The COVID-19 pandemic caused a transition to online services in almost all aspects of life. Today, online access is an important aspect of child well-being more than ever. The aim of the study was to ...investigate online activities and gender differences of children with a special focus on harmful online content, cyberbullying, and Internet addiction. Our research was conducted among students from one Croatian county (average age = 14.97, N = 494). The Internet Addiction Test, the European Cyberbullying Intervention Project Questionnaire, as well as questions constructed for the purposes of this research (e.g., online contents) were used. Between 20% and 30% of students spend four or more hours a day online. Furthermore, 14.57% of students showed moderate signs of addiction, and 1.42% already showed severe signs of addiction, where girls had significantly higher results. The results indicated that 12.75% of students were victims, 5.87% were perpetrators, and 8.3% were, at the same time, committing and experiencing cyberbullying. Children who commit and/or experience cyberbullying achieve higher results on the scale of Internet addiction than children who do not participate in cyberbullying. These findings contribute to our understanding of Internet usage and especially its problematic aspect in such a complex time as the COVID-19 pandemic, and they can be useful for planning future interventions with children.
The prevalence of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) is increasing, partly due to a lack of physical activity. In a cross-sectional study with 18,216 pupils (5th, 6th, and 8th grades) from four ...Croatian counties using the forward bend test (FBT; presumed AIS), the prevalence of AIS and its correlation with physical activity were evaluated. Pupils with presumed AIS were less physically active than their peers without scoliosis (
< 0.001). Abnormal FBT was more prevalent among girls than boys (8.3% vs. 3.2%). Boys were more physically active than girls (
< 0.001). Pupils with presumed AIS were less physically active than their peers without scoliosis (
< 0.001). A higher prevalence of presumed AIS was found among inactive or just recreationally active schoolchildren than among those engaged in organized sports (
= 0.001), girls especially. Pupils with presumed AIS were less active and had fewer weekly sports sessions than their peers without scoliosis (
< 0.001). Notably low prevalence of AIS was detected among pupils engaged in soccer (2.8%,
< 0.001), handball (3.4%,
= 0.002), and martial arts (3.9%,
= 0.006), while it was higher than expected in swimming (8.6%,
= 0.012), dancing (7.7%,
= 0.024), and volleyball (8.2%,
= 0.001) participants. No difference was detected for other sports. A positive correlation was found between time spent using handheld electronic devices and the prevalence of scoliosis (r
= 0.06,
< 0.01). This study confirms the increasing prevalence of AIS, particularly among less athletic girls. Further, prospective studies in this field are required to explain whether the higher prevalence of AIS in these sports is due to referral or other aspects.
One major challenge during the COVID-19 pandemic was the limited accessibility to healthcare facilities, especially for the older population. The aim of the current study was the exploration of the ...extent to which the healthcare systems responded to the healthcare needs of the older people with or without cognitive impairment and their caregivers in the Adrion/Ionian region. Data were collected through e-questionnaires regarding the adequacy of the healthcare system and were anonymously administered to older individuals and stakeholder providers in the following countries: Slovenia, Italy (Calabria), Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Greece, Montenegro, and Serbia. Overall, 722 older people and 267 healthcare stakeholders participated in the study. During the COVID-19 pandemic, both healthcare stakeholders and the older population claimed that the healthcare needs of the older people and their caregivers increased dramatically in all countries, especially in Italy (Calabria), Croatia and BiH. According to our results, countries from the Adrion/Ionian regions faced significant challenges to adjust to the special needs of the older people during the COVID-19 pandemic, which was possibly due to limited accessibility opportunities to healthcare facilities. These results highlight the need for the development of alternative ways of providing medical assistance and supervision when in-person care is not possible.
Pandemija COVID-19 utjecala je na sve aspekte života potaknuvši ubrzanu i neplaniranu digitalizaciju, a značajna je promjena bila uvođenje učenja na daljinu u obrazovnom sustavu. Tijekom prosinca ...2020., u vrijeme trajanja online nastave, provedeno je follow up online istraživanje putem anketnog upitnika. Svrha je rada istražiti navike korištenja interneta, sigurnost djece na internetu i dječju percepciju roditeljske uloge među učenicima sedmih i osmih razreda osnovne škole (N=210) Splitsko dalmatinskežupanije, prosječne dobi 13,5 godina te utvrditi postoje li razlike u navedenim varijablama prema spolu te usporedba tih rezultata s prvim valom istraživanja provedenim 2017. godine (N=286, prosječna dob13,76). Očekivano, učenici procjenjuju da su na internetu tijekom pandemije boravili dulje nego prije pandemije(87 %) te kako roditelji znaju manje od njih o korištenju interneta (59 %). Istraživanjem je utvrđeno da je pandemija utjecala na veću percepciju uključenosti roditelja putem razgovora o korištenju interneta, roditeljskog informiranja o rizicima te zajedničkog korištenja interneta.
The pandemic caused by COVID-19 has affected almost every aspect of life including accelerated and unplanned digitalization, with particular emphasis on changes in school education provision and the introduction of distance learning. During December 2020, when educational activities were carried out in an online environment for most children, a follow-up survey was conducted using a survey questionnaire. The purpose of this paper is to present the research results on the Internet use habits, children’s Internet safety as well as children’s perception of the parental role among seventh and eighth grade elementary schoolchildren (N = 210), at average age of 13.5 years, to determine if there are changes in the abovementioned variables according to gender, and to compare these results with the first wave research conducted in 2017 (N = 286, average age13.76). The research results indicate that students during the pandemic spent more time on the Internet than before the pandemic (87%). 59% of schoolchildren believed that their parents possessed poorer Internet skills than children themselves, and most students reported how their parents informed them on the potential risks of Internet use. The research found that the pandemic increased the perception of parental involvement through talking about using the Internet, parents’ informing the children about risks, and spending time together using the Internet.
The pandemic caused by COVID-19 has affected almost every aspect of life including accelerated and unplanned digitalization, with particular emphasis on changes in school education provision and ...the introduction of distance learning. During December 2020, when educational activities were carried out in an online environment for most children, a follow-up survey was conducted using a survey questionnaire. The purpose of this paper is to present the research results on the Internet use habits, children’s Internet safety as well as children’s perception of the parental role among seventh and eighth grade elementary schoolchildren (N = 210), at average age of 13.5 years, to determine if there are changes in the abovementioned variables according to gender, and to compare these results with the first wave research conducted in 2017 (N = 286, average age 13.76). The research results indicate that students during the pandemic spent more time on the Internet than before the pandemic (87%). 59% of schoolchildren believed that their parents possessed poorer Internet skills than children themselves, and most students reported how their parents informed them on the potential risks of Internet use. The research found that the pandemic increased the perception of parental involvement through talking about using the Internet, parents’ informing the children about risks, and spending time together using the Internet.
Summary
Objective
To analyze the trends in scoliosis screenings over 10 years (2010 vs. 2020). To assess the management of schoolchildren with a preliminary diagnosis of adolescent idiopathic ...scoliosis by school medicine specialists.
Methods
Historical data were used for the year 2009/2010, and a cross-sectional study was conducted during the school year 2019/2020 on 18,216 pupils of 5th, 6th, and 8th elementary school grades. A forward bend test was used to detect clinical features of scoliosis and some positive findings were referred to orthopedists or physiatrists for further evaluation.
Results
In the analyzed 10-year period abnormal forward bend test findings increased from 4.9 to 5.8% (by 18.4%;
P
< 0.001). While its prevalence escalated markedly in girls (from 5.8 to 8.3%;
P
< 0.001), a modest but significant decrease, from 3.8 to 3.2% (
P
= 0.018), was noted in boys. Most pupils had low to moderate curves, and its prevalence was some 6.5 times higher in girls (
P
< 0.001). The forward bend test positive predictive value was 84.7%. Discrete forward bend test aberrations were managed by school medicine specialists only.
Conclusion
While actively promoting scoliosis screening in children, we have shown that forward bend test is an acceptable tool for early adolescent idiopathic scoliosis detection in school medicine. In collaboration with other specialists and using additional diagnostic methods, school medicine specialists can ensure early detection and appropriate interventions, avoiding the potential harms of radiation exposure.
Online contacts and other activities on the Internet came into focus given the increased use during the COVID-19 pandemic. The online environment is a setting for problematic Internet use, including ...cyberbullying, and research so far shows that inclusion in cyberbullying depends on the amount of screen time. Increases in screen time during the pandemic could affect the growth of the prevalence rates of children’s involvement in cyberbullying. The aim of this paper is to compare the Internet habits, cyberbullying and parental role in children’s online activities before and during the COVID-19 pandemic, when the use of the Internet increased due to online classes and implemented measures to prevent the spread of the infection. The Institute of Public Health of Split-Dalmatia County conducted a quantitative online survey of Internet habits and problematic Internet use in two waves in 2017 and 2020 with adolescents from 12–18 (N2017 = 536; N2020 = 284). Research included adherence to ethical standards of research with children. An online activity questionnaire for children, a questionnaire of parental behaviors and the European Cyberbullying Intervention Project Questionnaire—ECIPQ were used. The results of the research point out that cyberbullying rates in the pandemic decreased. The results show that the cumulative effect of parental monitoring is medium with approximately 5% of explained variance for experiencing and 6% for committing violence. The similar set of predictors is statistically significant in both regressions. Parental actions of monitoring applications, informing children and monitoring search history are identified as protective factors for committing or experiencing cyber violence. These findings are important for understanding the effect of the general digitization of society, which leads to an extensive increase in the use of online content and various digital tools, and the role of the parents, especially as protective potential for cyberbullying among children.
The virtual environment available through the internet is an important domain of children’s subjective well-being. Widespread usage of information technology brings risks as well as benefits, a topic ...now under intensive study by professionals in multiple fields. To date there has been a lack of research about the experiences of children from group accommodation settings when navigating the virtual environment. The main goal of the present study, which involved 510 high school students living in dormitories in Split-Dalmatia County, was to determine and document patterns of internet usage and internet addiction, and to examine another internet behavior, cyberbullying. Our results show that 3.73% of the children we studied manifested a severe level of internet addiction, while about one third took part in cyberbullying as victim, perpetrator, or both. An important finding is that children involved with cyberbullying have significantly higher levels of internet addiction, suggesting a relationship between these phenomena. In the second, qualitative, phase of the study, the quantitative research findings were discussed with children, parents, teachers, and staff. Our results enable a better understanding of young people`s behaviors in the online world, and could contribute to the development of educational programs for children and young people and the promotion of evidence-based practice in dormitory settings.
ATTITUDES TOWARD PEOPLE WITH MENTAL HEALTH DIFFICULTIES The implementation of modern approaches that seek to deinstitutionalize traditional psychiatric services is hampered by unfavorable attitudes ...of the community towards people with mental disabilities. Stigma is one of the most important factors that delay seeking help and negatively affects the quality of life of people with mental health problems. The research was conducted to describe attitudes towards people with mental health problems and determine their relationship with socio-demographic variables, information, and personal experience with mental health problems. There were 108 participants aged 21 to 59 (71% female, 64.5% college and university degrees). The Community Attitudes toward Mental Illness scale (CAMI) (Taylor & Dear, 1981) and a survey questionnaire were used online. Participants have generally benevolent attitudes toward all dimensions of the scale. Higher self-assessment of knowledge about mental health problems leads to more favorable attitudes towards authoritarianism, and younger age to less social restraint. Participants with a high school diploma have more negative attitudes towards the dimensions of authoritarianism and benevolence than participants with a university degree. There are no significant differences in attitudes regarding the experience of seeking mental health support, but on the authoritarian dimension, there is a significant interaction effect of being informed and mental health support seeking. The results indicate the importance of further research into the relationship between attitudes and mental health support seeking and the level of being informed on mental health issues. Key words: mental health; mental health difficulties; attitudes; stigmatization
Implementacija suvremenih pristupa koji teže deinstitucionalizaciji tradicionalnih psihijatrijskih usluga otežana je nepovoljnim stavovima zajednice prema osobama s mentalnim poteškoćama. Stigma je ...jedan od najvažnijih čimbenika koji odgađaju traženje pomoći te negativno utječu na kvalitetu života osoba s poteškoćama mentalnog zdravlja. Provedeno je istraživanje s ciljem opisivanja stavova prema osobama s poteškoćama mentalnog zdravlja te utvrđivanjem njihova odnosa sa sociodemografskim varijablama, informiranošću te osobnim iskustvom s poteškoćama mentalnog zdravlja. Sudjelovalo je 108 sudionika u dobi od 21 do 59 godina (71% ženskih, 64,5% više i visoke stručne spreme). U online obliku primijenjena je Skala stavova zajednice prema osobama s poteškoćama mentalnog zdravlja (CAMI) (Taylor i Dear, 1981.) te anketni upitnik sastavljen za potrebe istraživanja. Sudionici imaju uglavnom blagonaklone stavove na svim dimenzijama skale. Viša samoprocjena informiranosti vodi povoljnijim stavovima na autoritarnosti, a mlađa dob manjem socijalnom ograničavanju. Sudionici sa SSS-om imaju negativnije stavove na dimenzijama autoritarnosti i benevolentnosti od sudionika s VSS-om. Nema značajnih razlika u stavovima s obzirom na iskustvo s traženjem podrške za mentalno zdravlje, no na dimenziji autoritarnosti značajan je interakcijski efekt informiranosti i traženja podrške. Rezultati ukazuju na važnost daljnjeg istraživanja odnosa stavova s traženjem podrške za mentalno zdravlje te razinom informiranosti o pitanjima zaštite mentalnog zdravlja.
PDF
