Cent Eur J Public Health 2012, 20(3)

Czech Republic vs. EU-27: Economic Level, Health Care and Population Health

Oldřich Hájek, Pavel Grebeníček, Boris Popesko, Šárka Hrabinová

Cent Eur J Public Health 2012, 20(3):167-173 | DOI: 10.21101/cejph.a3708  

This paper focuses on the improvement of the health characteristics in European countries including the life expectancy of their inhabitants. The primary objective is to describe, compare and analyze the status and development in the Czech Republic and other countries of the European Union in terms of the key health care indicators and population health status in relation to the economy related indicators the authors have chosen. The secondary objective is to verify the hypothesis which states that the health status of the population represented by the indicator of life expectancy is closely related to the economic level of individual countries as...

Leadership in Community Partnerships: South African Study and Experience

Walid El Ansari

Cent Eur J Public Health 2012, 20(3):174-184 | DOI: 10.21101/cejph.a3720  

Aims: This study examined the influence of leadership in multi-stakeholder partnerships. Four W.K. Kellogg-funded community partnerships in South Africa were evaluated. Participants included community, academic and health service partners. The partnerships aimed to achieve interprofessional community-sensitive health professions education. Methods: We undertook: 1) quantitative assessment (survey, N = 529) of whether leadership skills were systematically associated with three partnership factors (satisfaction, sense of ownership and commitment); and the individual contributions of these factors to the partnerships' outcomes; and 2) qualitative...

Is Age Associated with Self-rated Health among Older People in Spain?

Pedro Girón

Cent Eur J Public Health 2012, 20(3):185-190 | DOI: 10.21101/cejph.a3690  

Objective: To examine the association of age and other factors with Self-rated Health (SRH) in the population aged 65 years or more in the context of action for health promotion in older adults. Material and Methods: The data used come from the household and adults questionnaires of the National Health Survey of Spain for 2006. SRH was categorized as positive (very positive or positive) and negative (fair, poor or very poor). Odds ratios for positive SRH compared to negative SRH were calculated using logistic regression models for complex samples. The determinants of the Positive SRH were obtained for the elderly population. Results:...

Determinants of Day Care Teachers' Job Satisfaction

Bianca Kusma, David A. Groneberg, Albert Nienhaus, Stefanie Mache

Cent Eur J Public Health 2012, 20(3):191-198 | DOI: 10.21101/cejph.a3700  

Background: Although job satisfaction is among the most widely researched topics, relatively little research has been done on this issue as it relates to early childhood educators. This study was designed to contribute significantly to the deficient body of knowledge about working conditions and job satisfaction of day care teachers, in particular with regard to differences in job satisfaction depending on day care centres' ownership. Methods: Analyses were based on cross-sectional comparison of 469 questionnaires (42.55% response rate) from day care teachers working at public day care centres with those working at day care centres run...

Assessment of the Indoor Environment and Implications for Health in Roma Villages in Slovakia and Romania

Marek Majdan, Alexandru Coman, Eva Gallová, Janka Ďuricová, Daniela Kállayová, Mária Kvaková, Ľuboš Bošák

Cent Eur J Public Health 2012, 20(3):199-207 | DOI: 10.21101/cejph.a3719  

Objectives: The objective of this paper is to provide information on indoor air quality and on the quality of the broader indoor environment of the houses in Roma villages in Slovakia and Romania and to discuss possible implications for health. Methods: Indoor air was sampled in 11 houses in a Romanian Roma village and in 19 houses in a Slovakian Roma village. Levels of Carbon Monoxide (CO), Carbon Dioxide (CO²), total particulate matter (PM), temperature and humidity were measured. A questionnaire and a checklist were used to obtain additional information on the indoor environment and behavioural factors. We have sampled the...

Influence of the Environment and Occupational Exposure on the Occurrence of Q Fever

Erik Dorko, Kvetoslava Rimárová, Emil Pilipčinec

Cent Eur J Public Health 2012, 20(3):208-214 | DOI: 10.21101/cejph.a3754  

Q fever, which is caused by Coxiella burnetii, is a worldwide zoonotic infectious disease and ruminants are the main reservoir for human infec-tions. Humans become infected primarily by inhaling aerosols that are contaminated with C. burnetii. Ingestion (particularly drinking raw milk) and person-to-person transmission are minor routes. Animals shed the bacterium in urine and faeces, and in very high concentrations in birth by-products. The bacterium persists in the environment in a resistant spore-like form which may become airborne and transported long distances by the wind. Q fever is considered primarily an occupational disease of...

Pediatric Obesity: Etiology, Pathogenesis, and Treatment

Marie Kunešová

Cent Eur J Public Health 2012, 20(3):214  

Attitudes of the Medical Students from Two Czech Universities to Pandemic Flu A (H1N1) 2009 and to Influenza Vaccination

Hana Tomášková, Sylva Boháčová, Hana Šlachtová

Cent Eur J Public Health 2012, 20(3):215-218 | DOI: 10.21101/cejph.a3734  

Objectives: The aim of the study was to find out the approach of students to vaccination against seasonal influenza, how they perceived risk associated with influenza pandemic, and whether the pandemic influenced their approach to vaccination against seasonal flu. Methods: Data collection was conducted through an anonymous questionnaire survey. Distribution and collection of questionnaires took place from November to December 2010 at the medical faculties of two universities. Out of the total 360 distributed questionnaires, 343 were filled. The qualitative data were analysed using χ² test and Fisher's exact test. The analysis...

Knowledge and Awareness of Female Sex Workers towards Human Papillomavirus Infection in Turkey

Gürsel Ersan, Şükran Köse, Habibe Güneş, Mehmet Özkan

Cent Eur J Public Health 2012, 20(3):219-222 | DOI: 10.21101/cejph.a3738  

Objective: The aim of this study was to determine the knowledge and awareness of female sex workers (FSWs) about human papillomavirus (HPV) infection in Turkey. Methods: 239 brothel-based FSWs were recruited for an interview. A questionnaire was completed by face to face interview. The demographic features, the level of knowledge, and awareness about HPV infection of the participants were recorded. Results: A total of 152 (63.6%) were over 30 years of age, and 210 (87.9%) completed primary education. 122 FSWs (50.9%) were using condom, and about one third had high frequency of sexual contacts. Knowledge scores were ≤4 in 181...

Referral of Intravenous Drug Users for Antiviral Treatment: Effectiveness of Hepatitis C Case-finding Programmes

Gábor Gazdag, Gergely Horváth, Olga Szabó, Gabor S. Ungvari

Cent Eur J Public Health 2012, 20(3):223-225 | DOI: 10.21101/cejph.a3747  

Background: Hepatitis C infection (HCI) case-finding programmes aim to identify infected persons in a well-defined population. This study assessed the effectiveness of three HCI case-finding programmes for intravenous drug users by examining the rate of their referral to antiviral treatment. Methods: The Hepatology Outpatient Clinic of Szent László Hospital examines and treats all intravenous drug users who are found positive in HCI case-finding programmes in Budapest. The medical records of patients who visited the Hepatology Outpatient Clinic of Szent László Hospital between 1 January 2006 and 31 December 2008 were screened and records...

Study of Urinary Concentrations of Mandelic Acid in Employees Exposed to Styrene

Mária Poláková, Zdenka Krajčovičová, Vladimír Meluš, Mária Štefkovičová, Margaréta Šulcová

Cent Eur J Public Health 2012, 20(3):226-232 | DOI: 10.21101/cejph.a3649  

Mandelic acid (MA) is an important metabolite of styrene. In humans, measurement of its concentration in urine provides an important assess-ment of the overall level of styrene exposure in workers of the reinforced plastic manufacturing industry. The aim of our study was to investigate in these workers the relationship between MA concentration and styrene exposure time and intensity as well as its dependence on work occupation. The concentration of MA in the urine samples of 35 employees was analyzed with HPLC (High Performance Liquid Chromatography). Out of 35 workers, 11 performed laminating, 11 milling and finalizing, 6 laying-up and spraying-up,...

Assessment of Oral Hygiene in Adults

Wojciech Skorupka, Karolina Żurek, Teresa Kokot, Ewa Nowakowska-Zajdel, Edyta Fatyga, Elżbieta Niedworok, Małgorzata Muc-Wierzgoń

Cent Eur J Public Health 2012, 20(3):233-236 | DOI: 10.21101/cejph.a3712  

Objective: The aim of the research was to assess the oral hygiene habits in the elderly group of study population of Southern Poland. Methods: The study was conducted in dental services in two selected cities in Southern Poland. The group of subjects consisted of 664 respond-ents (272 men, 392 women) aged 65 to 81 years. Oral hygiene was measured with the author's anonymous questionnaire consisting of twenty questions. Questions related to information on personal history and general health, comorbidities, dietary habits, alcohol consumption, smoking, taking drugs and the state of oral hygiene practices as frequency of visits to the dentist...

Who: four ways to reduce hepatitis infections in people who inject drugs.

Cent Eur J Public Health 2012, 20(3):207