Aureliusz Kosendiak

Streszczenie: Lockdown spowodowany pandemią COVID-19 wpłynął na poziom stresu i aktywność fizyczną (AF) w różnych grupach, w tym studentów medycyny. Celem badania było określenie stresu, AF i ich wzajemnych zależności wśród polskich studentów po pandemii. Materiał i metody: 708 studentów Uniwersytetu Medycznego we Wrocławiu wypełniło Międzynarodowy Kwestionariusz Aktywności Fizycznej (IPAQ) i Kwestionariusz Postrzegania Stresu (KPS) Wyniki: Mężczyźni deklarowali wyższą intensywną AF niż kobiety (p=0,0014), ale całkowita AF była podobna. Chodzenie dominowało w obu grupach. Tylko ~20% studentów osiągnęło poziom aktywności zdrowotnie wzmacniającej (HEPA). Kobiety miały wyższe Napięcie Emocjonalne, Stres Wewnętrzny, Skalę Kłamstwa i Ogólny Stres; Stres Zewnętrzny nie różnił się. Nieaktywne kobiety wykazywały wyższy stres, czego nie zaobserwowano u mężczyzn. Analiza klastrów wykazała cztery profile, pokazując odwrotną zależność między AF a stresem. Wnioski: Studentki medycyny miały wyższy stres i niższą AF po pandemii. Należy uwzględniać różnice płci w strategiach wspierania dobrostanu studentów. Niski odsetek spełniających kryteria HEPA wskazuje na utrzymujące się wyzwania zdrowia publicznego.

Background: Nutrition and sleep are critical determinants of athletic performance and recovery. Direct comparative research between endurance and strength–power athletes remains limited. This study aimed to evaluate and compare nutritional knowledge, dietary habits, sleep quality, and Body Mass Index between ultramarathon runners and American football players, as well as to explore independent predictors of sleep quality. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 231 male athletes. To address group size disparity and mitigate statistical bias, a random undersampling technique was applied to create a balanced cohort of 86 athletes comprising 43 ultramarathon runners and 43 American football players. Nutritional parameters were assessed using the Kom-PAN questionnaire. Sleep quality was evaluated using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index. Between-group comparisons were performed using the Mann–Whitney U test with False Discovery Rate correction. An integrated multiple regression model was constructed to identify predictors of global sleep quality. Results: Ultramarathon runners demonstrated significantly better overall sleep quality (p = 0.026) and higher nutritional knowledge (p < 0.001) compared to American football players. Differences in adherence to pro-healthy and non-healthy dietary patterns were not statistically significant after False Discovery Rate correction. The integrated multiple regression model revealed that the athletic discipline was the primary independent predictor of global sleep quality (p = 0.001), while dietary variables did not exhibit a significant independent effect. Furthermore, higher Body Mass Index was independently associated with better sleep scores within the multivariate model (p = 0.008). Conclusions: Significant sport-specific differences exist in BMI, nutritional knowledge, and sleep quality. Global sleep quality appears to be primarily associated with the specific physiological and environmental demands of the athletic discipline rather than individual dietary factors, which were not independently significant in the multivariable model. These findings suggest that recovery strategies in strength–power athletes may require a broader, multifactorial approach beyond nutritional education alone.

Mental health problems are widespread in prison populations and can negatively affect inmates’ well-being. Although physical activity (PA) is known to benefit mental health in the general population, less is known about this relationship in correctional settings. This study examined the association between PA levels, symptoms of anxiety and depression, as well as coping strategies among 130 male prisoners at Prison No. 1 in Wroclaw, Poland. Data were collected using validated self-report tools: the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ), the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), and the Mini-COPE inventory. Inmates who met the criteria for Health-Enhancing Physical Activity (HEPA) reported fewer symptoms of anxiety and depression than less active participants. Individuals showing signs of mental health difficulties were also more likely to rely on avoidant coping strategies, though no clear link was found between coping style and activity level. Cluster analysis further supported the observed association between low PA and higher psychological distress. These findings suggest a potential role for PA in supporting mental health in prison settings. They also highlight the importance of identifying individuals who may be at risk due to maladaptive coping strategies. Given its exploratory nature, the study’s findings should be interpreted with caution and verified in future research with larger and more diverse samples.

Background: Harmful alcohol use and nicotine dependence are major public health concerns. One group particularly at risk may be medical students, who might resort to substance use as a coping mechanism for stress. Various factors may influence these behaviors, either positively or negatively—among them, dietary knowledge and eating habits. Methods: In this study, we used the KOMPAN questionnaire to assess dietary habits and nutrition knowledge, the AUDIT questionnaire to evaluate problematic alcohol consumption, and the Fagerström Test to assess nicotine dependence. A total of 2801 medical students participated in this study, including 2374 alcohol users and 379 smokers. Results: Smoking students demonstrated significantly lower dietary quality (p < 0.0001) and nutrition knowledge (p = 0.0004). Among alcohol users, lower levels of problematic alcohol consumption were observed in individuals with better dietary quality (p = 0.0006) and higher nutrition knowledge (p < 0.0001). Conclusions: Future research should explore additional factors contributing to the clustering of unhealthy behaviors and the underlying causes of alcohol consumption and poor dietary habits among healthcare professionals.

The COVID-19 pandemic profoundly affected the physical activity (PA) patterns of various social groups, including medical students. This study aims to compare the levels of PA, expressed in metabolic equivalent of task minutes per week (MET-m/w), among overweight and obese medical students, during and after the pandemic. The pandemic period was defined as spanning from 2020 to 16 May 2022, while the post-pandemic period covered the second half of 2022 through the end of 2023. PA levels were assessed using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ), and Body Mass Index (BMI) was calculated based on self-reported weight and height. Only individuals with a BMI ≥ 25 kg/m² were included. In total, 233 medical students from Wroclaw Medical University were assessed during the pandemic, and 217 post-pandemic. PA was categorized into walking, moderate, and vigorous with total MET-m/w calculated. During the pandemic, no significant gender differences were observed in walking, moderate, vigorous, or total PA. Post-pandemic, males demonstrated significantly higher levels of vigorous PA (p < 0.001) and total MET-m/w (p < 0.0001) compared to females. These findings underscore the necessity for targeted interventions promoting PA among overweight and obese medical students, especially among females.

This study examined the relationship between physical activity levels and sleep quality among students during the COVID-19 pandemic, identifying patterns through clustering analysis. A longitudinal cohort of 1,600 students from Wroclaw Medical University, Poland participated from October 2020 to March 2021, with data collected in two stages: Stage I (n = 845) after six months and Stage II (n = 755) after one year. Physical activity levels, measured by the International Physical Activity Questionnaire-Short Form (IPAQ-S), were categorized as low, moderate, or high in metabolic equivalent of task (MET) minutes per week, while sleep quality was assessed using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), classifying participants as “good” or “poor” sleepers. Clustering analysis applied hierarchical agglomerative clustering (HAC) on 2021 data. Walking MET scores increased for both genders from 2020 to 2021, with significant gender differences. Females showed increased total MET, while male scores remained stable. Four clusters emerged: Clusters 1 and 2, with high walking plus vigorous or moderate activity, had shorter sleep durations, suggesting higher activity supports better sleep. Cluster 3, with low vigorous and moderate activity, had longer sleep duration, while Cluster 4, with irregular activity, showed the longest sleep duration, indicating inconsistent activity may increase sleep needs. Overall, consistent and varied physical activity may support optimal sleep patterns among students.

Objectives: Arterial hypertension (AH) is one of the most common disorders affecting the human population. The diet of patients with AH can influence the course of the disease and prognosis. The aim of this study was to investigate the differences in nutrition in hospitalised and non-hospitalised hypertensive patients, compared to control groups of non-hypertensive patients from the same medical centres. Methods: Patients from nine centres—six hospitals and three ambulatory care centres—were surveyed. The Questionnaire for the Assessment of Dietary Habits, Lifestyle, and Nutrition Knowledge (KomPAN) was administered by interviewers. Results: Complete results were obtained from 172 hospitalised and 63 non-hospitalised patients. A significantly higher mean body mass index was found for the hypertensive patients (p < 0.001), and a higher unhealthy diet index score was also shown for the hypertensive patients (p = 0.003). Over and above this, a lower mean health-promoting diet index score was found in the hospitalised group (who were on a hospital diet) for the hypertensive patients (p = 0.018). Summary: The study highlights a strong positive correlation between body mass index (BMI) and arterial hypertension (AH), with patients exhibiting higher BMI levels compared to a control group. A BMI of over 25 significantly increases the likelihood of developing AH, and obesity is associated with a higher risk in both men and women. Conclusions: The study indicates that a hospital diet may not be suitable for people with AH. Further research should be conducted to obtain reliable results. Clinical implications: The study showed which factors should be considered when composing a diet for people with hypertension, the relevance of which was demonstrated in the discussion. The study shows that the problem that clinicians have been struggling with for years is still present and inadequately remedied.

Eating disorders and body image concerns are increasingly prevalent issues among young individuals, with medical students being particularly vulnerable due to heightened stress levels. This study enrolled 879 medical students to investigate these concerns. The KomPAN questionnaire was utilized to assess dietary habits and knowledge, the Body Esteem Scale (BES) to evaluate body satisfaction, and The Eating Attitudes Test (EAT-26) to identify eating disorders. A higher level of nutritional knowledge was found to be statistically significantly associated with attempts at excessive calorie restriction among women (β = 0.0864) and negatively among men (β = −0.2039). Moreover, it was negatively associated with self-control of food intake only among men (β = −0.2060). Furthermore, a higher BMI was associated with attempts of excessive calorie restriction in both women and men (β = 0.1052 and β = 0.1656, respectively) and negatively with self-control of food intake (β = −0.0813 and β = −0.1453, respectively). A higher BMI was associated with poorer body esteem across all variables in both genders, except for upper body strength among men. Nutritional knowledge did not correspond with any of these variables, while dietary quality was positively associated with physical condition in women and with physical condition, physical attractiveness, and upper body strength in men. Our study findings suggest that dietary interventions could be improved by considering gender-based behavioral differences and focusing on portion control for individuals with a higher BMI. Caution is warranted in extrapolating the results to the general population due to the specific nature of the study population.