Cent Eur J Public Health 2002, 10(3)

Determinants of Adolescents' Smoking Behaviour: A Literature Review

Gecková A., van Dijk J.P., van Ittersum-Gritter T., Groothoff J.W., Post D.

Cent Eur J Public Health 2002, 10(3):79-87  

A review of studies focused on determinants of adolescents' smoking behaviour (ASB) published between 1990-2000 is presented. Determinants were divided into three groups: individual factors, social factors and societal factors. Individual factors include knowledge, intentions, attitudes, health-related behaviour, personality characteristics and school-related variables. Social factors include smoking behaviour of parents, siblings, peers and significant adults, but also family characteristics, social support, and socio-economic status. Societal factors include restrictions on smoking, tobacco advertisement, and smoking behaviour of adolescents' role model.

Cervix Uteri Cancer Incidence in Relation to Ethnic Situation in Opole Province, Poland

Tukiendorf A.

Cent Eur J Public Health 2002, 10(3):88-92  

This paper presents results of a retrospective ecological analysis of cervix uteri cancer incidence in relation to the ethnic situation in the province of Opole, Poland. A few well-known methodological procedures were applied in the study. Detecting spatial disease clusters followed Tango's method. Estimates of relative risks of cancer morbidity were calculated via Clayton and Kaldor's empirical Bayes approach. To measure spatial correlation between neoplasmatic incidence and ethnic density, Moran's statistic was used. The Poisson modelling of the variables was performed using Markov Chain Monte Carlo technique - Gibbs sampling. The results presented...

Moulds in Housing: Visual Inspection and Spore Counts Comparison - Implications for Future Strategies in the Public Health Setting

Hutter H.P., Moshammer H., Kundi M., Wallner P., Neuberger M.

Cent Eur J Public Health 2002, 10(3):93-96  

Objectives. Among the problems of health related to living conditions presented to a public consulting centre for environmental medicine in Vienna, the main point at issue was damp housing and mould growth. On answering this demand indoor exposure to fungal spores was identified by visual semiquantitative assessment of fungal growth on the one hand and quantitative measurement of viable spores on the other hand. The validity and practicability of this approach was investigated.Method: We applied these two simple methods in a standardised form and compared the results in a field study, which has been conducted between 1995 and 1999. In 197 rooms...

The Lactobacilli - Candida Relationship in Cervico-vaginal Smears

Demirezen Ş.

Cent Eur J Public Health 2002, 10(3):97-99  

The aim of this study is to determine whether there is a relationship between the presence of Lactobacilli and the growth of Candida. For this purpose, 1110 cervico-vaginal smears were examined cytologically and 450 patients who were normally menstruating were subseguently selected among them. Fifty nine of 450 were diagnosed as having Candida and they were accepted as study group. Three hundred and ninety-one patients who were diagnosed as having no infectious agents were accepted as control group. Lactobacilli were present in 50 of 59 in various degree and were absent in 9 of 59. The prevalence rates of the presence of Lactobacilli (84.74 %) as well...

Prescription Patterns Analysis - Variations among Bulgaria, Romania, Macedonia and Bosnia Herzegovina

Petrova G.I.

Cent Eur J Public Health 2002, 10(3):100-103  

The objective of the study is analysis of the prescription patterns in Bulgaria, Romania, Macedonia and Bosnia Herzegovina (BiH). The study discusses the relevance between prescription and morbidity and the rationality of the drug prescription in terms of Essential Drug Concept (EDC). For the assessment of the morbidity influence on the prescription official statistical information was reviewed and prevailing causes of diseases in the observed countries were calculated. To study the prescription patterns geographically selected regions from the countries under consideration were observed during 1998 - 2000. In all the countries under consideration...

Antibacterial Efficacy of Disinfectants Against Some Gramnegative Bacteria

Majtán V., Majtánová Ľ.

Cent Eur J Public Health 2002, 10(3):104-106  

The antibacterial effect of 11 new commercially manufactured disinfectants on clinical isolates of Salmonella typhimurium DT104, Serratia marcescens and Pseudomonas aeruginosa was studied. The substances tested represented six pure quaternary ammonium substances (QAS) and five QAS combinated with other ingredients. The antibacterial efficacy was characterized by influencing the growth of bacterial cells expressed by MIC and ED 50 values. The disinfectants are divided into three groups according to their efficacy. The antibacterial efficacy of disinfectants on S. typhimurium DT104 in the study is the highest in comparison with S. marcescens and P. aeruginosa...

The Pursuit of Secondary Prevention Targets in Czech Coronary Patients. A Comparison of EuroAspire I and II Surveys

Mayer O.Jr., Šimon J., Rosolová H., De Bacquer D.

Cent Eur J Public Health 2002, 10(3):107-111  

Background: Definite evidence has been established, that coronary patients benefit from appropriate secondary prevention measures, as recommended by the European and National Guidelines. EuroAspire I (1995) and EuroAspire II (1999) were surveys aimed to evaluate the state of the implementation of guidelines into the every-day medical practice in several European countries, including Czech Republic. We wondered to what extent the practice in secondary prevention of Czech physicians, since the guidelines were published, changed during 5 years, to pursue the targets.Methods: We compared two surveys, undertaken in the same geographical areas of the...

Enteroviruses Identifications and Differentiation on the Basis of the Selective Group - Specific Inhibitory Effect of Chemical Compounds

Votyakov V.I., Andreeva O.T., Amvrosieva T.V., Titov L.P., Bruskova I.V., Timofeeva M.M., Kazinets O.N., Bogush Z.F., Feldman E.V.

Cent Eur J Public Health 2002, 10(3):112-106  

Two new enteroviruses (EV) inhibitors with the selective group-specific effect were detected and studied representing the products of the original chemical synthesis. One of them - nifan (arylfuran derivative) inhibits poliomyelitis virus replication, the other one - belvtazide (synchonic acid derivative) blocks non-poliomyelitis EV (ECHO and Coxsackie B) replication. The study of the reference strains of poliomyelitis virus type 1-3, twenty-three ECHO virus types (from the 1st to the 33rd), Coxsackie B virus type 1-6 and 288 primary EV isolates did not reveal type or strain specific variability in the inhibitors effect. Nifan and belvtazide suppress...

Peer Education of Tobacco Issues in Hungarian Communities of Roma and Socially Disadvantaged Children

Szilágyi T.

Cent Eur J Public Health 2002, 10(3):117-120  

Objective: The aim of this demonstration program was to examine the effectiveness of peer education in disseminating tobacco related information and influencing knowledge, attitudes and beliefs related to smoking in socially disadvantaged youth communities.Method: Peer educators were trained to become messengers of tobacco issues. Intervention sites were selected. Self-administered questionnaires were used to assess the effectiveness of interventions. Recommendations were drawn up on the inclusion of peer conducted health education into the comprehensive program of the Ministry of Health to improve the health situation of Roma (Gypsy) and disadvantaged...

Fuzzy Sets Applications for Cancer Risk Assessment

Molchanov P.A., Dudatiev A.V., Podobna Y.Y., Molchanova O.P.

Cent Eur J Public Health 2002, 10(3):121-103  

The method of cancer risk assessment on the basis of the Fuzzy Set Theory is presented. The method is based on a multifactor risk assessment of cancer diseases. The individual risk of cancer disease is evaluated as the probability of disease multiplied by the value of an individual dose. An acupuncture method of cancer risk assessments was developed. The method is based on the analysis of changes of an electromagnetic field (biofield) of a person. The method allows to determine both cancer probability and probable location of the process.

Bacterial Urinary Mutagenicity Test for Monitoring of Exposure to Genotoxic Compounds: A Review

Černá M., Pastorková A.

Cent Eur J Public Health 2002, 10(3):124-109  

Testing human urine formutagenic activity towards bacteria has proven to be a useful means for identifyinggenotoxic exposure. The review documents the utilization of the urinary mutagenicity testusing Salmonella typhimurium indicator strains (Ames test) to monitor populationsoccupationally or environmentally exposed to genotoxic compounds. Confounding factors,mainly smoking and diet, have to be taken into consideration when interpreting the urinarymutagenicity results. Some methodological improvements in the past few years haveincreased the sensitivity of the urinary mutagenicity test also for identifyingenvironmental exposure to genotoxins. The test...

Partnership moves in record time to provide vaccine against meningitis as epidemic emerges in Africa.

Cent Eur J Public Health 2002, 10(3):131, 141

The World Cancer Report--the major findings.

Cent Eur J Public Health 2002, 10(3):177-179