Cent Eur J Public Health 2011, 19(2)

Factors Associated with Quit Attempts and Quitting among Eastern Hungarian Women who Smoked at the Time of Pregnancy

Kristie L. Foley, Péter Balázs, Andrea Grenczer, Ildikó Rákóczi

Cent Eur J Public Health 2011, 19(2):63-66 | DOI: 10.21101/cejph.a3631  

Introduction: The purpose of this research was to assess factors associated with quit attempts and successful smoking cessation among a sample of socioeconomically disadvantaged pregnant women living in Eastern Hungary. Materials and methods: In-person interviews were conducted among 201 women residing in Eastern Hungary who self-identified as occasional or regular smokers at the time they learned they were pregnant. Results: 54% of the women were smokers at the time they learned they were pregnant. Just over half tried to quit, but only 20% were successful. Factors associated with reduced likelihood of quit attempts included being...

The Prevalence of Cigarette Smoking and its Relation to Certain Risk Predictors of Cardiovascular Diseases in Central-Slovakian Roma Children and Adolescents

Zuzana Hujová, Roman Alberty, Edita Paulíková, Ivan Ahlers, Eva Ahlersová, Drahoslav Gábor, Michael Dove

Cent Eur J Public Health 2011, 19(2):67-72 | DOI: 10.21101/cejph.a3621  

The objective of the study was to determine some Cardiovascular Disease (CVD) risk factors in relation to cigarette smoking in 174 Roma children and adolescents (88 males and 86 females) and 131 non-Roma probands (males and females) aged 7-18 in central Slovakia. In this biethnic study, 26.4% of the Roma children and adolescents (more than twice contrary to the control group) were smokers. Among the studied ethnicities, the majority of smokers was Roma (79.3%, 46 subjects). Smoking Roma have higher means of TG, Lp(a) and WHR compared with non-smoking non-Roma. The most frequent CVD risk predictors of smoking Roma probands was low serum levels HDL-C,...

Tobacco Advertisements Targeted on Women: Creating an Awareness among Women

Dorota Kaleta, Bukola Usidame, Kinga Polańska

Cent Eur J Public Health 2011, 19(2):73-78 | DOI: 10.21101/cejph.a3639  

It has been always believed that men smoke more than women, but the trend of smoking in women is increasing nowadays. In some countries there are even more female smokers than male smokers. This is a major health risk because women are present and future mothers, and increasing number of smoking women will enlarge the number of exposed children. Relatively few women are aware of gender-specific health risks, including cervical cancer, osteoporosis, poor pregnancy outcome and early menopause. Tobacco related diseases are on the rise in women, considering the fact that more women now die of lung cancer than breast cancer. Tobacco companies have invented...

Short risk behaviour knowledge index for HIV average risk population of sexual active age in Munich, Germany

Alexander V. Kuznetsov, Michael Wiseman, Thomas Ruzicka, Stefan A. Zippel, Laura Kuznetsov

Cent Eur J Public Health 2011, 19(2):79-83 | DOI: 10.21101/cejph.a3633  

Purpose: A short HIV/AIDS risk behaviour knowledge index based on questions about HIV transmission and prevention of HIV infection during sexual intercourse and intravenous drug use is proposed and implemented for an HIV average risk population in Munich. Methods: Knowledge levels about HIV/AIDS risk behaviour was assessed in a group of people (n=210) in sexually active age range of 18-49 years which was at an average risk of contracting HIV. Four questions about HIV transmission by unprotected vaginal, anal, or oral sexual intercourse, and by needle sharing, and two questions about HIV prevention by condom use, and the single use of...

Syphilis among STD Clinic Patients in Prague in 2009

Ivana Kuklová, Petr Velčevský, Martina Kojanová

Cent Eur J Public Health 2011, 19(2):84-90 | DOI: 10.21101/cejph.a3638  

The aim of the study was to evaluate clinical, epidemiological and demographic data of patients with syphilis hospitalized at the Department of Dermatovenereology of the General Teaching Hospital in 2009 and to identify the groups at high risk of sexually transmitted diseases. The results were compared with the previous surveys carried out between 1999 and 2005 and also with the data of the National Registry of Venereal Diseases for 2008. A total of 232 patients were hospitalized in 2009 (including 26 women admitted for compulsory retreatment in pregnancy). We noticed a 25% increase in the number of patients in comparison with the year 2008. Of the...

Barriers to Care, and Current Medical and Social Needs of HIV-Positive Patients in Albania

Shane D. Morrison, Vilson H. Banushi, Clea Sarnquist, Valbona H. Gashi, Lars Osterberg, Yvonne Maldonado, Arjan Harxhi

Cent Eur J Public Health 2011, 19(2):91-97 | DOI: 10.21101/cejph.a3644  

Objective: As HIV/AIDS prevalence rises in Eastern Europe, assessment of local epidemics in the bordering Central European region, especially South Eastern Europe, is vital in order to meet treatment and prevention needs. Understanding current medical and social needs and barriers to care experienced by HIV-positive patients in these regions may provide insight into how to best respond to the local epidemics, increase patients' access to treatment, and reduce loss to follow-up. Design: This study assesses the patient characteristics, barriers to care, and current medical and social needs of HIV-positive patients in Albania. Semi-structured...

Vaccination of Patients with Diabetes Mellitus - a Retrospective Study

Rastislav Maďar, Dagmar Benešová, Dana Brandejská, Miriam Čermáková, Alena Dvořáková, Olga Gazárková, Silvana Jakubalová, Ilona Kochová, Jana Laštovičková, Dagmar Nebáznivá, Marta Orolinová, Karel Polomis, Václav Řehka, Ludmila Sattranová, Miriam Schejbalová, Alena Slámová, Deanna Skalleová, Hana Ševčíková, Hana Tkadlecová, Marta Tmějová, Josef Trmal, Dagmar Turková

Cent Eur J Public Health 2011, 19(2):98-101 | DOI: 10.21101/cejph.a3634  

402 subjects with diabetes mellitus have been vaccinated of the total of 34,000 vaccinees immunized during the study period of 9 and half months. Altogether 229 diabetic patients (56.97%) have been vaccinated against tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) and 74 (18.4%) against viral hepatitis (41 types A+B, 30 type A, 3 type B). The average age in four most commonly administered vaccines (FSME IMMUN 0.5 ML, Twinrix Adult, Typhim Vi, and Havrix 1440) was 65, 52, 56, and 54 years, respectively. Live attenuated vaccines have been given to 6 patients with diabetes (1.49%) - 5 travellers to endemic countries received the yellow fever vaccine Stamaril (1 female,...

Nutritional Status and Growth Parameters of School-Age Roma Children in the Republic of Macedonia

Igor Spiroski, Zlatanka Dimitrovska, Dragan Gjorgjev, Vladimir Mikik, Vesna Efremova-Stefanoska, Daniela Naunova-Spiroska, Vladimir Kendrovski

Cent Eur J Public Health 2011, 19(2):102-107 | DOI: 10.21101/cejph.a3642  

Main objective of the study was to assess the nutritional status of school age Roma children in Macedonia in order to detect precursors of possible health risks at an early age. The study was designed as a comparative case control study. Study group consisted of 229 Roma school children from the 1st and 272 from the 5th grade residing in different towns in Macedonia. The control group was recruited from other than Roma ethnic background and consisted of 283 children attending 1st and 356 children attending 5th grade. Every participant was measured for his/hers body height and weight. The t-test and Chi square (χ²) were applied to test...

Problem of Substance Misuse and Lack of National Strategy in Kosovo

Linda Carkaxhiu, Kadir Huseyin, Merita Berisha, Marija Vrca Botica

Cent Eur J Public Health 2011, 19(2):108-114 | DOI: 10.21101/cejph.a3603  

The aim of this project was to explore the problem of substance misuse among adolescent town dwellers in Kosovo, as a result of lack of a national strategy related to this problem. Design: 261 students from 4 secondary schools took part in cross sectional survey performed in October 2005. The survey was carried out in Gjilan town in south-east of Kosovo. Main results: From all questioned students, 36% smoked cigarettes every day, 12.6% consumed alcohol occasionally and 1.4% consumed all kind of drugs regularly. Girls consumed more cigarettes, whereas boys consumed more alcohol and other drugs. The prevalence of substance misuse...

Associations of Subjective Sleep Quality with Depression Score, Anxiety, Physical Symptoms and Sleep Onset Latency in Young Students

Christoph Augner

Cent Eur J Public Health 2011, 19(2):115-117 | DOI: 10.21101/cejph.a3647  

Objective: Sleep quality is strongly associated with parameters of mental and physical health and therefore a major public health issue. We wanted to evaluate this association in young and healthy students by a survey. Further, we aimed to detect the relevance of sleep onset latency and sleep duration for sleep quality. Methods: A group of young nursing and technical students was surveyed (N=196) with the objective to measure subjective sleep quality, sleep onset latency, sleep duration, depression score, physical symptoms, trait-anxiety, and pathological eating behaviours. Results: Subjective sleep quality was strongly negative...

Publication Bias in Epidemiological Studies

Nazish Siddiqi

Cent Eur J Public Health 2011, 19(2):118-120 | DOI: 10.21101/cejph.a3581  

Communication of research findings is the utmost responsibility of all scientists. Publication bias occurs if scientific studies with negative or null results fail to get published. This can happen due to bias in submitting, reviewing, accepting, publishing or aggregating scientific literature that fails to show positive results on a particular topic. Publication bias can make scientific literature unrepresentative of the actual research studies. This can give the reader a false impression about the beneficial effects of a particular treatment or intervention and can influence clinical decision making. Publication bias is more common than it is actually...

Many countries hit by health threats from both infectious and chronic diseases new data site makes WHO data and analyses widely available.

Cent Eur J Public Health 2011, 19(2):72  

World Cancer Day 2011. New physical activity guidance can help reduce risk of breast, colon cancers.

Cent Eur J Public Health 2011, 19(2):90, 117  

Turkey joins International Agency for Research on Cancer.

Cent Eur J Public Health 2011, 19(2):101  

New WHO report: deaths from noncommunicable diseases on the rise, with developing world hit hardest.

Cent Eur J Public Health 2011, 19(2):114, 120