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.
Introduction: The study aimed to examine the prevalence of sports outside of regular school classes among primary and secondary school students. The secondary aim was to study the correlation of ...physical activity, students’ socioeconomic status and parents’ level of education with students’ educational outcomes.
Material and Methods: Data were collected from medical records of the Croatian Institute for Health Insurance in the Osijek-Baranja County and through regular physical examination of students in the fifth and eighth grade of primary school and the first grade of secondary school.
Results: Over a 5-year period, 120 boys and 141 girls were examined; 66.28% of the students were involved in sports activities in the fifth grade, 49.04% were involved in sports in the eighth grade, and in the first grade, 43.68% of students were involved in sports. No statistically significant differences were observed in the seventh and eighth grade of primary school (p = 0.076) and in the first grade of secondary school (p = 0.057). Students in the seventh and eighth grade who played sports had slightly higher grades (4.45 ± 0.68) compared to those who did not participate in sports activities (4.3 ± 0.69). Similar results were obtained for students who were involved in sports in the first grade of secondary school, who had achieved slightly better results in the seventh grade (4.41 ± 0.69) compared to those who did not participate in sports activities (4.41 ± 0,69).
Conclusion: The results of this study suggest that physical activity in children could be associated with better school performance, which may have implications for sports having positive health benefits in both childhood and adulthood.
(Vučić A, Bilić-Kirin V. The Impact of Physical Activity and Sports on Academic Achievement of Students in Primary and Secondary Schools in Osijek-Baranja County, Croatia. SEEMEDJ 2020; 4(2); 97-107)
The perception of obesity among people has not changed significantly regardless numerous public educational programs. Reasons for obesity pandemics are numerous and complex, but can be mostly resumed ...to life-style changes. The aim of this research was to determine connection between socioeconomic factors and obesity with children of our region. Study included pupils aged 7-8 from 19 first grades in 8 primary schools in Osijek-Baranya County. Body height and weight were measured and socioeconomic data status were collected. Socioeconomic status included data on marital status, educational level, employment, number of children in the family, kindergarten attendance and urban/rural location and also smoking habits of parents. BMI was calculated as a parameter for obesity assessment according to Croatian reference values. Total of 372 children were measured. There were 6.5% of overweight children (BMI between 90th and 97th percentile) and 2.4% of obese children (BMI above 97th percentile). The prevalence of obese children in our research was 8.9%. Obesity is not influenced by rural/urban residence, marital status of parents, number of children in the family, mother's education, or by parents' smoking habits. Positive correlation between obesity and father's education and parents' unemployment was found. Available literature data, same as our study, did not show consistent association between socioeconomic factors and obesity with children. Contradictory results of different studies can be a result of a small sample, difference in study design and different criteria for defining categories within investigated socioeconomic factor.
Nutrition care delivered in primary health care setting is an effective and necessary preventive health care measure. General practitioners (GPs) nutrition knowledge is related to their nutrition ...care practice. The aim of this study was to explore the nutrition knowledge of Croatian GPs, and to investigate its connection with the implementation of nutrition care in GPs' offices. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 17.0% of randomly selected GPs, from May to July 2013, via an anonymous questionnaire. The study showed that only 35.8% of the Croatian GPs had an adequate level of nutrition knowledge (five or more correct answers to nutrition questions). The study further revealed that females, GPs with additional education in nutrition and GPs who had not suffered from chronic diseases with poor nutrition posing as a risk factor had better nutrition knowledge (
= 0.029,
< 0.001 and
= 0.041, respectively). The Spearman rank correlation between GPs' nutrition knowledge and the implementation of nutrition care in their offices during daily work with patients was
= -0.190 (
< 0.001). To provide nutrition care in GPs' offices in Croatia, strategies for improving GPs' nutrition knowledge are needed.
Specific personality traits may predispose individuals to various forms of addictive behaviors. This study aimed to investigate the association between personality traits of university students and ...Internet addiction (IA). A sample of 1051 university students was recruited from the largest university in Eastern Croatia. A structured anonymous questionnaire that included questions regarding students’ sociodemographic information and Internet usage patterns, the Young Internet Addiction Test and Big Five Inventory served as a research tool. The study revealed that 1.0% of the studied sample expressed severe IA while 24.6% of study participants expressed some signs of addiction. The IA was detected in 576 (80.0%) students who used the Internet mainly for social networking, in 30 (78.9%) students who mainly used it for online gaming, and in 153 (52.2%) students who mainly used it for university assignments (p < 0.001). Higher neuroticism, higher extraversion, and higher openness to new experiences were connected with IA in general (p < 0.001). Higher neuroticism, higher extraversion, and higher openness to new experiences were significantly associated with addictive behavior during social networking (p < 0.001). Higher extraversion and higher openness to new experiences were significantly associated with addictive behavior during Internet usage for university assignments (p = 0.025), while there were no significant associations between specific personality traits and addictive behavior during online gaming (p = 0.059). Personality traits must be taken into account while developing programs and implementing interventions for preventing IA in the university student population.
Obesity is one of the leading public health issues in the world whose significance lies, not only in its prevalence, but also in its consequences i.e. diseases that gradually develop in obese people. ...The aim of the study was to determine obesity prevalence among school children and the influence of health education on its prevalence. Study included pupils of 19 first grades in 8 primary schools of Osijek-Baranja County, Croatia. Body weight and height, waist and hip circumference were measured. Parameters for assessing obesity: body mass index (BMI, according to Croatian referral values), waist circumference (WC), waist and hip circumference ratio (WHR) and waist circumference and height ratio (WHtR) were measured. In order to determine whether the health education of pupils and their parents influences children's anthropometric indexes, health education regarding correct diet, obesity and its consequences and the need for life style changes in terms of daily physical activity was conducted in four primary schools. Pupils of other four primary schools were measured as a control group. Prevalence of overweight children according to BMI before education was 8.9% (6.5% of overweight and 2.4% of obese children). In intervention group of children, according to BMI, there was no decrease in proportion of obese after the health education was conducted and prevalence was 2% before and after the education. On the second measurement, pupils in control group showed increase in proportion of obese from 2.9% to 3.5%. According to weight circumference and height ratio before education there were 10.2% of obese children. After six months, there was an increase in proportion of obese to 11.3%. According to this index there was an increase in proportion of obese in all groups of pupils regardless of gender and conducted education. This study shows that in school-based obesity programs it is necessary to apply more intense interventions with another type of methodology; program should be conducted continuously during longer period, otherwise this condition will continue to rise.
Cilj: Ciljevi istraživanja bili su utvrditi postoji li razlika u mjerenju intraokularnog tlaka (IOT) Goldmanovom aplanacijskom tonometrijom (GAT) i air-puff tonometrijom (APT) te usporediti osjećaj ...ugode prilikom mjerenja IOT-a objema metodama. Ispitanici i metode: Ovom presječnom studijom obuhvaćena su 133 ispitanika kojima je učinjen standardni oftalmološki pregled. Ispitanici su na pregled dolazili zbog korekcije refrakcijske greške od listopada 2017. do travnja 2018. godine na Polikliniku za oftalmologiju „Oculus“ u Osijeku. Isključni kriteriji bili su dob manja od 18 godina, liječenje od glaukoma, operativni zahvat na prednjem ili stražnjem segmentu oka, degenerativne promjene na prednjem segmentu oka ili teži poremećaj suznog filma. Svim ispitanicima izmjeren je IOT objema metodama, nakon čega su ispitanici dobrovoljno ispunili anketu u kojoj su se prikupljali sljedeći podatci: dob, spol, nošenje leća, broj pregleda mjerenja IOT-a te procjena ugodnosti pregleda GAT-om i APT-om. Rezultati: Presječna studija uključila je 133 pacijenta (83 žene, 50 muškaraca). Medijan dobi ispitanika bio je 51 godina. Utvrđena je statistički značajna razlika između izmjerenog IOT-a desnog i lijevog oka GAT-om i APT-om (t-test za zavisne uzorke, P < 0,001). Nije bilo statistički značajnih razlika u ocjeni ugode mjerenja IOT-a GAT-om i APT-om (Fisherov egzaktni test, P = 0,180). Zaključci: Iako APT ima određene prednosti u odnosu na GAT, GAT daje preciznije rezultate mjerenja IOT-a te se s razlogom danas smatra zlatnim standardom u mjerenju IOT-a.
Aim: The objectives of the study were to determine whether there is any difference in the measurement of intraocular pressure (IOP) by Goldmann applanation tonometry (GAT) and air-puff tonometry (APT) and to compare the feeling of comfort when measuring the IOP by both methods. Participants and methods: This cross-sectional study included 133 participants, who underwent standard ophthalmic examination. Participants were examined for correction of refractive error from October 2017 to April 2018 at the Ophthalmology polyclinic “Oculus”, Osijek. Exclusion criteria were age under 18 years, glaucoma treatment, operative surgery at the anterior or posterior eye segment, degenerative changes in the anterior eye segment, or tear film disorder. IOP was measured in all participants by both methods, after which participants voluntarily completed a questionnaire in which the following data were collected: age, gender, data on wearing lenses, number of IOP measures, and evaluation of the comfort level of GAT and APT. Results: This cross-sectional study included 133 patients (83 women, 50 men). The median of the participants’ age was 51. There was a statistically significant difference between the measured IOP of the right and left eye with the GAT and APT (t-test, P < 0.001). There was no significant difference in the comfort level of IOP measured with GAT and APT (Fisher’s exact test, P = 0.180). Conclusions: Although APT has some advantages over GAT, GAT provides more accurate results for IOP measurement and is therefore considered a gold standard for IOT measurement today.
CILJ ISTRAŽIVANJA. Ispitati prehrambene navike školske djece, njihovih roditelja i razlike prema mjestu stanovanja te promjene istih nakon edukacije. Utvrditi stanje uhranjenosti djece na početku i ...kraju istraživanja te usporediti različite antropometrijske indekse. USTROJ STUDIJE. Prospektivna studija. ISPITANICI I METODE. Istraživanjem je obuhvaćeno 332 ispitanika (191 učenik i 141 roditelj) u dvije gradske i dvije seoske škole. Kontrolnu skupinu čini 181 učenik koji nije obuhvaćen edukacijom. U obje skupine tim školske medicine proveo je mjerenje tjelesne visine, težine, opseg struka i bokova na početku, nakon 6 i 12 mjeseci. Ispitivanje prehrambenih navika djece i roditelja istraženo je anketnim upitnikom. Za skupinu ispitanika osmišljene su intervencije tima usmjerene na razvoj pravilnih navika kroz predavanja za djecu i roditelje, radionice za djecu i roditelje, edukacija roditelj - roditeljima. REZULTATI. Nikad ne doručkuje 3,6 % djece. Tri glavna i jedan kuhani obrok na dan ima 55.3 % djece. Voće ne jede 5,8 %, a povrće 9,1 % dok slatka pića pije 23,1 % djece. Polovina djece zna kako nastaje debljina i smatraju je bolešću. Roditelji značajno češće navode da učenici provede dnevno 2 i više sati pred računalom ili TV. Nakon edukacije kod djece značajno se povećala količina i unos voća na dan (s 41 % na 63,4 %), a smanjila svakodnevna konzumacija slatkiša (sa 46 % na 17,9 %). Povećao se broj učenika koji znaju kako i zašto se debljamo. Značajno više djece u gradu ne jede povrće i ne hrani se u školskoj kuhinji, dok seoska djeca više znaju o debljini. Stanje uhranjenosti djece je sljedeće: 4,1 % pothranjenih, 80.4 % normalno, prekomjerno teških je 10,5 %, a pretilih 5 %. Uspoređujući antropometrijske indekse značajno je više ispitanika prekomjerne tjelesne težine prema ITM u odnosu na opseg struka dok su prema omjeru struka i visine ispitanici više pothranjeni, a manje pretili. ZAKLJUČAK. Intervencije su se pokazale kao uspješan model kojim se može utjecati na promjenu stavova i prehrambenih navika djece i roditelja. Njihovom kontinuiranom primjenom u djece školske dobi značajno bi se promijenile prehram bene navike, a time i utjecalo na razvoj budućih zdravijih generacija.
OBJECTIVES. To determine dietary habits of school children, their parents and the differences according to place of residence, and also changes in dietary habits after education. To determine nutritional status of school children at the beginning and in the end of the research, and to compare different anthropometric indexes. STUDY DESIGN. Prospective study. PARTICIPANTS AND METHODS. Research was conducted in two urban and two rural primary schools with the total of 332 participants (191 pupils and 141 parents). Control group had 181 pupils that were not educated. School medicine team conducted measurements of body height and body weight, waist and hip circumferences in both groups at the beginning of the research and after 6 and 12 months. School medicine team conducted interventions aimed to improve dietary habits in the form of lectures for children and parents, workshops for children and parents and parent-to-parents education for the intervention group. RESULTS. 3,6 % of children never eats breakfast. Three main meals and one cooked meal per day had 55,5 % of children. Fruits does not eat 3,6 % of children, vegetables does not eat 9,1 % of children and sweet drinks consume 23,1 % of children. Half of children knew causes of obesity and consider it to be a disease. Parents significantly more often reported more than 2 hours of screen time for their children. Fruit amount and consumption was increased (41 % vs. 63,4 %) and sweets consumption was reduced (46 % vs. 17,9 %) in children after education. Proportion of pupils with knowledge on obesity was increased. Urban children more often do not eat vegetables and do not eat in the school kitchen, while rural children know more on obesity. Nutritional status of children was determined as 4,1 % of underweight, 80,4 % with normal weight, 10,5 % of overweight and 5 % of obese. Comparison of anthropometric indexes showed that there were more overweight children when using body mass index than waist circumference, while there were more underweight and less obese children when using waist circumference-height ratio. CONCLUSION. Interventions showed to be a successful model that influences change in dietary habits of children and parents. Their continuous use could change dietary habits and therefore development of healthier generations.
CILJ ISTRAŽIVANJA. Ispitati prehrambene navike školske djece, njihovih roditelja i razlike prema mjestu stanovanja te promjene istih nakon edukacije. Utvrditi stanje uhranjenosti djece na početku i kraju istraživanja te usporediti različite antropometrijske indekse. USTROJ STUDIJE. Prospektivna studija. ISPITANICI I METODE. Istraživanjem je obuhvaćeno 332 ispitanika (191 učenik i 141 roditelj) u dvije gradske i dvije seoske škole. Kontrolnu skupinu čini 181 učenik koji nije obuhvaćen edukacijom. U obje skupine tim školske medicine proveo je mjerenje tjelesne visine, težine, opseg struka i bokova na početku, nakon 6 i 12 mjeseci. Ispitivanje prehrambenih navika djece i roditelja istraženo je anketnim upitnikom. Za skupinu ispitanika osmišljene su intervencije tima usmjerene na razvoj pravilnih navika kroz predavanja za djecu i roditelje, radionice za djecu i roditelje, edukacija roditelj - roditeljima. REZULTATI. Nikad ne doručkuje 3,6 % djece. Tri glavna i jedan kuhani obrok na dan ima 55.3 % djece. Voće ne jede 5,8 %, a povrće 9,1 % dok slatka pića pije 23,1 % djece. Polovina djece zna kako nastaje debljina i smatraju je bolešću. Roditelji značajno češće navode da učenici provede dnevno 2 i više sati pred računalom ili TV. Nakon edukacije kod djece značajno se povećala količina i unos voća na dan (s 41 % na 63,4 %), a smanjila svakodnevna konzumacija slatkiša (sa 46 % na 17,9 %). Povećao se broj učenika koji znaju kako i zašto se debljamo. Značajno više djece u gradu ne jede povrće i ne hrani se u školskoj kuhinji, dok seoska djeca više znaju o debljini. Stanje uhranjenosti djece je sljedeće: 4,1 % pothranjenih, 80.4 % normalno, prekomjerno teških je 10,5 %, a pretilih 5 %. Uspoređujući antropometrijske indekse značajno je više ispitanika prekomjerne tjelesne težine prema ITM u odnosu na opseg struka dok su prema omjeru struka i visine ispitanici više pothranjeni, a manje pretili. ZAKLJUČAK. Intervencije su se pokazale kao uspješan model kojim se može utjecati na promjenu stavova i prehrambenih navika djece i roditelja. Njihovom kontinuiranom primjenom u djece školske dobi značajno bi se promijenile prehram bene navike, a time i utjecalo na razvoj budućih zdravijih generacija.
There are 961 new cases and approximately 366 deaths from urothelial carcinoma registered annually in Croatia. Exfoliative urinary cytology has important role in detection of high grade urinary ...tumors, invasive and in situ lesions respectively. In contrast to cystoscopy and biopsy, cytology is a noninvasive method which is easily repeated. The aim of this retrospective study was to assess value of urinary cytology in our institution. For this purpose only patients with histological diagnosis and clinical follow up were considered. There were 138 urine specimens with cytological diagnosis of dyskaryosis, suspicious for malignancy or malignant and histology and follow up data examined at our Department of Clinical Cytology between 2004 and 2011. Cytological diagnosis suspicious for malignancy and malignant were considered positive and the results were correlated with histological diagnosis according to the WHO histological classification of tumors of the urinary tract. Patients with negative histological findings were followed for the next two years. The positive predictive value of cytological detection of malignant urothelial lesions was 91.8%. In 10 cases cytological diagnosis of malignancy was not confirmed histologically or clinically which makes the total of 8.2% of false positive reports. Of the total of detected malignant urothelial lesions 90.9% are high grade lesions and only 9.1% low-grade lesions; 67.3% are invasive lesions and 32.7% non-invasive lesions. Cytological findings of dyskariotyc cells requires further urological investigation because such findings in further processing prove the presence of tumor in 93.8% of cases. In conclusion: cytology is very good diagnostic tool for detection of high grade invasive and noninvasive carcinomas of the urinary tract. In order to make it more efficient we need to study its limits carefully, define diagnostic criteria and reach consensus in nomenclature.
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