The purpose of the study was to assess the relationship between the body mass index and sports and physical activities in an unbiased, simple, random sample of teenagers from mid-northeastern Poland. Material and Methods: Children and adolescents aged 10-19 years old were surveyed. The Internet-based survey was conducted to collect information on physical activity, leisure time, studying hours, weight, and height. Results: Obesity was found to be low in the study population. The overall prevalence of overweight was not higher than 8%. Only 0.6% of participants were underweight. Overall, 68% of them confirmed participating in sports. Boys were frequently more active than girls (> 70% boys and > 60% girls). Participants mostly played soccer, volleyball, handball, or basketball (30.5%); 7% of them practiced martial arts and 16.5% of them participated in swimming. Sports activity significantly influenced body mass index. Obesity was not related to the lack of participation for physical activity in girls but a significant relationship was observed in boys (p < 0.02). The risk of obesity or overweight for inactive teenagers increased 2-fold (p < 0.01). Conclusions: We report the overall participation of teenagers from 2 cities in mid-northeastern Poland in sports and physical activities and demonstrate that the lack of statistically significant differences in the body mass index and obesity and overweight is prevalent among boys and girls. Obesity was significantly related to less physical activity in boys, and the likelihood of obesity or overweight increased in inactive teenagers. Thus, we suggest that the importance of overweight and obesity prevention programs should be emphasized.

The influence of high-heel footwear on the lumbar lordosis angle, anterior pelvic tilt, and sacral tilt are inconsistently described in the literature. This study aimed to investigate the impact of medium-height heeled footwear on the static posture parameters of homogeneous young adult standing women. Heel geometry, data acquisition process, as well as data analysis and parameter extraction stage, were controlled. Seventy-six healthy young adult women with experience in wearing high-heeled shoes were enrolled. Data of fifty-three subjects were used for analysis due to exclusion criteria (scoliotic posture or missing measurement data). A custom structured light surface topography measurement system was used for posture parameters assessment. Three barefoot measurements were taken as a reference and tested for the reliability of the posture parameters. Two 30-degree wedges were used to imitate high-heel shoes to achieve a repeatable foot position. Our study confirmed the significant (p < 0.001) reduced vertical balance angle and pelvis inclination angle with large and medium-to-large effects, respectively, due to high-heel shoes. No significant differences were found in the kyphosis or lordosis angles. High-heeled shoes of medium height in young asymptomatic women can lead to a straightening effect associated with a reduced vertical balance angle and decreased pelvic inclination.

Background and Objectives: This study aimed to translate the Hip disability and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (HOOS) into the Polish language, to determine its validity and reliability, and to assess its main psychometric properties. Materials and Methods: A total of 332 hip osteoarthritis (OA) subjects were recruited to the study group and 90 healthy subjects to the control group. The study consisted of the HOOS translation and the assessment of the discriminative power, internal consistency, and the potential floor and ceiling effects followed by the determination of the construct validity and test-retest reliability. The analysis was performed using Western Ontario and McMaster Universities osteoarthritis index (WOMAC) and SF-36 questionnaires. Results: The translation process consisted of forward translation, reconciliation, backward translation, review, harmonization, and proofreading. The hip OA patients reported a reduced HOOS score when compared to the control subjects. The discriminant validity of the questionnaire was confirmed. A Cronbach’s alpha of 0.97 was found, indicating a high internal consistency. The HOOS showed a significant correlation with the SF-36 and WOMAC, which ranged from r = −0.93, p-value < 0.05 for WOMAC total score to r = 0.92, and p-value < 0.05 for WOMAC daily living. No floor or ceiling effects were found. A very high intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) was found (0.93–0.97) for the total score and the individual domains of the HOOS. Conclusions: The Polish HOOS is valid and reliable for evaluating the outcomes of hip OA patients in Poland. This questionnaire may be used with confidence for clinical and research purposes.

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The efficiency of remote assessment of exact 3D surface topography can be used in large-scale studies for posture and scoliosis epidemiology.