All methods of breast cancer treatment may potentially lead to breast deformities, which are often associated with the reduced mental well-being of patients. Breast conserving therapy (BCT) is commonly used, and its core element is breast conserving surgery (BCS).The aim of this study was to determine the level of satisfaction with the aesthetic outcome of surgery and quality of life (QoL) of breast cancer patients undergoing BCT in a longitudinal study performed three months, six months and 12 months after surgery. This longitudinal observational study was carried out on a group of 91 women. The Breast-QTM BCT 1.0 questionnaire was used in this study. Before surgery, patients assessed their satisfaction with the appearance of their breasts (SwB) at an average level of M = 56.0. Satisfaction with the aesthetic outcome (SwO) of BCS was highest among all patients three months after surgery (M = 63.0). The mean score in the sub-scale of psychosocial well-being (Psycho-soc W-B) before surgery was M = 62.0, while in the subsequent periods of the study, it was higher. The mean score for physical well-being (Physical W-B) before surgery was M = 69.92; and in the subsequent study periods, it was lower. The level of patient satisfaction with the outcome of the surgery and the QoL related to health do not differ significantly in post-operative observation. QoL in terms of psychosocial functioning in patients undergoing BCT is significantly higher 12 months after surgery compared to the pre-operative period. Patient satisfaction with the BCS aesthetic outcome is positively related to the evaluation of QoL in terms of psychosocial functioning.

Menopause is a difficult period in a woman's life, associated not only with the end of menstruation, but also with symptoms such as hot flashes, sweating, dizziness, and palpitations which occur due to fluctuations in the hormones oestrogen and progesterone. The aim of this study was to evaluate the quality of life of women (aged 48-55 years) in the physical, mental and social spheres, to determine the intensity of menopause symptoms and to ascertain whether the above indicators are influenced by sociodemographic factors. The study was conducted by diagnostic survey using two tools -the WHOQOL-BREF questionnaire for the measurement of the quality of life and the Kupperman index, which measures the severity of menopause symptoms. A total of 161 women not using hormone replacement therapy were examined. In their case, the intensity of menopause symptoms was moderate. The respondents assessed their functioning in the social sphere with the highest number of points (3.65) and in the physical sphere with the lowest number of points (3.14). The intensity of menopause symptoms positively correlated with the evaluation of the quality of life by the respondents. Higher assessment of the quality of life was reported by women working in a given period of time, with good material status, sexually active. The respondents suffered from chronic diseases, most often arterial hypertension. The occurrence of chronic diseases -arterial hypertension, coronary artery disease, diabetes and osteoporosisnegatively affected the quality of life of the respondents.

Introduction. Cardiovascular diseases still remain at the forefront of society's most important health problem and are one of the leading causes of death.Purpose of research. The aim of this study is to assess the degree of coping with stress in a group of patients treated for unstable angina.Material and methods. The research was conducted on 01.09.2019 - 01.03.2020. The size of the study group was 100 people, 45% of whom were women, 55% were men. People with diagnosed unstable angina took part in the study. The following research tools were used in this work to gather the necessary information: • Self-study report - contains 12 questions in the area of sociodemographic information, current disease and available support. • Mini-COPE - Inventory for Measuring Coping With Stress. • PSS-10 - Perceived Stress Scale. The above research tools made it possible to collect information on the sociodemographic data of the respondents, the degree of coping with stress and the scale of perceived stress.Conclusions. Younger people more often than older people focused on actively coping with stress. People in relationships coped with stress to a greater extent than single people and focused on development. Patients who remain professionally active cope better with a stressful situation than those on disability or retirement. People after surgical procedures were more planning-oriented than those treated with pharmacological treatment. The support of family and friends has a positive effect on coping with stress in patients with unstable angina.

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AbstractIntroduction. Stress can be defined as a physiological and psychic response to external stimuli (stressors) or as a relationship between the body and the environment that can affect the body in a negative, positive or neutral way.Aim. The aim of this paper was to investigate the causes of stress among students, and to identify methods of coping with it in relation to sociodemographic determinants.Material and methods. The number of 117 nursing students were examined using two standardized tools: Distress Thermometer and Mini Cope Sheet.Results. Intensity of stress among nursing students amounted to 6.3, which was higher than the average. The causes of stress included: worrying, anxiety, fatigue, work, school. The most frequently chosen strategies for coping with stress are active coping, seeking emotional and instrumental support.Conclusions. 1)Intensity of stress among nursing students was higher than the average and was equal to 6.3. 2) Students chose constructive methods of coping with it, i.e. active coping, trying to overcome the situation, searching for emotional and instrumental support. 3) The age of the respondents impacted the choice of the strategy of „cessation of activities” and the cause of stress – „relationship with a partner” and marital status correlated with occurrence of symptom of stress - „diarrhea”.