Cent Eur J Public Health 2010, 18(3)

The Czech AUDIT: Internal Consistency, Latent Structure and Identification of Risky Alcohol Consumption

Hana Sovinová, Ladislav Csémy

Cent Eur J Public Health 2010, 18(3):127-131 | DOI: 10.21101/cejph.a3599

Aim: The primary aim of the study is to examine the psychometric properties and the structure of the Czech version of the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT), and to estimate the rate of risky, harmful and problematic alcohol consumers. Methods and sample: Two large data sets were analyzed. The first was based on the application of the AUDIT as a part of a general population survey (N=1.326; age range 18-64), the second represents data gathered by general practitioners (GPs) in the context of a pilot screening and brief advice (SBA) project in the area of Greater Prague (N=2.589). Results: Analyses of reliability...

Alcohol Consumption among Men and Women with Tuberculosis in Tomsk, Russia

Sonya S. Shin, Trini A. Mathew, Galina V. Yanova, Garrett M. Fitzmaurice, Viktoriya Livchits, Sergey A. Yanov, Aivar K. Strelis, Sergey P. Mishustin, Nicolai A. Bokhan, Charmaine S. Lastimoso, Hilary S. Connery, Jessica E. Hart, Shelly F. Greenfield

Cent Eur J Public Health 2010, 18(3):132-138 | DOI: 10.21101/cejph.a3590

Drinking behavior among Russian women remains poorly described. We analyzed gender differences in alcohol use among 374 tuberculosis patients in Tomsk, Siberia. Twenty-six (28.3%) women had lifetime alcohol abuse or dependence, compared with 70.6% of men. Women with alcohol use disorders drank 12.7±14.0 standard drinks per day and 34.6% drank ≥ three days per week. Among individuals with a lifetime alcohol use disorder, age of onset and typical consumption did not differ significantly by gender. We conclude that Russian women with alcohol use disorders consume almost as much alcohol as men and may be at greater risk for negative social and...

Cardiovascular Risk Predictors in Central Slovakian Roma Children and Adolescents: Regional Differences

Zuzana Hujová, Roman Alberty, Ivan Ahlers, Eva Ahlersová, Edita Paulíková, Júlia Desatníková, Drahoslav Gábor, Františka Hrubá

Cent Eur J Public Health 2010, 18(3):139-144 | DOI: 10.21101/cejph.a3563

The objective of the study was to determine some Cardiovascular Disease (CVD) risk factors in 174 Roma children and adolescents (88 males and 86 females) aged 7-18 in 3 Central Slovakian cities (44 from Žilina, 39 from Banská Bystrica and 91 from Rimavská Sobota). Venous blood samples were drawn in the morning, after a 12 hour overnight fast for biochemical analysis. Total cholesterol (TC) and triglycerides (TG) were determined enzymatically. HDL-cholesterol (HDL-C) after selective precipitation lipoproteins containing apolipoprotein B and LDL-cholesterol (LDL-C) was calculated by the Friedewald Formula. Serum levels of apolipoproteins (apo A, apo...

Sense of Coherence and Health-Related Behaviour among University Students - A Questionnaire Survey

Monika Binkowska-Bury, Paweł Januszewicz

Cent Eur J Public Health 2010, 18(3):145-150 | DOI: 10.21101/cejph.a3591

The aim of this study is to evaluate the relation between a sense of coherence and intensity of health-related behaviour among 521 Polish university students. The study was conducted using validated instruments with two questionnaires: Antonovsky's SOC-29 and the Inventory of Health-Related Behaviour. The mean value of SOC amounted to 125.2. More than half of the studied group were characterized by the average level of SOC. No statistical differences were found between the faculty of study and SOC (p=0.107). A low intensity of health-related behaviour characterized a large group of students. Students of particular faculties differ among themselves...

Prevalence and Correlates of Active Traveling to School among Adolescents in Cyprus

Constantinos A. Loucaides, Russell Jago, Maria Theophanous

Cent Eur J Public Health 2010, 18(3):151-156 | DOI: 10.21101/cejph.a3592

More data regarding prevalence and correlates of active travel to school are needed from different parts of the world. The purpose of this study was to examine prevalence and correlates of active travel to school among adolescents in Cyprus. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 1966 adolescents attending grade 6, grades 7-9, grades 10-12 and technical/vocational schools in Cyprus. Overall prevalence of active travel to school was 19.4%. Parental perceptions of safe route to school, other children walking to school from the child's neighborhood and school location (urban versus rural) were associated with active travel across different levels...

Recent Epidemiological Results of Thyroid Cancer in the Most Radiated Territory in Poland

Andrzej Tukiendorf, Leszek Miszczyk, Phil McEwan

Cent Eur J Public Health 2010, 18(3):157-160 | DOI: 10.21101/cejph.a3605

In this report the authors evaluate epidemiological evidence of thyroid cancer cases in a highly radiated territory in Poland - i.e. in the province of Opole after 1986. The analysis - based on logistic regression modelling of registered thyroid cancer and an ecological covariate (¹³⁷Cs concentration) - shows differences in incidence in six distinguished radiation zones and two equal periods. The results of this study indicate a significant increase in incidence of thyroid cancer in 1995-2002 in males and in females comparing to the years 1987-1994. Moreover, a considerable rise of incidences has been noticed in the elevated isotope's concentration...

Varicose Veins of Lower Extremities in Pregnant Women and Birth Outcomes

Ferenc Bánhidy, Nándor Ács, Erzsébet H. Puhó, Andrew E. Czeizel

Cent Eur J Public Health 2010, 18(3):161-168 | DOI: 10.21101/cejph.a3596

The objective of the study was to estimate the association of pregnant women with varicose veins of lower extremities (VVLE) and the possible risk for adverse birth outcomes and among them different congenital abnormalities (CAs) in their children. Prospectively and medically recorded VVLE were evaluated in 332 pregnant women who delivered infants with CA (case group) and 566 pregnant women with VVLE who delivered infants without CA (control group) and matched to cases were compared in the population-based data set of the Hungarian Case-Control Surveillance System of Congenital Abnormalities, 1980-1996. About one-quarter of pregnant women had chronic...

Effect of Endurance Exercise on Resting Testosterone Levels in Sedentary Subjects

Ashira Hiruntrakul, Ratanavadee Nanagara, Alongkot Emasithi, Katarina T. Borer

Cent Eur J Public Health 2010, 18(3):169-172 | DOI: 10.21101/cejph.a3589

Objective: To investigate the effects of moderate-intensity and low frequency exercise on resting serum testosterone and cortisol levels, resting heart rate, and isokinetic strength among healthy sedentary young men. Design: A randomized controlled study. Forty sedentary young men aged 18 to 25 years old, pedaled 50 minutes on a bicycle ergometry at 60% of maximal effort once a week for 12 weeks in an exercise group. Outcome measures: Resting total and free serum testosterone, serum cortisol, anthropometric data, resting heart rate, and isokinetic strength during shoulder and knee extensions. Results: Resting serum total...

Healthcare-Associated Infections at Intensive Care Unit of Department of Anesthesiology and Intensive Medicine at Martin Faculty Hospital

Lukáš Murajda, Miroslav Šulaj, Henrieta Hudečková, Slavka Litvová, Janka Buchancová

Cent Eur J Public Health 2010, 18(3):173-176 | DOI: 10.21101/cejph.a3595

We analyzed the occurrence of healthcare-associated infections (HAI) at intensive care unit of the Department of Anesthesiology and Intensive Medicine of Martin Faculty Hospital in 2008. We performed a retrospective-prospective observation according the protocol of European HELICS (Hospital in Europe Link for Infection Control and Surveillance) system. We found 11 HAI (4.45%) which on average prolonged the length of hospitalization by 6 days. The most frequent localisation of HAI was the respiratory tract. By our own observation we found the same number of HAI cases as it had been reported officially but the observed and reported cases do not match....

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