The level of dental awareness of a pregnant woman affects the sanitary condition of her own teeth and the health of the child to be born. Poor oral health is considered to be a probable risk factor for the pre-term birth or low birth weight. The aim of this work was to assess the level of oral health knowledge that determines oral health condition of pregnant women in Poland. Empirical data were obtained from the National Monitoring of Oral Health and Its Determinants, financed by the Ministry of Health. This socio-epidemiological study assessed oral health status and dental health awareness, which affects that status. Study subjects included 1380 pregnant women at the age ranging from 15 to 44, randomly-selected from urban and rural environments. Dental health status was recorded in the clinical examination sheets supplied by the World Health Organization, and the socio-medical data were recorded in the questionnaire interview sheets. Almost 3/4 of the pregnant women evaluated their dental health as unsatisfactory or poor. Over 60% of the pregnant women rated their knowledge and practical skills concerning care of their own teeth and of the child to be born as limited, inadequate or none. Only 40% of the pregnant women provided right answers to the questions about dental issues. Low oral health awareness results in poor oral health status of the study subjects. A statistical pregnant woman has a total of 13 teeth showing the symptoms of tooth decay or caries. Over 70% of the pregnant women developed gingivitis or periodontitis. There is an urgent need in Poland to make the European principle of treating pregnant women as a dentally vulnerable group obligatory.

Non-communicable diseases such as cardiovascular diseases, cancers, diabetes, and asthma are increasingly common due to factors like industrialization, urbanization, fast-paced life, stress, sedentary lifestyle, and unbalanced diet in the 21st century. These chronic conditions are a global epidemic, being among the top causes of death worldwide. Preventing these diseases through a nutritious diet is crucial, and scientific studies suggest that appropriate fruit intake, particularly apples, can lower the risk of various health issues. Apples, rich in bioactive compounds, vitamins, minerals, and dietary fiber, offer numerous health benefits. Regular consumption of apples helps reduce the risk of atherosclerosis, coronary artery disease, heart attacks, and diabetes, and also provides anti-asthmatic and anti-allergic effects. Apples aid in detoxification, improve digestion, enhance skin, hair, and nail health, and offer protection against cancers, Alzheimer’s, and Parkinson’s disease. Apples have been a dietary staple for centuries, consumed in various forms like juices, sauces, and ciders. The reviewed article emphasizes the health benefits of apples, highlighting their role in preventing civilization diseases. It also discusses the characteristics of common apple varieties and the impact of thermal processing on their nutritional content.

Needlestick and sharp injuries (NSIs) are an important element of public health and should be closely monitored. On the other hand there are no precise Polish data on a number of the occupational NSIs. The aim of the study was to assess the failure to report injuries and then to estimate the actual number of NSIs among healthcare workers (HCWs) in Poland based on the collected data. Analysis of injury registers on the basis of 252 hospitals in Poland. Conducting 487 surveys among doctors, nurses and paramedics. Calculation of rates of injuries per 1000 workers per year (with 95% confidence intervals (CI)). The level of statistical significance was set at p ≤ 0.05. In the study period, 9775 NSIs were registered in the hospitals. Majority of the NSIs were recorded among nurses (72.6%,p < 0.01). The needle was the tool responsible for the greatest number of the NSIs in all professional groups (79.5%, p < 0.01). The average annual NSIs rates based on hospital registers were: 16.0/1000 doctors, 20.5/1000 nurses, 16.8/1000 paramedics. Every second NSIs was not reported (45.2%). We estimated that there are probably 13,567 NSIs every year among hospital care workers in Poland. NSIs are a significant health problem for HCWs and should be subject to epidemiological surveillance. The purpose of the training of medical personnel should be to increase the number of injuries reported. The implementation of the epidemiological surveillance system will allow for the unification of the obtained data, which would be more comparable on the national scale as well as between different countries.

Metabolic diseases refer to a broad term that includes all diseases that result from disturbances in the body’s biochemical metabolism

Blood-borne infections represent an important occupational health issue in health care settings. The aim of this study was to analyze behaviors of health care workers (HCWs) in the field of needlestick injuries (NSIs) as well as to learn about their attitudes to patients infected with blood-borne viruses. A total of 487 HCWs based at 26 hospitals in Poland completed an anonymous self-administered questionnaire in the period of October–December 2015. Data was analyzed using descriptive statistics and multiple logistic regression. Of the HCWs, 44.8% suffered superficial wounds, and 17.9% HCWs were cut deeply at least once. The most frequent causes of injuries were: rush (31.4%), unpredictable patient behavior (29%), and lack of attention (27%). The rate of underreporting NSIs was 45.2%. Males showed more than three times higher chance of not reporting injuries (odds ratio (OR) 3.495, 95% Confidence Interval (CI): 1.65–7.49). The nurses more often took off their protective gloves to make the procedure easier (p = 0.036). Taking off protective clothes was positively associated with long work experience (OR 1.16, 95% CI: 0.995–1.36). Recapping concerned 15.5% of doctors, 8.2% of nurses, and 11.2% of paramedics. 25.9% HCWs feared infection in the workplace, and every tenth HCW refused to help the infected patient. The longer the work experience, the greater the concern about the possibility of infection (OR 1.33, 95% CI: 0.99–1.78). Most HCWs were more cautious when dealing with an infected patient and in their opinion infected patients should be required to inform HCWs of their serological status and such information should be compulsorily transferred between different health institutions. The emphasis in the training of HCWs in the future should be on classes perfecting practical skills like paying more attention to reporting NSIs, improving occupational behaviors like avoiding needle recapping, and on the development of appropriate attitudes towards patients infected with HIV, HBV, or HCV.

Background: To analyze dentists’ knowledge of blood-borne infections, their attitudes towards infected patients, and to determine the frequency of the contact with infectious material; Methods: We surveyed 192 dentists using an anonymous questionnaire. Results: Only a quarter of dentists responded correctly to all questions. 96% of the examined dentists confirmed that they were more cautious during treatment of patients with HBV, HCV and HIV. 25% of all respondents refuse to help infected patients due to concerns about their own health. The dentists occasionally removed protective clothing to make it “easier” to perform specific procedures. The dentists experienced contact with infectious material most frequently by splashes onto the conjunctiva or as a result of superficial injuries. The risk of injury by a medical tool increased with the years of employment. Re-capping needles was associated with an increased risk of injury; Conclusions: Despite the widespread tolerance of people infected with blood-borne viruses and the well-proven low infection risk to medical personnel, dentists continue to be prejudiced and concerned about their own health and may refuse to treat infected patients. It may be assumed that the proportion of refusing treatment is even greater. This attitude should imply the implementation of training in the field of pathogen transmission and the real risk of infection.