Birth weight and birth length, and blood pressure in children and adolescents

Wstęp Masa urodzeniowa ciała może determinować wartość ciśnienia tętniczego (BP) w późniejszym wieku. Celem pracy była ocena wpływu masy i długości urodzeniowej ciała na wartość BP u dzieci i młodzieży w Polsce. Materiał i metody Badanie przekrojowe przeprowadzono w grupie 6097 osób (2949 chłopców i 3148 dziewcząt) w wieku 7-18 lat (średnio 12,6 ± 3,4 roku), zamieszkałych w woj. śląskim (n = 2386), mazowieckim (n = 1906) i wielkopolskim (n = 1805). BP mierzono sfigmomanometrem rtęciowym, zgodnie z obowiązującymi zaleceniami. Informację o urodzeniowej masie i długości ciała uzyskano z danych zawartych w książeczce zdrowia dziecka. Wyniki Ciśnienie skurczowe (SBP) wynosiło średnio 110,2 ± 11,5 mm Hg, natomiast rozkurczowe (DBP) - 67,8 ± 7,8 mm Hg. Masa urodzeniowa ciała wynosiła średnio 3338,2 ± 527,9 g, a długość urodzeniowa ciała - 53,2 ± 5,5 cm. Parametry te były były one najwyższe w woj. mazowieckim i wynosiły odpowiednio: 3370,4 ± 535,4 g i 54,5 ± 3,3 cm. Wartości BP oraz badanych parametrów noworodkowych były istotnie statystycznie wyższe u chłopców niż dziewcząt, z wyjątkiem woj. wielkopolskiego. Po uwzględnieniu roli płci, wieku, aktualnego BMI, miejsca zamieszkania oraz czasu trwania ciąży, nie wykazano znamiennego wpływu masy urodzeniowej ciała (w kg) na wartość BP (odpowiednie współczynniki regresji liniowej wynosiły: bSBP = = –0,4; p = 0,3 oraz bDBP = 0,2; p = 0,5). Udokumentowano natomiast dodatni, istotny wpływ długości urodzeniowej na wartość BP (bSBP = 0,05; p = 0,04 oraz bDBP = 0,07; p = 0,0006). Wnioski Wyniki badania ujawniły niewielki, ale istotny statystycznie wpływ długości urodzeniowej na wartość BP w późniejszym wieku oraz brak wpływu masy urodzeniowej ciała na wartość BP u dzieci i młodzieży w Polsce.Background Birth weight may influence on blood pressure (BP) at later life. The study aimed to test whether birth weight and birth length program blood pressure at later life in children and adolescents in Poland. Materials and methods A cross-sectional study was performed in a randomly selected sample of 6097 children and adolescents (2949 boys and 3148 girls), aged 7-18 (mean 12.6 ± 3.4), inhabitants of Silesia Region (n = 2386), Masovia Region (n = 1906) and Wielkopolska Region (n = = 1805). BP was taken using a mercury sphygmomanometer, following the current guidelines. Birth outcomes were obtained from routine obstetrical records. Results Mean systolic blood pressure (SBP) was 110.2 ± 11.5 mm Hg and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) was 67.8 ± 7.8 mm Hg. Mean birth weight was 3338.2 ± 527.9 g, and birth length was 53.2 ± 5.5 cm. Both parameters were the highest in children in Masovia Region; 3370.4 ± 535.4 g and 54.5 ± 3.3 cm, respectively. BP and birth outcomes were statistically significantly higher in boys than in girls, except Wielkopolska Region. After adjustment for gender, age, current BMI, place of residence and time of gestation, no statistically significant impact of birth weight (in kg) on BP was found, with the coefficients of linear regression bSBP = -0.4 (p = 0.3) and bDBP = 0.2 (p = 0.5). However, statistically significant impact of birth length on BP was confirmed: bSBP = 0.05 (p = 0.04) and bDBP = 0.07 (p = 0.0006). Conclusions The results revealed small but positive and statistically significant impact of birth length on BP at later life in children in Poland. However, no role of birth weight in BP alteration was found

Screening Accuracy of FeNO Measurement for Childhood Asthma in a Community Setting

(1) Background: The exhaled fractional nitric oxide is a well-recognized biomarker used in clinical settings for controlling and managing asthma. Less is known about the value of Fractional Exhaled Nitric Oxide (FeNO) measurement in epidemiological studies on childhood asthma, although available evidence suggests that an increased FeNO is associated with an increased risk of asthma. (2) Aim: The aim of the study was to assess FeNO accuracy in the identification of children with asthma, participants in a population-based respiratory survey. (3) Material and methods: The cross-sectional study included 449 children, 224 (49.9%) boys and 225 (50.1%) girls aged 6–10 years. The FeNO was measured in 449 children; Spirometry tests were completed with 441 children, but technically acceptable spirometry was done in 350. All participants fulfilled the questionnaire (ISAAC) for assessment of the status of their respiratory system on which diagnosis was based on. FeNO and Spirometry were performed according to ERS/ATS recommendations. (4) Results: The FeNO was significantly higher in asthmatic children (n = 22): 27.3 ± 21.3 ppb; with allergic rhinitis (n = 106): 9.9 ± 21.6 ppb, with atopic dermatitis (n = 67) 20.8 ± 25.0 ppb, with an asthmatic tendency (n = 27): 19.8 ± 16.0 ppb in comparison to children without any respiratory/atopy symptoms. The highest diagnostic odds ratio and area under the curve were found in any treated asthma or asthma without any atopic symptoms in relation to FeNO cutoff > 35 ppb; DOR 4.85 and 8.37; AUC 0.615 and 0.795, respectively. The adjustment for spirometry parameters did not improve the diagnostic accuracy of FeNO. In each FeNO cutoff, there were more false positive than true positive subjects. (5) Conclusions. The best diagnostic accuracy of FeNO was for isolated asthma without any atopy against children without any coexisting respiratory or allergic disease. The sensitivity and specificity did not reach the required values for a good screening tool; therefore, it should not be used in epidemiological settings

Modes of Early Detection of Breast Cancer in Katowice Region, Poland

Background: Our 2004 survey of breast cancer survivors in the Katowice region (Poland) showed that the detection of the disease was triggered by self-examination in 58.9%, mammography in 19.2%, and clinical examination in 19.7% of cases. The purpose of the current study (2019/2020) was to determine if the implementation of national screening (mammography) in 2007 resulted in an increase of the relative contribution of mammography to detection of cancer. Methods: Subjects were 215 breast cancer patients, members of self-support groups in Katowice region. The questionnaire included questions on early detection of breast cancer, participation in screening, and socio-economic status. Results: Early detection of cancer was initiated by self-examination in 63.7%, mammography in 22.8%, clinical examination in 13.5% of subjects. Age at detection depended on the method (p < 0.001): 54.1 ± 10.8 years for self-examination, 60.0 ± 7.6 years for mammography, and 58.7 ± 10.8 years for clinical examination. Conclusions: Both in 2004 and 2020 self-examination is the most frequent method of early detection of breast cancer in the study area. The contribution of mammography remains on a low level (23%). This finding could be explained by a low participation in screening and by age of 50 years used as the entry criterion to national screening of breast cancer in Poland

Relationship between PM2.5 concentration in the ambient air and daily exacerbation of respiratory diseases in the population of Silesian voivodeship during winter smog

Background Recurring winter smog episodes, recently observed in Poland, have inspired the researches to assess the epidemiological situation concerning the registered exacerbations of respiratory diseases related to worsening of the ambient air quality. Material and Methods The model comprising the ecological study results and secondary epidemiological data on registered outpatient visits and hospitalizations in the Silesian voivodeship was used. We assessed the effect of smog observed in January 2017 on the number of acute respiratory disorders registered in that month. Aerosanitary situation was obtained from the Provincial Inspectorate for Environmental Protection in Katowice database. Results It was documented that the increase in PM 2.5 concentration (with simultaneously observed unfavorable meteorological parameters) was related to a higher number of acute respiratory disorders registered daily. Moreover, the increase in the number of outpatient visits due to asthma exacerbation or bronchitis was observed on the first day of episode, and hospitalizations took place with delay of 1–2 days. Conclusions The preliminary results indicate the relationship between worsening of ambient air quality during the winter smog and the increase in daily number of registered outpatient visits and hospitalizations due to acute respiratory diseases. Med Pr 2018;69(5):523–53

Impact of Two Different Recruitment Procedures (Random vs. Volunteer Selection) on the Results of Seroepidemiological Study (SARS-CoV-2)

The proper recruitment of subjects for population-based epidemiological studies is critical to the external validity of the studies and, above all, to the sound and correct interpretation of the findings. Since 2020, the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has been a new factor that has been, additionally, hindering studies. Therefore, the aim of our study is to compare demographic, socio-economic, health-related characteristics and the frequency of SARS-CoV-2 infection occurrence among the randomly selected group and the group composed of volunteers. We compare two groups of participants from the cross-sectional study assessing the seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus, which was conducted in autumn 2020, in three cities of the Silesian Voivodeship in Poland. The first group consisted of a randomly selected, nationally representative, age-stratified sample of subjects (1167 participants, “RG” group) and was recruited using personal invitation letters and postal addresses obtained from a national registry. The second group (4321 volunteers, “VG” group) included those who expressed their willingness to participate in response to an advertisement published in the media. Compared with RG subjects, volunteers were more often females, younger and professionally active, more often had a history of contact with a COVID-19 patient, post-contact nasopharyngeal swab, fewer comorbidities, as well as declared the occurrence of symptoms that might suggest infection with SARS-CoV-2. Additionally, in the VG group the percentage of positive IgG results and tuberculosis vaccination were higher. The findings of the study confirm that surveys limited to volunteers are biased. The presence of the bias may seriously affect and distort inference and make the generalizability of the results more than questionable. Although effective control over selection bias in surveys, including volunteers, is virtually impossible, its impact on the survey results is impossible to predict. However, whenever possible, such surveys could include a small component of a random sample to assess the presence and potential effects of selection bias

Underdiagnosis of childhood asthma: A comparison of survey estimates to clinical evaluation

Objectives: Diagnostic patterns play a role in asthma prevalence estimates and could have implications for disease management. We sought to determine the extent to which questionnaire-derived estimates of childhood asthma reflect the disease's true occurrence. Materials and Methods: Children aged 6-12 years from Katowice, Poland, were recruited from a crosssectional survey (N = 1822) via primary schools. Students were categorized into three mutually exclusive groups based on survey responses: "Asthma" (previously diagnosed asthma); "Respiratory symptoms" (no previous diagnosis of asthma and one or more respiratory symptoms during last year), "No respiratory symptoms" (no previous diagnosis of asthma or respiratory symptoms). A sample of children from each group (total N = 456) completed clinical testing to determine asthma presence according to GINA recommendations. Results: Based on the survey, 5.4% of children were classified with asthma, 27.9% with respiratory symptoms, and 66.7% with no respiratory symptoms or asthma. All previously known 41 cases of asthma were confirmed. New diagnoses of asthma were made in 21 (10.9%) and 8 (3.6%) of subjects from the "Respiratory symptoms" (N = 192) and "No respiratory symptoms" (N = 223) groups, respectively. The overall prevalence of childhood asthma, incorporating the results of clinical examination, was 10.8% (95% CI: 9.4-12.2), compared to the questionnaire-derived figure of 5.4% (95% CI: 4.4-6.5%) and affected females more than males. Conclusions: Asthma prevalence was underestimated in this population possibly resulting from under-presentation or under-diagnosis. This could have potential implications for proper management and well-being of children. Questionnaire estimates of prevalence should be considered carefully in the context of regional diagnostic patterns

Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Total Mortality in Poland

Background: According to published data the number of deaths attributed to COVID-19 is underestimated between 30 and 80%. Aim: The aim of this study is to assess the impact of COVID-19 on total mortality of Poland and the Silesian voivodship. Methods: Secondary epidemiological data on COVID-19 deaths were obtained from the Ministry of Health registry and data on total mortality were gathered from the National Statistical Office and Registry Office in Poland. Three scenarios were used to estimated COVID-19 deaths: real number + an extra 30%, 60%, and 70% excess total deaths. Results: In 2020, there were 73,254, 64,584, and 67,677 excess deaths in comparison to 2017–2019, respectively. For the Silesian voivodship, it was 8339, 7946, and 8701, respectively. The total mean increase in deaths was 16% for the whole country and the Silesian voivodship. The simulation for 30% extra COVID-19 deaths gave COVID-19 mortality equal to 12.5%; n = 50,708 deaths, for extra 60%; 17.9% n = 72,866 and for extra 70%; 19.7% n = 80,251 for Poland; and 11.9% (n = 6072), 17.2% (n = 8740), 24.2% (n = 12,297), respectively, for the Silesian voivodship. Conclusions: The participation of COVID-19 in total deaths should not exceed 20% for Poland and 24% for the Silesian voivodship in 2020

Dietary supplementation usage by pregnant women in Silesia — population based study

Objectives: Despite wide access to gynecological and obstetric advice, informational campaigns, and information online and in magazines aimed at pregnant women, there is a worryingly high percentage of women who still do not use recommended dietary supplementation. The aim of this study was to assess the frequency of micronutrient supplementation by pregnant women and to specify the determinants that impact decisions concerning supplementation. Material and methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted between June 2016 and May 2017 among a group of pregnant women visiting gynecological and obstetric clinics in the Silesia region, who have completed an authorized questionnaire developed for the purpose of this study. The questionnaire addressed the women’s dietary habits, micronutrient supplementation use, as well as their socio-economic status. Completed questionnaires were obtained from 505 pregnant women. Results: Microminerals and vitamins supplementation during pregnancy was declared by 410 (81.2%) women. The most often used supplement was folic acid (62%). More than one-third of pregnant women (38.4%) declared vitamin D intake. Among the recommended supplements, the least commonly used (30.3%) were polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA). Factors contributing to supplementation use during pregnancy are past history of miscarriage and socioeconomic factors, such as: place of residence, financial situation and level of education. Inhabitants of larger cities, women with better self-perceived financial situations, higher education levels and those presenting past history of miscarriage took the supplements significantly more often. Conclusions: Lower levels of education, low-income financial status and living in rural localities are among the factors correlating with worse adherence to supplementation guidelines

Association between Influenza Vaccination and Positive SARS-CoV-2 IgG and IgM Tests in the General Population of Katowice Region, Poland

The explanation of the potential interaction between the influenza vaccine and SARS-CoV-2 infection is urgently needed in the public health. The objective of the study is to compare the occurrence of positive SARS-CoV-2 IgG and IgM tests in subjects with and without recent (last year) seasonal influenza vaccinations. In a cross-sectional study located in three large towns of Silesian Voivodeship (Poland), we studied 5479 subjects in which 1253 (22.9%) had a positive anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG test and 400 (7.3%) had a positive anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgM test. Seasonal influenza vaccination remains an independent factor protecting against positive IgG tests (OR = 0.68; 0.55–0.83). The effect is not apparent with IgM antibodies. The obtained results confirmed that the serological status of SARS-CoV-2 infection depends on vaccination against seasonal influenza

E-Cigarettes are More Addictive than Traditional Cigarettes—A Study in Highly Educated Young People

E-cigarettes are often considered less addictive than traditional cigarettes. This study aimed to assess patterns of e-cigarette use and to compare nicotine dependence among cigarette and e-cigarette users in a group of highly educated young adults. From 3002 healthy adults, a representative group of 30 cigarette smokers, 30 exclusive e-cigarette users, and 30 dual users were recruited. A 25-item questionnaire was used to collect information related to the patterns and attitudes towards the use of cigarettes and e-cigarettes. The Fagerström test for nicotine dependence (FTND) and its adapted version for e-cigarettes were used to analyze nicotine dependence in each of the groups. The nicotine dependence levels measured with FTND were over two times higher among e-cigarette users (mean 3.5) compared to traditional tobacco smokers (mean 1.6; p < 0.001). Similarly, among dual users, nicotine dependence levels were higher when using an e-cigarette (mean 4.7) compared to using traditional cigarettes (mean 3.2; p = 0.03). Habits and behaviors associated with the use of e-cigarettes did not differ significantly (p > 0.05) between exclusive e-cigarette users and dual users. The findings suggest that e-cigarettes may have a higher addictive potential than smoked cigarettes among young adults