Cent Eur J Public Health 2021, 29(2)

Mortality from external causes among 1–14 years old children in Serbia, 1997–2016

Konstansa Lazarević, Dragan Bogdanović, Saša Milićević, Zana Dolićanin, Dragan Milić

Cent Eur J Public Health 2021, 29(2):83-89 | DOI: 10.21101/cejph.a5922  

Objectives: Globally, child mortality from external causes is in decline, but it is still among the leading causes of child deaths. The aim of this first national study was to determine trends of mortality rates from external causes among children aged 1-14 years in Serbia. Methods: Mortality data were collected from the database of the Statistical Office of Serbia. Joinpoint analysis was used to assess the average annual percentage change (APC) and the corresponding 95% confidence interval (CI) in mortality from 1997 to 2016. Results: In the 1997-2016 period, there were 1,388 child deaths from external causes. They contributed to 29.4% of child mortality...

Breast and cervical cancer screening attendance among Czech women

Anna Altová, Ivana Kulhánová, Lukáš Brůha, Michala Lustigová

Cent Eur J Public Health 2021, 29(2):90-95 | DOI: 10.21101/cejph.a6623  

Objectives: The aim of the study was to investigate the variation in breast and cervical cancer screening attendance among Czech women by age and in regions in 2009-2017. Methods: The data from the health insurance company that covers around 50% of the Czech population were used to calculate age-specific attendance rates and standardized attendance rates by year and region. Results: In 2017, the attendance of all eligible women was 52% in breast cancer screening and 46% in cervical cancer screening. There were differences in attendance among groups of women. Women aged 45-49 had attendance rates in both screenings around 60%, while 39% of women aged...

Evaluation of effectiveness of pathology reports in active surveillance of tuberculosis

Özlem Terzi, Derya Öztomurcuk, Seda Gün, Zeki Kiliçaslan

Cent Eur J Public Health 2021, 29(2):96-101 | DOI: 10.21101/cejph.a6124  

Objective: Despite advancing technology, national TB surveillance systems are still inadequate in terms of patient detection around the world. It was aimed to investigate suspicious cases detected by active surveillance method in pathology laboratories and to evaluate the effectiveness of this method in terms of finding new TB cases. Methods: This is a descriptive cross-sectional study. It was administrated in Samsun, Turkey, between January 2012-December 2017. Within the scope of active surveillance, pathology laboratories were regularly visited and reported cases with granulomatous inflammation were assessed. The obtained patient list was compared...

Evaluation of hand hygiene: Is university medical education effective in prevention of hospital-acquired infections?

Simona Kelčíková, Lucia Mazúchová, Nora Malinovská, Jana Kopincová, Ingrid Tonhajzerová

Cent Eur J Public Health 2021, 29(2):102-108 | DOI: 10.21101/cejph.a6501  

Objective: Hand hygiene (HH) compliance is associated with effective prevention of health care-associated infections (HAI), the topic being very important due to current COVID-19 pandemic. There is a growing debate about the role of educational institutions in the low HH compliance of health workers. This study aimed to assess HH knowledge, self-assessment and attitudes of medical students in relation to provided educational background. Methods: A cross-sectional survey (mixed methods-approach) combined with the curriculum analysis and questionnaires. Quantitative method: a questionnaire of knowledge of HH issues (QK), and a questionnaire of self-assessment...

Is administered competition suitable for dealing with a public health emergency? Lessons from the local healthcare system at the centre of early COVID-19 outbreak in Italy

Federico Pennestrì, Antonio Gaudioso, Anant Jani, Elena Bottinelli, Giuseppe Banfi

Cent Eur J Public Health 2021, 29(2):109-116 | DOI: 10.21101/cejph.a6533  

Objectives: The Lombardy Region, Italy, was the most severely affected by the COVID-19 outbreak. In absence of effective treatments and with basic hygiene measures made mandatory, Lombardy response to COVID-19 relied on its healthcare system characteristics, the administered competition or "quasi-market" model. The aim of the study was to review the strengths and weaknesses of Lombardy's response during the first wave of the COVID-19 epidemic, to explore whether the healthcare model influenced crisis management and describe which policies could help to contain future outbreaks. The results are expected to provide similar healthcare systems with lessons...

Association between cholesterol intake and all-cause mortality: NHANES-linked mortality study

Xiangpeng Du, Hui Xin

Cent Eur J Public Health 2021, 29(2):117-121 | DOI: 10.21101/cejph.a6276  

Objectives: There has been insufficient evidence for a quantitative recommendation for dietary cholesterol, therefore, we aim to investigate the optimal cholesterol intake related to a lower all-cause mortality risk. Methods: The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) is a large population survey to investigate public health in the United States. We analysed data from 1999-2002 linked with mortality data obtained through 2006. Cox proportional hazard ratios (HRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated to assess risks for all-cause mortality associated with cholesterol intake. Results: A total of 7,728 participants were...

Slovakians' adversarial attitude towards consumption of functional food

Pavol Mazalán, Pavol Kita, Jaroslav Kita, Marta Žambochová, Jamal Hasan, Augustín Prochotzký

Cent Eur J Public Health 2021, 29(2):122-129 | DOI: 10.21101/cejph.a6431  

Objectives: The aim of the article is to present the behaviour of Slovak consumers in terms of consumption in the field of functional food. Methods: The survey was initiated in all regions of Slovakia. The sample involved 1,373 families which consisted of respondents aged 18-92 years. Friedman's test and subsequent post-hoc analysis were used to determine the reasons why people buy (or do not buy) a specific type of food. The survey deals with functional foods. Additionally, another classification method, namely a decision tree, was used. Results: Decision trees help to identify factors influencing the choice of food by buyers. Based on this method,...

Natural selection at work? Vitamin D deficiency rates and rising health problems in young Turkish Cypriot professionals

Emine Kandemiş, Gülten Tuncel, Umut Fahrioğlu, Şehime Gülsün Temel, Gamze Mocan, Mahmut Çerkez Ergören

Cent Eur J Public Health 2021, 29(2):130-133 | DOI: 10.21101/cejph.a6117  

Objectives: Vitamin D is a fat-soluble, prohormone vitamin that is important especially for bone mineralization and skeletal health. In recent years, vitamin D deficiency appeared as a worldwide problem, affecting many people in different ways including the Northern Cypriot population. The deficiency might be caused by the lack of exposure to sunlight, diet low in vitamin D, sedentary lifestyle, and also due to some genetic variations in the vitamin D receptor (VDR) gene. Methods: In this study, four common VDR polymorphisms and associations with vitamin D deficiency in the Turkish Cypriot population between ages 18-40 and working in office conditions...

Effectiveness of anti-smoking interventions towards community: a meta-analysis study

Egemen Ünal, Selma Metintaş

Cent Eur J Public Health 2021, 29(2):134-142 | DOI: 10.21101/cejph.a6350  

Objectives: Smoking is one of the biggest public health problems in the world. The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared the MPOWER package which provides a guide for tobacco control. The package includes six evidence based anti-smoking interventions. This meta-analysis study aims to assess the effectiveness of MPOWER - (M)onitor, (P)rotect, (O)ffer, (W)arn, (E)nforce, and (R)aise. In the study, "smoking prevalence rate, smoking cessation rate and number of cigarettes smoked daily" outputs were used in adult and adolescent age groups. Methods: Literature search has been made with "smok*, tobacco, cigarette*" keywords from the databases of Medline,...

Evaluation of estimated direct health expenses on tobacco- and alcohol-related diseases in context of excise taxes revenues in the Czech Republic

Gabriela Kukalová, Lukáš Moravec, Dana Bína Filipová, Lenka Kučírková

Cent Eur J Public Health 2021, 29(2):143-152 | DOI: 10.21101/cejph.a5538  

Objectives: This article deals with the comparison of excise tax revenues from alcoholic beverages and tobacco products with public spending that are spent on treating diseases occurring in consumers of these commodities. Methods: Based on available data, the study estimates direct public expenditures on the treatment of tobacco-related diseases and very frequent alcohol consumption-related diseases in the Czech Republic. These partial results are evaluated in the context of tax revenues from consumption of the mentioned commodities. The analysis works with the data from 1998-2017, which was obtained from the Ministry of Health of the Czech Republic,...

Cost analysis of early rehabilitation after stroke in comprehensive cerebrovascular centres in the Czech Republic

Yvona Angerová, Pavel Maršálek, Irina Chmelová, Tereza Gueye, Miroslav Barták, Štěpán Uherek, Jan Bříza, Vladimír Rogalewicz

Cent Eur J Public Health 2021, 29(2):153-158 | DOI: 10.21101/cejph.a6111  

Objectives: The paper analyses real-world data on cost of treatment in patients after stroke hospitalized in early rehabilitation units within comprehensive stroke centres in the Czech Republic. This is the first study of the kind in the Czech Republic, while such information is extremely rare worldwide. Stroke treatment witnessed a dramatic development in the last years, when the main progress was due to establishment of specialized (comprehensive) stroke units incorporating also early rehabilitation. There is a general agreement among clinicians that early rehabilitation is beneficial for patients after stroke. Methods: Costs of early rehabilitation...

COVID-19 in the Czech Republic 2020: probable transmission of the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2

Milan Tuček

Cent Eur J Public Health 2021, 29(2):159-161 | DOI: 10.21101/cejph.a6963  

Objectives: The aim of the study was to determine the probable places of coronavirus transmission in association with the work. Methods: The work analysed data from the Information System of Infectious Diseases managed by the Institute of Health Information and Statistics of the Czech Republic in the period March-December 2020. Results: 732,202 COVID-19 cases were officially confirmed, from them 64,587 (9%) represented work-related disease, 184,384 cases (25%) work-related contact, and 483,231 cases (66%) out-of-work contact. There were identified 13 occupations with the highest incidence of COVID-19 in the observed period (42,072 cases), in descending...

International comparison of reproductive health seeking behaviour in Roma population

Miroslava Gojnić Dugalić, Aleksandar Stefanović, Katarina Stefanović, Svetlana Vrzić Petronijević, Miloš Petronijević, Stefan Dugalić, Maja Macura

Cent Eur J Public Health 2021, 29(2):162 | DOI: 10.21101/cejph.a6843  

Letter to the Editor, in response to the paper “Reproductive health of Roma women in Slovakia”, Cent Eur J Public Health 2020 28(2):143–148.

Commentary on “Letter to the Editor” after “International comparison of reproductive health seeking behaviour in Roma population”

Mária Šupínová

Cent Eur J Public Health 2021, 29(2):163 | DOI: 10.21101/cejph.a6978  

Breast and cervical cancer screening attendance among Czech women – supplementary material

Anna Altová, Ivana Kulhánová, Lukáš Brůha, Michala Lustigová

Cent Eur J Public Health 2021, 29(2):S1-S2 | DOI: 10.21101/cejph.b0144