Cent Eur J Public Health 2003, 11(3)

Control of Iodine Deficiency in Western and Central Europe

Delang F.M.

Cent Eur J Public Health 2003, 11(3):120-123  

The paper summarizes the updated information published in peer review journals on the status of iodine deficiency in Western and Central Europe. Nationwide evaluations of the prevalence of goiter and of the concentrations of urinary iodine were conducted during recent years in 17 of the 31 countries of Western and Central Europe, mostly in school-aged children. Fourteen of the 31 countries had reached a normal status of iodine nutrition, three countries were close to iodine sufficiency, iodine deficiency persisted in 13 other countries and data are missing for Albania. The most important alterations of thyroid function due to iodine deficiency in Europe...

Common CYP21 Gene Mutations in Czech Patients and Statistical Analysis of Worldwide Mutation Distribution

Kotaška K., Lisá L., Průša R.

Cent Eur J Public Health 2003, 11(3):124-128  

CYP21 gene molecular analysis was performed to determine the mutational analysis of 87 unrelated Czech patients with different forms of steroid 21-hydroxylase deficiency. Eight of the most common point mutations (intron 2 splice, P30L, 8 bp deletion in exon 3, I172N, V281L, Q318X, R356W, P453S) were analyzed using Amplification-created restriction site method. Cluster in exon 6 mutation was analyzed using allele-specific oligonucleotide hybridisation. Deletions and conversions were screened by modification of an sequence specific oligonucleotides hybridisation. The most frequent mutation in Czech patients was intron 2 splice mutation (45.4%). The comparison...

Influence of Growth Media on Potential Virulence Factors of Pseudomonas aeruginosa

Hoštacká A.

Cent Eur J Public Health 2003, 11(3):129-131  

Potential virulence factors of three Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains after growth in three complex media (CM) and in one mineral medium (MM) were evaluated. Cell surface hydrophobicity demonstrated by adherence of bacteria to xylene as well as enzymatic activity (elastase, protease, lipase) of the strains grown in CM varied with composition of CM and with strain. All strains cultivated in CM showed higher hydrophobicity and higher elastase, protease and lipase (with the exception of one strain) activity in comparison with bacteria incubated in MM. Even no production of elastase was detected in the strains after growth in MM. Motility of bacteria was...

Imagery and Associations of Adolescents Influencing their Behaviours

Kyasová M.

Cent Eur J Public Health 2003, 11(3):132-137  

In adolescent girls, by means of imagery and associations it was studied, which images and associations produce concepts expressing activities which, on the one hand, protect and promote health (exercises, use of seat belts, and condoms) and, on the other hand, represent a health risk (drinking beer and liquor, cigarette smoking, marijuana smoking and cocain use, and sexual intercourse) and how they influence the respondents' behaviour. Nursing school students were interviewed by means of a questionnaire published by the Oregon Research Institute, U.S.A.The respondents gave a total number of 15,760 images for nine concepts. The associations for...

Study of Awareness of Tick-borne Diseases among Children and Young People in the Czech Republic

Dřevová H., Hulínská D., Kurzová Z., Plch J., Janovská D.

Cent Eur J Public Health 2003, 11(3):138-141  

In the 2000 and 2001 years, there was performed a study which has given some insight on the knowledge of youths about ticks and tick-borne diseases. Two thousand seven hundred and sixty-three respondents from 6 to 26 years of age took part in this investigation. More than 98% of respondents knew about the existence of ticks. Almost 93% of children and 97% of adolescents reported that ticks feed on blood. Although the majority of respondents aged 10 to 26 years is convinced that ticks live on vegetation, 23% of them supposed that ticks jump on humans from trees. As many as 93.5% of youths knew that Lyme disease is transmitted by ticks. The main sources...

Risks of Different Self-approach to Health in an Industrial City Population

Šplíchalová A., Tomášková H., Šlachtová H.

Cent Eur J Public Health 2003, 11(3):142-148  

Introduction: The results of a number of epidemiological studies found relationship between low socioeconomic status (SES) and worse health status.Objectives: The goal of the study is the evaluation of the health status in inhabitants of an industrial city, their different approach to health and preventive measures in relation with lifestyle factors and socioeconomic status (SES).Methods: A structured questionnaire was elaborated, distributed to a random sample of some 3,000 aged 25-70 and collected by postal delivery.Results: A total of 634 completed questionnaires were analysed. The subjective health status was reported as good in 75%...

Risk Factors for Asthma in School Children - Results of a Seven-year Follow-up

Zejda J.E., Kowalska M.

Cent Eur J Public Health 2003, 11(3):149-154  

The objective of the study was to evaluate the cumulative incidence of physician-diagnosed asthma over the period of 7 years, and to determine its host and environmental risk factors in children aged 7-9 years at the beginning of follow-up. The incidence of the disease was determined from answers to respiratory questionnaire on two occasions (in 1993 and 2000) in a group of 663 children aged 14-16 years in 2000. The data on host and environmental factors obtained in 1993 were used to explore predictors of asthma, by means of relative risks and the results of logistic regression analysis. The cumulative incidence of asthma (3.9%) appeared to relate...

Exploiting Research Information: Comments about the Different Databases in Health Care (DIMDI, OVID-CDROM)

Lappas E.

Cent Eur J Public Health 2003, 11(3):155-159  

The rapid growth of medical knowledge creates a demand for new ways of providing information. Health professionals are dealing with a variety of cases, and as they have no time to visit the library, they need filtered information instantly. Medical knowledge databases and data sets are increasingly available in electronic form, particularly on the World Wide Web. The premise of this medium is that it offers a "world of` knowledge at your fingertips". The reality, however, is somewhat different, as information systems are not well integrated into clinical practice, they prove difficult to find specific information in, and contain content of varying...

Characterization of Salmonella enterica Serotype Typhimurium in the Czech Republic: Phage Types, Antimicrobial and Plasmid Profiles

Karpíšková R., Koláčková I., Dědičová D., Šrámová H.

Cent Eur J Public Health 2003, 11(3):160-162  

In this study a collection of 547 S. Typhimurium strains isolated in the years 2000 and 2001 both of the human and non-human origin were analysed. 21 different phage types were detected, the most frequent one was DT104 (46%) followed by DT141 (28%) and DT68 (3%). Resistance to one or more antimicrobial agents was found mainly in DT104 (77.4%). S. Typhimurium isolates resistant to 5 and more antimicrobial agents were found in three phagetypes DT104 (57%), DT120 and DT155. Plasmid profiling of DT104 isolates showed 10 different profiles. Pattern A found in 30.5% of tested strains was predominant and carried serovar specific plasmid and one additional...

Evaluation of the Level of Nicotine Dependence among Adolescent Smokers

Hrubá D., Zachovalová L., Fiala J., Kyasová M.

Cent Eur J Public Health 2003, 11(3):163-168  

The questionnaire containing ten items evaluated the degree of dependence in students-volunteers from Brno secondary and vocational schools (ages ranging from 15 to 17 years) and the anamnestic data were compared with the specific (urinary cotinine) and non-specific (CO in the air exhaled) biological tests of exposure to smoking.The sample of 147 students examined contained 42% non-smokers, 25% occasional smokers and almost 33% of those who smoked every day. Almost 10% children smoked more than 10 cigarettes a day, and more than 20% children stated that they smoked 60 and more cigarettes a week.In accordance with the pre-developed degrees of...

Prevalence of Antibodies Against Hantaviruses among the Adult Population of the Czech Republic

Pejčoch M., Kříž B.

Cent Eur J Public Health 2003, 11(3):169-172  

At least three hantavirus genospecies are circulating among wild rodents in Europe: Puumala, Dobrava and Tula, the two first being of clinical significance for humans as possible causative agents of haemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome. As many as 710 adult individuals randomly selected from 12 regions of the Czech Republic were screened for the presence of antibodies against hantaviruses. Commercial sets with Hantaan and Puumala antigens were used for this purpose. Five subjects showed IgG reactivity to Hantaan-like virus (Dobrava) and one subject tested positive for both IgG and IgM antibodies. Two other subjects showed IgM reactivity alone. This...

Masking Effect of Music Upon Oral Information Processing

Tsaneva L.

Cent Eur J Public Health 2003, 11(3):173-175  

The masking effect of three types of music and white masking noise upon special audiometric tests was determined in laboratory conditions.The stimulus-noise (S/N) ratio was found to be the most considerable factor influencing oral information processing in spite of the type of music or noise used as a masking agent.All types of music (modern, classic or modern music records in backwards order) showed no significant differences in masking being in the same way stronger maskers as white noise. Some conclusions are made concerning hygienic and ergonomic aspects of the problem.