Cent Eur J Public Health 2008, 16(2)

Health Attitudes and Behaviour as Predictors of Self-rated Health in Relation to Mortality Patterns (17-year Follow-up in a Polish Elderly Population - Cracow Study)

Beata Tobiasz-Adamczyk, Piotr Brzyski, Marek S. Kopacz

Cent Eur J Public Health 2008, 16(2):47-53 | DOI: 10.21101/cejph.a3458  

The aim of this 17-year Cracow (Poland) study was to examine and identify the determinants most responsible for the relationship between self-rated health and mortality in non-institutionalized elderly people. Base-line data were collected in a simple random sample of 2,605 Cracow residents, aged 65 years and over. The vital status of all individuals under study was established by monitoring city records. Death certificates were obtained for the deceased and coded according to the underlying cause of death.Predictors related to self-rated health, developed using the results of principal component analysis, were modelled on three indexes: individual...

Serum Lipids and Glucose Disturbances at Professional Drivers Exposed to Occupational Stressors

Jovica Jovanović, Violeta Stefanović, Dragana Nikić Stanković, Dragan Bogdanović, Biljana Kocić, Milan Jovanović, Zorica Antić, Maja Nikolić, Jovana Jovanović

Cent Eur J Public Health 2008, 16(2):54-58 | DOI: 10.21101/cejph.a3451  

The aim of this study is to find association between some groups of occupational stressors and serum lipids and glucose concentrations in professional drivers in road traffic. The study included 417 male professional drivers (162 inter city bus drivers, 36 suburban bus drivers, 33 city bus drivers, 81 truck drivers, 71 official car drivers and 34 professional taxi drivers). Occupational stressors were identified and total occupational stress index score was measured by standardized questionnaire authorized by Karen Belkic. Occupational stressors were divided into seven groups (underload, high demand, strictness, extrinsic time pressure, noxious exposures,...

Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) - an Efficient Tool for Diagnosis of Influenza and Acute Respiratory Illnesses During Influenza Season

Lucia Maďarová, Soňa Feiková, Renáta Kissová, Cyril Klement, Hana Blaškovičová, Branko Takáč, Svetozár Dluholucký

Cent Eur J Public Health 2008, 16(2):59-64 | DOI: 10.21101/cejph.a3443  

Many severe diseases of the respiratory tract lead to hospitalisation. These diseases are often caused by viral infections and may cause increased mortality. The most common viral pathogens involved in these cases, which are also associated with significant morbidity and mortality during the influenza seasons are influenza viruses. Rapid differential diagnosis of influenza viruses is therefore of great importance. Classical diagnosis of these viruses involves virus cultures. Of the rapid diagnostic methodologies which have been developed are RT-PCR, multiplex PCR, real-time PCR. In the present study we have monitored clinical samples from patients...

The Development of a Directed Population Approach to Tackle Inequalities in Dental Caries Prevalence among Secondary School Children Based on a Small Area Profile

Darius Sagheri, Petra Hahn, Elmar Hellwig

Cent Eur J Public Health 2008, 16(2):65-70 | DOI: 10.21101/cejph.a3469  

Background: It has been observed that the prevalence of dental caries among children has declined in the last decade in Germany. However, despite of these improvements there is still a proportion of children suffering from dental decay.Aims: The aims of this study were to evaluate if a social gradient in the prevalence of dental caries exists and, based on those findings, to develop a strategy to target those children with heightened risk to develop dental caries in order to assist oral health care professionals to refocus the current uniform school-based dental health programme to a caries preventive strategy based on a directed population approach....

Maternal Smoking During Pregnancy, Behavioral Problems and School Performances of Their School-Aged Children

Lubomír Kukla, Drahoslava Hrubá, Mojmír Tyrlík

Cent Eur J Public Health 2008, 16(2):71-76 | DOI: 10.21101/cejph.a3462  

Background: Child behavior and school performance is influenced by many genetic and environmental factors including prenatal exposure to chemical neurotoxins contained in cigarette smoke. The European Longitudinal Study of Pregnancy and Childhood (ELSPAC) prospective study which in the Czech Republic incorporates a cohort of children born in the years 1991/2 in Brno city and the Znojmo district also allows to analyze the relationships between prenatal cigarette smoke exposure and the occurrence of behavior and learning disorders.Methods: Using questionnaires repeatedly filled in by teachers and investigation protocols performed by research team...

Tobacco Habits and Oral Health Status in Selected Indian Population

Sajith Vellappally, Vimal Jacob, Jindra Šmejkalová, Pilathadka Shriharsha, Vinod Kumar, Zdeněk Fiala

Cent Eur J Public Health 2008, 16(2):77-84 | DOI: 10.21101/cejph.a3448  

This cross-sectional study was aimed at possible relationships between tobacco habits and selected behavior characteristics in an adult sample from India. Contemporaneous clinical examination comprised an intra-oral examination with specific emphasise to dental caries status in the form of DMFT (Decayed, Missing, and Filled Teeth) index. The study comprised 805 subjects in the age group from 30 to 69 years (72% of males and 28% of females). The participants were divided into regular smokers, occasional smokers, ex-smokers, tobacco chewers and non-tobacco users. The highest prevalence of oral mucosal lesions were found in tobacco chewers (22.7 %) followed...

Environmental Tobacco Smoke: Is It a Risk Factor for Diarrhea in 6-18 Months Old Infants?

Elif N. Özmert, Mustafa Kiliç, Kadriye Yurdakök

Cent Eur J Public Health 2008, 16(2):85-86 | DOI: 10.21101/cejph.a3450  

Environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) has been shown to have many untoward healh effects, however no study directly evaluated the effect of ETS on diarrheal diseases. In this case control study we aimed to define the risk factors including ETS for diarrheal diseases in 6-18 months old infants who live in the capital of Turkey. All of them have access to pipe water and toilets. Infants who were admitted to Hacettepe University Ihsan Dogramaci Children's Hospital Diarrheal Diseases Training and Treatment Unit with the complaint of acute diarrhea (less than 14 days) between April-May 2005 constituted the cases. Controls were age matched infants who were admitted...

Stress and Fatigue in Sound Engineers: The Effect of Broadcasting in a Life Show and Shift Work

Katia K. Vangelova

Cent Eur J Public Health 2008, 16(2):87-91 | DOI: 10.21101/cejph.a3457  

The aim was to study the time-of-day variations of cortisol, fatigue and sleep disturbances in sound engineers in relation to job task and shift work. The concentration of saliva cortisol and feeling of stress, sleepiness and fatigue were followed at three hour intervals in 21 sound engineers: 13 sound engineers, aged 45.1 ± 7.3 years, broadcasting in a life show during fast forward rotating shifts and 8 sound engineers, aged 47.1 ± 9.8 years, making records in a studio during fast rotating day shifts. Cortisol concentration was assessed in saliva with radioimmunological kits. The participants reported for stress symptoms during the shifts...

World TB Day 2008. Worldwide efforts to confront tuberculosis are making progress, but too slowly.

Cent Eur J Public Health 2008, 16(2):92