Cent Eur J Public Health 2016, 24(2)
Neck Circumference Positively Related with Central Obesity and Overweight in Turkish University Students: A Preliminary Study
İsmail Özkaya, Aydın Tunçkale
Cent Eur J Public Health 2016, 24(2):91-94 | DOI: 10.21101/cejph.a4555 
Aim: According to the World Health Organization, central obesity is increasing alarmingly worldwide. Neck circumference is a relatively new method of differentiating between normal and abnormal fat distribution. The aim of this study is to determine the association between neck circumference and central obesity in young Turkish male and female university students. Methods: A community of university students based cross-sectional study was conducted on 319 males and 838 females and investigated the association between neck circumference and other anthropometric variables by gender. Results: In male subjects, the neck circumference...
Waist Circumference-to-Height Ratio Detected in a Convenient Sample of Young Slovak People with Increased Cardio-Metabolic Risk
Zdenka Hertelyová, Janka Vašková, Ladislav Vaško
Cent Eur J Public Health 2016, 24(2):95-102 | DOI: 10.21101/cejph.a4007
Background and Aim: Cardiovascular disease is a serious problem increasingly affecting young people worldwide. Cardio-metabolic risk factors include lipid profile parameters and atherogenic index of plasma (AIP), as well as basic anthropometric parameters such as the ratio of waist circumference to height (WHtR). The aim of our study was to determine WHtR. Method: WHtR was determined in a group of 500 clinically healthy young people aged 18-25 and, on the basis of measured data, a reference range for WHtR was designed. Results: The average WHtR value for the whole group was 0.45±0.06, with 0.46±0.06 for men, and 0.44±0.06...
Liver Cancer Mortality and Food Consumption in Serbia, 1991-2010: An Ecological Study
Milena Ilić, Kristina Radoman, Slavica Konević, Irena Ilić
Cent Eur J Public Health 2016, 24(2):103-108 | DOI: 10.21101/cejph.a4168
Aim: This paper investigates the correlation between liver cancer mortality and consumption of food-groups in Serbia. Methods: We conducted an ecological study. The study comprised the population of the Republic of Serbia (about 7.5 million inhabitants) during the period 1991-2010. This ecological study included the data on food consumption per capita which were obtained by the Household Budget Survey and mortality data for liver cancer made available by the National Statistical Office. Linear trend model was used to assess a trend of age-adjusted liver cancer mortality rates (per 100,000 persons) that were calculated by the method of...
Assessment of Exposure of Elementary Schools to Traffic Pollution by GIS Methods
Přemysl Štych, Denisa Šrámková, Martin Braniš
Cent Eur J Public Health 2016, 24(2):109-114 | DOI: 10.21101/cejph.a4149
Aim: The susceptibility of children to polluted air has been pointed out several times in the past. Generally, children suffer from higher exposure to air pollutants than adults because of their higher physical activity, higher metabolic rate and the resultant increase in minute ventilation. The aim of this study was to examine the exposure characteristics of public elementary schools in Prague (the capital of the Czech Republic). Methods: The exposure was examined by two different methods: by the proximity of selected schools to major urban roads and their location within the modeled urban PM10 concentration fields. We determined...
Inhalation Exposure to Dioxins and dl-PCBs Depending on the Season in Upper Silesia, Poland: A Pilot Study
Grzegorz Dziubanek, Ewa Marchwińska, Ilona Hajok, Agata Piekut
Cent Eur J Public Health 2016, 24(2):115-119 | DOI: 10.21101/cejph.a4286
Aim: The aim of this study was to investigate the seasonal fluctuation of PCDD/Fs and dl-PCBs levels in the ambient air of Upper Silesia in the aspect of human inhalation exposure as well as the estimation of health risk attributed to this exposure pathway to dioxins and dl-PCBs. Methods: In the study air samples were taken in five urban districts of Upper Silesia, Poland, where the houses are heated with coal. The same sampling points in summer and winter were analyzed for dioxins/furans and dl-PCBs. In addition, information was collected on awareness of the residents about the co-incineration of plastic waste and effects of this activity...
Is Central Europe Safe from Environmental Lead Intoxications? A Case Series
Daniela Pelclová, Jana Šťastná, Štěpánka Vlčková, Kamil Vlček, Michal Urban, Andrea Laštovková, Zdeněk Doležel
Cent Eur J Public Health 2016, 24(2):120-122 | DOI: 10.21101/cejph.a4640
Preventive measures in Central Europe were successful in suppressing both occupational and environmental lead exposure so that they did not constitute a severe public health problem. However, rare lead intoxications still appear. We report on lead intoxication in four family members where the source was removed lead ceiling paint. The symptoms of the lead intoxication started several weeks after removal and the inhalational exposure to the minimum dust residues lasted for more than three months before the poisoning was diagnosed. Father developed anaemia and saturnine colics. He and his two daughters received antidotal treatment which had to be repeated...
History of Orthodontic Treatment, Treatment Needs and Influencing Factors in Adolescents in Croatia
Stjepan Špalj, Višnja Katić, Renata Vidaković, Martina Šlaj, Mladen Šlaj
Cent Eur J Public Health 2016, 24(2):123-127 | DOI: 10.21101/cejph.a4117
Aim: The aim of this study was to assess the orthodontic treatment needs of adolescents in Zagreb, Croatia, in relation to their orthodontic treatment history, caries experience and socio-demographic parameters. Methods: The study sample comprised 1,289 adolescents from 12 randomly selected public schools in Zagreb, Croatia. The subjects were 15-18 years old (mean age 16.3±1.4), and 51% of them were girls. The Dental Aesthetic Index (DAI), the sum of the numbers of decayed, missing and filled teeth (DMFT index), and a questionnaire (covering socio-demographic issues, oral health-related attitudes and behaviours) were employed in...
Epidemiological Study of Orofacial Clefts among Population of Eastern Slovakia during the Period 1996-2013
Diana Pacáková, Marianna Zábavníková, Mária Miklošová, Diana Kúkeľová, Róbert Dankovčík
Cent Eur J Public Health 2016, 24(2):128-132 | DOI: 10.21101/cejph.a4131
Background and Aim: Over the past 18 years, according to data from the Clinic of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, L. Pasteur University Hospital, there have been 493 cases of orofacial clefts (OC) reported in the area of Eastern Slovakia. The aim of this study was to map the occurrence of orofacial clefts reported in the area of Eastern Slovakia during the years 1996-2013. Also, we compared the occurrence of different types of clefts between the groups in relation to gender and ethnicity. Methods and Results: The statistical analysis shows relationship between variables of location and gender and gender differences in the occurrence...
Epidemiology of Invasive Pneumococcal Disease in Czech Children under 5 Years of Age after Routine Immunisation
Marek Petráš, Věra Adámková
Cent Eur J Public Health 2016, 24(2):133-136 | DOI: 10.21101/cejph.a4161
Background: The introduction of the surveillance of invasive pneumococcal diseases (IPD) in 2007 has helped to monitor changes in serotype occurrence in the Czech population and assess the impact of routine immunisation against IPD on the child population under 5 years of age. Methods: Observational study of childhood IPD in the Czech Republic based on the state public health surveillance data comparing pre-immunisation (2007-2008) and post-immunisation (2012-2013) periods. Results: In the child population there was an overall decline in IPD occurrence of 46.6% (95% CI 63.4-21.9) observed during the post-immunisation period. There...
Prevalence of Tobacco Use among School Teachers and Effect of Training on Tobacco Use in Western Turkey
Gülengül Mermer, Şafak Dağhan, Ayşegül Bilge, Renginar Öztürk Dönmez, Süheyla Özsoy, Türkan Günay
Cent Eur J Public Health 2016, 24(2):137-143 | DOI: 10.21101/cejph.a4217
Background and Aim: Tobacco consumption is still a prevalent issue. Given that teachers are respected in society, they have a great responsibility for tobacco control. This study examines, using the Transtheoretical Model (TTM), the prevalence of tobacco use among teachers and their different stages of tobacco use. It also evaluates teachers' views on smoking and the effectiveness of training on tobacco use. Methods: This study is quasi-experimental. Pre-test and post-test were used first with a cross-sectional group, then with a single group to determine the frequency of tobacco use. The research participation complied with the voluntary...
Smoking Habits and Attitudes in Students of the Third Faculty of Medicine of Charles University in Prague
Dagmar Schneidrová, Tereza Kopřivová Herotová, Magdaléna Šustková, Viktor Hynčica
Cent Eur J Public Health 2016, 24(2):144-151 | DOI: 10.21101/cejph.a4472
Aim: This study seeks to assess smoking habits, attitudes and intention to quit in students of the Third Faculty of Medicine of Charles University in Prague, Czech Republic. Methods: A cross-sectional survey designed to obtain information on smoking history, current smoking status, cessation attempts, and attitudes towards smoking among health professionals was conducted in 452 students of the first and last years of a 6-year Master's Study Programme (General Medicine) and a 3-year Bachelor's Study Programme (Public Health). An anonymous questionnaire was administered during the classes in the course of academic years 2011-12 and 2012-13....
Access to Healthcare in Russia: A Pilot Study in Ekaterinburg
Natalia Antonova
Cent Eur J Public Health 2016, 24(2):152-155 | DOI: 10.21101/cejph.a3942
Aim: The aim of the study was to analyze accessibility of medical assistance in Russian polyclinics (a case study of the city of Ekaterinburg). Methods: The research included an anonymous survey of patients in five polyclinics of Ekaterinburg (N=500) conducted by applying a specially developed standardised interview. Results: The following factors of medical care accessibility were analyzed: the patient's financial status and administrative and managerial resources of medical institutions. Medical aid in polyclinics is provided within the framework of the Compulsory Medical Insurance Programme. 72% of the patients polled, however,...
Years of Life Lost due to Premature Mortality in a Province with the Shortest Life Expectancy in Poland
Marek Bryła, Małgorzata Pikala, Irena Maniecka-Bryła
Cent Eur J Public Health 2016, 24(2):156-162 | DOI: 10.21101/cejph.a4289
Aim: The aim of the study was to evaluate years of life lost for citizens of the Lodz Province, which is characterized by the lowest life expectancy in Poland, and to identify current trends in this area according to the most common causes of death. Methods: The study material included a database containing information gathered from 470,000 death certificates of Lodz Province inhabitants, who died between 1999 and 2011. In order to calculate years of life lost, the authors applied the SEYLLp (Standard Expected Years of Life Lost per living person) and SEYLLd (per death) indices. The analysis of time trends was carried...
Reimbursed Costs of Management of Uterine Cervical Lesions in Poland - a Descriptive Analysis of Data from the National Health Fund and the Ministry of Health
Andrzej Nowakowski, Andrzej Śliwczyński, Przemysław Seroczyński, Marek Cybulski, Zbigniew Teter
Cent Eur J Public Health 2016, 24(2):163-168 | DOI: 10.21101/cejph.a4737
Background: Despite implementation of organised screening programme in 2006/2007, cervical cancer (CC) incidence and mortality in Poland are still higher than the average in the European Union. CC and preceding cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) caused by human papillomaviruses (HPVs) can be prevented by vaccines which are reimbursed in around 20 European countries but not in Poland. CC and CIN can be also detected with the use of HPV tests which are not included in the Polish screening programme. Reimbursement for HPV vaccines and HPV testing requires cost-effectiveness analyses which include country-specific data on the burden and costs...