Self-reported participation in cervical cancer screening among Polish women in 2004–2019

Objectives: We aimed to assess self-reported participation in cervical cancer screening among Polish women between 2004 and 2019 and to identify the groups with the lowest participation rate. Material and methods: Data on declared participation in cervical cancer screening were obtained from the European Health Interview Survey from 2004 to 2019. Results: In 2019, 86.7% of Polish women aged ≥ 15 years declared that they had ever undergone a Pap test. Compared to 2004, the coverage of ever-screened women improved by 16.6 percentage points. The proxy population coverage was 72.9%. The highest proportion of women who underwent a Pap smear in the last three years was observed among those aged 35–44 years and 25–34 years (84.0% and 83.2%, respectively), and the lowest among women aged ≥ 75 years (20.5%). The proportion screened within the last three years also varied by education (up to lower secondary education 26.4%, up to post-secondary non-tertiary education 62.8%, and the highest level of education 83.7%), urbanization (large cities 66.7%, suburbs, and smaller cities 62.8%, and rural areas 59.0%), income (poorest households 42.5%, wealthiest households 70.6%), and declared health status (best 68.9%, worst 41.4%). The lowest participation in screening was observed in the southeastern regions and the highest in the northwestern regions of Poland. Conclusions: In Poland, in 2019, the approximate coverage of cervical cancer screening was high compared to other European countries and has improved over the last 15 years. A complete screening registry is required to confirm questionnaire-based self-reported data. Targeted interventions should be implemented to address low participation in the identified regions and socioeconomic groups

Time for a European initiative for research to prevent cancer: A manifesto for Cancer Prevention Europe (CPE)

A landmark resolution on cancer prevention and control was adopted by Member States at the World Health Assembly 2017, noting that “risk reduction has the potential to prevent around half of all cancers” and urging “to promote cancer research to improve the evidence base for cancer prevention and control”. Public health oriented strategies for cancer prevention and their optimal application in effective real-life programmes will be vital to circumvent the dramatic health and economic implications of a strategy and healthcare expenditure based primarily on cancer treatment. The inter-disciplinary nature of cancer prevention stretches from the sub-microscopic study of cancer pathways through to the supra-macroscopic analysis of the “causes of the causes”, encompassing socio-economic and environmental factors. Research is required to provide new evidence-based preventive interventions and to understand the factors that hamper their implementation within health care systems and in the community. Successful implementation of cancer prevention requires long-term vision, a dedicated research agenda and funding, sustainable infrastructure and cooperation between countries and programmes. In order to develop world class prevention research in Europe that translates into effective cancer prevention guidelines and policies, we report on the creation of Cancer Prevention Europe. This international and multidisciplinary consortium of research institutes, organisations and networks of excellence with a common mission of reducing cancer morbidity and mortality in European populations through prevention, brings together different fields of expertise, from laboratory science through to policy research, as well as dissemination of the best evidence, the best quality indicators and the best practices used

Television viewing time among statin users and non-users. The Polish Norwegian Study (PONS)

Sedentary behavior has emerged as an independent cardiovascular disease risk factor. Uncertainty exists about the behaviors of statin users, who may exhibit either a healthy adherer or a false reassurance effect. We conducted this study in order to assess and compare TV viewing among statin users and nonusers. We used data from a cross-sectional study of 12,754 participants, from south-east Poland, age 45 to 64 years in 2010–11. Statin use during last 30 days was recorded by trained nurses. Participants reported time spent viewing TV/week. There were 1728 (13.5%) statin users of which 628 (36.34%) had cardiovascular diseases. The prevalence of viewing TV ≥21 h/week was higher among statin users (29.72%) compared to non-users (23.10%) and remained 15% higher after adjusting for age, sex, education, smoking, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and other chronic diseases (prevalence ratio, PR 1.15, 95% CI 1.06 to 1.25). We found a similar pattern in both those with and without prevalent cardiovascular disease. In conclusion, we found a higher prevalence of prolonged TV-viewing among statin users than non-users. Future studies are needed to explore innovative behavioral interventions and patient counseling strategies to reduce TV viewing among statin users

Research activities in the field of tobacco control in Poland

Introduction Aim: To evaluate the research capacity and challenges in Poland. Material and Methods Analysis of tobacco control studies conducted in Poland in the years 1923-2017 includes: 1/ studies of tobacco market, 2/ descriptive epidemiological studies on smoking-attributable incidence and mortality, 3/ analytical epidemiological studies on the healthy risk of tobacco use; 4/ toxicological studies on harmful substances in cigarettes, 5/ studies on bio- and environmental markers of exposure to tobacco smoke among different targets and environments, 6/ nation-wide questionnaire surveys on smoking behaviors and attitudes in various populations, 7/ national surveys on attitudes toward tobacco control programs and policies, 8/ qualitative studies on tobacco use and control, 9/ studies on economics of tobacco use, 10/ clinical studies on safety and efficacy of smoking cessation aids. Results Monitoring and surveillance of tobacco use and tobacco control is well evaluated by WHO. Poland disposes a big spectrum of studies and long-term database on tobacco-related problems. Data on cigarette consumption are collected since 1923 and surveillance on smoking behaviors in adult population is conducted since 1974. Age-specific data on lung cancer incidence and mortality in Poland are available since the beginning of 1960s. However, there are some gaps in monitoring tobacco use, its health consequences and tobacco control programs and policies in Poland. The main problem is a lack of long-term strategy for research capacity building in tobacco control and the low level of funding for such studies. Most of studies are conducted by various public stakeholders and within different public health programs. There is also a lack of periodic studies among health professionals and school teachers and none nation-wide survey was conducted among public persons, including politicians and journalists. Studies on marketing strategy of country-based tobacco industry are fragmentary. Future state research strategy should be also more focused on tobacco control challenges, including changes on tobacco market (ENDS, hot-not-burn and other novel tobacco products) and tobacco end-game. Conclusions Although there are a lot of studies on tobacco use, risk and control in Poland, it is an urgent need to develop the national research capacity building strategy that will ensure sufficient funding for tobacco control studies and take into account current and future challenges in tobacco control

Cancer mortality disparities among New York City’s Upper Manhattan neighborhoods

The East Harlem (EH), Central Harlem (CH), and Upper East Side (UES) neighborhoods of New York City are geographically contiguous to tertiary medical care, but are characterized by cancer mortality rate disparities. This ecological study aims to disentangle the effects of race and neighborhood on cancer deaths. Mortality-to-incidence ratios were determined using neighborhood-specific data from the New York State Cancer Registry and Vital Records Office (2007-2011). Ecological data on modifiable cancer risk factors from the New York City Community Health Survey (2002-2006) were stratified by sex, age group, race/ethnicity, and neighborhood and modeled against stratified mortality rates to disentangle race/ethnicity and neighborhood using logistic regression. Significant gaps in mortality rates were observed between the UES and both CH and EH across all cancers, favoring UES. Mortality-to-incidence ratios of both CH and EH were similarly elevated in the range of 0.41-0.44 compared with UES (0.26-0.30). After covariate and multivariable adjustment, black race (odds ratio=1.68; 95% confidence interval: 1.46-1.93) and EH residence (odds ratio=1.20; 95% confidence interval: 1.07-1.35) remained significant risk factors in all cancers' combined mortality. Mortality disparities remain among EH, CH, and UES neighborhoods. Both neighborhood and race are significantly associated with cancer mortality, independent of each other. Multivariable adjusted models that include Community Health Survey risk factors show that this mortality gap may be avoidable through community-based public health interventions. \ua9 2017 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc