Podkarpackie Region Research Articles

ICF based comparison of musculoskeletal health in regions of Poland and Spain

The International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) is the framework for describing disability. The aim of the study was to compare differences in health status between the populations of the Podkarpackie region of Poland and the Castilla y León region of Spain, using the ICF core set for post-acute musculoskeletal conditions. A total of 840 people were included in the study. The brief version of ICF core set for post-acute musculoskeletal conditions was used in the study. Information obtained from semi-structured interviews and a physiotherapy assessment was recoded into ICF qualifiers to obtain comparable data. Significant differences in functioning were found between the two samples, with a higher prevalence in all the ICF entities for the Spanish sample. Similarities were found in the ICF components ‘Body Functions’ and ‘Environmental Factors’, with the most prevalent ICF entities being ‘b280 Sensation of pain’ and ‘e225 Climate’ respectively. For ‘Activities and Participation’, differences were observed, with ‘d430 Lifting and carrying objects’ being the most common for the Spanish sample and ‘d450 Walking’ for the Polish sample. Significant differences were found between the two samples, indicating better musculoskeletal health in the Polish sample. Future research using the ICF Core Sets in practice should be expanded and carried out in other countries to improve the ability to make comparisons between populations and to develop policies for territorial equity in health.Trial registration: NCT06283407.

The Significance of the Financial Situation of Local Government Units for Their Energy Transition Activities: The Case of the Podkarpackie Region

This paper discusses the financial determinants of the efforts of local government units (LGUs) to invest in the area of energy transition (ET). The main objective is to verify the links between the scale, directions, and funding sources of LGUs’ investments in ET and their budgetary situation described by the level of income independence, budget result, and debt level. The general research hypothesis assumes that the ET investment activity of LGUs is associated with their financial situation. The analysis covers the period 2019–2022 and uses data from the questionnaire-based survey conducted in 2023 among 181 LGUs in the Podkarpackie region in southern Poland. Non-parametric tests were employed to verify the association between the LGUs’ ET investment activity and their financial situation: the Chi2 test, the Mann–Whitney U test, the Kruskal–Wallis test, and the Kendall’s Tau correlation. Financial aspects were shown to influence the scale of municipal ET investments, as well as the type of projects implemented. Among the analysed financial indicators, the debt level was the most important constraint for LGUs to make their own ET investments. The debt level not only determined the scale of municipal ET investment, but also influenced decisions on the type of investments.

Involvement of Young People in Extracurricular Activities in General Education Secondary School – an Opportunity for their Balanced Development

The article addresses important issues related to the daily educational experiences of Polish secondary school students. In the first place it focuses on the general concepts conveyed by the title, such as balanced development, extracurricular activities, and volunteering. The theoretical and exploratory purpose as well as practical and implementation related goals have been formulated. The main research problem was defined as follows: What was secondary school students’ involvement in extracurricular activities in school, in the context of their opportunities for balanced development? The study applied a method of diagnostic assessment, a survey technique and a specially designed questionnaire. The survey was conducted in May and June 2022 among 286 secondary school students in the Podkarpackie Region. Majority of the respondents did not engage in extracurricular activities. The students who were involved in some kind of extracurricular activity most often perceived various gains for themselves. The most popular were volunteering projects organised by the school. The students reported that involvement in extracurricular activities most often allowed them to gain knowledge, develop skills and help other people. The gains perceived by the respondents can contribute to their balanced development.

Assessment of physical capacity level in recreational athletes

Introduction: In the majority of the available source materials, research on the level of physical capacity of athletes concerns members of sports clubs and national teams, in a word, professional athletes. Does this mean that such research should not be conducted on recreational athletes? Of course not. The main aim of this article was to assess physical capacity (based on VO2max) in recreationally active people from the Podkarpackie region of Poland. The authors intended to determine whether practicing recreational sports without adequate technical facilities and staff influenced the course of their training and achievements.Material and Methods: The study involved 413 participants (body height 174.5 9.5 cm; body weight 73.4 20.3 kg) aged 18-60 years. Each participant followed the same treadmill test protocol and completed a questionnaire survey related to the number of injuries sustained. To determine the level of fitness, AT (VT1), RCP (VT2), VO2peak, and HRmax were determined during the study.Results: Based on the Powers and Howley classification, almost 50% of the participants were classified in the subgroup with the highest possible peak oxygen uptake (41.4%). More than one in four participants had a peak oxygen uptake at a very good level (28.3%), nearly one in five at good (18.9%), while more than one in ten reached an average (9.4%), low (1.5%), or very low (0.5%) levels. Individuals with multiple injuries achieved significantly higher scores on average in contrast to those without injuries (p=0.004).Conclusions: Physically active people have a high above-normal level of physical capacity, despite the recreational form of their sport. The study showed the importance of research on physically active people not only in the context of fitness. This group includes outstanding individuals achieving high performance similar to professional athletes.

Kapitał zagraniczny na rynku prasowym w regionie podkarpackim w latach 1993–2021: próba bilansu

Companies with foreign capital have been operating on the press market in the Podkarpackie region for 28 years. Initially as minor shareholders, and since 2005 as the sole owners of a publishing house with a key position on the regional market, which published the largest daily Newspaper – Gazeta Codzienna "Nowiny". Foreign investor activity, in the Podkarpackie region went beyond the area of the regional press. The presence of foreign investors also had an impact on the local press market and the development of Internet-related media. Foreign capital also had to face the nationwide trends which were present in region, such as lower sales and the declining importance of the printed press. It seems that in this aspect, along with the growing crisis on the press market, foreign investors instead of taking care of the expense of the quality of published titles, were rather more interested in pursuing their own economic interests.

Assessment of Health Behaviours and Satisfaction with Life among Catholic Priests in Poland

The aim of the study was to assess the relationship between the health behaviours of diocesan priests in Poland and their level of life satisfaction. The specific goal was to determine the factors that most affect their quality of health (internal health control, the influence of others or coincidence) and life satisfaction (positive mental attitude, preventive behaviour, eating habits, health practices). The study involved 250 diocesan priests from the Podkarpackie region who took part in the research by completing an anonymous questionnaire. The questions were mainly based on tools for assessing health behaviours, namely the HBI—health behaviour inventory, MHLC—multidimensional scale of health locus of control and the SWLS—satisfaction with life scale. The general index of health behaviour of clergymen on the HBI scale was 77.12 ± 16.20 (Me = 78), showing a moderate level on the sten scale. On the MHLC health locus of control scale, the respondents believed that their health depended most on internal control: 25.27 ± 5.10 and the influence of others: 23.13 ± 5.57, are of utmost importance for their health. To a lesser extent they believed that health was dependent on chance: 17.60 ± 5.95. The SWLS satisfaction with life index was 22.51 ± 5.43 (Me = 23), also within the moderate range of the sten scale. The factors most closely related to the assessment of life satisfaction were positive mental attitudes and the overall HBI index. The health behaviours of priests measured by the HBI scale and the level of satisfaction with the life of SWLS clergymen are within a moderate range. On the MHLC scale, priests likewise believe that their health depends on themselves and then on others. They are clearly less likely to indicate accidental causes.

Tarsus and knee setting in children at the final stage of early childhood taking into account the six-month age ranges

Purpose The study aimed to analyze the tarsus and knee setting in 3-year-old girls and boys, taking into account the six-month age ranges. Methods The study involved 800 children (400 girls, 400 boys) recruited from randomly selected preschools in the in the Podkarpackie region. Study group was divided into two age ranges: 1st group (children aged 3.00-3.49 years) and 2nd group (children aged 3.50-3.99 years). Baseline goniometer (Fei Fabrication Ltd., USA) was used as primary research tool. The data were analyzed based on Mann Whitney U test and Student’s t test for independent samples. Results Sex differences concern only the tibio-calcaneal angle in children in the 2nd age group (right: p<0.001) and left p<0.001). Statistically significant differences in both girls (right lower limb: p=0.003; left lower limb: p=0.002), and boys (right lower limb: p=0.001; left lower limb: p=0.001) were found. Conclusions Boys were characterized by greater valgus of the tarsus of the right and left foot than girls. Knees of girls and boys in the 1st age group were characterized by greater valgus, compared to children from the 2nd age group.

Analysis of the Sustainable Development Index in the Communes of the Podkarpackie Voivodeship: A Polish Case Study

Intense global urbanization, including spatial planning development, is an essential area that determines sustainable development. It is known that urban development is typically tied to an increase in socioeconomic productivity while also creating considerable inequalities. Despite mounting evidence of intense urban area development, little is known about its consequences on the sustainable development of territories adjacent to said areas. Despite the positive and negative consequences of urbanization and their impact on sustainable development often being highlighted, there is little understanding of and a dearth of analyses on sustainability processes that include spatial planning development. To fill this gap, it must be assessed where sustainable development is actually taking place. Such analyses should not only be confined to the four essential areas: economic development, social development, environmental development, and institutional development, that are tied to sustainable development index calculations. They should also determine the transformations experienced by the areas and factor in a fifth analysis area: spatial planning development. In this paper, detailed data sourced from the Statistics Poland were used to formulate sustainable development indices for urban, rural–urban, and rural communes of the Podkarpackie region of Poland. The data concerned the five areas listed above. Using data standardization and the averaged index method, sustainable development index values were quantified to demonstrate that they displayed various levels of inequalities for the two reference periods of 2015 and 2020. These statistics indicate the key role of spatial planning development in assessing sustainability indices. The findings show that it is not only possible to enhance standard calculation methods to include other data and use them in time and space to create a simple and general quantitative rating of sustainable development, but urbanization can also be factored in that includes spatial planning development. The findings show that a modified computation approach is a reliable and relatively complete index of sustainable development that compensates for the deficiencies of current metrics.

The Customer as an Accounting Entity

The aim of the article was to present the customer as an accounting entity. The article describes the growing role of the customer in company management. Businesses are increasingly customer-oriented, and this also results in a customer orientation of management accounting methods which can be used to measure customer costs and customer value. The results of the research on customer orientation of enterprises are discussed. The research was conducted among enterprises based in the Podkarpackie region with more than 49 employees. The results confirmed that the employees consider their customers to be important as they generate the most revenue. In contrast, a relatively small number of respondents identified customers as the people through whom the enterprise incurs costs and achieves economic success., whereas most entrepreneurs perceive customers only from the revenue side. The research methods used in the article are a critical analysis of the literature and a quantitative method, which consisted of direct research using the questionnaire technique.

Possibility of using a portable multi-gas detector Dräger X-am 8000 for monitoring explosive gases in the area of historical oil and gas mines in the Podkarpackie region.

The oldest oil basin in the world is located in the Polish Carpathians. Former mines, often abandoned, have become technical monuments. The growing popularity of industrial tourism in the world and in Poland attracts more and more tourists who want to "find oil" on their own. In most cases, these are abandoned crude oil and natural gas mines, being in such places is associated with the risk of poisoning, ignition or explosion of escaping gases from unprotected crude oil mines or borehole outlets. The article also points to the heritage of oil mining in the Polish Carpathians and related cultural routes. The author focuses on the issue related to the occurrence of the hazard zone of hydrogen sulphide poisoning or methane explosion in the sites of old oil mines. It presents the possibility of using the mobile multi-gas detector Dräger X-am 8000 as a personal device for monitoring the concentration of gases and vapours considered toxic and / or explosive, such as Methane or Hydrogen Sulfide. It also proposes the use of the Dräger X-am 8000 multi-gas detector, which in combination with the Dräger X-site Live real-time area monitoring module can serve as a mobile system for short- or long-term monitoring of the above-mentioned zones.

Economic and Social Aspects of Using Energy from PV and Solar Installations in Farmers’ Households in the Podkarpackie Region

The growing energy needs of agriculture, the need to reduce the burning of fossil fuels, and, on the other hand, the increasing technical efficiency are contributing to the wider use of solar energy technology in agriculture. The aim of the article is to identify factors determining farmers’ investments in solar photovoltaic and solar thermal installations for electricity and heat production, to establish the proportion between the consumption of such energy for the needs of the farmer’s family and for the needs of the farm, and to identify the drivers of solar energy use in agricultural production. Empirical materials were collected through surveys of farmers conducted at the end of 2020 in south-eastern Poland, in the Podkarpackie region. It is a region characterized by significant land fragmentation. Producing energy from renewable sources can be an opportunity for farmers not only to reduce household expenses, but also to increase agricultural income. As a result, it can be a driver of sustainable agricultural development in the region. The article presents the most important economic and social determinants that stimulate the adoption of solar photovoltaic and solar thermal technologies by farmers for the needs of their households as well as for agricultural production.

Effectiveness of Folic Acid Supplementation Recommendations among Polish Female Students from the Podkarpackie Region.

Adequate folic acid supplementation during the preconception period is an important element in the primary prevention of neural tube defects (NTDs). This study aims to study the effectiveness of folic acid supplementation recommendations among women of childbearing age, and to assess and characterise their awareness about this public health measure. The cross-sectional study included women (N = 1285) aged 22.27 ± 4.6 years old on average. Some of the results were obtained on a subgroup of women (N = 1127) aged 21.0 ± 2.1. This study was performed using a questionnaire. The analysis was performed with the use of a logistic regression model, chi-square test for independence and odds ratio (OR). According to the results, only 13.9% of women supplement folic acid, and 65.3% of them do so daily. A total of 91.1% of the respondents were not aware of its recommended dose and 43% did not know the role it plays in the human body. Among women who do not currently supplement folic acid (N = 1052), 52.4% declared doing so while planning their pregnancy. Women’s awareness about the role of folic acid in NTD prevention (OR = 4.58) and the information they got from physicians (OR = 1.68) are key factors that increased the odds of the women taking folic acid before pregnancy. There is therefore a need for more information and education campaigns to raise awareness about folic acid.

Dynamics of changes in colorectal cancer incidence in the Podkarpackie region (Poland) in the years 1963-2014.

IntroductionColorectal cancer (CRC) in Podkarpackie in Poland is the third most common cancer in males (12.6% cancer diagnoses), and second among women (10.1% of recognised cancers).AimAn analysis of the trends in CRC incidence in the years 1963-2014 in Podkarpackie in the south-east of Poland.Material and methodsA total of 19,460 CRC cases recorded in the period 1963–2014 in the National Cancer Registry as ICD C18-C21 cases were analysed.ResultsThe overall cancer incidence rate in Podkarpackie Province was 20.4 in men and 16.8 in women per 100 thousand, and was lower than the Polish population by 12.4% for men and by 17.6% for women, respectively, in comparison to general Polish population rates. The mean age of CRC diagnosis grew from 64.0 years in males and 64.5 years in females in 1963–1969 to 67.6 and 68.4 years in 2010–2014, respectively.ConclusionsIn 1964–2014 the CRC incidence rate in the Podkarpackie region increased 12.7-fold in males and 8.1-fold in females. There was an observed stable growth of average annual increase in the CRC incidence rate in men in 1963–1999, but since 2000 a decline in this rate has been observed. In females there was a tendency towards increased average CRC incidence rate in Podkarpackie since 2000, while in the whole country the female population presented a stable decrease of this coefficient.

Kilka uwag o liryce Stanisława Dłuskiego

Stanisław Dłuski is one of the outstanding contemporary poets connected with the Podkarpackie Region. In the course of nearly two decades, his work has evolved immensely. At first, the artist expressed his bond with the culture and tradition of villages near Rzeszów, in a way that was characteristic to him. Later, affected by traumatic existential experiences, he explored the problem of his own alienation from the values and heritage of the world associated with his childhood and youth. His poetry gained a sombre and destructive quality; it entered a more complex phase of searching for God and the meaning of life. His work, however, is not one-dimensional, but presents many perspectives that fall within the abundant horizon of the poet’s experience.

Students’ behaviors in the context of the risk of HIV infection

The HIV infection rate in Poland is 3.3 per 100,000 and concerns mostly young adults. 2,764 students from 12 universities in the Podkarpackie region were examined. A high percentage of students had experiences of sexual contacts without condoms: vaginal contacts—40%, oral—22%, anal—14%, with strangers (8.3%) or little-known persons (9.6%), while alcohol-intoxicated (both partners—20.3%, one partner—14.8%) or drug-intoxicated (both partners—4%, one—4.2%). 3.8% admitted to having injected drugs, 1.2%—tattooed, and 4.9%—pierced in non-sterile conditions. Students who were not tested also displayed risky behaviors.

Transfer of Some Toxic Metals from Soil to Honey Depending on Bee Habitat Conditions

Abstract The transfer of toxic metals from soil to honey was studied based on two different areas of the Podkarpackie region located in the south-east part of Poland: U-urbanized and E-ecologically pure. The metal content was determined using the ICP-OES method with prior microwave mineralization of the soil, plant (goldenrod, dandelion, rapeseed, tilia and fir), bee bodies and honey samples collected from 10 sampling points (U-5 and E-5). The impact of soil pH on heavy metal mobility was also evaluated. It was found that Podkarpackie soils are less contaminated with heavy metals as compared to other regions of Poland and only in the case of cadmium an enhancement of the natural background level was observed. The migration of heavy metals, especially cadmium, in the soil-plant-bee-honey food chain was accelerated by soil acidity (p<0.05). The influence of human activity (region development) on heavy metals concentrations was not significant (p>0.05). Based on bioaccumulation factors, goldenrod and dandelion plants were confirmed as cadmium accumulators. It was also confirmed that the bodies of bees act as an effective barrier to the migration of heavy metals from the environment to honey, due to this, honey is free from these metals and safe for human consumption.

Use of chemical plant protection agents in the farms of Podkarpackie region

The conducted studies analysed the pesticides consumption in the farms in Podkarpackie Voivodeship. These studies included farms diverse in terms of area, cropping structure and direction of production. Documentation material were the data obtained from questionnaire surveys conducted in 40 farms located in the different regions of Podkarpackie Voivodeship. Farms were selected in the purposeful manner in collaboration with Podkarpackie Agricultural Advisory Centre in Boguchwała. Conducted research showed a vast variety in the range of chemical plant protection. At all analysed farms the highest consumption was found for herbicides, much less for fungicides, and the least in the case of insecticides. A strong relationship was found between arable land area and the intensity of plant protection use, as well as obtained yield of crops. Large farms, with an area of over 30 ha, consumed almost 40% more active substance on 1 ha of arable land and obtained about 30% higher yields of crops than the smaller farms. W przeprowadzonych badaniach analizowano zużycie chemicznych środków ochrony roślin w gospodarstwach rolnych w województwie podkarpackim. Uwzględniono w nich gospodarstwa zróżnicowane pod względem areału, struktury zasiewów i kierunku produkcji. Materiał dokumentacyjny stanowiły dane uzyskane z badań ankietowych przeprowadzonych w 40 gospodarstwach usytuowanych w różnych rejonach województwa podkarpackiego. Wyboru gospodarstw dokonano w sposób celowy, przy współpracy z Podkarpackim Ośrodkiem Doradztwa Rolniczego w Boguchwale. Przeprowadzone badania wykazały duże zróżnicowanie w zakresie chemicznej ochrony roślin. We wszystkich analizowanych gospodarstwach rolnych zużywano najwięcej herbicydów, znacznie mniej fungicydów, a najmniej insektycydów. Stwierdzono silną zależność między powierzchnią użytków rolnych i intensywnością ochrony roślin a uzyskiwanym plonem ziemiopłodów. W gospodarstwach dużych, o powierzchni powyżej 30 ha zużywano prawie o 40% więcej substancji czynnej na 1 ha UR i uzyskiwano o około 30% wyższe plony ziemiopłodów niż w gospodarstwach mniejszych.

Geochemical Fractions of the Agricultural Soils of Southern Poland and the Assessment of the Potentially Harmful Element Mobility

Surface samples (0–25 cm each) of agricultural soils were investigated in five Regions (voivodeships) of southern Poland. The mean Potentially Harmful Element (PHE) pseudototal content ranges were as follows (mg/kg): As 5.19–10.9, Cd 0.34–1.56, Co 1.92–6.70, Cr 9.05–25.7, Cu 8.74–69.4, Hg 0.001–0.08, Ni 3.93–19.9, Pb 20.3–183, Sb 0.80–1.42, Tl 0.04–0.17, and Zn 61.3–422. The PHE availability depended on pH, the organic carbon (Corg) content, and the pseudototal PHE content in soils. Exchangeable and acid soluble PHE contents (BCRF1) determined in the Community Bureau of Reference (BCR) three-step sequential extraction procedure decreased in this order: Cd > Zn > Co > Ni = Sb > Cu > Tl > As > Cr = Pb. Actually available PHE contents in pore water (0.01 mol/dm3 CaCl2) ranged as follows: Cd 0.81–17%, Cr 0–0.25%, Cu 0.01–2.31%, Ni 0.16–2%, Pb 0.2–0.49%, and Zn 0.25–2.12%. The potential soluble total content of PHEs in pore water (0.05 mol/dm3 Na2EDTA) ranged as follows: Cd 27–91%, Cr 0.7–7.1%, Cu 6.7–98%, Ni 3.6–41%, Pb 15–41%, and Zn 3–34%. The mobility factor (MF) values indicated Cd (31.6%) and Zn (21.0%) as the most mobile elements in soil. Other PHEs followed the order of Co > Ni > Tl > As > Sb > Cu > Cr > Pb, with the MF values <10%. The risk assessment code (RAC) values revealed a very high ecological risk of Cd and Zn in the Podkarpackie Region and a high ecological risk of Cd in the Regions of Opolskie, Śląskie, Małopolskie, and Podkarpackie, and the same of Zn in the Opolskie and Śląskie. The modified risk assessment code (mRAC) index pointed a very high potential of adverse effects in soils in the Podkarpackie and a medium potential in the Opolskie, Śląskie, Małopolskie, and Świętokrzyskie. The potential adverse effect risk, described by the individual contamination factor (ICF) factor, was the following in the Regions, in the decreasing order: Cd > Pb > Sb > Zn > Co > Cu > Ni > Tl > As > Cr, and the same as described by the global contamination factor (GCF) values: Opolskie > Podkarpackie > Świętokrzyskie > Śląskie > Małopolskie.

An Analysis of the Condition of the Tourist Brand and Tourist Attractiveness of the Podkarpackie Region Based on the Brand Asset Valuator Model

Abstract Introduction. There are many factors which determine the attractiveness of a region for tourists. However, such assessments are, relatively rarely, a result of the analysis of the presence and condition of regional tourist brands and their perception among visitors. The analysis and assessment of the condition of a brand can be carried out using the BAV (Brand Asset Valuator). This is an extremely interesting and useful tool which explains the dynamics of behaviour of brands on the market and diagnoses their “health”, supporting the process of their long-term management. Materials and methods. On the basis of the results of a pilot study, an attempt is made to measure the tourist attractiveness of the Podkarpackie region through the assessment of regional tourist brands and their features which are important from the point of view of the inhabitants of the region. The BAV model was used to analyse 32 tourist products. The applied research methods include the Mann-Whitney test, Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient, and the chi-square independence test. Results. The mapped data analysis based on the BAV model showed that 16 out of 32 products assessed were located in the leadership quadrant. The majority of the remaining products were in the development or decline phases. Conclusions. The presence of branded tourist products and their number have an impact on the tourist attractiveness of the region. The following aspects of the region were considered the most attractive: nature (natural surroundings, natural values, and ecological aspects), heritage (historical heritage and monuments and presentation of important past events), and tourism (tourism and recreation offerings).

Characteristics and origin of suspended matter in a small reservoir in Poland

The study involved qualitative and quantitative analysis of suspended sediment and its origin in a small reservoir located in Blizne, Podkarpackie Region (SE Poland), and was conducted during summer 2017. Results showed a linear negative correlation between the suspended sediment in a water column and its organic matter content. There was also a clear relationship between the suspended sediment content and the rate of sedimentation of solid particles suspended in the water column. The research showed that the TOC-to-OM conversion factor commonly applied to bottom sediments does not apply to sediments suspended in the water column. It was also observed that the organic matter prevailing in entrapped sediment was of autochthonous origin. Its share was greatest and the content of total phosphorus highest when retention period increased. The increase in phosphorus content co-occurred with the decreasing TOC:TN ratio, and with a decrease in the sedimentation rate. Analysis has thus shown that the composition and specific nature of suspended sediment in this reservoir affects the rate of deposition of matter and can determine the siltation processes.