[Qualitative research in evaluation of health promotion programs in the context of health and disease paradigms].

The authors analyse selected aspects of evaluation research in relation to the changing paradigms of health and disease. The process of change in the biomedical paradigm, gradually becoming the biopsychosocial (socioecological), holistic model, is discussed. A short description of the two paradigms is given, including a critique of the biomedical model of health and disease based on evidence from social science research.

[Evaluation in school anti-tobacco programmes].

The National Research Institute of Mother and Child (NRIMC) school anti-tobacco programmes are presented. They are discussed with reference to the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines and other effective school programmes to prevent tobacco use among children and young people. The general objectives of the programmes at different educational levels and the elaborated strategic recommendations are presented.

[Evaluation of health promotion programmes].

The paper contains a review of definitions of evaluation and discusses the need to evaluate health promotion programmes. The classification of types of evaluation is presented. It is aimed to create a common language of communication between evaluation and the common understanding of terms.

[Health promotion. Concept development].

The development of health promotion in theory and practice is presented-from the Ottawa Charter in 1986, to the community based health promotion programmes, as the vision for the 21 Century. The historical mile stones in the process of change and the conceptualisation of health promotion are discussed with reference to the World WHO Conferences and documents from these conferences. These events and documents have been vital as guidelines for member countries, both for implementation of community based programmes, as well as for healthy public policy and for training, especially concerning evaluation.

[Anti-tobacco education programs for children and youth at different stages of schooling].

Anti-tobacco education programmes for children and youth, developed at the National Research Institute of Mother and Child, are presented. The targets and goals of elaboration and implementation of these programmes are discussed. The four programmes contribute to a continuum of anti-tobacco education from preschool to secondary school.

Hepatitis B viral clearance studies using duck virus model.

We have shown data to suggest that the in vivo duck hepatitis B virus system represents an excellent animal model system for the study of hepatitis B virus. Because of the similarity of DHBV to human HBV (including comparable results in virus inactivation studies), the high level of sensitivity of the DHBV assay, and the rapidity, ease, and relative low cost of obtaining results, we propose that the in vivo DHBV titration system be used as a model for human HBV in process validation studies. Data generated in such validation studies have, in fact, been submitted by a number of blood products manufacturers to the U.

Quantitation of residual mouse DNA in monoclonal antibody based products.

The identification and characterization of cell substrates and testing of bulk and final products is an important issue which must be addressed by manufacturers. In view of the fact that hundreds of applications for Investigational New Drugs (IND) have been submitted over the past few years, there is an obvious need for testing of these products. Detection of DNA by molecular hybridization has been used for various applications including the quantitation and characterization of DNA in biological products.

Detection of antibody to hepatitis B core antigen (anti-HBc) using a direct (antiglobulin) format and development of a confirmatory assay for anti-HBc.

A direct (antiglobulin) solid-phase enzyme immunoassay for the detection of antibody to hepatitis B core antigen (anti-HBc) is described. The assay utilizes recombinant hepatitis B core antigen as the solid-phase 'capture' reagent and a mixture of monoclonal antibodies specific for human IgG and IgM conjugated to horseradish peroxidase as the 'detector' reagent. The direct assay demonstrated excellent sensitivity and specificity when compared with a commercially available competitive enzyme immunoassay.

Training of health personnel as teachers of adolescents in family life education.

In view of the rapid social changes, the role and functions of parenting have become confused and more difficult. This has increased the need for active partnership between parents and professionals and between professionals involved in helping parents in their educative role. The concepts and practice of family life education in Poland are shortly discussed.

[Persistence of the Sindbis virus in cultures producing oncornavirus].

Continuous lines were obtained from primary cultures of BALB/C mouse embryo cells which were found by electron microscope and reverse transcriptase reaction to produce permanently oncoronavirus type C after exogenous infection with Rauscher leukemia virus (RLV). Sindbis virus (SV) was inoculated into virogenic cultures 398 days after infection with RLV. The system in characterized by rapid (3-21 days) disappearance of the infectious arbovirus from the medium and the cells, long-term (over 5 months) persistence on SV noninfectious antigen and signs of stimulation of oncornavirus activity.