Biomedical subjects

Teresa Makowiec-Dabrowska

Publications and source records attributed to Teresa Makowiec-Dabrowska.

12 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2006

Physical activity and self-perceived health status.

OBJECTIVES: Recently more attention has been focused on the impact of physical activity on modification of self-perceived heath status in adults. The objective of the study was to evaluate the level of occupational and non-occupational physical activities and their correlation with self-perceived heath status among economically productive individuals. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Physical activity of the subjects studied was evaluated by the Seven Day Physical Activity Recall (SDPAR) questionnaire among randomly chosen residents of the city of Lódź (n = 598, including 299 women and 299 men). The examination of the subjective health assessment was conducted based on the analogue visual scale. RESULTS: The multifactorial logistic regression analysis indicated that weekly energy expenditure on occupational physical activity (kcal/week) did not play a significant role in self-perception of health status among men or women. Neither did the outcome of the study provide evidence for the significant effect of housework load on self-perceived health status among the study participants. However, a sufficient level of leisure-time physical activity in a beneficial way affects health-related self-perception of the examined subjects. In the group of men expending 1000 kcal/week or more on leisure-time physical activity, the risk for poor health-related self-report was significantly lower than among men declaring no energy expenditure on this activity (adjusted odds ratio (OR = 0.29, 95% CI: 0.13-0.66). Among females not taking up any recreational physical activity, the risk of low self-perceived health status was also higher than in females reaching a satisfactory level of recreational physical activity (adjusted OR = 0.38, 95% CI: 0.17-0.87). CONCLUSIONS: Preventive programs aimed at improving subjective health assessment through the increased leisure-time physical activity should be addressed to all economically productive individuals and particularly to people of older age groups and above all to females.

Adult↗

PubMed2006

Physiological reaction to work in cold microclimate.

OBJECTIVES: In Poland, occupational exposure to cold microclimate is quite common (5.1 workers/1000 occupationally active people). Reports on health effects of this exposure are rather scarce. The aim of the study was to evaluate the physiological reaction in workers occupationally exposed to cold microclimate. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Examinations were performed in a group of 102 workers (41 women and 61 men) employed at cold storage units. The mean age in the group was 39.1 +/- 9.9 years and the duration of employment under conditions of cold environment was over 12 years. The study population was divided into four groups, according to microclimate conditions (group I, ambient temperature -26 degrees C; group II, 10-14 degrees C; group III, 18-20 degrees C, control group; and group IV, 0-10 degress C). The workers underwent the following procedures: general medical examinations, cold pressor test, ambulatory blood pressure monitoring, and heart rate variability (HRV) analysis (time- and frequency-domain parameters). RESULTS: The results were adjusted for confounding factors (age, smoking and drinking habits). The analysis of HRV parameters did not reveal any significant differences between the study groups. However, systolic and diastolic blood pressure (BP) in the daytime and at night was significantly higher in group IV compared to group II. Mean heart rate (HR) in the daytime and at night and the BP and HR day/night ratio did not differ between the groups. The analysis of BP by gender revealed that in women, systolic BP during the day and at night was significantly higher in group IV than in group II. In the group of workers with hypertension (18 men and 5 women), men reacted to the cold pressor test either by increased or decreased BP while all the women reacted by the increased BP. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings indicated that in workers exposed to cold microclimate, the physiological reaction was dependent on gender and ambient temperature. Women seemed to be more sensitive to cold stress than men. However, this finding must be further investigated.

Adult↗

PubMed2006

[Heaviness of the work measured by energy expenditure during pregnancy and its effect on birth weight].

OBJECTIVES: Maternal work during pregnancy, especially with high work-related physical exertion, is still considered one of the most prevalent risk factors of negative pregnancy outcome. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Nofer Institute of Occupational Medicine has recently completed a study of women working in polish greenhouses. The greenhouse is a very good environment to measure the energy expenditure during work. That's why the women working for a period of at least 2 years in greenhouses in Poland were asked to participate in the project. We classified pregnancies of women on the basis of energy expenditure during mother's work into three groups: light work (200-700 kcal/shift); moderate work (701-1000 kcal/shift); and heavy work (1001-1200 kcal/shift). RESULTS: The study among women working in greenhouse revealed that the mean birth weight of infants whose mothers worked in greenhouse with heavy wok (work expenditure >1000 kcal/shift) during pregnancy was 177 g. lower, than that of those whose mothers worked out of greenhouse with light work (light work <700 kcal/shift) (p=0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest the necessity to inform pregnant women about the potential negative influence of heavy work on pregnancy outcome.

Adult↗

PubMed2006

[The CIS20R Questionnaire and its suitability for prolonged fatigue studies].

BACKGROUND: The aim of the study was to validate the Checklist Individual Strength (CIS20R) questionnaire for the assessment of prolonged fatigue in workers and to define its psychometric properties and fatigue standards for the population of Poland. The questionnaire contains 20 statements, scored on a seven-point scale (1-7), reflecting four aspects of fatigue: subjective feeling of fatigue, reduction of concentration, reduction of motivation, and reduction of physical activity. The outcome yielded by the questionnaire is expressed by the sum of all points scored in responding to all statements and mean values of its components. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study was carried out in a group (325 men and 363 women) of workers employed in industrial plants, hypermarkets and municipal services; workers of research institutes (81 men and 205 women) and pregnant women (20 persons). Based on the calculated coefficients of correlation between responses to each statement and the total score, strong discriminative power of individual statements was observed. Crombach's alpha was used to assess the consistence of the questionnaire. The coefficient value for the total score was 0.912 and for the fatigue components it ranged from 0.611 to 0.879, which indicates satisfactory reliability of the method. In addition, norms were elaborated using a sten scale. The total value of 40 indicates the borderline between low and moderate and the value of 84 between medium and high level of fatigue. RESULTS: The level of the risk for chronic fatigue was estimated on the basis of investigations among industrial, trade and municipal services workers. In the group of men, the necessity of prolonged standing during work, high physical effort during work, lack of fitting to physical effort during work, and stress connected with responsibility (component of occupational stress) were the risk-increasing factors. In the group of women, they were: lack of fitting to physical effort during work, noise disturbing reasoning of speech and stress connected with psychic load and lack of social support (components of occupational stress). In both groups, sleep disturbances proved to be responsible for increasing risk of the incidence of chronic fatigue. In the group of men--the diet, and in the group of women - exercise during leisure time were found to be protective factors. CONCLUSIONS: The study revealed that the CIS20R questionnaire is a good research tool to study chronic fatigue. It was also found that the level of fatigue in the population of Poland is much higher than that in the Netherlands, the country where the questionnaire has been developed. In the Dutch studies, the value of 76 was found to be a borderline between "normal fatigue" and fatigue occurring in people with impaired health. In our studies this value corresponds with six stens, which means that it is still within the range of moderate values.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2005

Exposure to pesticides and heavy work in greenhouses during pregnancy: does it effect birth weight?

OBJECTIVES: Work in greenhouses is performed in warm microclimate during the most time of the year, involves usually moderately intense or heavy work. The working conditions in greenhouses might involve also indirect exposure to pesticides resulting from contact with pesticide-treated flowers and vegetables. The aim of the study was to investigate whether the work in greenhouse during pregnancy adversely influenced infant birth weight and, if so, which of the two main potential hazards typical for such environment (heavy physical work or exposure to pesticides) played the major role in this process. METHODS: The list of 14 major greenhouses (each above 5 ha) growing vegetables (cucumbers and tomatoes) was obtained from the Polish Chamber of Horticulture. Between January 2001 and December 2003, 460 women at the age below 45 years, married or who lived with a partner and who had been working for a period of at least 2 years in greenhouses in Poland were asked to participate in the project. We classified pregnancies of women working in, and out of, greenhouses on the basis of energy expenditure during mother's work into three groups: A (200-700 kcal/shift); B (701-1000 kcal/shift); and C (1001-1200 kcal/shift). Information about application of pesticides in 1997-2001 was received from persons responsible for chemical protection in each examined greenhouse. Trade names of pesticides, names and amounts of the active ingredients, type of cultivation and its area were abstracted from pesticide application registers run by each greenhouse operator. Pesticides were classified as reproductive and developmental (RD) toxins according to Pan American Pesticide Database classification. RESULTS: The mean birth weight of infants whose mothers worked in greenhouse during pregnancy (work expenditure >1000 kcal/shift) was 177 g lower than that of those whose mothers worked out of greenhouse (light work <700 kcal/shift) (p = 0.05). Mothers who during work in greenhouse were potentially exposed to RD pesticides, delivered infants with birth weight lower by about 70 g. than infants' mothers not working at places where pesticides RD were applied, but these findings were not statistically significant. CONCLUSION: Our results indicate that infants of mothers performing heavy work inside greenhouse during pregnancy had lower mean birth weight than infants of mothers working out of greenhouse. No similar effects of current exposure to pesticides was observed.

Adult↗

PubMed2005

[Subjective symptoms related to mobile phone use--a pilot study].

UNLABELLED: Research findings indicate that the use of mobile phones may lead to a number of symptoms such as headache, impaired concentration and memory, fatigue. In Poland this problem has not as yet been addressed by scientific studies. THE AIM: The present project was undertaken to investigate whether the symptoms of ill health reported by young people may be associated with the use of mobile phone. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A survey using a self-reported questionnaire was conducted among randomly selected university students in Lodz, Central Poland. The questionnaire was designed specifically for this study and contained items on health condition and complaints as well as on frequency of mobile phone use. The number of questionnaires necessary for the study was assessed using the simple random sample method. Out of the 160 copies distributed among the students, 140 (87.5%) were completed. Eventually, 117 questionnaires were subject to analysis; the data from respondents who reported health problems (neck trauma in a car accident, chronic sinusitis and arterial hypertension) were excluded. The following statistical methods were used to analyse questionnaire data: t-Student test for equal and unequal variances or F-Snedecor test for comparing parameters in two study groups, Fisher exact test for comparing frequency, and single and multiple logistic regression models for quantitative risk assessment of negative health outcomes in relation to exposure level and with control for confounders. The subjects were 61 (52.1%) males and 56 females (47.9%). RESULTS: Most of the subjects (62%) assessed their health condition as good, 31% as very good and 7% as fair. 70% complained of headache and 20% of dizziness. Impaired concentration occurred in 56% of respondents. Facial dermatitis was reported by 11%. The most prevalent symptom related to mobile phone use was the thermal sensation within the auricle and behind/around the ear. This was reported by 33 subjects (28.2%). Out of 82 subjects who complained of headache, only 8 (6.8%) related this symptom to mobile phone use. Only 10 subjects of 65 reporting impaired concentration thought it could be associated with their using a mobile phone. The symptoms and health complaints reported by the respondents in no case were the reason for a medical check-up or taking any medication. CONCLUSIONS: The large number of young people complaining of headache and impaired concentration calls for further research to investigate the underlying reasons. It cannot be excluded that one of them may be exposure to EMF emitted by mobile phone. The explanation should be sought through further experimental and epidemiologic studies.

Adult↗

PubMed2004

[Menstrual disorders. Is this a problem to be handled by occupational medicine physician?].

BACKGROUND: The aim of the study was to define the frequency of menstrual disorders and identify risk factors, especially those associated with the work environment. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study group was composed of 142 women, aged 22-45 years. Some of them were employed in a cosmetics manufacture plant and a bank, others were hospital and ambulatory nurses and auxiliary personnel. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: The study revealed irregular cycles in one third and prolonged bleeding in one fourth of the women. Long cycles were observed in one fifth of the women and short cycles were noted in every tenth women. It was found that occasional or frequent contact with ethylene oxide increased the risk of irregular cycles and oligomenorrhea, whereas work around X-ray apparatus was responsible for the risk of long cycles and heavy bleeding. Long rest pauses during work (in this study correlated with work load) were regarded as a factor inducing the risk of oligomenorrhea and prolonged bleeding. A randomly sampled group of 33 women measured morning temperature during two consecutive cycles. Of this number, 15 women (45.5%) showed ovulation in both cycles, 11 (33.3%) in one cycle only, and 7 both anovulatory cycles. The risk of ovulation disorders was enhanced by a two-shift work system (mostly night shift) and strong job stress. Energy expenditure for leisure time activity > 1000 kcal/week and smoking also contributed to an enhanced risk. In summing up, it should be stressed that because of varied frequency of irregular cycles determined by the intensity of environmental factors, occupational medicine physicians should gather data on the occurrence of such disorders and undertake relevant preventive measures.

Adult↗

PubMed2004

Leisure-time physical activity, cardiorespiratory fitness and work ability: a study in randomly selected residents of Lódź.

OBJECTIVES: Low physical activity is a serious health problem in developed and developing countries. Much attention is also given to the role of physical activity in the modification of work ability in adults. The aim of this studywas to assess leisure-time physical activity, cardiorespiratory fitness and their influence on the subjective work ability in a randomly selected group of professionally active residents of Lódź. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study was performed in the randomly selected group of professionally active persons (n = 198). Physical activity was determined by means of the Seven Day Physical Activity Recall (SDPAR). To determine cardiorespiratory fitness in the examined persons, the submaximal treadmill test was performed. Subjective work ability was evaluated using the work ability index (WAI). RESULTS: Correlation coefficient for the WAI and leisure-time physical activity was high r = 0.3, p < 0.0001. Moreover, WAI, its compounds and cardiorespiratory fitness were highly correlated r = 0.4, p < 0.0001. CONCLUSIONS: Our analysis of leisure-time physical activity, cardiorespiratory fitness and WAI emphasizes a great, potential feasibility of improving the WAI and its components, e.g., through the development, promotion, and broad use of training schedules.

Adult↗

PubMed2003

Pesticide exposure and birthweight: an epidemiological study in Central Poland.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of maternal exposure to pesticides in the 1st and 2nd trimesters of pregnancy on infant birthweight in a population of Polish farmers. The subjects were women who delivered in 25 maternity hospitals in the region of Lódź (Central Poland), including 117 women who delivered infants with low birthweight (LBW) and 377 infants with birthweight > or = 2500 g delivered on randomly selected 70 days between 31 January 1998 and 30 June 2001. A questionnaire on maternal demographic and anthropometric characteristics as well as the occurrence of several occupational hazards, including pesticide use and involvement in heavy physical work on the farm in each of pregnancy trimesters, was administered by a physician 1-2 days after delivery. The pesticides used most frequently included: phenoxyacetic acid derivatives, organophosphates, ureas, triazines, synthetic pyrethroids and N-phenylamides (anilides). Infants born to women exposed to pesticides in 1st or 2nd trimester had birthweight lower by 189 g than that of infants of the non-exposed women. When adjusted for pregnancy duration, the women exposed to pesticides were found to deliver infants with birthweight lower by about 100 g (p = 0.067) than that of infants of the non-exposed women. After adjusting for the variables that may have impact on pregnancy duration, we noted that mothers exposed to pesticides, on average delivered half a week earlier than those non-exposed. Our results indicate that maternal exposure to pesticides may contribute to a slight reduction in the duration of pregnancy. A slower pace of fetal development, corresponding to the small-for-gestational-age effect, was observed, but the increment in the risk was of borderline significance.

Agriculture↗

PubMed2003

[Working condition of pregnant women. Departures from regulation on occupations especially noxious or hazardous to women].

To define the range and kind of discrepancies between regulations and actual state of working conditions and occupations performed by women during pregnancy, a survey was carried out in the population of 2649 women, a representative group of occupationally involved pregnant women in the region of Łódź. The questionnaire analysis provided information on the kind and arduousness of work performed, working hours and conditions in the work environment. Having verified the data obtained from 10% of women, a very high consistency between working conditions described by respondents and evaluated by experts was noted. Its was found that almost 60% of women under study indicated that their working conditions depart from those defined as admissible for women during pregnancy. Of the women who worked only during the first month of pregnancy, 75% of them were employed at workposts, which did not meet the requirements, and nearly half of women who worked during the whole period of pregnancy were employed in inappropriate conditions. The noxiousness most frequently reported by respondents applied to body posture: bending and position with rotated spine (about 40%). This was followed by lifting and carrying various objects (about 30%), prolonged working hours (about 20%), shift work, including night shifts (about 12%), work at conveyor belt and forced work pace (about 20%). Noise that makes it difficult to communicate, local vibration and work with computers over 4 hours daily was reported by 30% and 15% of respondents, respectively. The most common solution to limit the potential effect of hazardous and noxious working conditions on pregnant women was to remove them from work by issuing a sick leave certificates, while the modification of working conditions or shifting them to another post applied only to 14% of women. The results of the study showed that working conditions of pregnant women differed from those described by the State Labor Inspectorate. The discrepancy can be explained by different method of data collection.

Adult↗

PubMed2003

[Risk of certain obstetric pathologies in women employed in working conditions non-complying with the current legal status on work load and working conditions appropriate for pregnant women].

BACKGROUND: The aim of the study was to define the incidence of prematurity and small-for-gestational age (SGA) infants in occupationally involved pregnant women, and to find out how far working conditions departing from binding regulations contribute to the risk of the development of these pathologies. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study was carried out on a representative sample of 3050 women employed for longer than one week during pregnancy in the Łódź district. An interview conducted with the subjects few days after delivery was the source of information about working conditions. The obtained information was compared with the real situation in about 10% of randomly selected workposts. A high level of consistence was observed. RESULTS: The study revealed that almost 60% of women work in conditions, which do not comply with the Labor Code provisions setting working conditions permissible for pregnant women. In the study group, 4.68% of prematurity and 6.15% of SGA were recorded. A 66% excess in the risk of delivering SGA infants in case of at least one factor not complying with regulations was revealed. The excess was growing with the increased number of departures from regulations and continuation of employment during pregnancy. It was estimated that the number of SGA cases would decrease by 28% if the working conditions would have met the requirements. A prolonged time of work, local vibration for > 4h/shift, forced work pace, excessive effort and forced body position during the work performance contributed mostly to the risk of pathology. Interestingly, the risk of premature delivery was lower by about 40% in women working in unsatisfactory conditions, which is attributed to termination of work immediately after the occurrence of pregnancy-threatening symptoms. Only those women whose pregnancy was not threatened with pathology could continue their work. CONCLUSIONS: The study revealed a quite large number of workplaces not complying with regulations on working conditions permissible for pregnant women. Therefore, studies in this area should be continued by physicians attending pregnant women, under programs aimed at preventing prematurity, and they should be expanded to include the detection of SGA during gestation and the implementation of relevant prophylactics.

Adult↗

PubMed2003

[Perimenstrual complaints--is this a problem to be handled by occupational medicine physicians].

BACKGROUND: The aim of the study was to define associations between intensity of perimenstrual complaints, the type of job performed and working conditions, taking also account of non-occupational factors. The study preceding the development of a preventive program was carried out in a group of women employed in work settings different in the character and burden of adverse agents. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The group was composed of 142 women, aged 21-45 years, employed in a cosmetics manufacture plant (27%) and a bank (27%), as well as of hospital and ambulatory nurses and auxiliary personnel (50%). A questionnaire on premenstrual and menstrual complaints, working conditions, characteristics of the women and their household duties load was the main tool of the study. RESULTS: The study revealed that about 80% of women experienced premenstrual and about 75% menstrual symptoms, which were strongly intensified in 40% of women. After applying logistic regression, it was found that physical workload and occupational stress were the major occupational risk factors, whereas chronic diseases, age, household duties load and alcohol consumption were the major non-occupational risk factors. CONCLUSIONS: The evidenced relationship between complaints and adverse agents typical of the job performed should prompt occupational medicine physicians to more comprehensive analysis of individual jobs in view of reducing occupational load.

Adult↗