phenomenon. Moreover, body mass composition and the level of physical activity were evaluated.Results. Children with the lowest content of muscle tissue showed the highest difference in the height of the inferior angles of the scapulas in the coronal plane. Children with excessive body fat had less slope of the thoracic-lumbar spine, greater difference in the depth of the inferior angles of the scapula, and greater angle of the shoulder line. The individuals with higher level of physical activity have a smaller angle of body inclination.Conclusion. The content of muscle tissue, adipose tissue, and physical activity level determines the variability of the parameter characterizing the body posture.

BACKGROUND: Occupational burnout, which is more and more commonly encountered among medical professionals and investigated by researchers worldwide, may in particular affect health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. OBJECTIVES: The aim of the study was to assess the risk of occupational burnout among physiotherapists working actively in clinical hospitals in south-eastern Poland during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: The level of burnout among the studied physiotherapists was assessed using the Polish version of the Maslach Burnout Inventory by Maslach (MBI). The study was conducted from 20 March to 3 May, 2020 among physiotherapists working professionally during the COVID-19 pandemic in the south east of Poland, during which time health services related to therapeutic rehabilitation were suspended. The study was conducted among 1,540 physiotherapists with a license to practice who worked in clinical departments. Considering the inclusion and exclusion criteria, 106 physiotherapists were qualified for the study. RESULTS: The current findings show that during the COVID-19 pandemic physiotherapists present high burnout rates in all three dimensions: EE (Mean 32.31; CI 29.47–35.15); DP (Mean 16.25; CI 14.48–18.03); PA (Mean 26.25; CI 24.41–28.10). As for gender-related effects, higher burnout rates were observed in the male workers, compared to the females, in all three domains: EE (Men: Mean 34.70; CI 29.90–39.50 –Women: Mean 31.03; CI 27.45–34.60); DP (Men: Mean 18.78; CI 15.98–21.59 –Women: Mean 14.90; CI 12.64–17.16) and PA (Men: Mean 24.54; CI 21.32–27.76 –Women: Mean 27.17; CI 24.90–29.44). The highest burnout rates, presented by the physiotherapists working in the profession for more than 20 years, were identified in the domain of EE (Mean: 35.30; CI 30.51–40.10) and in those with 10–15 years of experience, in the domains of DP (Mean: 18.31; CI 14.89–21.73) and PA (Mean: 23.97; CI 20.13–27.81). The highest rate of occupational burnout, reflected by the scores in all three domains (EE, DP, PA), was identified in Department I –Intensive Care and Anaesthesiology Department: EE - (Mean: 40.89, CI 35.27–46.52); DP - (Mean: 21.39, CI 17.90–24.88); and PA - (Mean: 23.07, CI 20.04–26.10), compared to the other departments. The subjects who rarely participated in courses or training programs showed the highest burnout rates (EE- Mean: 33.55, CI 29.33–37.77; DP- Mean: 16.71, CI 13.99–19.43; PA- Mean: 25.45, CI 22.47–28.43). CONCLUSIONS: Occupational burnout during the COVID-19 pandemic is noticeable among physiotherapists working in clinical departments. The current findings show high burnout rates in all three domains: emotional exhaustion (EE), depersonalization (DP) and personal accomplishment (PA). A comparative analysis of these findings with reference to related studies published before the pandemic shows that the burnout rates among physiotherapists may have significantly increased during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, given the scarcity of scientific evidence related to this specific problem in Poland and worldwide, it is necessary to continue research in occupational burnout affecting physiotherapists, particularly during the second wave of the pandemic, in order to gain a better understanding of the possible effects of social isolation and greater personal work-related health risks on the mental health of these medical professionals.

Given the fact that physical exertion leads to blood glucose fluctuations, type one diabetes mellitus (T1D) may potentially constitute a barrier for obtaining a sufficient amount of exercise. The main purpose of the study was to compare the level of physical activity between children with T1D (n = 215) and healthy controls (n = 115) and to assess the physical activity of the study group in relation to the applied method of insulin therapy, i.e., the use of insulin pen vs. insulin pump. The level of physical activity was assessed with a hip-worn tri-axial accelerometer (ActiGraph GT3X+) used by the subjects for an uninterrupted period of seven days. Children with T1D had significantly lower median values of total time of moderate (213.3 vs. 272.1 min), vigorous (135.3 vs. 19.6 min) and moderate-to-vigorous (347.4 vs. 467.4 min) physical activity compared to healthy peers respectively, (p < 0.001) in all cases. In addition, the total median number of steps was significantly lower (53,631 vs. 67,542 steps), (p < 0.001). The method of insulin therapy was not associated with significant differences in physical activity level (p > 0.001). The level of physical activity in children and adolescents with T1D is lower than in their healthy peers and does not depend on the insulin therapy method.

Background: The outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic has created a number of obstacles to daily functioning, which have led to a need for major changes in lifestyles. The aim of the study was to assess whether and to what extent the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic has affected the health behaviours of young adults. Methods: 506 people aged 18 to 34 ( $$ \overline{x} $$x ¯ =24.67 years ±4.23 years) who filled in an online survey were qualified for the study. Assessment was made of eating habits (a modified Food Frequency Questionnaire, FFQ), physical activity and sedentary behaviours (International Physical Activity Questionnaire, short form IPAQ-SF), sleep quality (The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, PSQI), and generalized anxiety (Generalized anxiety Disorder, 7-item, GAD-7 scale). Results: During the pandemic, young adults changed their dietary preferences toward sweets and cereal products, increased alcohol (p < 0.001) and fat (p = 0.005) intake, significantly reduced their physical activity (from 8752.5 metabolic equivalents (MET) min/week vs. 6174.6 MET min/week, p < 0.001), increased the time spent sedentarily (Me = 240 min vs. Me = 360 min, p < 0.001) and had decreased sleep quality (PSQI score Me = 7.00 vs. Me = 9.00). Conclusions: The Covid-19 pandemic worsened health behaviours and intensified the feeling of generalized anxiety in young adults. Generalized anxiety during obligatory lockdown had the greatest negative impact on sedentary behaviours and sleep quality.

The aim of this study was to check whether following the recommendations of the World Health Organization (WHO) concerning physical activity protects children and adolescents against the occurrence of overweight and obesity. A total of 1002 children were included in the analysis. The average age of the studied children was 9.36 years ± 3.52 years. Measurement of height and body mass was performed for every child, followed by physical activity assessment over seven days. In each group analyzed, the overweight and obese children had a shorter time in moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) than the children with normal body mass. Among the children spending < 60 min per day in MVPA, the risk of occurrence of overweight and obesity was greater than among children with physical activity > 60 min per day. It was also shown that the greatest risk of occurrence of body mass disorder was a situation in which the mother’s gestational weight gain (GWG) is over 18 kg and the child does not spend a minimum of 60 min/day in MVPA. Not meeting the recommendation is connected with an increased chance of the occurrence of overweight and obesity. The level of physical activity influences the incidence of overweight and obesity. The children with overweight and obesity spent less time per day in MVPA. An increased body mass in mothers during pregnancy associated with a child’s low level of physical activity increases the risk of the occurrence of overweight and obesity.

The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of hypertension and to investigate risk factors linked to hypertension in older adults. An observational study was conducted in a group of adults between 60 and 85 years of age, living in south-eastern Poland. In line with the specific inclusion criteria, 80 women and 29 men were enrolled for the study (109 adults). Participants’ body weight, height, and body fat percentage (BFP) were assessed using a bioelectrical impedance analysis, blood pressure was measured using automated oscillometric sphygmomanometer, moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and sedentary time were assessed using a tri-axial accelerometer, whereas data related to socio-economic and lifestyle factors were collected using a self-report technique. Arterial hypertension was found at a rate of 16% in participants with normal body weight, 22% in those with overweight and 85% in those with obesity. Body mass index (BMI) and BFP correlated significantly with systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP). The highest median SBP and DBP values were found in the group of participants with obesity, and the lowest values were identified in those with normal body weight. Out of all the investigated socio-economic risk factors linked to hypertension, education level was the only one that showed significant associations. A logistic regression analysis was performed to check which factors were most strongly associated with hypertension in the study group. The stepwise method showed that hypertension was more common in participants with a higher BMI, and BFP and in those who did not meet MVPA recommendation.