Cent Eur J Public Health 2013, 21(1)

A Cross-Sectional Research on the Height, Weight and Body Mass Index of Children Aged 5-6 Years in Latvia and Its Secular Changes during the Last Century

Helena Karkliņa, Dzanna Krumina, Inguna Ebela, Janis Valeinis, Gundega Knipse

Cent Eur J Public Health 2013, 21(1):3-7 | DOI: 10.21101/cejph.a3782  

Aim: To determine the main anthropometric parameters and their changes during the 20th and early 21st centuries for children aged 5-6 and to analyze the nutritional level of the population based on percentage. Methods: 536 healthy Latvian 5 and 6 year old children were randomly selected and a cross sectional survey was carried out. To collect anthropometric data, the height and weight of each child was measured and BMI calculated. The Kolmogorov-Smirnov Goodness-of-Fit test was used to assess the distribution of data; it was concluded, that the data for both boys and girls in both analyzed age groups fits a normal distribution. Using...

Effects of Supervised vs Non-Supervised Combined Aerobic and Resistance Exercise Programme on Cardiometabolic Risk Factors

Tsvetan Stefanov, Anna Vekova, Iveta Bonova, Stanislav Tzvetkov, Dimo Kurktschiev, Matthias Blüher, Theodora Temelkova-Kurktschiev

Cent Eur J Public Health 2013, 21(1):8-16 | DOI: 10.21101/cejph.a3801  

Objective: We examined the effect of a 6-month combined aerobic and resistance training programme on cardiometabolic risk factors in non-diabetic subjects and compared its effectiveness when executed under strict professional supervision or without direct supervision. Methods: Eighty-five sedentary, non-diabetic subjects (27 men and 58 women), mean age 47.5±0.6 years, mean body mass index (BMI, 33.8±0.6 kg/m2) participated in a combined exercise programme assigned to supervised (S, n=31), non-supervised (NS, n=24) or control group (C, n=30). Cardiometabolic risk parameters were assessed at baseline and after the...

Lung Cancer Trends in Southeastern Serbia

Biljana Kocić, Branislav Petrović, Nataša Rančić, Mirko Ilić

Cent Eur J Public Health 2013, 21(1):17-21 | DOI: 10.21101/cejph.a3795  

The aim of the study was to assess recent changes in lung cancer incidence and mortality trends in the male and female population in Southeastern Serbia, in the period 1999-2008. Data used for analyses were provided by the Cancer Registry of the Institute for Public Health, Niš. Incidence and mortality trends were based on crude and age-standardized incidence and mortality rates for the period 1999-2008. Standardized rates were calculated by the direct method of standardization (per 100,000), using the world population as the standard. Statistical significance was checked on the basis of correlation coefficient (r) for probability (p) on the level...

Regional and Ethnic Aspects of Viral Hepatitis B among Pregnant Women

Pavol Kristian, Zuzana Dankulincová Veselská, Zuzana Paraličová, Peter Jarčuška, Ladislav Virág, Ivana Valková, Ivan Schréter

Cent Eur J Public Health 2013, 21(1):22-25 | DOI: 10.21101/cejph.a3800  

Objectives: The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of HBV infection among pregnant women in districts of Eastern Slovakia with a diverse prevalence of Roma population. Methods: Overall 59,279 serum samples from 9 regional departments of clinical microbiology from Eastern Slovakia were collected in the period from January 2008 till December 2009 and analysed. Results: The number of HBsAg positive samples overall and during pregnancy was 1.74% and 2.12%, respectively. Comparing districts with higher (>5%) and lower (<5%) Roma population, there was no significant difference in the prevalence of HBsAg positive...

Prevalence and Genotyping of the Human Papillomavirus in the Cervical Specimens among Women of Southern Croatia (Dalmatia County)

Vanja Kaliterna, Mariano Kaliterna, Lidija Pejković, Irena Drmić Hofman, Šimun Anđelinović

Cent Eur J Public Health 2013, 21(1):26-29 | DOI: 10.21101/cejph.a3814  

Aim: The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of HPV types in the female population with either normal or abnormal Pap smears in Southern Croatia (Dalmatia County) and to evaluate the distribution of HPV types and their association with different cytological findings. Methods: During one year period, we routinely screened 1,160 women for HR HPV at the Educational Public Health Institute of Split and Dalmatia County, by using Hybrid Capture 2 HPV DNA test. Only HR HPV positive specimens determined by HC2 were further genotyped by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) based assay at the Department of Pathology and Forensic Medicine,...

Influence of Gestational Exposure on the Effects of Prenatal Exposure to Methyl Mercury on Postnatal Development in Rat: a Preliminary Evaluation

Dinesh N. Gandhi, Govind M. Panchal, Dinesh K. Dhull

Cent Eur J Public Health 2013, 21(1):30-35 | DOI: 10.21101/cejph.a3773  

Fish and other aquatic organisms are important source of dietary proteins for the human population. Fish meat, however, is contaminated with methyl mercury (MeHg), a potent neurotoxin. The well known Minamata and Niigata epidemic outcomes in Japan have raised the awareness of the health risk resulting from consumption of fish (and shellfish) from water basins polluted with industrial wastes containing mercury. In the present study, pregnant rat dams were exposed to environmental toxic elements - methyl mercury, 1000-1200 h, daily from the fifth gestation day (GD5) till parturition. Three groups of animals were given, by gavages, MeHg (0.5, 1.0 and...

Seasonal Folate Serum Concentrations at Different Nutrition

Marica Krajčovičová-Kudláčková, Martina Valachovičová, Pavel Blažíček

Cent Eur J Public Health 2013, 21(1):36-38 | DOI: 10.21101/cejph.a3785  

Folic acid (vitamin B9) rich sources are leafy green vegetables, legumes, whole grains, egg yolk, liver, and citrus fruit. In winter and early spring, there could be insufficient supply of vegetables and fruit and thus lower intake of folic acid and possible deficient folic acid blood concentrations. The aim of the study was to assess serum vitamin B9 concentrations depending on the season (the last third of winter - March, the last third of spring - May/June and the beginning of autumn - September) and different nutritional habits (apparently healthy adults non-smoking, non-obese 366 subjects; 204 persons of general population on traditional mixed...

Dental Caries Experience in Croatian Schoolchildren in Primorsko-Goranska County: A Pilot Study

Nataša Ivančić Jokić, Danko Bakarčić, Suzana Janković, Giulia Malatestinić, Jagoda Dabo, Martina Majstorović, Vanja Vuksan

Cent Eur J Public Health 2013, 21(1):39-42 | DOI: 10.21101/cejph.a3752  

Background: Dental caries as an infectious disease is still a major oral public health issue. As documented in some recent studies, it has been recognized as the most common chronic childhood disease. Aim: The aim of this study was to evaluate caries prevalence, DMFT and dmft scores, as opposed to caries free children at the age of 6 years from a well developed western region of Primorsko-Goranska county. The purpose was also to evaluate a Significant Caries Index (SiC) and a Restoration Index (RI) in the same study sample of 6 year olds. Methods: Data for a sample of 1,825 (868 girls and 957 boys) children was collected and analyzed...

Caries Prevalence in Chronic Alcoholics and the Relationship to Salivary Flow Rate and pH

Walter Dukić, Tanja Trivanović Dobrijević, Marina Katunarić, Stjepanka Lešić

Cent Eur J Public Health 2013, 21(1):43-47 | DOI: 10.21101/cejph.a3796  

Aim: The aim of this study was to investigate the dental status of alcoholics; to evaluate the relationship of unstimulated and stimulated saliva pH on their decayed/missing/filled teeth (DMFT); and to evaluate the relationship of unstimulated and stimulated salivary flow rate on their DMFT. Method: A cross-sectional study was conducted in patients treated for alcohol dependency (n=70; mean age 41.7 years) and a control group of non-alcoholics (n=70; mean age 39.1 years). Examinations for dental caries were conducted using the World Health Organization (WHO) criteria and questionnaires. The correlation between nominal variables was determined...

The GAy MEn Sex StudieS: Design of an Online Registration of Sexual Behaviour of Men Having Sex with Men and Preliminary Results (GAMESSS-study)

Johan Vansintejan, Jan Vandevoorde, Dirk Devroey

Cent Eur J Public Health 2013, 21(1):48-53 | DOI: 10.21101/cejph.a3770  

Background: There has been limited investigation of the sexuality and sexual dysfunction in homosexuals by the sexual medicine community. The purpose of this article is to describe the methodology of the online GAy MEn Sex StudieS (GAMESSS) on the sexual behaviour and sexual dysfunctions of Belgian men who have sex with men (MSM). Aim: To describe the methodology of an online study that investigate sexual behaviour and sexual function and dysfunction in a sample of Belgian MSM. Methods: An internet-based survey on sexual behaviour and sexual dysfunctions was administered to MSM between April and December 2008. The questionnaire...

Knowledge, Attitudes and Behaviour Towards Sexually Transmitted Diseases in Turkish Cypriot Adolescents

Aslı Feride Kaptanoğlu, Kaya Süer, Hüsrev Diktaş, Evren Hınçal

Cent Eur J Public Health 2013, 21(1):54-58 | DOI: 10.21101/cejph.a3808  

Background: The incidence of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) is increasing among adolescents all around the world. There may be differences in knowledge and attitudes among different cultures and ethnic populations. The aim of this study is to determine knowledge, attitudes and behaviour of Turkish Cypriot adolescents related to STDs. Objectives: To assess knowledge of STDs, attitudes towards sexual behaviour and STDs among the secondary school students. Methods: A cross sectional study, with a sample size of 423 students, was conducted by using a semi-structured questionnaire. Simple random sampling method was applied during...

News and Notes

WHO issues new guidance on dietary salt and potassium.

Cent Eur J Public Health 2013, 21(1):16  

Protocol to eliminate illicit trade in tobacco products opened for signature.

Cent Eur J Public Health 2013, 21(1):25  

The Public Health Service in the Czech and Slovak Republics Celebrates its 60th Anniversary

Vladimír Bencko

Cent Eur J Public Health 2013, 21(1):59-60 | DOI: 10.21101/cejph.b0002