The Impact of Public Health Interventions on the Frequency and Duration of Hospitalisations Among Seniors in Poland—An Analysis Covering the Years 2017–2018

<b>Background/Objectives</b>: Public health programmes for older adults aim to reduce hospital admissions and improve health outcomes. However, the effects of these programmes on the length of hospital stays for seniors remain unclear. This study aimed to examine the link between the number and type of public health initiatives implemented between 2017 and 2018, and the number of hospitalisations, as well as the duration of hospital stays in 2019 and 2020, among seniors with heart, digestive, and musculoskeletal diseases. <b>Methods</b>: A correlation analysis was conducted to explore the relationship between the number of public health programmes and activities, and the number and length of hospitalisations among older adults. Statistical significance was set at <i>p</i> < 0.05 and <i>p</i> < 0.01. <b>Results</b>: The analysis revealed positive correlations between the number of completed public health tasks and the length of hospital stay across the three disease groups. For heart disease, hospital stay length was correlated with the total number of programmes (r = 0.501, <i>p</i> < 0.05) and those specifically supporting medical services (r = 0.574, <i>p</i> < 0.05). In cases of digestive diseases, correlations were observed with the overall number of programmes (r = 0.623, <i>p</i> < 0.01), as well as programmes in the "general" category and ones supporting medical services (r = 0.544-0.601, <i>p</i> < 0.05). Regarding musculoskeletal diseases, the strongest correlation occurred with programmes that support medical services (r = 0.700, <i>p</i> < 0.01). <b>Conclusions</b>: Our results indicate that increased public health interventions may be associated with longer hospital stays among seniors, likely reflecting the emergence of more complex health needs and increased diagnostic intensity. At the same time, analysis based on ecological data does not allow for the establishment of causal relationships, emphasizing the need for further, more advanced research that controls for confounding factors.

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Publication Details

Journal
Journal of Clinical Medicine
Published
2025-12-20
DOI
https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm15010040
Primary Topic
Frailty in Older Adults
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
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article

The Impact of Public Health Interventions on the Frequency and Duration of Hospitalisations Among Seniors in Poland—An Analysis Covering the Years 2017–2018

Izabela Gąska, Weronika Ciećko, Ewa Kaczmar, Magdalena Zawadzka et al.
Journal of Clinical Medicine
Frailty in Older Adults
article

The Impact of Public Health Interventions on the Frequency and Duration of Hospitalisations Among Seniors in Poland—An Analysis Covering the Years 2017–2018

Izabela Gąska, Weronika Ciećko, Ewa Kaczmar, Magdalena Zawadzka, Katarzyna Kwiatkowska, Łukasz Strzępek, Karolina Kamecka, Sławomir Porada, Daria Schneider-Matyka, Tomasz Sowiński, Olga Partyka, Monika Urbaniak, Ewa Bandurska, Jarosław Drobnik, Katarzyna Sygit, Dorota Charkiewicz, Monika Pajewska, Monika Borzuchowska, Aleksandra Czerw, Anna Maria Cybulska, Piotr Pobrotyn, E. Grochans, Dorota Waśko-Czopnik, Remigiusz Kozlowski, Urszula Grata-Borkowska, Mateusz Curyło, Katarzyna Tejza
article en

Abstract

<b>Background/Objectives</b>: Public health programmes for older adults aim to reduce hospital admissions and improve health outcomes. However, the effects of these programmes on the length of hospital stays for seniors remain unclear. This study aimed to examine the link between the number and type of public health initiatives implemented between 2017 and 2018, and the number of hospitalisations, as well as the duration of hospital stays in 2019 and 2020, among seniors with heart, digestive, and musculoskeletal diseases. <b>Methods</b>: A correlation analysis was conducted to explore the relationship between the number of public health programmes and activities, and the number and length of hospitalisations among older adults. Statistical significance was set at <i>p</i> < 0.05 and <i>p</i> < 0.01. <b>Results</b>: The analysis revealed positive correlations between the number of completed public health tasks and the length of hospital stay across the three disease groups. For heart disease, hospital stay length was correlated with the total number of programmes (r = 0.501, <i>p</i> < 0.05) and those specifically supporting medical services (r = 0.574, <i>p</i> < 0.05). In cases of digestive diseases, correlations were observed with the overall number of programmes (r = 0.623, <i>p</i> < 0.01), as well as programmes in the "general" category and ones supporting medical services (r = 0.544-0.601, <i>p</i> < 0.05). Regarding musculoskeletal diseases, the strongest correlation occurred with programmes that support medical services (r = 0.700, <i>p</i> < 0.01). <b>Conclusions</b>: Our results indicate that increased public health interventions may be associated with longer hospital stays among seniors, likely reflecting the emergence of more complex health needs and increased diagnostic intensity. At the same time, analysis based on ecological data does not allow for the establishment of causal relationships, emphasizing the need for further, more advanced research that controls for confounding factors.

Journal of Clinical MedicineVol. 15(1)
Warsaw University of Technology (PL), Poznan University of Medical Sciences (PL), Medical University of Warsaw (PL), National Health and Family Planning Commission (CN), Wroclaw Medical University (PL), Narodowy Instytut Zdrowia Publicznego PZH – Państwowy Instytut Badawczy (PL), Jan Grodek State Vocational Academy in Sanok (PL), St. Raphael's Hospital (PK), Medical University of Lodz (PL), Wojskowy Instytut Higieny i Epidemiologii (PL), Wroclaw Research Centre EIT+ (Poland) (PL), Andrzej Frycz Modrzewski Krakow University (PL), Krakow Cardiovascular Research Institute (PL), Global Water Partnership West Africa (BF), Uniwersytet Kaliski im. Prezydenta Stanisława Wojciechowskiego (PL), AGH University of Krakow (PL), Gdańsk Medical University (PL), Pomeranian Medical University (PL), University of Rzeszów (PL)
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Frailty in Older Adults
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