Cent Eur J Public Health 2011, 19(3)

Recent Increase in HIV Rate by Age, Cohort, Period Analysis of Surveillance Data Suggests Changes in HIV Epidemiology in Poland

Magdalena Rosińska, Andrzej Zieliński

Cent Eur J Public Health 2011, 19(3):123-127 | DOI: 10.21101/cejph.a3627  

Objective: To interpret the gradual increase in HIV detection rate in Poland during 1993-2007, separating effects due to epidemic maturation from effects possibly due to new outbreaks or implemented measures. Methods: Data from routine HIV/AIDS case-based surveillance reported until the end of 2007 (HIV cases) or 2008 (AIDS cases) was used. Cases aged 15 or above at the time of report of HIV infection were included. Age, cohort and period effects were analyzed using Poisson based model with intrinsic estimator, adjusting for sex and late presentation. Results: We showed no calendar period effect from 1996 until 2005-2007, when...

Prevalence of Human Leukocyte Antigen (HLA)-B*5701 in HIV-infected Subjects in Czech Republic

David Jilich, Milena Vraná, Svatava Snopková, Dalibor Sedláček, Jaroslav Kapla, Hanuš Rozsypal, Jitka Kolčáková, Lenka Olbrechtová, Alena Zjevíková, Zdenka Jerhotová, Marek Malý, Marie Staňková, Ladislav Machala

Cent Eur J Public Health 2011, 19(3):128-130 | DOI: 10.21101/cejph.a3653  

The HLA-B*57:01 allele is associated with a hypersensitivity reaction to abacavir, and its prevalence varies in different populations. The aim of the study was to investigate HLA-B*57:01 prevalence in the Czech HIV-infected population. HLA-B*57:01 prevalence in our cohort was 5.33%, which is similar to the situation in other Central European countries.

Serologic Survey of Humans for Flavivirus West Nile in Southern Moravia (Czech Republic)

Zdeněk Hubálek, Bohumír Kříž, Jiří Halouzka

Cent Eur J Public Health 2011, 19(3):131-133 | DOI: 10.21101/cejph.a3635  

A serosurvey for West Nile virus (WNV) was carried out in 525 persons, using a plaque-reduction neutralization microtest (PRNµT) with Vero cells and Egyptian topotype Eg-101 strain as test virus. The blood sera were collected in four South-Moravian districts (Hodonín 44 persons, Břeclav 102 persons, Znojmo 170 persons, Jihlava 209 persons) of the Czech Republic in the years 1988 and 1989, and stored at -20°C. Antibodies to WNV were detected in only three humans (0.6% seropositivity): one person each in the districts of Hodonín (2.3% persons positive), Břeclav (1.0% positive) and Jihlava (0.5% positive), with the titres of 1:64, 1:32, and 1:32,...

Migrants' Health and Access to Healthcare in the Czech Republic

Helena Hnilicová, Karolína Dobiášová

Cent Eur J Public Health 2011, 19(3):134-138 | DOI: 10.21101/cejph.a3657  

The article is dealing with current state of Czech health policy in relation to migration. Overall migration information, available data on migrants' health status as well as accessibility of healthcare are provided. Some health risks connected with migration are mentioned and discussed. Authors concluded that the most urgent problem of Czech health policy in relation to migrants remains the insufficient guarantee of legal entitlement to health care. This concerns a large group of migrants with long-term residence, since the current legal regulation is disadvantageous to migrants coming from countries outside the EU.

Health Inequalities of the Roma in Europe: a Literature Review

Nikesh Parekh, Tamsin Rose

Cent Eur J Public Health 2011, 19(3):139-142 | DOI: 10.21101/cejph.a3661  

The Roma are the most populous marginalised community in Europe and have some of the greatest health needs. There is a higher prevalence of communicable and non-communicable diseases within the community and significantly shorter life expectancies than national averages. Efforts by governments across Europe to address these health inequalities have been relatively weak and the Roma suffer poorer access to health care, education and employment in every country that they inhabit in comparison to the majority population. As the socioeconomic determinants of health become better understood over the past decade, it is becoming clear that societies with...

Moderate Alcohol Consumption as a Mediator of a Mother's Behavior towards Her Child

Mojmír Tyrlík, Štěpán Konečný

Cent Eur J Public Health 2011, 19(3):143-146 | DOI: 10.21101/cejph.a3665  

Aim: The purpose of this study is to examine the effect of moderate drinking on mother's behaviour towards her child. Method: The European Longitudinal Study of Pregnancy and Childhood (ELSPAC) survey sample consisted of 3,569 Czech women, who were interviewed when their children were 18 months old. There were three areas related to mother child relationship investigated: hygiene, activities with the child, and the mother's emotional relationship with the child. Besides alcohol consumption, we also evaluated the mother's neuroticisms. Results: Our results suggest that the behaviour of moderate drinking mothers differs from the...

Association between anthropometric measurements and dental caries in Turkish school children

Eda Köksal, Meryem Tekçiçek, Sıddıka Songül Yalçın, Belma Tuğrul, Suzan Yalçın, Gülden Pekcan

Cent Eur J Public Health 2011, 19(3):147-151 | DOI: 10.21101/cejph.a3648  

Aim: To evaluate the association between anthropometric measurements and dental caries in school children. Methods: The study was conducted on 245 primary school children (50.2% boys, 49.8% girls,), aged 5 to 9 years. The prevalence and severity of dental caries was measured using the decayed, missing or filled surfaces (dmfs, DMFS) and teeth (dmft, DMFT) indices. Results: Mean dmft indices in children for boys and girls were 5.5±3.92 and 5.0±3.64, respectively. The prevalence of children with dental caries (dmft ≥1) was 84.9%. The prevalence of children with body mass index (BMI) <-1SD and ≥+1SD was 15.9%...

Mortality of Cohort of Very Young Injecting Drug Users in Prague, 1996-2010

Tomáš Zábranský, Ladislav Csémy, Kateřina Grohmannová, Barbara Janíková, Jiří Brenza

Cent Eur J Public Health 2011, 19(3):152-157 | DOI: 10.21101/cejph.a3681  

Aim: To determine the mortality in a cohort of very young injecting drug users (IDUs), and the factors associated with it. Design: A database linkage prospective (follow-up) cohort study. Setting: A convenience sample of clients of 2 low-threshold facilities, 1 drug treatment clinic, and one special facility for children with severe behavioural disorders, who were all younger than 19 and older than 15, was interviewed one or more times in 1996-8 and asked to agree with their being interviewed again after 10 or more years. Participants: 151 (65 male, 86 female) IDUs recruited in October 1996 - December 1998. Measurement:...

Geographic Accumulation of Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease in Slovakia - Environmental Metal Imbalance as a Possible Cofactor

Dana Slivarichová, Eva Mitrová, Monika Ursínyová, Iveta Uhnáková, Silvia Koščová, Ladislava Wsólová

Cent Eur J Public Health 2011, 19(3):158-164 | DOI: 10.21101/cejph.a3667  

Slovakia is characterised by an unusually high number of patients affected by genetic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) with E200K mutation at the PRNP gene. Penetrance of the mutation is incomplete (59%). Therefore, for the onset of the clinical manifestation, an influence of other endo- or exogenous factors could not be excluded. Experimental data suggest that copper and manganese levels may play an important role in the pathogenesis of prion diseases. The highest number of Slovak genetic CJD patients originates from Orava - the northern region of central Slovakia. Manganese is a dominant pollutant in Orava. The objective of this study was to clarify...

Health related quality of life in children with thalassaemia assessed on the basis of SF-20 questionnaire in Yazd, Iran: a case-control study

Mohammad Hossein Baghianimoghadam, Gholamreza Sharifirad, Zohre Rahaei, Behnam Baghianimoghadam, Hashem Heshmati

Cent Eur J Public Health 2011, 19(3):165-169 | DOI: 10.21101/cejph.a3640  

Backgrounds: Thalassaemia is becoming serious public health problem throughout the Mediterranean region, Middle East, Indian subcontinents and also South East Asia. Its' global prevalence is about 2 per 1,000 newborns while its' prevalence in Iran is 8-4 per 1,000 newborns. The aim of this study was to compare the Health Related Quality of Life (HRQOL) of thalassaemia patients with the HRQOL of healthy children in terms of essential core domains for pediatric HRQOL measurement. Methods: This cross sectional study has been done in Yazd, Iran. 60 thalassaemia patients were selected randomly as case group and 120 healthy children as control...

Maternal Diseases and Risk of Isolated Ear Abnormalities in Their Children

László Paput, Andrew E. Czeizel, Ferenc Bánhidy

Cent Eur J Public Health 2011, 19(3):170-176 | DOI: 10.21101/cejph.a3676  

The objective of the study was to estimate the possible association of maternal diseases with the risk of isolated ear congenital abnormalities (IECA) including mainly microtia and anotia in their children. Incidence of acute and prevalence of chronic maternal diseases in the mothers with IECA and in the mothers of their matched controls and all controls without any defects, in addition in the mothers of malformed controls with other isolated defects was compared in the population-based large dataset of the Hungarian Case-Control Surveillance of Congenital Abnormalities. Of 354 cases with IECA, 32 had mothers with high fever related influenza-common...

WHO maps noncommunicable disease trends in all countries: country profiles on noncommunicable disease trends in 193 countries.

Cent Eur J Public Health 2011, 19(3):130, 138  

WHO urges more countries to require large, graphic health warnings on tobacco packaging: the WHO report on the global tobacco epidemic, 2011 examines anti-tobacco mass-media campaigns.

Cent Eur J Public Health 2011, 19(3):133, 151  

HIV treatment reaching 6.6 million people, but majority still in need: WHO embarks on a new HIV strategy to boost further progress in 2011-2015.

Cent Eur J Public Health 2011, 19(3):142  

Europe Stands up for Health - Strategies and Action Plans Responding to the Challenges Facing Health in the Region Today: the 61st Session of the WHO Regional Committee for Europe, Baku, Azerbaijan, September 12-15, 2011

Zsuzsanna Jakab

Cent Eur J Public Health 2011, 19(3):177-179