Cent Eur J Public Health 2000, 8(1)

Serum ferritin levels in subjects at high risk of atherosclerosis

Kraml P., Anděl M., Málková J., Poledne R., Zvárová J., Štefek M.

Cent Eur J Public Health 2000, 8(1):4-9

Serum ferritin levels were determined in a group of 148 subjects drawn from a community study who were found to be at high risk of atherosclerosis (evaluated on the basis of the following data: levels of non-HDL cholesterol, arterial pressure, smoking status, cardiovascular or cerebrovascular disease in a subject's history, diabetes mellitus, a positive family predisposition to, or accumulation of the above factors) and compared with the levels obtained in a control group of 148 examined age- and sex-matched subjects from the same community with non-significant risk factors. Mean serum ferritin levels were higher in the whole risk group and in the...

Nutrition, nutritional behavior, and obesity

Koleva M., Kadiiska A., Markovska V., Nacheva A., Boev M.

Cent Eur J Public Health 2000, 8(1):10-13

The purpose of this investigation is to explore the effect of several alimentary factors - such as diet, nutritional habits, and personal preferences - upon the occurrence of obesity. Subjects of the study were 264 workers (203 men and 61 women) from the ammonium production department of a fertilizer plant, divided into two age groups: under 30 years and over 30 years. Methods: The data are collected by means of a questionnaire about daily nutrition, including the types and average quantity of food (Food Frequency Questionnaires - FFQ). All collected information is analyzed by means of a computer program with a database that includes the chemical...

Risk assessment of the occupational contact with ammonium

Koleva M., Rangachev J., Boev M.

Cent Eur J Public Health 2000, 8(1):14-17

The aim of the cohort retrospective study was to analyze and evaluate the influence of certain factors (age, profession, smoking) on the characteristics and the incidence rate of the upper respiratory tract diseases (URTDs) in the occupational contact with ammonium. Subjects were 180 men, divided into 3 professional groups. The average shift concentrations of ammonium were measured in the permanent work places and individually by personal passive dosemeters. The URTDs were classified into 15 groups according to localization and the stage of the inflammatory process. The relationships "time-response" and "dose (concentration)-response" were determined....

Production of slime by staphylococcal isolates from blood cultures

Votava M., Woznicová V.

Cent Eur J Public Health 2000, 8(1):18-20

The aim was to examine the ability of staphylococci isolated from blood cultures to produce slime and to compare the slime production of strains considered clinically significant and of strains considered mere contaminants. The ability to produce slime was examined in 359 staphylococcal isolates from blood cultures by the congo red agar method. The clinical significance of an isolate was estimated according to the frequency of its occurrence in a series of blood cultures. Only strains isolated at least twice from the series of two or more blood cultures were considered significant. The slime production was detected in 18 of 32 strains (56.2 %) of Staphylococcus...

Growth and development of school children

Vignerova J., Bláha P., Kobzová J., Krejčovský L., Paulová M., Riedlová J.

Cent Eur J Public Health 2000, 8(1):21-23

With the support of the Internal Grant Agency of the Ministry of Health of the Czech Republic in 1997-1999 work proceeded on the grant "Semi-longitudinal study of the somatic growth of school children in the Czech Republic". The objective of this project is to assess the growth rate of the basic bodily characteristics in children and youth aged 6 to 14 years, to confirm the positive secular trend in height and body weight or its slowing or stagnation, and also to evaluate the growth and development of children under the new socio-economic conditions. In addition to thirty somatic characteristics which are assessed repeatedly every six months, in 1,925...

The first occurrence of a multi-drug resistant tuberculosis epidemic in the Czech Republic caused by genetically closely related Mycobacterium tuberculosis strains

Kubín M., Havelková M., Hynčicová I., Švecová Z., Kaustová J., Kremer K., van Soolingen D.

Cent Eur J Public Health 2000, 8(1):24-27

DNA fingerprinting based on the detection of the insertion sequence IS6110 in Pvull restriction fragments was applied to M. tuberculosis isolates originating in the first microepidemic of multidrug resistant tuberculosis recorded in the Czech Republic. Their disseminators were 21 individuals living in - or roaming between three distant areas. The age of 17 males ranged from 36 to 64 years (average 45 years) and of 4 females aged from 38 to 52 years. The index person was most probably a former male prisoner, aged 49 years, who disseminated multidrug resistant M. tuberculosis over a period of 28 months. In ten of the patients the following...

Health risk assessment for inhalation exposure to arsenic

Fabiánová E., Hettychová L., Koppová K., Hrubá F., Marko M., Maroni M., Grech G., Bencko V.

Cent Eur J Public Health 2000, 8(1):28-32

Health risk assessment was used as the formal process to estimate the likelihood and magnitude of the health effects occurring in humans as a result of environmental and occupational exposure to polluting agents. This study was focused at estimating the human health risk of the general and working population living in the region polluted by arsenic for more than 40 years, from combustion of coal with high arsenic content in the power plant. The exposure to arsenic from inhalation was under investigation. A study period of 40 years (1973-1993) was chosen. The study period was defined taking into account, besides the availability of data, the temporal...

Environmental respiratory health in Central and Eastern Europe

Jedrychowski W.

Cent Eur J Public Health 2000, 8(1):33-39

The main objective of the paper was to discuss the environmental issues in the countries of central and eastern Europe (CEE) and to show their significance for respiratory health. Many epidemiologic studies carried out in the region have documented an association between air pollution and adverse health effects in the respiratory tract. Short-term exposure to ambient air pollution has been related to an increase in mortality and hospital admissions for diseases of respiratory tract. Effects of long-term exposure was implicated in the rising trends of lower respiratory tract diseases, such as asthma and bronchitis, in both children and adults. Recent...

Influence of cadmium on the immune system. Description of stimulating reactions

Marth E., Barth S., Jelovcan S.

Cent Eur J Public Health 2000, 8(1):40-44

Allergic diseases, atopy, bronchial asthma and chronic obstructive bronchitis are diseases which can directly or indirectly be traced to changes in the function of the immune system. Epidemiological studies have shown that these allergic diseases have increased in the course of time and that the incidence of obstruction of the respiratory system is clearly higher in polluted regions than in comparable control areas. These diseases are mainly the result of a comprehensive influence on the immune system. The present study describes the influence of pollutants on the behavior of cytokines which cannot be directly traced to an allergen or antigen in order...

Caries experience, oral health status and urine fluoride excretion in children in some localities in the Czech Republic

Pilinová A., Polanecký V., Píša J., Šalandová M., Krutina M.

Cent Eur J Public Health 2000, 8(1):45-48

Two studies on caries experience and oral health status in 12-year-old-children were conducted in a five year period (1993-1998). The examination was completed by analysing the urinary fluoride excretion of the examined children. The DMFT was recorded. The F-selective electrode was used for the analysis of the urinary fluoride concentration. The percentage of caries-free children decreased between 1993-1998. Caries experience rose in most of the localities. The highest caries experience expressed by DMFT was found in Tabor where it reached 5 per person. The urinary fluoride excretion ranged from the lowest level, found in Strakonice (0.478 mg/l), to...

Occupational diseases in the Czech Republic in the year 1998. The need for unifying European standards/criteria for all occupational diseases

Pelclová D., Fenclová Z., Lebedová J.

Cent Eur J Public Health 2000, 8(1):49-52

In the Czech Republic, the Clinics and Departments for Occupational Medicine according to the legislation have the right to recognise occupational diseases. The diagnosis must correspond to the Czech list of occupational diseases, which is similar to the European list of occupational diseases. The exposure, sufficient enough to cause certain occupational disease, must be confirmed by regional industrial hygienists, responsible for hygienic control of the workplace. It is evident that the number of diseases is very much dependent upon the standards/criteria used to recognise occupational diseases. In the Czech Republic, the patients suffering from occupational...

Soil pollution and soil limit values

Horváth A.

Cent Eur J Public Health 2000, 8(1):53-58

One of the tools for preventing soil pollution and thus protection of public health is the application of appropriate limit values. Policies on soil protection in relation to soil pollution include two basic strategies: a preventive approach and a remediation or cleanup approach. Preventive, multifunctional limit values are independent from present or future land use. Remediation limit values are connected with land use - these are functional limit values. Both types of limit values are applied in Hungary. Determination of soil limit values demands long-term field investigations, but to estimate allowable concentration for a given site reverse risk...

The concentrations of mixed populations of fungi in indoor air: rooms with and without mould problems; rooms with and without health complaints

Klánová K.

Cent Eur J Public Health 2000, 8(1):59-61

The aim of this study was to establish the concentrations of mixed populations of fungi in indoor air and to attempt to correlate these concentrations and health complaints of residents. We investigated 68 rooms. These were divided into four groups: rooms without moulds on the walls and with/or without complaints; rooms without moulds on the walls and with/or without complaints. Health problems were noted by those living in the rooms and these were non-specific symptoms such as cough, headache, rhinitis and sore throat. The total concentrations of airborne fungi (monitored by aeroscop) were much higher in mouldy rooms than in the reference rooms. Even...

International Quit and Win: successful global action for smoking cessation

Korhonen T., Puska P.

Cent Eur J Public Health 2000, 8(1):62-64

Quit and Win has rapidly grown in popularity as a practical international smoking cessation activity. This is likely to be due to Quit and Win's unique, positive approach to a problem that is receiving increasing attention worldwide as a major health threat. The campaign is also a concrete channel for large international health collaboration, which is necessary considering the global nature of marketing efforts of the tobacco industry. Based on encouraging experiences of three previous international campaigns in 1994, 1996 and 1998, the next International Quit and Win will be organized in 2000. It will be larger than ever and support the new WHO Tobacco-Free...

News and Notes

Sub-regional workshop on pollutant release and transfer registers (PRTRs), 4-5 May 1999, Bratislava, Slovak Republic

Rusnak P., Kovačičová J., Phipps E.W.

Cent Eur J Public Health 2000, 8(1):65