How has the last year, marked by successive waves of the coronavirus, affected our health? Did we remember about primary and secondary prevention? Or maybe what is most important, that is “our health future”, was limited to the DDM principle? Interesting conclusions are provided by a study commissioned by Nationale-Nederlanden by the Institute for Market and Social Research.
He is everything to us …
In the ranking of important values, “health” invariably comes first. This is evidenced by public opinion polls showing that it is more valuable to us than love, the amount of money on the account or the number of achievements listed in the CV. And although the SARS-CoV-2 virus has been on the lips of the whole world for the last two years, and our lives have been dominated by the fear of a new, unknown disease, another disease has not disappeared, which is confirmed by the growing “health debt”.
What’s more, once again we found out that leading a healthy lifestyle, as well as thinking about your health in the perspective of “today” and “tomorrow” is an investment that always pays off. The more so as people with chronic diseases are at risk of severe COVID-19.
However, have the lessons we have learned from the pandemic transferred to action? Interesting observations are provided by a study commissioned by Nationale-Nederlanden by the Institute for Market and Social Research [1].
Not COVID-19, and cancer
Cancer is what we fear most in the context of our “health future”. This was confirmed by the responses of the respondents – almost 50 percent. indicated that cancer causes them the greatest concern, followed by cardiovascular diseases (heart attack, stroke) – 26,6%, obesity and overweight – 5,9%, diabetes – 4.9%. and COVID-19 – 4,5 percent.
Unfortunately, the results of the study correspond with the sad truth – the incidence of oncological diseases is increasing year by year and, according to experts, by 2025 cancer will become the main cause of death in Poland. According to the report “Access of oncological patients to drug therapies in Poland against the background of current medical knowledge” of 2017, carried out by the Alivia Oncology Foundation, every fourth inhabitant of Poland will develop cancer during their lifetime, and every fifth will die from it [ 2]! This means that even if we are not directly affected by a cancer diagnosis, it will affect our loved ones, friends, acquaintances or neighbors. The respondents also speak about it – almost 39 percent. admitted that their loved one suffered from cancer, in the case of another 18 percent. it was a distant relative.
The reason why we fear cancer is not only because of rising incidence rates, but also because of the survival rates commonly used as a measure of treatment success. The average Pole has a much lower chance of surviving 5 years with cancer compared to the inhabitants of other European countries. What is most worrying is the high mortality of the economically active, young and middle-aged people, which negatively distinguishes Poland in European mortality statistics. And although on the one hand, we can blame the current situation on the underfunding of oncology, staff shortages or bad organization of the system, it cannot be denied that in terms of primary and secondary prevention, we ourselves have a lot to do …
Lifestyle to fix?
Although we know more and more about a healthy lifestyle, and health-promoting behaviors reach the top of our New Year’s resolutions every year, we often forget about them in everyday life.
It is enough to look at the respondents’ answers to the question about a healthy diet. Only 27 percent. She fully agreed with the statement: “I eat healthy and regularly”, and yet we know that a diet based on vegetables and fruits, whole grains and pods is one of the twelve ways to health listed in the European Code Against Cancer. Avoid processed foods (high in sugars and fats), processed meats, red meat, sweetened drinks and foods that contain a lot of salt. Research has shown that people who eat healthily have a lower risk of developing cancer. Moreover, a proper diet helps to extend the life of people diagnosed with cancer (breast cancer and colorectal cancer).
Another recommendation that we sometimes ignore is regular physical activity – almost 14 percent. of the respondents admitted that they do not do any sports. That’s a lot – regular exercise protects us against cancer of the colon, breast and endometrium. Additionally, according to some studies, being active reduces the risk of lung, liver, ovary, prostate, kidney and stomach cancer.
Exercise is important for one more reason – it is a simple tool to alleviate mental stress, experienced by approximately 25% of people every day before the pandemic. professionally active Poles.
Unfortunately, the last two years dominated by the fight against the coronavirus, the uncertainty of tomorrow and the need for isolation have had a negative impact on our mental health. This was confirmed by the results of a study commissioned by Nationale-Nederlanden by the Institute for Market and Social Research – almost 40 percent. of the respondents fully agreed with the statement that the pandemic causes them to feel a deterioration in their mental condition.
At odds with research …
We all know well that in the fight against cancer, time is everything – the earlier a cancer is detected, the better the chances of a cure and a long life. That is why preventive examinations, which we sometimes “sleep”, are so important. In the past two years, many of us avoided contact with health care facilities and gave up check-ups for fear of being infected with the coronavirus. This is evidenced by the responses of the respondents – over 35 percent. Poles in the last year decided not to perform basic control tests, including morphology, which tells so much about our health and is often the first warning signal.
Worryingly, we sometimes forget about the importance of quick prophylaxis at home, which costs us nothing and takes 3 to 5 minutes a month. Only 36 percent. Polish women declared regular breast self-examination. In the case of men, it is unfortunately much worse – only 12 percent. remembers about self-examination of the testicles.
We are reminded of the importance of preventive examinations by Nationale-Nederlanden, which on February 4, on the World Cancer Day, launched the “Do not sleep through the tests” campaign, in which it encourages Polish women and Poles to regularly self-examine their breasts and testicles. On the website of the campaign “Do not miss the tests” you can find practical information and tips on self-examination of the breasts and testicles, as well as a series of video guides with a psycho-oncologist that introduce the topic of preventive examinations and help tame the fear of the examination.
It is also worth remembering that an element of prevention is the use of solutions that could be support in the event of a disease. In the light of the respondents’ declarations – more than a quarter of them use the private medical care package, which includes access to tests and specialists. On the other hand, one in ten respondents decided to purchase insurance in the event of a serious illness, which allows not only to finance additional consultations or treatment, but also provides comprehensive support for the sick person and their family in the process of recovery.
Cancer is not only a huge emotional but also financial challenge, the more so as patients are often unable to work during therapy, and sometimes the only chance for recovery is treatment abroad. Having the appropriate policy, the patient can not only quickly confirm or rule out a serious illness, but in the event of its occurrence – gain access to the best specialists and support at every stage, as well as financial benefits – emphasizes Marta Pokutycka-Mądala, Director of Corporate Communication and Press Spokesman in Nationale-Nederlanden.