shorter than those who have at least one child (ANOVA: childedness, F 1,3198 ǃ25.5, P<0.001; education, F 1,3198 ǃ93.1, P<0.001). Multiple regression with number of children as the dependent variable, with height and age as independent variables, provides quantitative confirmation of these results (one-tailed tests: city, r 2 ǃ0.136, nǃ1,826; height, P<0.001; age, P<0.001; rural, r 2 ǃ0.208, nǃ1297; height, Pǃ0.041; age, P<0.0001).Comparisons of means for individual age cohorts (Fig. 1b) reveals that men with children are significantly taller than childless men in each case (twenties, t 1157 ǃǁ2.97, Pǃ0.005; thirties, t 1115 ǃǁ3.49, Pǃ0.001; forties, t 514 ǃǁ3.06, Pǃ0.002), except for men in their fifties (t 409 ǃ0.17, Pǃ0.863). Because these men were born during the 1930s, they entered the marriage market shortly after the Second World War when the population sex ratio was highly skewed in favour of women and sexual selection on males would have been greatly reduced as a result: the sex ratio for adults of working age (18-64 for men, 18-60 for women) in Wroclaw was 114.3 women to 100 men in the post-war decade, but fell to 104-105:100 in subsequent decades 12 .These results indicate that the effect of height on reproductive output might be due to shorter men being disadvantaged in Evolutionary fitness

The study examined the relationship between marital status and the body mass index (BMI) and the prevalence of overweight and obesity in the Polish population. The sample included 2,266 men and 4,122 women, 25-60 years of age, who were occupationally active inhabitants of Wroclaw, in southwestern Poland. Marital status was defined by two categories: never married and presently married, and two groups in each category were established on the basis of educational level: well-educated (12 or more years in school) and poorly educated (less than 12 years in school). The subjects were also divided into four age groups: 25-30, 31-40, 41-50, and 51-60 years. Height and weight were measured and the BMI was calculated. Three categories of the BMI were established: normal, BMI < 25.0 kg/m(2), overweight, BMI > or = 25 < 30 kg/m(2), and obese, BMI > or = 30 kg/m(2). In each age and educational group, married individuals had a higher BMI than those who were never married. With the exception of well-educated males 51-60 years, differences in the BMI between married and never married individuals increased with age. In general, married men and women were more likely to be overweight and obese than never married individuals. The results indicated a significant association (P < 0.001) between marital status and the BMI in both sexes. After age, marital status was the most important predictor of overweight/obesity among men (P < 0.001), whereas educational level did not have a significant role. Among women, age, marital status, and education were significantly (P < 0.001) related to the BMI.

The trend of body size and stature increase within the Polish population, although decelerating, remained positive and steady during the last 45 years. No significant impact of the past half-century's socioeconomic crises was observed in these measures of growth. We concluded that during the economic crises some effective mechanism protecting the living conditions of the children and youth were operating within the population.

The aim of the study was to evaluate the relationship between marital status and blood pressure, and to assess the risk of hypertension in adult Polish men, after adjustment for BMI. Material comprised the data of 2,271 healthy men, aged 25-60, occupationally active inhabitants of Wroclaw (south-western Poland). Arterial hypertension was diagnosed when systolic blood pressure (SBP) > or =140 mm Hg and/or diastolic blood pressure (DBP) > or = 90 mm Hg. The following categories of marital status and educational level were applied: never married vs. currently married, and well-educated vs. poorly educated, respectively. The data on lifestyle elements were obtained from questionnaires. Multi-factorial analyses of covariance (ANCOVA) were used to compare mean values of SBP and DBP in married vs. never married in subsequent age categories with BMI as a covariate. Independent effects of marital status, life-style variables and body mass index (BMI) on the risk of hypertension in men were analysed using the multifactorial models of logistic regression. In our analysis an interesting epidemiological phenomenon was observed. Never married men had on average higher SBP and DBP than married men. Never married had also a higher risk of hypertension when compared to married men, even when adjusted for different demographic, socio-economic, life-style variables, and even that never married men had lower BMI than married subjects. Marital differences in psychological status (prolonged stress and low social support), dietary intake (mainly sodium and potassium intake) and economic aspects of living alone are suggested as factors, which might explain at least partly the marital diversity in blood pressure and the risk of hypertension in men.

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This study considers the relationship between a cumulative index of biological dysregulation (allostatic load) and several dimensions of socioeconomic status (SES) and lifestyle in adult Polish males. The extent to which lifestyle variables can explain SES variation in allostatic load was also evaluated. Participants were 3887 occupationally active men aged 25-60 years living in cities and villages in the Silesia region of Poland. The allostatic load indicator included eleven markers: % fat (adverse nutritional intake), systolic and diastolic blood pressures (cardiovascular activity), FEV1 (lung function), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (inflammatory processes), glucose and total cholesterol (cardiovascular disease risk), total plasma protein (stress-haemoconcentration), bilirubin, creatinine clearance and alkaline phosphatase activity (hepatic and renal functions). A higher level of completed education, being married and residing in an urban area were associated with lower physiological dysregulation. The association between indicators of SES and allostatic load was not eliminated or attenuated when unhealthy lifestyle variables were included in the model. Smoking status and alcohol consumption played minimal roles in explaining the association between SES and allostatic load; physical activity, however, had a generally protective effect on allostatic load.

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IntroductionCardiovascular disease is the most common cause of death. Life satisfaction is a predictor of morbidity and mortality, irrespectively of objective measures of health status. The aim of the study was to evaluate the relationship between life satisfaction (LS) and cardiovascular disease risk (CVD) assessed with the Framingham Risk Score (FRS) in Polish adults.Material and methodsPast, present and projected LS were estimated. The FRS reflecting 10-year CVD risk was calculated from health indices and lifestyle parameters. Relationships between LS and FRS were tested by two-way analysis of variance in 489 men and 591 women, 40–50 years of age.ResultsSubjects with a reduction in LS over time had a higher FRS compared to peers with an improvement in LS. The relationship between current LS and FRS had a J-shape in men; FRS was lowest in men with an LS of 5–7 (average LS), slightly higher in men with an LS of 8–10 (highest LS), and highest in men with an LS of 1–4 (lowest LS). Among women, there was an inverse linear relationship between LS and FRS: the higher the LS, the lower FRS. There was a strong linear relationship between predicted LS and CVD risk. Highest risk was evident in subjects with low LS in whom low LS was predicted over the next five years.ConclusionsLow LS (dissatisfaction) thus has a long-term negative effect on CVD risk in Polish adults of both sexes.