Evaluation of the Organisation of the COVID-19 Vaccination Process by the Teachers in a Region of Poland.

The aim of this study was to assess the organisational process of vaccination within the National Vaccination Programme against COVID-19 (NVP) in the professional group of teachers in Pomeranian Province, Poland. The main goal of the survey was to assess the quality of planning and executing of the NVP and to find a correlation between social and employment placements with the level of perception of chosen quality indicators of the NVP. The presented cross-sectional survey was conducted among 4622 teachers from all levels of education in public and non-public institutions who received the SARS-CoV-2 virus vaccination campaign with the vaccine from AstraZeneca as part of the NVP. The survey was conducted using an original, self-designed questionnaire prepared for this study and distributed to teachers in the form of an online survey via email. Bayesian logistic and linear regression were used to estimate the relationship between predictors and dependent variables. Age was the main factor associated with the performance assessment of the vaccination centre (log[BF] = 0.86-16.88), while gender was the main factor associated with the assessment of NVP (log[BF] = 3.15-10,6). The evaluation of the vaccination registration process (log[BF] = -7.01-50.26) and the evaluation of the information received on the management of post-vaccination reactions (log[BF] = -2.22-65.26) were significant parts of the NVP. It is crucial to tailor information messages to the age and gender of the recipients and to ensure the quality of the information provided by medical personnel, in particular the possible occurrence of vaccination reactions and how to deal with them.

Lifestyle intervention towards Mediterranean Diet, physical activity adherence and anthropometric parameters in normal weight women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome or Hashimoto's Thyroiditis - preliminary study.

INTRODUCTION: Overweight and obesity are frequently present in both women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and with Hashimoto's thyroiditis (HT). This is a limited study regarding the benefits of lifestyle changes, including dietary habits, dedicated to patients with HT and PCOS. OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study was to assess the effectiveness of an intervention programme based on the Mediterranean Diet (MD) without caloric restriction and increased physical activity to change selected anthropometric parameters in women with both health conditions. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The intervention programme consisted of changing the participants diet towards MD rules and increasing physical activity for 10 weeks according WHO recommendation. The study involved 14 women diagnosed with HT, 15 with PCOS and 24 women from a control group. The intervention programme consisted of educating patients in the form of a lecture, dietary advice, leaflets and a 7-day menu based on MD. During the programme, patients were required to implement recommended lifestyle changes. The mean intervention time was 72 ± 20 days. Nutritional status was analyzed by body composition, degree of implementation of the principles of the MD by using the MedDiet Score Tool, and the level of physical activity by the IPAQ-PL questionnaire. The above-mentioned parameters were evaluated twice, before and after the intervention. RESULTS: The intervention programme consisting in implementing the principles of the MD and increasing physical activity to effect a change in the anthropometric parameters of all groups of women studied; all women had a reduction in body fat and body mass index. A decrease in waist circumference was observed in the group of patients with Hashimoto's disease. CONCLUSIONS: An intervention programme based on the Mediterranean Diet and physical activity can be a good way to improve the health of HT and PCOS patients.

Conversations about femininity and gender identity during palliative therapy.

Hospices are the last place of medical care for most patients before their death. Female patients who have taken part in palliative therapy have reported feeling that their femininity was 'taken away' from them by their illness, which in turn negatively impacted their mood. This study determines how conversations about the appearance of patients can impact behaviour and wellbeing. The individual in-depth interview (IDI) method was used, which involved individual researcher meetings with respondent patients. The interviews dealt primarily with issues concerning the construction and maintenance of femininity. A total of 26 women in stationary long-term care were interviewed. The research showed that patients were aware of what they perceived as negative changes in their appearance and had a strong desire to negate such effects. Despite poor health conditions and contrary to the routines used in hospices, the maintaining of a feeling of femininity remains a basic need of patients, as it strengthens control over their situation, helps with preserve their gender identity and positively impacts their physical and mental state, and improves their overall wellbeing.