Background. The effects of a two-year educational Programme “Keep Balance” addressed to children and adolescents have been evaluated. Its purpose has been to implement the rules of proper nutrition and increasing the level of physical activity on the population level. Objective. The main objective of the evaluation was an indication if, after two years of programme activities, outcome indicators have been achieved. Material and methods. Approximately 400,000 pupils/students from 1600 educational units from the territory of the whole country have been included in the education programme. The efficiency evaluation has been carried out in a sample of n = 1506 pupils/students in the interventional group and n = 1589 in the control group. Education has been addressed to the entire school environment, pupils, students, parents, teachers, headmasters, and the local community. The survey methodology, body weight and height measurements, the BMI index, and EUROFIT physical fitness tests have been used to assess the effects of the education programme in the scope of knowledge and nutritional behaviour regarding physical activity. There were assumed outcome indicators. The certification of schools/kindergartens with “The Certificate of a School/Kindergarten Friendly to Nutrition and Physical Activity” has been used to evaluate the activation of school environments. Results. There was an improvement achieved over the assumed target points in the level of knowledge of pupils/students in the scope of nutrition and the role of physical activity, in the changes of nutritional habits, and in the results of physical fitness tests. There were achieved 20% increase in knowledge in the scope of nutrition and 5% increase in physical activity. There have been changes in the frequency in the consumption of the first breakfast before going to school (by 25% among the younger ones and by 17% among the older ones), an increase in the consumption of bottled water by 49% and reduction of sweet drinks by 19%. The percentage of the pupils/students consuming the recommended 5 meals increased by 33%. Physical fitness indicators were achieved over assumed 5% increase in the individual exercise tests. The Certificate was obtained after meeting the criteria and documenting the durability of the changes by 65% of 1600 educational units included in the Programme. A decrease in the frequency of overweight and obesity occurrence in the whole intervention sample by 1% was obtained; it was greater (but statistically insignificant) among younger students by 3.3% in comparison to the older ones where there was an increase of 1%. Conclusions. Summing up all achieved results the educational programme “Keep Balance” implemented on the population level aimed at children and adolescents has turned out to be effective and deserves to be continued after minor adjustments. Many positive changes have been identified as well as those that ought to be improved. Comprehensively included education and sometimes small changes in much of nutritional and physical behaviour have influenced the reduction of the percentage of pupils/students with excessive body weight, despite the fact that the average BMI has basically remained on the same level.

SummaryStudy aim: To evaluate changes in strength abilities of adolescent girls that underwent a 3-year physical education curriculum. Material and methods:The research participants comprised 141 girls aged 13.3 ± 0.35 years who participated in a 3-year physical education curriculum (PEC). Evaluation was based on the following EUROFIT Testing Battery tests: standing broad jump, handgrip strength, sit-ups, and bent arm hang. After the completion of the curriculum, changes in strength abilities of the participants were evaluated. Test results were compared to reference values for the population of Polish girls. Results: After the 3-year PEC, research participants obtained significantly better results in all analyzed tests. At the beginning of the PEC, participants performed significantly worse in comparison to the reference values for the standing broad jump and bent arm hang tests, and better in the handgrip strength test. After the completion of the PEC, the participants performed significantly better in the sit-up and handgrip strength tests compared to reference values; for the standing broad jump and bent arm hang tests, they performed closer to the reference values. Conclusions: While the development of student physical fitness is achievable through physical education lessons at school, innovative teaching methods and professional and creative approaches on the part of teachers are necessary.

SummaryStudy aim: The aim of this study was to evaluate the incidence of contractures of selected muscle groups with respect to the magnitude of the physiological curvatures of the spine in young men with above-average levels of physical activity. Material and methods:The study included 96 students at the University of Physical Education in Warsaw aged between 20 and 22 years (21.2 ± 1.05). Ninety-five percent of the students participated in sports training activities. The study was conducted between January and February 2016. The selected traits of the body posture were evaluated with an inclinometer, which was used to measure the inclination angles of sections of the spine relative to the vertical. The ranges of motion in the shoulder complex and the pelvic complex were measured with a goniometer. Values of 175º (for the shoulder complex) and 174º (for the hip joint) were assumed to indicate a decreased range of motion.Results: The analysis of the individual results concerning mobility disorders in the shoulder complex and the pelvic complex revealed significant abnormalities in the researched group of students. About 90% of the study participants showed contractures of selected muscle groups within the shoulder girdle, primarily in the right upper limb. Similar results were obtained for the incidence of contractures in the flexors of the hip joint. Flexion contractures in the hip joint were observed in around 84% of the participants, primarily in the left lower limb. The correlations between the inclination angles of the sections of the spine relative to the vertical and the ranges of motion in the shoulder complex and the pelvic complex, established using Pearson correlation coefficients, were ambiguous. The angles γ , β 1 and α were inversely proportional to the range of raising motions of the upper limbs through flexion, where the correlation coefficients of all angles were statistically significant. Similar tendencies were observed for the correlations between the angles β 2, β 1 and α and the range of the extension movements at the hip joint, although the correlation coefficients were statistically significant only in the case of the angle β 1 . Conclusions: Ranges of movement in the shoulder complex and pelvic complex have an influence on magnitude of physiological curvatures of the spine and the functioning of body posture.