Physical activity of children and adolescents from the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, and Slovakia: A systematic review.

Introduction And Objective: Systematic monitoring of physical activity of young populations from different regions may be useful for making international comparisons, better understanding trends in physical activity and designing public health interventions to increase physical activity. Thus, the aim of the study was to comprehensively review studies examining the level of physical activity of children and adolescents from the Visegrád countries, and indicate the percentage of children and adolescents meeting the recommended level of physical activity.

Material And Methods: A systematic search of the published literature was conducted.

Gender-Related Differences in Prodromal Multiple Sclerosis Characteristics: A 7-Year Observation Study.

Increasing evidence supports the observation that multiple sclerosis (MS) has a preclinical period, with various prodromal signs and symptoms more frequently represented in patients with confirmed MS many years later. Considering the apparent gender differences in the incidence and clinical course of MS, it remains unclear whether it could be reflected in prodromal symptom features. This study aimed to compare a broad spectrum of prodromal signs and symptoms between males and females in the 7-year period before the definite diagnosis of MS.

The incidence rate of hospitalized lysosomal storage diseases in Poland in 2013-2015 based on data from the National Health Fund.

Introduction: The reported data address the incidence of lysosomal storage diseases, obtained from the public health service databases in Poland. Data are given by subtypes from the National Health Fund between 2013 and 2015.

Material And Methods: Patients with lysosomal storage diseases were identified in the National Health Fund database (2013-2015).

Market Choices Driven by Reference Groups: A Comparison of Analytical and Simulation Results on Random Networks.

The present paper reports simulation results for a simple model of reference group influence on market choices, e.g., brand selection.

Managerial overconfidence in capital structure decisions and its link to aggregate demand: An agent-based model perspective.

Objective: This study aims to connect two strands of the psychology and economics literature, i.e., behavioural finance and agent-based macroeconomics, to assess the impact of managerial overconfidence at the micro and macro levels of the economy as a whole.

Determinants of hospital inefficiency. The case of Polish county hospitals.

Local hospitals play a crucial role in the healthcare system. In this study, the efficiency of Polish county hospitals is assessed by considering characteristics of hospitals that may determine their performance, such as the form of ownership, size, and staff structure. The main goal was to analyze the effect of three possible determinants on efficiency: ownership, the presence of an Emergency Department, and the presence of an Intensive Care Unit.

A Cluster Analysis of Risk Factors for Cancer across EU Countries: Health Policy Recommendations for Prevention.

Cancer burden in the European Union (EU) is increasing and has stimulated the European Commission (EC) to develop strategies for cancer control. A common "one size fits all" prevention policy may not be effective in reducing cancer morbidity and mortality. The goal of this paper is to show that EU member states are not homogenous in terms of their exposure to risk factors for cancer (i.

Incidence of Vaccine-Preventable Childhood Diseases in the European Union and in the European Free Trade Association Countries.

Introduction: Despite the widespread availability of vaccines, the incidence of vaccine-preventable childhood diseases (VPCD) started to grow in recent years. The aim of the study was to compare the annual incidence of selected VPCDs in the EU (European Union) and EFTA (European Free Trade Association) countries in the period of the last 5 years (2014-2019 or other intervals, depending on data availability), and the country-specific vaccine schedules.

Methods: VPCD incidence rates in Europe were based on "The Surveillance Atlas of Infectious Diseases" by the ECDC (European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control); vaccination schedules were based on ECDC reports.

Evaluation of the Community Pharmacy Comorbidities Screening Service on Patients with Chronic Diseases.

Objective: Evaluation of the implementation of pharmaceutical services to detect comorbidities in at-risk patients.

Methods: This study was carried out in community pharmacies across Poland in 2019 inside the specially designed service "Refer the Patient". The project was intended for patients with selected chronic diseases.

Social Influence Maximization in Hypergraphs.

This work deals with a generalization of the minimum Target Set Selection (TSS) problem, a key algorithmic question in information diffusion research due to its potential commercial value. Firstly proposed by Kempe et al., the TSS problem is based on a linear threshold diffusion model defined on an input graph with node thresholds, quantifying the hardness to influence each node.

Ozone disinfection of community pharmacies during the COVID-19 pandemic as a possible preventive measure for infection spread.

The COVID-19 pandemic is currently one of the major global health and economic challenges. An efficient method for reducing the transmission of the virus is a still unmet medical need. Existing experimental data have shown that coronavirus survival is negatively impacted by ozone, high temperature, and low humidity.

Cost-effectiveness of telerehabilitation in patients with heart failure in Poland: an analysis based on the results of Telerehabilitation in the Heart Failure Patients (TELEREH-HF) randomized clinical trial.

Background: Telerehabilitation in the Heart Failure Patients (TELEREH-HF) study showed a statistically significant improvement in the tertiary outcomes i.e. the New York Heart Association (NYHA) class after a 9-week follow-up, consistent with telerehabilitation-related benefits to quality of life (QoL) measured with the 36-item Short Form questionnaire (SF-36).

Leadership, religiousness, state ownership of an enterprise and unethical pro-organizational behavior: The mediating role of organizational identification.

This study proposes a model in which organizational identification mediates the correlations among state-owned enterprises (SOEs), authentic leadership, Christian religiousness, and unethical pro-organizational behavior (UPB). The proposed theoretical framework is based on moral identity theory, social identity theory, and social exchange theory. We tested the hypothesized model using data (N  =  389) from employees of various companies and industries in Poland.

An Experimental Education Project for Consultations of Older Adults during the Pandemic and Healthcare Lockdown.

Objective: To develop a mentor-supervised, interprofessional, geriatric telemedicine experiential education project in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Method: Medical and pharmacy students collaborated via remote consultations to address the coexistence of multimorbidity and polypharmacy in geriatric patients. In-depth interviews of students and patients as well as Likert scale-based telephonic survey were performed for a comprehensive evaluation of the project's significance.

Individual quality of life and the environment - towards a concept of livable areas for persons with disabilities in Poland.

Background: The United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities [1] highlights the need to create proper socioeconomic and political conditions for persons with disabilities, with a special focus on their immediate living conditions. According to the Convention, these conditions should be built to ensure that persons with disabilities have the potential to enjoy a high quality of life (QoL), and this principle is reflected in the notion of livable areas. The crucial aspect of this framework is the relationship between the individual QoL and the environment, broadly understood as the socioeconomic as well as the technical conditions in which persons with disabilities function.

Patients with epilepsy as drivers in Poland.

Background: Drivers suffering from epilepsy are commonly regarded as a threat to road safety. However, inability to use their own means of transport very often implies specific professional effects and lowers the quality of life. The aim of this study was to analyze the driving status of patients with epilepsy in Poland.

Identification of Mortality Risks in the Advancement of Old Age: Application of Proportional Hazard Models Based on the Stepwise Variable Selection and the Bayesian Model Averaging Approach.

Identifying factors that affect mortality requires a robust statistical approach. This study's objective is to assess an optimal set of variables that are independently associated with the mortality risk of 433 older comorbid adults that have been discharged from the geriatric ward. We used both the stepwise backward variable selection and the iterative Bayesian model averaging (BMA) approaches to the Cox proportional hazards models.

Depressive Symptoms and Healthy Behavior Frequency in Polish Postmenopausal Women from Urban and Rural Areas.

The objective of this study was to determine whether the severity of depressive symptoms was linked to healthy behaviors in Polish postmenopausal women and whether the strength of the link differed between women living in urban versus rural settings. The study was conducted in 2018 in the Lublin region of Poland and included 396 postmenopausal women (239 living in rural areas and 157 in urban areas). The severity of depressive symptoms was evaluated by the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and the frequency of healthy behaviors was assessed using the Inventory of Healthy Behaviors.

Patient counselling service with the use of pictograms as the example of pharmacist intervention to improving compliance and medicine safety.

Background: Pharmaceutical pictograms have been designed to help communicate medication instructions to patients. Pictograms used within a patient counseling service can significantly improve medication compliance and adherence. The study aimed to assess the improvement of adherence to therapy with the use of pictogram intervention in comparison to standard pharmacy practice in community pharmacies.

Assessment of Pain, Acceptance of Illness, Adaptation to Life, and Strategies of Coping With the Disease, in Patients With Bladder Cancer.

Background/aim: Bladder cancer is one of the most common cancers and causes of mortality in Poland, significantly reducing the quality of life. The objective of the study was to evaluate the strategy of coping with the disease in patients suffering from bladder cancer.

Patients And Methods: Four psychometric tests were used: the beliefs about pain control questionnaire (BPCQ), the pain coping strategies questionnaire (CSQ), acceptance of illness scale (AIS), and mental adjustment to cancer (Mini-Mac) test.

Kidney Function After Liver Transplantation in a Single Center.

BACKGROUND Renal dysfunction in the peri-transplant period appears to complicate both short- and long-term outcome of liver transplantation (LT). The aim of this study was to analyze the impact of selected clinical features in the peri-liver transplant period, as well calcineurin inhibitor, particularly tacrolimus given after LT, on kidney function in a single liver transplant center's experience. MATERIAL AND METHODS A total 125 consecutive liver-grafted individuals (82 M, 43 F), mean age 50±13 y (with alcohol-related liver disease in 48 (38%) patients) were included into the study.

The Awareness of Risks Associated with OTC Drugs Available in Non-Pharmacy Outlets among Polish Patients-A Cross-Sectional Study.

Background: Many OTC drugs are available in non-pharmacy outlets, and as such the risk of overuse and/or improper use of this class of drugs is more likely. In light of this observation, our study was conducted with the aim of exploring opinions on non-pharmaceutical distribution among Polish patients. This study was a part of an informative project to educate patients about the possible risks associated with the use of OTC medicines.

Evidence-Based Care Reduces Unnecessary Medical Procedures and Healthcare Costs in the Outpatient Setting.

Objectives: The study aimed to examine the number of unnecessary medical procedures and healthcare costs with the use of the educational intervention in Poland.

Methods: Secondary data were collected between 2014 and 2015. Analysis of events and cost per patient revealed significant variability and overutilization of diagnostics and other services by physicians practicing in a network of private outpatient clinics in Poland.

Access to Medicines via Non-Pharmacy Outlets in European Countries-A Review of Regulations and the Influence on the Self-Medication Phenomenon.

Non-pharmacy trade concerns the sale of medicinal products outside of pharmacies, such as limited-service pharmacies, supermarkets, petrol stations, shops open to the public, and kiosks. Access to medicinal products via non-pharmacy outlets varies across the European countries, with a general deregulation of this market area observable. Increasing the availability of medicines by allowing patients to obtain them outside of pharmacies contributes to the spread of self-medication.