Cent Eur J Public Health 2009, 17(3)

Socioeconomic Indicators and Risk of Lung Cancer in Central and Eastern Europe

Františka Hrubá, Eleonóra Fabiánová, Vladimír Bencko, Adrian Cassidy, Jolanta Lissowska, Dana Mates, Péter Rudnai, David Zaridze, Lenka Foretová, Vladimír Janout, Neonilia Szeszenia-Dabrowska, Paul Brennan, Paolo Boffetta

Cent Eur J Public Health 2009, 17(3):115-121 | DOI: 10.21101/cejph.a3516  

Background: Social inequalities have been shown to contribute to the risk of lung cancer in industrialized countries, but it is unclear whether they also play a role in former socialist countries of Europe.Methods: A case-control study involving 3,403 cases and 3,670 controls was conducted in Central European countries (Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Slovakia), Russia, and in the UK. Indicators of socioeconomic status, including education and white/blue collar occupation based on lifetime occupations were analysed as indicators of risk factors for lung cancer development, after adjustment for tobacco smoking and exposure to occupational...

Factors Influencing Self-perception of Health Status

Dorota Kaleta, Kinga Polańska, Elżbieta Dziankowska-Zaborszczyk, Wojciech Hanke, Wojciech Drygas

Cent Eur J Public Health 2009, 17(3):122-127 | DOI: 10.21101/cejph.b0017  

The aim of this study was to evaluate subjective health status of Łódź adult population and to determine the factors affecting their self-perception of health. The study population consisted of randomly selected 1,056 adults aged 20-74 years from Łódź district. Logistic regression model was applied to assess the factors influencing the self-perception of health. More than 30% of study subjects described their health as poor or very poor. There were no statistically significant differences between men and women regarding self-perception of health (p>0.05). Older people more frequently reported their health as poor and very poor compared to those...

Analysis of Long Term Care in the Context of Social and Health Services in Social Institutional Facilities in Slovakia

Mário Ležovič

Cent Eur J Public Health 2009, 17(3):128-132 | DOI: 10.21101/cejph.a3524  

Objectives: Long-term care for people with chronic illnesses and disabilities present an urgent challenge around the world. Existing systems of care, which typically rely on unpaid family members, are not by themselves enough to meet growing demands. This analysis includes survey on the structure of services provided in selected social facilities in Slovakia.Methods: The survey on structure of provided services includes social facilities providing services to the target groups involved in this analysis: Elderly people in retirement age; Disabled and chronically ill citizens in working age. For data collection from social facilities we used questionnaire...

The "Five Risks Algorithm": an Easy Tool for Cardiovascular Risk Estimation

Dirk Devroey, Jan Vandevoorde

Cent Eur J Public Health 2009, 17(3):133-138 | DOI: 10.21101/cejph.b0016  

The aim of this study is to provide an easy tool to identify patients with a high cardiovascular risk, especially those qualifying for lipid-lowering treatment. The decision to treat with lipid-lowering drugs was assessed with five new risk algorithms. The Five Risk algorithm (5R) takes into account male gender, high systolic blood pressure, high total cholesterol, smoking and high blood sugar as independent risk factors. Patients with three independent risk factors qualify for lipid-lowering treatment. Compared to the Framingham Risk Score, the 5R has a Kappa coefficient of 0.62. Compared to the SCORE, the Six Risk algorithm (6RDF) has a Kappa coefficient...

Vertical Distribution of the Tick Ixodes ricinus and Tick-borne Pathogens in the Northern Moravian Mountains Correlated with Climate Warming (Jeseníky Mts., Czech Republic)

Milan Daniel, Jan Materna, Václav Hönig, Ladislav Metelka, Vlasta Danielová, Josef Harčarik, Stanislava Kliegrová, Libor Grubhoffer

Cent Eur J Public Health 2009, 17(3):139-145 | DOI: 10.21101/cejph.a3550  

A study of the vertical distribution of the common tick Ixodes ricinus and tick-borne pathogens - tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV) and genospecies of Borrelia burgdorferi s.l. - was performed in the highest part of the Jeseníky mountain area (the Hrubý Jeseník Mts. with the highest summit Praděd, 1,491 m above see level). Altogether 1,253 specimens of all tick stages (607 larvae, 614 nymphs, 8 females and 24 males) were collected at the altitude 990-1,300 m above sea level on 12 collection sites by the flagging method. Altogether 1,207 ticks (8 females, 24 males, 568 nymphs and 607 larvae) were examined for the presence of tick-borne encephalitis...

The Reform of Specialist Training for General Practice in the Czech Republic

Pavel Vychytil, David Marx

Cent Eur J Public Health 2009, 17(3):146-151 | DOI: 10.21101/cejph.a3525  

Aims: The aim of this paper is to describe the reform of General Practitioners' (GP) training in the Czech Republic (CR) and compare it with the recommendations of European institutions of General Practitioners and European Union (EU) legislation.Methods: The structures of the new Czech GP training (2007) were compared with the recommendations of The European Union of General Practitioners (UEMO), European Academy of Teachers in General Practice and the requirements set by the EU legislation. The comparison with other countries was based on data from the UEMO questionnaire distributed to its members. Data from representatives of institutions responsible...

Arsenic Contamination in Environment in the Region of Vojvodina

Miroslava J. Kristoforović-Ilić, Jelena M. Bjelanović, Miroslav P. Ilić, Milka M. Vidović

Cent Eur J Public Health 2009, 17(3):152-157 | DOI: 10.21101/cejph.a3467  

Ground waters in the region of Autonomous Province of Vojvodina, Republic of Serbia are endangered by arsenic (up to 0.750 mg/l). Total arsenic concentration was determined In samples of untreated and treated water from some local and central water-supply systems. Results are compared to actual regulations in the country. This analysis encompassed 324 drinking water samples of various sources, analyzed in the Institute of Public Health Novi Sad, during 2005. Determined concentration of total arsenic in drinking water varies from 0.005 to 0.450 mg/l. Arsenic concentration in the river Danube water was within recommended value for I-II class. Maximum...

A Prospective Study of Acute Poisonings in a Sample of Greek Patients

Triada Exiara, Thomas A. Mavrakanas, Leonidas Papazoglou, Dimitris Papazoglou, Dimitris Christakidis, Efstratios Maltezos

Cent Eur J Public Health 2009, 17(3):158-160 | DOI: 10.21101/cejph.a3522  

Objectives. Acute poisoning is one of the most common situations managed in the emergency department. Significant differences have been reported concerning the prevalence and etiology of poisoning. This study aims to present the epidemiologic and clinical characteristics of poisonings in the region of Thrace in Northern Greece, where no similar studies have been performed.Methods. A prospective study was carried out in our hospital's emergency department during 4 years (1999-2003). A total of 223 adult patients were admitted with acute poisoning, 87 males (39%) and 136 females (61%).Results. Mean age of male and female patients was 37.1 years...

The Impact of Teaching Physical Education to Czech School Children Using Progressive Teaching Approaches: Findings of a Four-year Study

Karel Frömel, Walid El Ansari, Jana Vašíčková

Cent Eur J Public Health 2009, 17(3):161-168 | DOI: 10.21101/cejph.a3535  

Practice teaching is an important feature of pre-professional preparation of teachers. This study assessed student teachers' (STs) and pupils': overall evaluation and evaluation of pupils' roles in physical education (PE) and second subject lessons. STs delivered the lessons using either traditional or progressive teaching approaches. Questionnaires were completed by 57 STs and 10,517 high school pupils who assessed the lessons taught by the STs. Differences in the evaluation of pupil's role were analysed according to teaching approach, school years, and gender. In both types of lessons, pupils evaluated progressive teaching approaches more positively...

More people dying from TB are HIV-infected than previously recognized.

Cent Eur J Public Health 2009, 17(3):168