Lodz Province Research Articles

The Location Premises Of FDI In Poland. The Case Of The Lodz Province

This paper aims to study the role of various factors in attracting foreign capital to the Province of Lodz. Conclusions are based on the direct questionnaire study conducted among 188 companies with foreign capital which invested in the region. The obtained results indicate that specific Lodz Province (voivodeship) characteristics were of little importance to foreign investors. Both in Poland and in the voivodeship, they were looking for relatively cheap and skilful labour in order to lower their total costs of production. We confirmed that investment incentives were of little importance for the inflow of FDI to the communes and counties of the Province of Lodz. The factors which most discouraged investment in the region were poor transport infrastructure and an uninteresting social infrastructure decisive for the quality of everyday life. Our conclusion is that the inflow of FDI does not eliminate intra-regional disproportions; on the contrary it probably deepens them.

Becoming a Teenage Father. Having a Baby as a Turning Point in Biographies of Young Men of Low Socioeconomic Status Inhabiting Poverty Enclaves

The paper reflects on the impact of fatherhood on lives of young men, brought up in multiproblem families in poverty enclaves in a post-industrial city, namely Lodz. Empirical grounds of the text are 27 biographical interviews carried out within a research module of the WZLOT project (full project title: “Strengthening Opportunities and Weakening Transmission of Poverty among Inhabitants of Towns of the Lodz Province”) with young men who had become fathers as teenagers. The interviewees had been school dropouts, in conflict with the law, with problems of substance abuse. The paper attempts to reconstruct the process of becoming a father in the case of young men lacking father figures themselves and whose fatherhood was often being questioned because of their low socioeconomic status.

Znaczenie zachęt dla przyciągania bezpośrednich inwestycji zagranicznych. Przykład regionu łódzkiego

The paper studies the role of incentives provided by local government units (LGUs) in attracting foreign direct investment (FDI) to Poland’s Lodz province. The authors draw conclusions based on the results of a direct study using two types of questionnaires, one for foreign investors in the province and the other for LGUs. To ensure the accuracy of the study, the authors conducted an array of statistical surveys and tests. The eta correlation coefficient was among the most important measures, the authors say. It was used to assess the relationship between the inflow of FDI to Lodz province and the investment incentives offered by local government. The method helped verify a hypothesis concerning the significance of statistical relationships between the analyzed variables. The obtained results demonstrate that most LGUs were interested in attracting investors, both Polish and foreign, the authors note. Incentives targeted exclusively at foreign investors were rare, according to the authors. Financial incentives were offered by only 7% of the districts and counties. Tax relief and allowances in property fees and local charges were the most popular types of financial incentives. Many LGUs resorted to various promotional methods. The results of the study show that investment incentives were of secondary importance to the inflow of FDI to Lodz province, the authors conclude. Nor was this kind of support a key factor behind the decisions of foreign investors to continue operating in the region.

Attracting FDI to the Region of Lodz by Its Local Government

This paper evaluates the financial and non-financial incentives used by local authorities in the Province of Lodz to promote the inflow of FDI. Conclusions are based on a questionnaire study conducted in the second half of 2010 among 188 companies with foreign capital (CFC) which invested in the region, and 87 local government units hosting the majority of the CFCs included in the study. The obtained results indicate that support offered by local authorities had only a minor impact on the location decision for the investment project, and this conclusion is consistent with results of studies which assessed the role of incentives in Poland at macro, regional and sectoral levels.

Years of life lost due to external causes of death in the lodz province, poland.

BackgroundThe aim of the study is the analysis of years of life lost due to external causes of death, particularly due to traffic accidents and suicides.Materials and MethodsThe study material includes a database containing information gathered from 376,281 death certificates of inhabitants of the Lodz province who died between 1999 and 2010. The Lodz province is characterized by the highest mortality rates in Poland. The SEYLLp (Standard Expected Years of Life Lost per living person) and the SEYLLd (per death) indices were used to determine years of life lost. Joinpoint models were used to analyze time trends.ResultsIn 2010, deaths due to external causes constituted 6.0% of the total number of deaths. The standardized death rate (SDR) due to external causes was 110.0 per 100,000 males and was five times higher than for females (22.0 per 100,000 females). In 2010, the SEYLLp due to external causes was 3746 per 100,000 males and 721 per 100,000 females. Among males, suicides and traffic accidents were the most common causes of death (the values of the SEYLLp were: 1098 years and 887 years per 100,000 people, respectively). Among females, the SEYLLp values were 183 years due to traffic accidents and 143 years due to suicides (per 100,000 people).ConclusionsA decrease in the number of years of life lost due to external causes is much higher among females. The authors observe that a growing number of suicides contribute to an increase in the value of the SEYLLp index. This directly contributes to over-mortality of males due to external causes. The analysis of the years of life lost focuses on the social and economic aspects of premature mortality due to external causes.

Years of Life Lost Due to External Causes of Death in the Lodz Province, Poland

Years of Life Lost Due to External Causes of Death in the Lodz Province, Poland

Years of life lost due to malignant neoplasms characterized by the highest mortality rate

IntroductionThe analysis of premature deaths measured with years of life lost between the studied and referential populations helps to emphasize the social and economic aspect of a loss caused by deaths due to malignant neoplasms. The aim of the study was to analyze years of life lost by inhabitants of the Lodz province due to malignant neoplasms.Material and methodsThe study material included a database which contained information gathered from 313,144 death certificates (including 66,899 people who died of malignant neoplasms) of inhabitants of the Lodz province who died between 1999 and 2008. The SEYLLp (Standard Expected Years of Life Lost per living person) method was used to determine years of life lost. Jointpoint models were used to analyze time trends.ResultsIn males the diseases which mostly contributed to death were tracheal, bronchial and lung malignant neoplasms (SEYLLp = 170.7) and cancer of the large intestine, rectum and anus (SEYLLp = 47.5). In females the principal diseases were tracheal, bronchial and lung malignant neoplasms (SEYLLp = 61.6), breast cancer (SEYLLp = 60.4) and cancer of the large intestine, rectum and anus (SEYLLp = 42.3). The years of life lost were growing in the period under study.ConclusionsThe number of years lost due to malignant neoplasms in the Lodz province between 1999 and 2008 was growing. The main reasons for deaths in females were tracheal, bronchial and lung malignant neoplasms as well as breast cancer and in males – cancer of the large intestine, rectum and anus as well as prostate cancer.

Investigating the chemical stabilization of hazardous waste material (fly ash) encapsulated in Portland cement

Portland cement has been suggested as an effective stabilization (physico-chemical) method for hazardous waste. This research explored the immobilization of metals in various mixtures of Portland cement and fly ash waste sampled from coal power plant in the province of Lodz, central Poland. The stabilization of fly ash in Portland cement was investigated under a wide range of pH conditions (3–12). Leachability tests were used to determine the efficiency of the encapsulation by studying the dissolution of alkaline metals (sodium, potassium) and alkaline earth metals (calcium, magnesium). The lowest value of leached metals was obtained for ratio of ash to cement of 1:10 in a case of sodium and calcium, while ratio 1.5 gave the lowest leached effects for potassium and magnesium. The high effectiveness of solidification/stabilization process was gained in high pH values (9–11).

An Increasing Trend of the Delay in Asthma Diagnosis after the Discontinuation of a Population-Based Intervention

Background. We have previously analyzed the delay in asthma diagnosis in children from the cohort of Asthma Prevention Program in Lodz Province, Poland. That community-based intervention focused mainly on the improvement in access to specialists. The aim of this study was reevaluation of the timelines of all recent asthma diagnoses (N = 500) in children referred to our clinic after the discontinuation of the program, that is, in the time span from 2004 to 2009. Methods. Subjects with no previous diagnosis of asthma but a positive asthma predictive index were labeled as having undiagnosed asthma. The time from the first medical appointment when asthma could have been diagnosed the earliest until the final diagnosis of asthma was calculated for each subject and defined as the duration of undiagnosed asthma (years). All data were obtained from children’s medical documentation and through phone interviews. Results. During the intervention program, the duration of undiagnosed asthma significantly decreased. However, it showed a significant upward trend after the discontinuation of the program. After 6 years since the program was abandoned, the average undiagnosed asthma duration returned to its initial length from before the intervention. The independent statistical predictors of the delayed asthma diagnosis were the absence of atopy and suboptimal initial antiasthma therapy. Conclusion. Our results revealed the following: first, general practitioners do not follow the recommended guidelines for early detection of asthma in children; and second, a greater accessibility of specialists could enhance chances of early asthma diagnosis, especially in nonatopic children.

The Underdiagnosis and Undertreatment of Asthma—A General Population Study of the Inhabitants of the Lodz Province in Poland

Hundreds of studies investigating the epidemiology of asthma in various populations have been conducted in the past 30 years, yielding a large body of interesting data, including data on prevalence and risk factors. Less information is, however, available on the accurate diagnosis of asthma and its correct treatment. Epidemiological studies of the prevalence of asthma in the general population was conducted between 1998 and 2000 in the Lodz Province in Poland. The present analysis is an evaluation of the detectability and treatment of this disease. The study group consisted of 1522 randomly selected residents of the Lodz Province aged 3 to 80 years. The demographics and medical history were collected using standardised questionnaires. All the respondents underwent skin prick tests and screening spirometry. Additional diagnostic tests were performed in doubtful cases. Complete data collected from 1340 subjects (1057 adults and 283 children) were included in the analysis. The prevalence of asthma was calculated at 7.3% in adults and 8.5% in children. The accurate diagnosis of asthma had not been made in 71% of symptomatic children and 49% of the adults. Forty-eight percent of adult asthmatics had not used any antiasthmatic medication in the previous 12 months. Subjects suffering from asthma had most commonly used the following drugs in the previous 12 months: beta(2)-agonists (46.8%), anticholinergics (13%), inhalation glucocorticoids (36.4%), oral glucocorticoids (16.9%), parenteral glucocorticoids (3.9%), xanthine derivatives (33.8%) and cromones (11.7%). The results of this study reveal shortcomings in the healthcare system which require appropriate actions aimed at early diagnosis and improvement of allergy treatment before the patient's health deteriorates irreversibly.

Skin Prick Test with Inhaled Allergens in the General Population of Lodz Province

Skin prick tests are a common, fast and safe method used for atopy screening and identification of sensitizing allergens. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of the positive skin prick test (SPT) with common inhaled allergens in the general population of Lodz province and to identify the most common allergens. A random sample of 1522 subjects aged from 3 to 80 was taken. Demographic data and medical histories were collected from all participants via standardized questionnaires. Skin prick tests were performed with ten aeroallergens. The complete data from 1340 subjects (1057 adults and 283 children) were included for further analysis. At least one positive reaction to a tested aeroallergen was observed in 24.4% of studied subjects (24% of adults and 25.4% of children). Positive tests were observed most frequently in the group of patients with rhinitis. 12.2% of subjects showed a positive skin reaction without clinical symptoms of an allergic disease. The most common sensitizing allergens were house dust mites. No significant differences in sex and age between groups with positive SPT and negative SPT were observed in the study. Statistically significant differences between the studied regions (p = 0.037) were noticed in the case of the number of positive reactions and the kind of sensitizing allergen. The distribution of positive skin tests in the above study was similar to several epidemiological studies from central and eastern Europe. Skin prick tests are valuable epidemiological tools in the diagnosis of atopy and allergy.

The Epidemiology of Atopic Dermatitis in the General Population of the Lodz Province’s Citizens

Introduction: It is estimated that 12–26% of the European population is suffering from atopic dermatitis. The aim of the study was to determine the prevalence of atopic dermatitis in the general population of the Łódź province in Poland and to attempt to identify the risk factors for this disease. Material and Methods: We investigated a randomly selected group of 1522 inhabitants of the Łódź province aged between 3 and 80 years. The demographic and anamnestic data were collected by means of standardised questionnaires. Skin prick testing was performed with 10 aeroallergens commonly occurring in Poland. Results: We analysed complete data sets from 1340 (283 children and 1057 adults). The prevalence of atopic dermatitis was estimated at 9.2% in children and 0.9% in adults. Family history of atopy and exposure to tobacco smoke were found to be strong risk factors of atopic dermatitis (OR 3.69 and 3.40, respectively). The difference in the prevalence of atopic dermatitis between inhabitants of the city centre and inhabitants of rural areas was observed only in adults, while children inhabiting both types of area were characterised by the same high prevalence rate. We found that 38% of the children and 10% of the adults had not been correctly diagnosed with atopic dermatitis prior to this epidemiological study. Conclusions: The results of our epidemiological study show that atopic dermatitis has become a significant health, social and economic problem. The equalisation of the prevalence rates of atopic dermatitis in inhabitants of rural and urban areas may reflect an increase in the prevalence of other atopic diseases in this population and the disappearance of differences between rural and urban areas.

Changing marriage and divorce rate in Poland compared to other EU countries.

This article focuses on recent tendencies concerning marriages and divorces in the EU Member States and in Poland, including the trends observable in the Province of Lodz broken down by county as a case study. Consideration is given to the factors determining a decline in the number of marriages and an increase in the number of divorces. Additionally the problem of postponing the decision to marry and entering into marriage by men and women at an increasingly later age is discussed.

Prevalence of positive skin prick test with inhaled allergens and in general population of Lodz province's citizens

Rationale Skin prick test are common, fast and safe method used for atopy screening and identification of sensitizing allergens. Aim: The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of positive skin prick test (SPT) with common inhaled allergens in general population of Lodz province citizens and to identify the most common allergens. Method A random sample of 1522 subjects aged from 3 to 80 years was taken from general population. Demographic data and the anamnesis were collected from all the participants on the basis of standardized questionnaires. Skin prick tests were performed with 10 common aeroallergens. Results The complete data from 1340 subjects (1057 adults and 283 children) were included into the further analysis. Prevalence of allergic diseases was assessed as bronchial asthma - 7,3% of adults and 8,5% of children; seasonal allergic rhinitis - 10,8% and 8,5%, respectively; perennial allergic rhinitis - 5,2% and 2,1%; atopic dermatitis - 0,9% and 9,2%. At least one positive reaction to tested aeroallergen was observed in 24,4% of studied population - 24% adults and 25,4% children. In the group with positive tests the most common disease was allergic rhinitis, 12,2% asymptomatic subjects had positive skin reaction. Conclusions The most common sensitizing allergens were house dust mites. No superiority in sex nor in age were observed in the group with positive SPT. There were noticed some differences in positive SPT between city and rural area. The distribution of positive skin tests in the above study was similar to several epidemiological study from Middle and East Europe.

Risk factors of atopic diseases on the basis of epidemiological study in Lodz province (Poland)

Risk factors of atopic diseases on the basis of epidemiological study in Lodz province (Poland)