The level of PA recommended by WHO has a positive impact on the perceived QoL. Possible differences are visible mostly in the assessment of different domains of life in relation to the presented levels of PA.

Background: The problem of an inadequate level of physical activity (PA) is important in the context of its relationship with the quality of life (QoL) of pregnant women. The aim of this study was to analyze the relationships between PA and QoL among pregnant women. Methods: The study analyzed 346 questionnaires filled in by pregnant women (157 in the second trimester and 189 in the third). The tool used for assessment of PA was the Pregnancy Physical Activity Questionnaire-Polish version (PPAQ-PL). The quality of life (QoL) was assessed by the World Health Organization Quality of Life Questionnaire-short form (WHOQoL-Bref). The results obtained from the PPAQ-PL and WHOQoL-Bref questionnaires for women in the second and third trimesters of pregnancy and intergroup differences were analyzed. Results: There was a significant correlation in the group of women in the second trimester of pregnancy between quality of life in the physical health domain and the intensity and type of physical activity. The women who rated their quality of life higher in this domain declared higher energy expenditures (EE) associated with vigorous activity (R = 0.159, p ≤ 0.05), as well as with occupational activity (R = 0.166; p ≤ 0.05) and sport/exercise activity (R = 0.187; p ≤ 0.05). In women in the third trimester, higher EE related to sport/exercise activity coincided with higher assessments of the overall quality of life (R = 0.149, p ≤ 0.05) and general health (R = 0.170, p ≤ 0.05). In the case of the psychological domain (R = 0.161, p ≤ 0.05) and social relationship domain (R = 0.188; p ≤ 0.05) of QoL, positive correlations occurred with EE related to vigorous activity. In contrast, high assessment of physical health domain coincided with higher EE related to occupational activity (R = 0.174; p ≤ 0.05). Conclusions: Our study makes an important contribution to knowledge concerning the correlations between PA and QoL in pregnancy. The results suggest the need for improvement in prenatal care and promotion of PA programs for pregnant women.

Background. The aim of this study was to assess how retirement affects the short-term (up to 2 years after retirement) and medium-term (2-4 years) sport/exercise activity (S/EA) of Poles. To gain a broader context for interpretation, the effect of retirement on self-rated health status, attitudes, social activity, and sexual life was analysed. Methods. A quasiexperiment utilizing data from the longitudinal study Social Diagnosis and radius-matching method was conducted. Retiring men and women were matched with similar, nonretiring ones to make comparisons of differences in S/EA and other outcomes interpretable in terms of causality. Results. Retirement does not have a significant effect in the short term on S/EA of men (p=.440) and women (p=.340). The satisfaction of men with their health status in this period was improved (p=.007), although they more often declared health problems that impaired their everyday functioning (p=.045). Women rarely reported serious health problems (p=.024). In the medium perspective, retirement had the effect on reducing S/EA in men (p=.012) and various dimensions of their social life. Although men tend to worry more often about their health (p<0.001), they are less likely to suffer from problems with moving (p=.001) and fatigue (p=.013). Despite the fact that women are more often satisfied with their health (p=.027), they also more often complain about heart or chest pain (p=.010), body pain (p=.009), and fatigue (p=.007). Conclusion. It is necessary to prepare employees for retirement much earlier than in the preretirement age. In addition to raising awareness of the effect of S/EA functions, it is necessary to monitor the physical activity of employees and to use appropriate programmes for (1) maintaining motivation among employees who are physically active before they retire and (2) raising awareness and encouraging physical activity in employees who are physically passive.

Binocular vision is the most important visual cue for spatial orientation in many sports. In this study, we investigated how binocular vision was influenced by an eye training program that may be used to improve individual's oculomotor function. The experiment involved twenty-four female student athletes from team ball sports (soccer, basketball, handball). After an initial testing session, 12 participants were randomly allocated to the experimental group. Optometric investigation which included synoptophore testing and a test of dissociated horizontal phoria based on the Maddox method was performed three times: before the experiment, after eight weeks of eye training (3 times a week for 20 minutes), and four weeks after the experiment was terminated. Eye exercise methodology was based on orthoptic, sport and psychological aspects of performance. The phoria screening examination showed that exophoria was the most frequent disorder of binocular vision. Low fusional vergence range was also observed. Following the training period, 3 of the 6 oculomotor variables improved. The greatest effect was observed in near dissociated phoria (χ2 =14.56, p=0.001 for the right eye; χ2 =14.757, p=0.001 for the left eye) and fusional convergence (χ2 =8.522, p=0.014). The results of the retention test conducted four weeks after the experiment confirmed the effectiveness of the vision training program. The results of the study suggest that binocular functions are trainable and can be improved by means of appropriate visual training.

The PPAQ-PL can be accepted as a reliable tool for the assessing physical activity of pregnant women in Poland. Information obtained using the questionnaire might be helpful in monitoring health behaviours, preventing obesity, as well as designing and promoting physical activity programmes for pregnant women.