The growing number of overweight and obese individuals is an alarming global problem; these conditions are risk factors for the development of health problems such as metabolic syndrome (MetS), type-2 diabetes, atherosclerosis, and cardiovascular disease. Numerous studies have suggested that vitamin D3 deficiency plays a role in the pathogenesis of MetS. The aim of this study was to analyze the relationship between MetS and vitamin D3 levels in women. Laboratory analysis demonstrated that only 26.89% of the participants had vitamin D3 levels close to normal, and waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) measurements revealed android obesity in 75.63% of the women. The menstruating women more often suffered from vitamin D3 deficiency, and less often had elevated vitamin D3 levels. The conclusions are as follows: (1) There were no statistically significant relationships between vitamin D3 levels and MetS parameters, namely the level of triglycerides, the levels of low- and high-density lipoproteins (LDL and HDL), the level of total cholesterol, and systolic and diastolic blood pressure (SBP and DBP). Vitamin D deficiency was only observed in the women with abdominal obesity. (2) Low vitamin D3 levels were typical of perimenopausal women. Age was a variable correlating with vitamin D. (3) The presence of menstrual cycles was an important contributor to vitamin D levels. Vitamin D deficiency was significantly more common in the menstruating women.

Background Psychological stress is a factor which predisposes people to many somatic and mental disorders. Women are at a significantly higher risk of stress than men, and their reactions to stress are stronger. Personality traits are thought to play a special role in the psychology of stress and may be crucial for the choice of a stress-coping strategy. Considering that stress is so common in everyday life, an attempt to understand how stress-coping styles are related to personality and genetic factors acquires special significance. Purpose The aim of this study was to analyze stress-coping styles and personality traits in healthy late reproductive age women with regard to genetic factors. Patients and methods The study involved 345 healthy late reproductive age women from northwest Poland, whose mean age was 42.3±4.5 years. The study was conducted using The Coping Inventory for Stressful Situations, The Neuroticism-Extraversion-Openness Five--Factor Inventory, and genetic testing. Results There were neither statistically significant relationships between personality traits and the genotype distribution of the 30-bp VNTR polymorphism in the MAO-A promoter region, nor between stress-coping styles and the genotype distribution of the 30-bp VNTR polymorphism in the MAO-A promoter region. Conclusion Based on the results, all personality traits statistically significantly correlated with the choice of task-oriented coping and emotion-oriented coping. Some of personality traits are genetically determined. The choice of a stress-coping style was significantly related to personality traits. A direct influence of genetic factors on the choice of a stress-coping style was not confirmed in our study.

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IntroductionChemical compounds and other pollutants found in the environment have a well-documented, adverse effect on the life and health of individuals. Those who are most vulnerable to toxic effects include prospective parents, pregnant women, foetuses, and young children. In Poland, both the prevention and early detection of developmental abnormalities is insufficient. The objective of the study was to analyse how the pre- and postnatal development of a child is affected by toxicants the mother has been exposed to.Materials and methodsThe study was conducted in the form of a diagnostic survey. The degree of toxic exposure was assessed based on Wawrzynów’s questionnaire, the Mothers’ Toxic Exposure Assessment Questionnaire’ (Kwestionariusz Oceny Narażenia Matek Dzieci na Toksyny – KONT-15). The evaluation of child development was based on the following psychometric tools: the Munich Functional Developmental Diagnostics (MFDD), the Speech (MM-speech) and Reflex (MM-reflexes) Development Questionnaire, IRMIK (Inwentarz Rozwoju Mowy i Komunikacji) – the Polish adaptation of the MacArthur-Bates Communication Development Inventories (CDI), and the Child Development (RD-18) questionnaire, also designed by Wawrzynów.ResultsThe study included 102 mothers of children up to 3 years of age. Most of the surveyed mothers indicated large urban agglomerations with more than 100,000 inhabitants as their current place of residence. The study demonstrated that a substantial majority of the mothers had come into contact with toxicants. A statistically significant relationship was demonstrated between developmental delays in children and high exposure to toxins in mothers. There was no statistically significant relationship between maternal exposure to toxins and delays in the development of speech and reflexes.ConclusionsEnvironmental pollutants found primarily in air, food, medication, and everyday items, exert a negative influence on childhood development. A high maternal exposure to toxins contributes to developmental delays in speech and reflexes in children. Delays in speech and communication development were observed more frequently in children who were older. Developmental delays in children were more common among younger children.

Introduction. Hospitalization and surgical treatment is often associated with the feeling of fear experienced by the patient who is in a new situation, which also includes concern for their own health and life causes. Aim. The aim of the study was to analyze the severity of anxiety and its determinants in patients hospitalized in the surgical ward. Material and methods: The research was carried out at the Independent Public Health Care Center of the Ministry of Interior and Administration in Szczecin. The study included 170 patients hospitalized at the Department of General Surgery. Material and methods. The method of a diagnostic survey using an author's questionnaire and a State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) tool for measuring the intensity of anxiety as a condition and as a trait. Results. The surveyed group included women, 48.2% and men, 52.8%. The average age was 51.5 years. The age and education had an effect on anxiety as a trait. Studies revealed that a group of women waiting for hemicolectomy had a higher level of anxiety as a condition and as a trait. Inhabitants of smaller cities were characterized by a higher level of anxiety as a characteristic of people living in large cities over 100,000 residents. People with no support had a higher level of anxiety, both as a state and as traits. It was shown that the higher score on the scale of one anxiety was associated with a higher score on the second anxiety scale. Conclusions. 1) In the examined group of surgical patients, it was shown that the determinants increasing anxiety as a state were: gender, lack of support from the family, reason of hospitalization. 2) The increase in anxiety as a trait is intensifi ed by age, sex, education, place of residence, reason of hospitalization.