Although Slavic populations account for over 4.5% of world inhabitants, no centralised, open-source reference database of genetic variation of any Slavic population exists to date. Such data are crucial for clinical genetics, biomedical research, as well as archeological and historical studies. The Polish population, which is homogenous and sedentary in its nature but influenced by many migrations of the past, is unique and could serve as a genetic reference for the Slavic nations. In this study, we analysed whole genomes of 1222 Poles to identify and genotype a wide spectrum of genomic variation, such as small and structural variants, runs of homozygosity, mitochondrial haplogroups, and de novo variants. Common variant analyses showed that the Polish cohort is highly homogenous and shares ancestry with other European populations. In rare variant analyses, we identified 32 autosomal-recessive genes with significantly different frequencies of pathogenic alleles in the Polish population as compared to the non-Finish Europeans, including C2, TGM5, NUP93, C19orf12, and PROP1. The allele frequencies for small and structural variants, calculated for 1076 unrelated individuals, are released publicly as The Thousand Polish Genomes database, and will contribute to the worldwide genomic resources available to researchers and clinicians.

Smoke-free policies have been shown to significantly reduce secondhand smoke (SHS) exposure in private and public places. The objectives of this study were to: (1) to assess the prevalence and characteristics of voluntary smoke-free home rules in Poland; and (2) assess the association of smoke-free rules with self-reported SHS exposure in private homes. A cross-sectional survey was conducted in September 2019 with a nationally representative sample of 1011 individuals aged 15 and over. Nationally, 66.1% of individuals had a 100% smoke-free home rule (78.9% of non-smokers and 18.6% of smokers; p < 0.001), while a further 24.6% had adopted a partial home smoking rule. SHS exposure in the home during past month was reported by 6.1% of respondents (11.5% of smokers and 4.5% of non-smokers; p < 0.001). The lowest level of SHS exposure (1.8%) was observed among respondents who had implemented a full smoke-free home rule. Non-smokers had higher odds of having adopted a total smoke-free home rule compared with smokers (aOR: 19.17; 95% CI: 12.89–28.50). Moreover, non-smokers had lower odds (aOR: 0.35; 95% CI: 0.20–0.61; p < 0.001) of self-reporting SHS smoke exposure at home. Although two-thirds of the Polish population have adopted a full smoke-free home rule in their homes, smokers continue to lag in adoption rates relative to non-smokers.

Technological development around the world has led to the digitalisation of the health system. Along with the digitalisation of the health sector, financial, legal, awareness-related, technological and IT barriers appeared. The aim of the article is to present recommendations for the development of telemedicine services in Poland on the basis of a list of implementation barriers and ways of resolving them in the USA and selected European countries. A literature review was conducted in accordance with the PRISMA-ScR, using the PubMed and Google Scholar databases, Scopus and the OECD iLibrary. A total of 59 literature positions were used, which constituted the references. The article presented the implemented and effective solutions in selected countries. Based on these solutions, recommendations for the development of telemedicine in Poland were presented, as well as successes in the form of telemedicine startups, which can inspire other countries. The analysis of the publications discussed in the article shows that the implementation of telemedicine services should begin with the elimination of barriers limiting the development of telemedicine systems. An important issue in their elimination is to analyse their interconnections and implement such solutions which would have a multi-area coverage.

Head and neck cancers (HNC) are the seventh most common cancers worldwide. Early diagnosis of HNC is associated with better outcomes. This study aimed to assess public awareness of HNC among adults in Poland, with particular emphasis on awareness of HNC symptoms and risk factors for HNC. This cross-sectional study was carried out in November 2021 on a nationwide, representative sample of 1082 inhabitants of Poland aged 18 years and over. The computer-assisted web interview (CAWI) technique was used. Most of the respondents rated their knowledge of head and neck cancers as “a little” (40.8%) or “nothing at all” (30%). The most identified symptoms were a lump in the neck (57.9%) and swelling or a lump in the throat (51.8%). The most identified risk factor for HNC was smoking cigarettes/tobacco (63.1%). Excessive alcohol consumption and HPV infection were correctly identified as risk factors by about one-third of respondents. Public awareness of selected symptoms of HNC and risk factors for HNC differed by sociodemographic factors, of which the educational level was the most important factor associated with awareness of head and neck cancers (p < 0.05). This study demonstrated low public awareness of head and neck cancers among adults in Poland.

Kanecki K, Goryński P,Tarka P, WierzbaW, Tyszko P. Incidence and prevalence of Systemic Sclerosis (SSc) in Poland -differences between rural and urban regions. Ann Agric Environ Med. 2017; 24(2): 240-244. doi: 10.5604/12321966.1233570 Abstract Introduction. Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a rare and potentially severe connective tissue disease, characterized by skin fibrosis and involvement of internal organs. Because of its rarity and heterogeneous clinical presentation, reliable epidemiological studies on SSc have been particularly difficult to carry out. Objectives. The purpose of this study was to present SSc epidemiology among hospitalized patients in Poland. Materials and method. The analysis was based on population-based administrative data, taken from a Polish hospital morbidity study carried out by the National Institute of Public Health between January 2008 -December 2012. Results. Analyzed data covered 9,049 hospitalization records. The final sample comprised 3,653 patients with first-time hospitalizations for SSc. The average age of the sample was 53 years (SD 16.2; range 0-91 years); 84% of patients were female and 16% male. Based on hospitalization registers, the average SSc incidence was estimated to be 1.9/100,000 per year and peak age of incidence was 55 years. The point prevalence was estimated to be 9.4/100,000 at the end of 2012. SSc was more common in females, with F:M ratio ranging from 6.2:1-4.6:1 depending on the year. Analysis of hospitalization trends revealed that overall numbers of SSc hospitalizations increased, while first-time hospitalizations decreased between 2008-2012. Clusters of higher incidence were observed in more rural regions vs. urban regions. Conclusion. Estimated incidence of SSc in Poland was comparable to reported incidence in other European countries. Analysis of demographic factors and reports of clusters of higher incidence may suggest the existence of environmental risk factors for the development of SSc. These observations may require further research.