Disparities in health status between rural and urban adult males in Lower Silesia, Poland

Urban-rural differences in trajectories of physical activity in Europe from 2002 to 2017

Here we evaluate the time trends of urban-rural differences in physical activity in the European Union between 2002 and 2017 and the contribution of urbanization on total physical activity changes, using four Eurobarometer surveys (n = 101,373). Trajectories of urban-rural differences in physical activity varied considerably among EU-28 countries. Hierarchical linear regression models revealed that inactivity increased in both urban and rural settings, although it was higher in the latter. Thereby, the urban-rural gap diminished and was even eliminated in some countries. Also, national changes across time were driven by urban places, showing little contribution from urbanization. Our findings suggest that inactivity has risen in Europe regardless of living environments and with regional urbanization development having little influence.

Urban and rural area differences in the interaction between oxidative process elements in human femoral bone

Elements in the human body come from contaminated food, water, and air from the living area. Bones are a marker of long-term exposure to elements and show a relationship between them. The aim of the study was to analyze the correlation between the contents of Zn, Cu, Fe, Mo, Cr, Ni, Ba, Sr, and Pb in the proximal femoral head (cancellous bone) and femoral neck (cortical bone) in rural and urban populations. The study included 96 patients who were operated on for total hip replacement (THR), acquired in a surgical procedure with atomic absorption spectrometry, and the content of Zn, Cu, Fe, Mo, Cr, Ni, Ba, Sr, and Pb was evaluated. In rural areas, significant negative correlations were observed for Mo/Cr, Mo/Cu, and Ni/Fe, and positive correlations were observed for Fe/Zn and Pb/Zn. In urban areas, a negative correlation was found for Pb/Mo. Pb and Ni increased with age only in villagers, and Zn and Sr decreased with age in urban citizens. Ba decreased with age in people from rural areas. The correlation showed variances mainly in molybdenum, nickel, and oxidative elements between rural and urban populations.

Study on the Health Status and Health Service Utilization of the Elderly of a Remote and Poor Village in a Mountainous Area in Jinzhai, Anhui

Background: Despite the rapid development of China's economy, a number of poor areas in China continue to exist. The health status of the elderly in the poor areas is a matter of concern. This study aims to explore the status of the elderly in terms of their health status, health service needs, and utilization among rural residents of a remote and poor village in a mountainous area in Jinzhai, Anhui. Furthermore, this study aims to explore the differences between the nation rural area average level and the remote and poor village in the mountainous area in terms of health status and health service utilization. Methods: Cluster sampling was used to obtain the sample. A total of 110 elderly people were selected from the village, and face-to-face interviews were conducted with questionnaires by trained investigators to collect data. Results: All items except vision, language disability, and self-care disability were found to be higher than the national average level. In terms of mental health, Zishu Village has a ratio of 44.1% for the symptoms of anxiety and depression, which is higher than the average for the national rural areas. The two-week prevalence rate, prevalence of chronic diseases, and non-hospitalization rate of those who need hospitalization (%) in Zishu Village was 62.7%, 88.2%, and 47.6% respectively, which was higher than the rural values of the National Survey (2008). Most of the outpatient visits were to the village clinics, while the hospitalizations were mainly to county hospitals. The two-week visiting rate was 24.1%, which was lower than 2008. The hospitalization rate in Zishu Village was 10.8%, which is similar to the level of 2008. Conclusions: The health level and the utilization of health services of the people in Zishu Village, Jinzhai, are generally lower than the national average. Financial difficulties continue to remain the major factor affecting the utilization of hospitalization services of this remote and poor village in Jinzhai, Anhui.

Biological costs of economic transition: Stress levels during the transition from communism to capitalism in Poland

At the end of the 1980s, Poland began the transformation from an essentially one-party communist system to a politically pluralistic democratic system. These political and economic changes had major social consequences, among others unemployment and a sharp decrease in real personal income. The aim of the study was to investigate the possible relationship between stress in adult men, measured by the Allostatic Load, and the socio-economic deterioration during the first part of the economic transition. The Allostatic Load included eleven markers assessing adverse nutritional intake, cardiovascular activity, inflammatory processes, and lung, hepatic and renal functions. The results indicate a significantly higher risk of metabolic dysregulation in men examined after 1990, compared to men from previous years. After adjustment for socioeconomic variables and lifestyle variables, men examined in 1991 had a 31% greater risk of higher Allostatic Load compared with men examined in 1985 (OR=1.31; p=0.0541), in 1992, this risk was 50% greater (OR=1.50; p<0.01), and in 1993, the risk was 66% greater (OR=1.66; p<0.05). The conclusion is drawn that significantly more stressogenic factors for men were those directly connected with the financial situation of their families, than a sudden but short increase of prices for goods and services.

Factors Associated with Adiposity, Lipid Profile Disorders and the Metabolic Syndrome Occurrence in Premenopausal and Postmenopausal Women

The aim of the study was the assessment of the dependencies between a woman’s menopausal status and adiposity, lipid profile and metabolic syndrome occurrence, as well as finding out whether the correlations between the socio-demographic profile and lifestyle elements and adiposity, lipid profile and the risk of MetS are the same before and after menopause. A cross-sectional study was carried out on 3636 women, aged between 40–59, which involved a questionnaire interview, anthropometric measurements and fasting blood samples, on the basis of which the concentration of triglycerides, cholesterol and glucose was estimated. Before menopause, a greater adiposity (BMIβ = 0.08; %BFβ = 0.07; WCβ = 0.06) was characteristic for women living in a stable relationship than for single women. Women who smoked in the past were characterized by a higher BMI (β = 0.09) and WC (β = 0.06) in comparison with women who have never smoked, while after menopause a greater adiposity (%BFβ = 0.12) and a worse lipid profile (TCβ = 0.08; LDLβ = 0.07; HDLβ = -0.05; TGβ = 0.14) were present in women currently smoking, in comparison to women who have never smoked. After menopause, in women who had two or more children, a greater adiposity (BMIβ = 0.07 and 0.09; %BFβ = 0.05 and 0.07) and a higher risk of MetS (OR = 1.22, 95%CI: 1.03–1.44) was observed compared to nulliparous women, than before menopause. In women with a higher level of education, the risk of MetS after menopause was significantly lower compared with women with a lower level of education (OR = 0.74, 95%CI: 0.61–0.90). Physical activity after menopause had a higher influence on the decrease in the women’s adiposity (BMIβ = -0.11 v. -0.06; %BFβ = -0.11 v. -0.06; WCβ = -0.14 v. -0.08), than before menopause. In women not undergoing hormone replacement therapy, some of the socio-demographic factors and lifestyle elements affected adiposity, lipid profile and the risk of MetS differently before and after menopause, which requires verification through long-term research.