Cent Eur J Public Health 2015, 23(1)

Healthcare System Financing and Profits: All That Glitters is Not Gold

Tomáš Zelený, Vladimír Bencko

Cent Eur J Public Health 2015, 23(1):3-7 | DOI: 10.21101/cejph.a4027  

The objective of this paper is an analysis of two main attributes of healthcare systems. First of the main attributes is the trend of ever growing expenditures of healthcare systems all across the world. Second attribute is the efficiency of chosen mixed healthcare systems, where mixed system is one which features involvement of both private and public sector. Countries chosen for analysis are USA as the country with high private sector influence on healthcare, France with its mediocre influence and Japan, where the private companies participate in health care but are very strictly regulated by a zero profit rule, and the Czech Republic, where public...

Educational Inequalities in Self-Rated Health: Whether Post-Socialist Estonia and Russia Are Performing Better than 'Scandinavian' Finland

Rein Vöörmann, Jelena Helemäe

Cent Eur J Public Health 2015, 23(1):8-13 | DOI: 10.21101/cejph.a3930  

Aim: The aim of the study is to analyse relationship between self-rated health (SRH) and education in post-socialist countries (Estonia and Russia) and in Finland, a Scandinavian country. Methods: Data from the 5th wave of the European Social Survey (ESS) carried out in 2010 were used. In particular, we used a sub-sample of the 25-69 years old. Two-step analysis was carried out: descriptive overview of relationship between SRH and education to assess the knowledge-related impact of education on SRH in pooled model for all three countries; and logistic regression analysis to evaluate separate models in each country. Results: The...

Territorial Differences in Infant Mortality in Latvia in the First Decade of the Third Millennium

Inguna Ebela, Irisa Zīle, Nadīne Muciņa, Danute Ražuka-Ebela, Ingrīda Rumba-Rozenfelde

Cent Eur J Public Health 2015, 23(1):14-19 | DOI: 10.21101/cejph.a3993  

Objective: Infant and child mortality are some of the most substantial indicators of country welfare. Infant mortality (IM) in Latvia is constantly the highest among 25 Member States of the European Union. Since the regaining of independence in 1991, IM has decreased by almost 50%, however, it is still high enough to cause concern that the country will not be able to meet the UN Millennium Development Goals to decrease IM in Latvia by 2015. The Medical Faculty at the University of Latvia has conducted several studies identifying correlations between IM and GDP, total expenditure on health, unemployment and GINI coefficient. It is necessary to...

Adolescent Obesity and Associated Cardiovascular Risk Factors of Rural and Urban Life (Eskisehir, Turkey)

Mehmet Enes Gökler, Necati Buğrul, Selma Metintaş, Cemalettin Kalyoncu

Cent Eur J Public Health 2015, 23(1):20-25 | DOI: 10.21101/cejph.a3958  

Introduction: The purpose of this study is to determine the prevalence of obesity and to compare the associated risk factors between the adolescent children living in rural and urban areas. Materials: This cross-sectional study conducted among 3,918 high school students getting education in the city centre and rural areas of Eskisehir. A specially designed questionnaire form included questions about socio-demographic characteristics as well as cardiovascular risk factors including smoking status, diet habits (breakfasting, consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages and fruit and vegetable consumption), physical activity and time spent on...

Breastfeeding and Time of Complementary Food Introduction as Predictors of Obesity in Children

Mariana Turčić Škledar, Milan Milošević

Cent Eur J Public Health 2015, 23(1):26-31 | DOI: 10.21101/cejph.a3956  

Although obesity is a multifactorial disorder caused by various behavioural, genetic and environmental influences, early life factors affecting certain critical periods during childhood (prenatal period, adiposity rebound period at 3-5 years and around 5-7 years, as well as puberty) are important in promoting obesity in adulthood. The objective was to determine the association between the birth weight, birth length, breastfeeding and time of introduction of complementary food with obesity among 302 healthy Caucasian children 6-7 years old. Binary logistic regression analysis was used to assess the impact of a number of perinatal and socioeconomic confounding...

Growth of Czech Breastfed Infants in Comparison with the World Health Organization Standards

Jana Vignerová, Lenka Shriver, Markéta Paulová, Marek Brabec, Dagmar Schneidrová, Renata Růžková, Bohuslav Procházka, Jitka Riedlová

Cent Eur J Public Health 2015, 23(1):32-38 | DOI: 10.21101/cejph.a4204  

Growth references are important for paediatric health monitoring. It is critical to understand differences in growth interpretation and potential consequences when using available growth references. This study compares the growth of Czech breastfed children with the current WHO growth standards 2006 and the Czech references 1991, 2001. A total of 960 infant/parent pairs in the Czech Republic were recruited through paediatric practices. Anthropometric data were collected during infants' first 12 months of life and parent questionnaires were gathered during a preventive visit at 18 months. Czech breastfed infants were longer with a greater head circumference...

Immigrant Status as Important Determinant of Breastfeeding Practice in Southern Europe

Evangelia-Filothei Tavoulari, Vassiliki Benetou, Petros V. Vlastarakos, George Kreatsas, Athena Linos

Cent Eur J Public Health 2015, 23(1):39-44 | DOI: 10.21101/cejph.a4092  

Aim: Breastfeeding is universally accepted as the optimal way to nourish infants. There is evidence that socio-demographic factors, including immigrant status, are related to infant feeding practices. The aim of the present study was to identify the factors which are associated with breastfeeding initiation and duration, with special focus on the role of immigrant status of the mother in breastfeeding practice. A sample of mothers giving birth and living in Athens, Greece, was investigated. Methods: 428 mothers (438 infants) were recruited in the maternity ward of a Tertiary University Hospital, and were interviewed using a structured...

Self-perceived Health in the Czech Population: Recent Evidence

Olga Kurtinová

Cent Eur J Public Health 2015, 23(1):45-53 | DOI: 10.21101/cejph.a3996  

This article considers developing trends in self-perceptions of health among the Czech population. Its conclusions are based on data from the European Union Statistics on Income and Living Conditions (EU-SILC) conducted from 2005-2011. The data analysis suggests that the compression of morbidity is present, but the Czech Republic continues to lag behind Western Europe. In addition, among males the difference in health expectancies between the Czech Republic and the EU-15 is due to a change in mortality at higher ages, rather than in self-perceived health. Among females the opposite is true. Demographic categories, such as "attained education" and "age-group"...

Adolescents' Drinking and Drunkenness More Likely in One-Parent Families and Due to Poor Communication with Mother

Zuzana Tomčíková, Zuzana Dankulincová Veselská, Andrea Madarasová Gecková, Jitse P. van Dijk, Sijmen A. Reijneveld

Cent Eur J Public Health 2015, 23(1):54-58 | DOI: 10.21101/cejph.a3951  

Objectives: Alcohol use is a relatively common behaviour, particularly among adolescents, and has become a major public health concern. This study explores the associations between family composition, the quality of adolescents' communication with parents and adolescents' recent frequent alcohol drinking and lifetime drunkenness. Methods: Data were obtained from the Slovak part of the 2005-2006 Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) study. The sample consisted of 3,882 students (46.3% males; mean age 13.3±1.6). Data on drinking alcohol in the past week, lifetime drunkenness, communication and family composition were collected...

Prevalence of Hypertension and Pre-hypertension in 13-17 Year Old Adolescents Living in Mthatha - South Africa: a Cross-Sectional Study

Benedicta N. Nkeh-Chungag, Anna M. Sekokotla, Constance Sewani-Rusike, Ambrose Namugowa, Jehu E. Iputo

Cent Eur J Public Health 2015, 23(1):59-64 | DOI: 10.21101/cejph.a3922  

Background: Hypertension is one of the most common risk factors for cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), yet not much effort is being invested in early diagnosis and control of the condition in susceptible children. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of pre-hypertension and hypertension in peri-urban school-attending adolescents and explore the relationship between blood pressure and selected anthropometric measurements. Methods: A cross-sectional study of adolescents aged 13-17 years was performed. Data on height, weight, waist and hip circumferences as well as blood pressure were collected from all participants. Body...

Seroprevalence and Risk Factors of Syphilis among HIV/AIDS Patients in Istanbul, Turkey

Özlem Altuntaş Aydın, Hayat Kumbasar Karaosmanoğlu, Murat Sayan, Emine Rahşan İnce, Özcan Nazlıcan

Cent Eur J Public Health 2015, 23(1):65-68 | DOI: 10.21101/cejph.a4001  

Objective: Data on syphilis seroprevalence among human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)/Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) patients are unavailable in Turkey although they have common transmission routes. Our study is oriented towards the assessment of the seroprevalence of syphilis and the related risk factors in the HIV/AIDS patients followed in our outpatient clinic. Materials: Newly diagnosed HIV/AIDS cases (n=308) who attended our outpatient clinic between January 2006 and April 2013 were included in the study. Patient characteristics, medical history, physical examination findings, CD4+ T lymphocyte count, HIV RNA level, rapid...

Norovirus Infection in Belarus: Occurrence and Molecular Epidemiology

Natallia Uladzimirauna Paklonskaya, Tamara Vasil'evna Amvrosieva, Kanstantsin Leanidavich Dziadziulia, Natallia Mikalaeuna Baranouskaya, Elena Petrovna Kishkurno, Nina Leonidovna Kluiko

Cent Eur J Public Health 2015, 23(1):69-72 | DOI: 10.21101/cejph.a4046  

The objective of the study is to analyze molecular epidemiologic surveillance for norovirus infection in Belarus over the past five years (2009-2013). Laboratory diagnostics was carried out by RT-PCR in 684 patients. Two regions of norovirus genome, localized in RNA-polymerase and capsid protein genes, were used for phylogenetic analysis. Noroviruses were predominant causative agents in adults and second only to rotaviruses in children, they also prevailed among aetiological agents of outbreaks (66.7% of outbreaks). In 2009-2013, the major norovirus genotype was GII.4 (58.3% of all genotyped isolates). Genovariant GII.4 2006b circulated in 2009 and...

Spatiotemporal Analysis of Ambient Air Pollution Exposure and Respiratory Infections Cases in Beijing

An Zhang, Fang Zhou, Lili Jiang, Qingwen Qi, Jinfeng Wang

Cent Eur J Public Health 2015, 23(1):73-76 | DOI: 10.21101/cejph.a4247  

Background: Ambient air pollutants (PM2.5) are components of persistent haze in Beijing during the autumn and winter seasons. Materials: We collected hourly PM2.5 monitoring data for 35 days from 35 sites in Beijing during 2012. We also identified patients developing respiratory infections during the same time period in the same locale. A BME model was used to simulate environmental exposure concentrations over the course of each day. A medical accessibility analysis was performed to exclude the impact of medical availability on the analysis. A spatial analysis was included in the evaluation of the relationship between exposure duration...

Prevention of Taxi Accidents in Xi'an, China: What Matters Most?

Yonggang Wang, Ming Li, Jianhua Du, Chengyuan Mao

Cent Eur J Public Health 2015, 23(1):77-83 | DOI: 10.21101/cejph.a3931  

Objectives: Since the city of Xi'an has been extremely concerned with the serious problem of taxi involved crashes, injuries and fatalities, the primary purpose of this study is to identify the risk factors associated with the magnitude and nature of the problem and provide possible measures for enhancing the overall safety performance of taxi industry. Methods: Using 726 crash samples from the original of 7,183 observations in Xi'an over the period from 2006 to 2012, comparative statistics and systematic analysis were employed to describe the distribution of taxi crashes by driver characteristics, roadway contributors and environmental...

Ebola Virus Disease: Temperature Checks for Travelers?

Mohamed Farouk Allam

Cent Eur J Public Health 2015, 23(1):84 | DOI: 10.21101/cejph.a4129  

The Impact of the Economic Crisis on Neonatal Hearing Screening in Greece

Petros V. Vlastarakos, Efthymios Kalampalikis

Cent Eur J Public Health 2015, 23(1):85-86 | DOI: 10.21101/cejph.a4061  

Most types of cancer not due to 'bad luck' IARC responds to scientific article claiming that environmental and lifestyle factors account for less than one third of cancers.

Cent Eur J Public Health 2015, 23(1):87

Obituary of Professor M. Jakubowski

Cent Eur J Public Health 2015, 23(1):88  

With deep regret the Editorial Board announces the passing away of Professor Marek Jakubowski, a contributing editor of the Central European Journal of Public Health, on 14 March 2015. He was a member of the scientific staff of the Nofer Institute of Occupational Medicine in Lodz, Poland. In his research he focused mainly on the toxicology of heavy metals and on the development of biomonitoring procedures of environmental and occupational exposures. From 2003, Professor Jakubowski was a member of the European team developing a coherent approach to human biomonitoring in Europe. In fact, he was one of the inspiring persons for this initiative since...