A b s t r a c t Background and aim:The aim of the study was to assess the impact of individualised nutritional intervention based on the DASH diet (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) on the nutritional status, blood pressure, and selected biochemical parameters of obese/overweight patients with primary arterial hypertension. Methods:A total of 131 participants were randomised to the DASH intervention group (DIG; n = 69, 33 males) or the control group (CG; n = 62, 32 males). A three-month nutritional intervention was carried out in the DIG group, while the control group received only standard recommendations. Body weight, height, waist and hip circumference, body composition, blood pressure, serum glucose, and insulin and leptin concentrations were measured at the baseline and after the intervention.Results: Sixty-four (92.8%) participants in the intervention and 62 (100%) in the control group completed the study. In the DIG group a significant decrease in body mass, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, body fat content, fasting glucose, insulin, and leptin concentrations were observed in comparison to the control group (p < 0.05). Conclusions:The DASH dietary intervention provides significant benefits to overweight/obese patients with primary hypertension.

People across the globe are facing increasingly complex public health emergencies that are responsible for the loss of life, economic and social problems with unprecedented damage and costs. For some sociologists, our society is even “a risk society” and our time is highly violative. Emergencies of different origin: stemming from natural environmental disasters, such as floods, hurricanes, intense drought, technical accidents, social unrest and last but not least—outbreaks of infectious diseases. This decade started with one of the most significant pandemics in the history of man-kind—COVID-19. Hence, the problems of resilient health and healthcare systems have become urgent. Especially since SARS-CoV-2 may cause long-term health threats and recurrent crises. It is very important to have a common language. So far, definitions and concepts of health and healthcare resilience differ substantially and are seldom clearly defined. The aim of this paper is to describe how health and healthcare system resilience is defined to either uncover, recall, or in combination, its concept and prepare an introductory conceptual review as a preliminary step for further studies.

BackgroundAccording to data from the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, Poland has one of the lowest numbers of nurses (5.2) per 1000 inhabitants among 28 EU countries. The migration of nurses from Poland has particular importance in the context of scarce human resources in this professional group, especially given the increasingly ageing population in European societies, which will entail an increased demand for nursing and care services. The aim of the study was to obtain information on the intentions of Polish nurses to migrate for work to other countries in the European region.MethodsThe study included 581 nurses, professionally active in Poland over the duration of the study. The Computer Assisted Web Interview technique was used to collect data. Nurses filled in a web-based questionnaire that was available from December 5, 2011, to March 5, 2012. The choice of respondents for the sample was based on the availability of data. An invitation to participate in the study could be viewed on selected websites from the Portal of Nurses and Midwives, the Supreme Chamber of Nurses and Midwives, and the Polish Nursing Society. The survey questionnaire was designed by the authors, which served as the primary research tool.ResultsNearly one in three respondents intended to leave Poland for professional reasons. Overall, 12.4 % of respondents had already worked as a nurse abroad. The main destinations for migration included Germany, followed by England and Norway. The intended length of stay abroad ranged from 2–5 years.ConclusionsIn the studied group of Polish nurses, there was great interest in seeking employment abroad. Nurses tend to go abroad mostly for long-term, repeated periods to the wealthiest countries nearest to Poland. In view of the low level of human resources in the Polish nursing sector, the migration of Polish nurses will probably have crucial implications for the quality of healthcare services in Poland in the coming years. Given the methodology applied, study findings refer solely to the study group.

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IntroductionAbsenteeism and presenteeism are two main phenomena related to health problems and professional activity. Presenteeism is the involvement in a professional activity despite being ill. The purpose of the current study is to estimate the prevalence of presenteeism in Poland on the basis of medical records and to explore associations between presenteeism and patients’ age, gender and type of medical problem. Another purpose is to provide estimates of the length of sick leave if it was accepted.ResultsThe amount of patients who refused to take a sick leave was 27.4%. There was a minor relationship between the refusals and gender (slightly higher in men) as well as strong effects of the age of patients (periods of sick leave were longer in older patients) and ICD-10 diagnosis (largely in acute diseases of the upper respiratory tract). The estimated number of days spent on sick leave in the group of patients that refused to take it, assuming that they made a different decision and complied to it, was in the range between 5 and 10 days.DiscussionThe prevalence of presenteeism in Poland is relatively high. Since the largest proportion of refusals took place in the case of potentially contagious diseases, the negative impact on productivity may be even higher. Even though the relationship between presenteeism and wages remains unclear, the remarkable increase of wages in Poland within the last 20 years may explain the propensity to work despite being ill. Further research needs to consider the simultaneous use of medical records and self-measured productivity loss.Materials and MethodsThe current study is based on data from medical records concerning 550,360 patients aged 19–64. Associations between refusals to take a sick leave and patients’ age, gender, as well as diagnosis in terms of ICD-10 (International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems), were tested. Linear regression analysis on the data acquired from the patients who accepted to take a sick leave were further used to estimate the possible length of sick leave in the group of patients that refused to take it.

Introduction. Cervical cancer is the fourth neoplasm in women with respect to incidence. In Poland, both cervical cancer incidence and corresponding mortality are gradually decreasing. Despite these improvements, the epidemiological situation significantly deviates from European standards. Poland has one of Europe's lowest five-year survival rates at 54.1% for patients diagnosed in 2000-2002, compared to the European mean value of 62.1%. Objective. The aim of this study is to present health policy programmes related to HPV vaccinations run by local selfgovernment units in 2009-2016. Materials and method. The research is based on analysis of already existing data developed by provincial governors and annual information reviews on health-policy programmes implemented by local self-government units presented to the Ministry of Health. All the programmes that included HPV vaccinations have been subjected to analysis. Results. In 2009-2016, local government units implemented a total of 1,204 health policy programmes that covered HPV vaccinations. Under these programmes, 2.05% of girls aged 10-14 were vaccinated. Percentage-wise, these were communes that contributed the most financially to the HPV vaccination programmes, whereas the counties the least. Conclusions. Local self-government's programmes covering HPV vaccinations conform with the trends outlined in strategic documents on fighting neoplastic diseases. It is possible that the availability of HPV vaccination was limited for girls living in rural communes. Differences in the number of programmes, number of vaccinated girls and the financial outlays allocated for the implementation of HPV vaccination programmes in particular provinces, may be determined by the epidemiological situation in a given region, measured by the incidence rate of cervical cancer.

Colorectal cancer is one of the most common cancers in Europe and the world. Cancer treatments have side effects and cause significant deterioration of the patient’s nutritional status. Patient malnutrition may worsen the health condition and prevent the deliberate effects of the therapy. The aim of this review was to describe the available data about clinical nutrition in colorectal cancer patients. A large proportion of colorectal cancer patients suffer from malnutrition, which negatively affects the survival prognosis, quality of life, and oncological therapy. Therefore, monitoring nutritional status during the treatment is essential and can be used to arrange proper nutritional therapy to enhance patient responses, prevent side effects, and shorten recovery time. The principles of nutrition during anticancer therapy should mainly consider light and low-fat foods, the exclusion of lactose and gluten-containing foods in certain cases, or the introduction of special dietary products such as oral nutrition supplements and it should be tailored to patients’ individual needs.

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