Our everyday behaviours in life can positively and negatively impact our health, thus cumulatively shaping our lifestyles as more or less healthy. These behaviours are often determined by our knowledge, literacy, motivations and socioeconomic backgrounds. The authors aimed to assess health behaviours and explore variables that may affect persons studying to become future healthcare professionals in Poland. This study was conducted with a group of 275 undergraduate students attending the Poznan University of Medical Sciences representing six different majors of study. We used self-reported, cross-sectional survey conducted through the use of a questionnaire that consisted of one standardised scale (Juczyński’s Health Behaviour Inventory) as well as a self-developed health literacy measure. The students showed average to high levels of health-promoting behaviours (mean HBI = 82.04 ± 11.26). Medium to strong associations were found between these behaviours and high scores on the health literacy scale (p = 0.001, r = 0.45 between total scores of the two scales). Dietetics students and female respondents scored significantly better on both scales, which suggests that their self-reported behaviours and health literacy were higher than those of other participants. Exhibiting health-protective behaviours and high health literacy is likely to result in the better individual health of our respondents, but, more importantly, will also influence their future professions. As members of the healthcare workforce they will be responsible for the health of the population and it is crucial for them not only to provide care, education, and guidance, but also to act as role-models for their patients and society.
Maternal knowledge, literacy, and behaviours in the area of oral health may greatly influence the risk of caries and the oral health status of children from the youngest age. Thus, the aim of the study was to investigate paediatric oral health knowledge and literacy as well as maternal oral health behaviours and outcomes among expectant mothers. A cross-sectional study was undertaken among 400 pregnant inpatients aged 17–48 years (mean age 29.5 ± 5.3 years) in 31 public maternity wards in the Wielkopolska region, Poland. An anonymous, self-designed questionnaire was prepared on the basis of current oral health recommendations. Pregnancy complications were reported by 195 (48.8%), and permanent tooth extractions by 158 (39.5%) women. Knowledge and literacy scores were associated with, among other things, maternal education, selected oral hygiene practices, and reported extractions of permanent teeth. Although participants had some correct information regarding oral health, they had insufficient awareness of caries as an infectious disease and of the appropriate timing for the child’s first dental visit. Their self-assessment of oral health status and belief that they were under dental care tended to be overly optimistic, given their self-reported outcomes. These aspects should be considered in future health education efforts among expectant women.
Fluorosis is caused by excessive exposure to fl uoride. The primary source of excess fl uoride ingestion is drinking-water with high fl uoride concentrations. According to the World Health Organization, fl uoride concentrations in drinking-water should not exceed 1.5 mg/l (1.5 ppm). Secondary sources of fl uoride exposure include fl uoride-rich beverages, foodstuffs and dental products. Excess fl uoride intake manifests itself primarily in disrupted tooth enamel formation (dental fl uorosis) and bone damage (skeletal fl uorosis). The two classifi cation systems widely used for grading the severity of dental fl uorosis are the Dean's Index and the Thylstrup-Fejerskov Index. To estimate the scale of dental fl uorosis as a global public health problem, a literature search was conducted in the PubMed database with 'fl uorosis' as a search term, as well as in publications available in print. The search yielded a number of studies describing the problem of dental fl uorosis in countries such as Mexico (100% prevalence), Sri Lanka (72.9%), India (64.3%), the USA (61.3%) and Brazil (from 39.6 to 58.9%). High fl uoride drinking-water concentrations infl uenced the prevalence of dental fl uorosis. With the mean concentration of 1.58 ppm, as many as 72.9% of the study population had dental fl uorosis (Sri Lanka). Higher fl uoride concentrations were correlated with a higher prevalence of more severe manifestations of the disease: the proportion of population affected with stage 6 or 7 (severe) fl uorosis was 4.4% at 2.5 ppm and 20.6% at 5.1 ppm (Mexico). In the regions of the world with high fl uoride drinking-water concentrations, steps should be taken to prevent dental fl uorosis.
A high prevalence of smoking and low rates of smoking cessation interventions can be observed in psychiatric wards. A questionnaire-based, cross-sectional study was performed in five hospitals among 107 psychiatric ward nurses. The aim was to investigate nurses’ views on patients’ smoking practices and their influence on the safety of both the patients and medical personnel. In addition, we asked about the availability of smoking cessation support. Most of the respondents noticed the negative impacts of smoking on patients and medical personnel. Nearly a third of our respondents (29.0%) recalled smoking-related accidents in their facilities. In 45.2% of these accidents, a patient set someone else on fire. Around one fifth of nurses had rather permissive attitudes towards tobacco use in hospital wards. Significant associations were identified between respondents’ smoking status and their opinions on amending smoking policies and on unsupervised smoking. Regarding professional help available to smoking patients, 88.8% of participants reported that interventions to address smoking were available in their wards. Psychiatric hospitalisation can be an opportunity to offer tobacco treatment to patients with mental health conditions. To make use of this opportunity, smoke-free policies need to be put in place and hospital personnel, particularly nurses, should be trained and equipped with the knowledge and skills needed to assist in the smoking care of psychiatric ward patients.
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