Background Properly fitted shoes can support the development of growing feet and prevent problems and pathologies, not only in childhood, but also in adulthood. This points to the need to conduct research on the impact of shoe fitting on the structure of the foot in order to raise awareness and importance of this problem, to enable proper decisions regarding the purchase and use of shoes. The aim of this study was to analyze indoor footwear fit and its impact on foot structure in 7-year-old schoolchildren. Methods The CQ-ST podoscope and the Clevermess device were used for measurements. The analysis was carried out using the Mann Whitney U test, Wilcoxon signed-rank test, Chi-square test, regression analysis. Results About 40% of girls and boys had shoes that were incorrectly fitted in length, while as many as 74% of girls and 66% of boys wore shoes that were incorrectly fitted in width. Regression analysis demonstrated a statistically significant influence of the footwear length on longitudinal arch of the right and left foot and the transverse arch of the right foot. In boys, the length of the shoes shows associations with the right and left hallux valgus angle. Conclusion A significant percentage of the studied 7-year-olds, regardless of gender, wears inappropriately fitted shoes. In both sexes, the length of the footwear influenced the longitudinal arch of the right and left foot and the transverse arch of the right foot. Due to the deformity of the first metatarsophalangeal joint, the boys with hallux valgus require footwear which is wider and therefore their shoes need to be bigger in size.

Introduction. Back pain is a serious medical and social problem. The aim of this study was relationships between the quality of life and the intensity of pain and functional efficiency in women and men with degenerative changes in the lumbar spine. Material and methods. The study involved 53 women and 52 men, who, due to chronic pain in the lumbar spine due to degenerative changes, were qualified for therapy at the Local Government Health Center in Miedziana Gora. The research tool was NRS scale, Oswestry Distability Index ODI and shortened version of the survey WHOQOL-BREF. The collected research results were analysed with the use of Mann-Whitney U test, Chi-square test and Spearman rank correlation. Results. Statistically significant differences in the values of the ODI questionnaire relating to the category "care" (p = 0.046) were found. In men, statistically significant negative associations between body build and the WHOQOL-BREF survey values concerning the somatic (p = 0.012), psychological (p = 0.007) and social (p = 0.022) domains were found. Statistically significant positive associations between the intensity of pain and functional capacity according to the ODI were found in both sexes (p < 0.001). Statistically significant negative relationships between the NRS value and the psychological domain were noted in women (p = 0.023), and with the somatic (p < 0.001), psychological (p = 0.006), socjal (p = 0.013) and environmental (p < 0.001) domain in men. Wnioski. In terms of functional efficiency, men with back pain caused by degenerative changes are characterized by greater limitations in terms of activities related to care. In men, the increase in BMI is accompanied by a decrease in the quality of life in the somatic, psychological and social domains. In both sexes, the increase in the intensity of back pain affects the deterioration of functional efficiency. In women, the increase in the intensity of pain was associated with a decrease in the quality of life in the psychological domain, and in men in the somatic, psychological, social and environmental domains.

The aim of this study was to analyze the characteristics of foot structure in girls and boys in the final stage of early childhood, taking into account the half-yearly age ranges. The study was carried out among 800 children aged 3. The research tool was the podoscope CQ-ST. The collected research results were analyzed with the use of Student’s t-test or Mann-Whitney U test. Statistically significant sex differences in the length of the right and left foot, the width of the right and left foot and Clarke’s angle of the right and left foot in each of the identified age groups were found. There were statistically significant differences in the length of the right and left foot, the width of the right and left foot, and the Clarke’s angle of the right and left foot were noted separately in girls and boys. Sexual dimorphism in foot length, foot width, and Clarke’s angle occurs in 3-year-old children. In each of the age groups, boys are characterized by longer and wider, and lower arched right and left foot. Characteristic features differentiating children in the 1st and 2nd age group are foot length, foot width and Clarke’s angle. Girls and boys in the 2nd age group have longer and wider, and higher arched right and left feet. This indicates a high dynamic of increases in the value of these features.

Aim of the study: Assessment of knowledge of the principles of healthy nutrition among women from the Rzeszow administrative district, taking into account their level of education. Material and methods: The study involving the method of diagnostic survey covered 300 women aged 30–40 years, residents of Rzeszow administrative district. The percentage shares of respondents’ answers to individual survey questions were calculated. The collected research results were analyzed with the use of Chi-square (χ2). Results: Respondents largely correctly answered most of the questions in the survey. The answers to the question about the proportion of vegetable consumption in relation to fruit varied widely. The Chi-square test showed statistically significant differences in the frequency of obtaining information from training (p = 0.012) and specialist literature/magazines (p = 0.046). Conclusions: Knowledge of the principles of healthy nutrition among women from the Rzeszow administrative district is sufficient, although the respondents have a problem with determining the proportion of vegetable consumption in relation to fruit. Mostly women get knowledge about proper nutrition from a doctor and the Internet. The frequency of obtaining information from training and science piblications depends on the level of education. These sources are most often used by women with higher education, and least often by people with basic education

Background Due to the dynamics of developmental changes, the preschool age is of crucial importance for the later health and efficiency of the feet. The aim of this study was the analysis of the fitting of indoor footwear and its impact on the features of the foot structure in 6-year-old children. Methods The study group consisted of 100 children, including 50 girls and 50 boys at the age of 6 years. The applied device was the CQ-ST podoscope and the Clevermess. The data were analyzed based on Mann-Whitney U test, Chi-square test and regression analysis. Results About 60% of children wore correctly fitted shoes in terms of length and width. Multiple regression models with two variables explaining the variance of the Clarke’s angle were statistically significant for girls (right foot: p < 0.001 and left foot: p = 0.009), and boys (right foot: p < 0.001 and left foot: p < 0.001). The influence of predictive variables on the values of the heel angle (γ) was statistically significant for girls (right foot: p < 0.001 and left foot: p < 0.001) and boys (right foot p < 0.001 and left foot: p < 0.001). Conclusions Both in the case of girls and boys, the frequency of using too long and too wide shoes was higher in relation to the frequency of using too short and too narrow shoes. The length and width of the shoes affected the length and width of the footwear both in girls and boys. The longer and wider the shoes, the lower the height of the arch. Longer shoes are accompanied by a greater transverse arch, and wider ones with a lower transverse arch of the foot.