Zajac Joanna, Bojar Iwona, Helbin Jadwiga, Kolarzyk Emilia, Owoc Alfred
Department of Hygiene and Dietetics, Jagiellonian University, Medical College, Krakow, Poland.
Department for Health Problems of Ageing, Institute of Rural Health in Lublin, Poland Lubuski College of Public Health, Zielona Góra, Poland.
Ann Agric Environ Med. 2014;21(1):124-7.
Human activity usually leads to a deterioration in air quality; therefore, searching for places that simulate an environment without pollution is important. Artificial salt caves play crucial role, as a kind of therapy, known as halotherapy, based on treatment in a controlled air medium that simulates a natural salt cave microclimate.
Evaluation of awareness about the existence of salt caves, basic knowledge about the purpose for their presence among people who bought salt caves sessions, and checking their subjective estimation of salt caves influence on their well-being.
MATERIAL & METHODS: 303 inhabitants (18-51-years-old) of 3 randomly chosen cities of southern Poland were surveyed using a validated author's questionnaire. Both genders were represented in comparable numbers.
It was be observed that knowledge about the existence of salt-caves is common - 94% of respondents. 96 persons bought at least 3 salt caves sessions. The majority of women, did this for therapeutic reasons (57%), and men for both therapeutic and relaxation reasons (both 39%). Both among women and men, the dysfunctions intended to be cured by sessions included problems with throat, larynx or sinus. Depression as a reason for buying sessions was mentioned only by women. In general, those who attended felt better after sessions in salt caves.
Besides the health benefits, people do not have free time for rest and activities in clean air; moreover, stress is inseparable from everyday life, and for that reasons salt caves become places that help to support a proper lifestyle.
人类活动通常会导致空气质量恶化；因此，寻找模拟无污染环境的地方很重要。人工盐洞起着关键作用，作为一种疗法，即盐疗，它基于在模拟天然盐洞微气候的可控空气介质中进行治疗。
评估对盐洞存在的认知、购买盐洞疗程的人群对其存在目的的基本知识，并检查他们对盐洞对其幸福感影响的主观评价。
使用经过验证的作者问卷对波兰南部3个随机选择城市的303名居民（18 - 51岁）进行调查。男女比例相当。
观察到关于盐洞存在的知识很普遍——94%的受访者知晓。96人购买了至少3次盐洞疗程。大多数女性是出于治疗原因（57%），而男性则是出于治疗和放松原因（均为39%）。在女性和男性中，希望通过疗程治愈的功能障碍都包括咽喉或鼻窦问题。只有女性提到将抑郁作为购买疗程的原因。总体而言，去过盐洞疗程的人在之后感觉更好。
除了对健康有益外，人们没有空闲时间在清洁空气中休息和活动；此外，压力与日常生活密不可分，因此盐洞成为有助于维持健康生活方式的地方。
