IntroductionAccording to the offi cial forecasts the population of people aged 65 and over in the European Union will increase from 87.5 million in 2010 to 152.6 million in 2060. There are also predictions of the number of persons aged 80 and above growing from 23.7 million in 2010 to 62.4 million in 2060 [1]. Designing and implementing measures aimed at improving the quality of such extended life is one of the challenges facing medicine today.Quality of life (QoL) is a multi-dimensional and interdisciplinary term. Various sciences make attempts to conceptualise this term -above all medicine and psychology, but also sociology, pedagogy and economics. Hence the multitude and variety of defi nitions highlighting different aspects of human functioning and their importance in the process of formulating a subjective assessment of one's own life. Assessment of the QoL of the elderly is very diffi cult because the elderly are not a homogenous social group [2], and old ABSTRACT Introduction. Due to the prolonged average life span and constantly increasing number of the elderly, research of this population's quality of life (QoL) is being conducted to assess the spheres requiring improvement. Aim. To assess and compare the life quality in different domains between residents of nursing homes (NH) and patients of the Psychogeriatric Day Ward (PDW). Material and Methods. The study encompassed 68 PDW patients and 62 NH residents. The WHOQOL-BREF questionnaire and a structured interview concerning diseases, different forms of support and activities preferred were used. Results. Women predominated among the subjects (83%). The elderly aged 75-90 constituted the majority (64.62%). The average assessment of QoL in the whole group amounted to 3.6 points. No signifi cant differences in the assessment of QoL satisfaction and one's own health satisfaction were observed between PDW patients and NH residents. The participants of both groups assessed the highest QoL in the environment domain and the lowest in the social relationships domain. A relationship between higher QoL in the physical health domain and participation in social forms of spending free time was observed. Relationships between QoL in particular domains and age, marital status and length of stay in NH were found. Conclusions. Elderly people's QoL, similarly to their satisfaction with health, were on an average level regardless of the institutional care. The QoL remains in a signifi cant relationship with health. The changing needs of the elderly should be the basis for creating an individual plan of professional support.

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In the previous studies conducted in patients with mood disorders it has been shown that the increased S100B protein serum level occurs both in patients with depression and with mania compared to the patients from control group. The studies were mainly conducted on adult population; there are no studies on children and adolescents with bipolar affective disorder so far. The majority of studies indicated the more important association between the increased S100B protein levels and the occurrence of a depressive episode as well as the regulation of S100B protein level during the effective pharmacological treatment, which can be a potential marker of the efficacy of treatment.

Introduction. Not all girls and women are aware of the role of proper diet and hygiene in the prevention of the inflammation of the female genital tract. Aim. An assessment of the knowledge of female patients at developmental age on the prevention and treatment of inflammation of the female genital tract was undertaken. Material and methods. The study involved 100 female patients of the Department of Gynecology of the Developmental Age and Sexology, all of them aged 17, who reported for routine examinations; the patients were students of high schools in Poznań who were not sexually active. A thorough medical history, concerning the patients’ knowledge on the prevention and treatment of inflammation of the female genital tract, was collected. Results. It is comforting that as many as 97% of girls knew the preventive factors of genital inflammation important related to the personal hygiene. However, as many as 81% were not familiar with the preventive factors of genital inflammation related to diet – only 16% correctly indicated the negative impact of carbohydrates. There were significant deficiencies in knowledge areas related to the risk factors for infections of the female genital tract: as many as 52% of patients were not aware that the most important risk factors included sexual intercourses, specifically early sexual initiation and frequent partner change. More than 70% of respondents could not did not know any methods of treating the infections other than preparations advertised in mass media. Conclusions. Education increases motivation for prophylaxis of inflammation and infection of the female genital tract. It has been shown that in girls, the level of knowledge regarding the prevention and treatment of inflammation is insufficient, and health and sex education is the basic way of increasing awareness of the possibility of improving gynecological health of girls and women.

Objectives: Medical doctors, nurses, pharmacists, and paramedics are professions placing themselves highest in the rankings of occupations granted public trust. The knowledge of the negative impact of tobacco use on physical condition possessed by those occupational groups ought to limit the addiction among this population, which should constitute a benchmark of health-promoting attitude for the public. Many health-promoting decisions are made during the period of studies. The study aimed to establish the scale of tobacco smoking and the profile of chosen aspects of this issue among students of Poznan University of Medical Sciences and students of vocational medical colleges in Poznań.Material and Methods: An author questionnaire was conducted. 586 students (471 University students, 115 college students) aged between 19 and 65 completed the survey.Results: The majority (76,62%) of the surveyed students were non-smokers. Smokers were predominately male (the entire surveyed population, University students). Medical college students smoked more cigarettes daily compared to the University students. The most commonly declared reason for smoking was the social purpose. Among former smokers, female more often than male indicated health considerations and the knowledge of harmful effects of smoking as reasons for quitting; among college students, the most common reason was health considerations, whereas University students listed knowledge of the harmfulness of smoking, health considerations, and other motives most often.Conclusions: Both University students and medical college students smoked more rarely than their contemporaries in the general population. The respondents constitute a group displaying relatively high prevalence of health-promoting attitudes.