Background. Adverse effects of numerous environmental factors, including improperly balanced diets, may accelerate the onset of ailments related to the climacteric period. Objective. The aim of the study was to examine the relationships between diets and the quality of life of working women aged 50-64 years. Material and methods.The study included 274 working women aged 55.4±4.0 years living in Biała Podlaska and the surrounding area. These were women working in various positions (teaching, administrative, economic department) at the State School of Higher Education in Biała Podlaska, Poland and patients of the Health and Rehabilitation Centre in Biała Podlaska. The study was conducted by means of a popular tool used to diagnose quality of life i.e. SF-36 questionnaire (Short Form Health Survey) and the Questionnaire of Eating Behaviour (QEB). Results. In all categories of quality of life (SF-36), apart from pain and general health, there were statistically significant differences between the results of the respondents and the norm for Polish women aged 50 to 60 years. Fruit, vegetables and wholemeal bread were the most frequently consumed products in the healthy diet group, while legumes, fish and curd cheese were the least frequently consumed by the respondents. Of the unhealthy products, the women most often chose sweets (at least once a week), cheese and fried food. Analysis of the effect of a healthy diet on the quality of life showed that a statistically significant correlations were observed in the case of mental health, functioning in society, emotionality, vitality, and well-being. Conclusions. A positive correlation with the application of a healthy diet was observed in all the categories of quality of life. This means that the respondents with healthy diets had a higher quality of life.

Summary: Introduction. Low levels of physical activity in the society have been observed in Poland for many years, especially in case of elder people. It is surprising that, in the era of intensified development of diseases of affluence, many people still do not recognize health benefits that result from regular physical exercise. Materials and method. 622 health resort visitors who participated in the research in the Nałęczów Health Resort were divided into groups based on socio-demographic status in order to recognize the determinants of their physical activity. A short version of International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) was used to estimate the level of physical activity. Results. Health resort visitors were characterized by a relatively low level of general physical activity, and walking was a predominant type of exercise. Surprisingly, professional status did not significantly differentiate participants' physical activity. However, especially participants from small villages and towns with primary education presented a low level of physical activity. These were mostly pensioners and persons of disadvantaged groups with lower income. Conclusions. Most of health resort visitors represent low level of physical activity which cannot be significantly and statistically differentiated by any demographic variable.

Women after mastectomy often struggle with complications, which are related to the physical and psychological sphere such as weakness of the body, limitation of muscle strength and range of movements performed on the operated side, the occurrence of lymphedema as a result of removal of lymph nodes. The physical activity has crucial importance in the improvement of women after mastectomy. The aim of the article is to present the opinions of tested Amazons on the selected aspects of participation in aqua aerobics classes. Materials and methods: The research was carried out among 19 women after radical mastectomy who belong to the Local Post Mastectomy Women's Club "Amazons" in Biała Podlaska. The mean age of women was 57 with the youngest aged 45 and the oldest aged 68. The tested women underwent additional treatment and participated in 3-month aqua aerobics classes as a part of a rehabilitation program. The method of diagnostic survey with questions of own construction was used in the research. Most of the questions were closed-ended and only two of them were multiple choice questions. Results: According to the tested women, the most recommended forms of physical activity after mastectomy are exercises to strengthen and improve trunk and pelvic girdle muscles (78%) as well as exercises in water such as aqua aerobics (68,4%). Almost half of the tested women (42,1%) decided to participate in aqua aerobics classes alone and more than half of them (52,6 %) attended aqua aerobics classes regularly. For the majority of tested women (94,7%), participation in classes was associated with satisfying the need of improvement. Aqua aerobics classes had significant impact on quality of life in the field of general wellbeing and contact with people among the group of tested women. The great majority of the tested women (73,7%) declared the need of participation in aqua aerobics classes in the future. Conclusions: Certain aspects of participation in aqua aerobics classes were assessed as strongly positive by the group of tested women.

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SummaryBackground. lumbar spine, due to the large range of motion, is exposed to frequent occurrence of intervertebral disc disease. Discopathy initiates a series of changes as a result of a change in the morphology of the spinal canal. with age soft tissue undergoes degeneration as well as bone tissue, which favors the formation of the spinal canal stenosis. the aim of the study was to analyze and define the connections between the overload of intervertebral discs and changes in the volume of the spinal canal structures. Material and methods. a group of 60 patients was examined using a multi-row helical ct scanner. Results. Studies have shown that the shape of the spinal canal varies with age and reduces its capacity toward the sacral spine. there is the occurrence of three types of the spinal canal shape: oval, triangular and clover, which is the side effect of smoothing out of canal side pouches due to degenerative growth of zygapophysis. Conclusions. Based on the analysis it was found that discopathy took place more often in the triangular canal, and less often in the clover-shaped canal, which indicates that the prevalence of discopaty may be related to the capacity of the spinal canal. Keywords: computer tomography, Spinal stenosis, Intervertebral disc displacement StreszczenieWprowadzenie. Kręgosłup lędźwiowy ze względu na duży zakres ruchomości narażony jest na częste występowanie choroby krążka międzykręgowego. Dyskopatia zapoczątkowuje szereg zmian, w wyniku których zmienia się morfologia kanału kręgowego. wraz z wiekiem zwyrodnieniu ulegają tkanki miękkie oraz tkanka kostna, co sprzyja powstawaniu stenozy kanału kręgowego. celem pracy było dokonanie analizy i określenie związków pomiędzy przeciążeniem krążków międzykręgowych, a zmianami objętościowymi struktur kanału kręgowego. Materiał i metody. Przebadano grupę 60 pacjentów z wykorzystaniem wielorzędowego spiralnego tomografu komputerowego. Wyniki. w badaniach wykazano, że kształt kanału kręgowego zmienia się wraz z wiekiem, a także zmniejsza swoją pojemność w kierunku odcinka krzyżowego. Stwierdzono występowanie trzech rodzajów kształtu kanału kręgowego: owalny, trójkątny oraz koniczyny, będącego efektem spłycenia zachyłków bocznych kanału z powodu zwyrodnieniowego rozrostu wyrostków stawowych. Wnioski. na podstawie analiz stwierdzono, że dyskopatia częściej miała miejsce w kanale o kształcie trójkątnym, a najrzadziej w kanale o kształcie koniczyny, co wskazuje na to, iż częstość występowania dyskopatii może mieć związek z pojemnością kanału kręgowego.Słowa kluczowe: tomografia komputerowa, stenoza kanału kręgowego, dyskopatia