Zdravstveno Varstvo最新文献

Objective: Healthy nutritional habits during childhood promote healthy growth and development and foster psycho-emotional wellbeing. Our aim was to assess the prevalence and sociodemographic correlates of selected nutritional habits among Albanian schoolchildren.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in Albania in 2022, in the framework of the Health Behaviour in School-aged Children survey, including a nationwide representative sample of 5,454 schoolchildren aged 11-15 years (≈52% girls; ≈96% response). Data on nutritional habits were gathered, along with the children's sociodemographic factors. Binary logistic regression was used to assess the associations of nutritional habits with sociodemographic factors.

Results: In multivariable-adjusted analysis, the odds of daily breakfast consumption on weekdays were significantly higher among males (OR=1.3, 95%CI=1.2-1.5), younger children (OR=2.7, 95%CI=2.4-3.2) and those from more affluent families (OR=1.2, 95%CI=1.1-1.4). Conversely, the odds of daily consumption of fruits and/or vegetables were lower among males (OR=0.8, 95%CI=0.7-0.9 and OR=0.7, 95%CI=0.6-0.7, respectively), but higher in younger children (OR=1.5, 95%CI=1.3-1.8 and OR=1.4, 95%CI=1.2-1.6, respectively) and those from wealthier families (OR=1.3, 95%CI=1.2-1.5 and OR=1.2, 95%CI=1.0-1.3, respectively). Additionally, the odds of daily consumption of sweets were lower among males (OR=0.7, 95%CI=0.6-0.8) and younger children (OR=0.5, 95%CI=0.5-0.6). Also, the odds of daily consumption of sugary soft drinks were lower in younger children (OR=0.6, 95%CI=0.5-0.6) and urban residents (OR=0.8, 95%CI=0.7-0.9).

Conclusions: Our findings provide useful insights into the complex interplay of sociodemographic characteristics in shaping nutritional practices of children. There is a need for targeted nutritional interventions based on the specific sociodemographic backgrounds of children in Albania and elsewhere, ultimately supporting healthier nutritional habits.

Aim: The study tested the validity, reliability and responsiveness of the ultrashort Slovenian and Croatian versions of the 5-item Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP-5).

Methods: A total of 663 participants from the general population (400 from Slovenia and 223 from Croatia), 68 students (38 from Slovenia and 30 from Croatia), and 60 dental patients with treatment needs (30 from Slovenia and 30 from Croatia) were included in this investigation. Internal consistency was assessed using Cronbach's alpha, and test-retest reliability was evaluated with intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC). Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was performed to test whether the data fit the unidimensional model, and two types of validity were assessed: concurrent validity and known-group validity.

Results: The internal consistency of the Slovenian and Croatian ultrashort OHIP versions was confirmed by Cronbach's alpha coefficients greater than 0.7 and the test-retest reliability, with sufficient ICC values. The factor analysis for both OHIP-5 versions showed a one-dimensional model and good factor loadings. Concurrent validity was confirmed through significant associations between self-reported oral health and the OHIP-5 summary scores. The OHIP-SVN5 and OHIP-CRO5 distinctly and significantly distinguished between different groups with differences in oral health impairment. Responsiveness to change of the OHIP-5 questionnaires showed that in Slovenian patients, three items decreased after treatment, while in Croatia, the scores of all OHIP-5 items and the summary score were significantly reduced after the treatment.

Conclusions: Slovenian and Croatian ultrashort OHIP-5 questionnaires are adequate one-dimensional instruments consistent with the four-dimensional model of oral health.

Objective: Anxiety and depression are common disorders in children and adolescents and can have a negative impact on their lives. The Revised Child Anxiety and Depression Scale - Child and Parent versions (RCADS and RCADS-P) are widely used standardized measurement tools, but the Slovenian versions have not yet been validated. The aim of the present study was to examine the psychometric properties of the Slovenian version of RCADS and RCADS-P in a representative Slovenian school sample.

Methods: We examined the psychometric properties (factor structure, internal reliability, short-term stability, inter-rater agreement and convergent validity) of the Slovenian version of the RCADS and the RCADS-P in 754 primary and secondary school students and parents of 485 students. The short-term stability of anxiety and depressive symptoms in youth was assessed in a subsample of 117 children and adolescents.

Results: Confirmatory factor analysis showed an acceptable fit of the 6-factor model with CFI=0.92, TLI=0.92 and RMSEA=0.056 for RCADS and with CFI=0.93, TLI=0.92 and RMSEA=0.047 for RCADS-P. Cronbach's α and McDonald's ω ranged from 0.70 to 0.95 for the total scale and the six subscales. The subscales correlated significantly positively with the total Child Anxiety Life Interference Scale score.

Conclusion: The results affirm the good psychometric properties of the Slovenian versions of RCADS and RCADS-P within a school-based sample. There is a need in the future to examine psychometric properties in clinical samples and to provide normative data.

Introduction: Clinical dietitians play a crucial role in the nutritional support of patients at risk of malnutrition in primary care settings. The study aimed to evaluate the effect of an individualized nutritional intervention on clinically relevant outcomes for patients with chronic disease at nutritional risk.

Methods: A longitudinal evaluation study was conducted in two Slovenian primary health centres. We used pre-test and post-test design. Patients with chronic disease were screened using the Malnutrition Universal Screening Tool and additional risk factors (≥70 years and BMI <22 kg/m²; lower food intake in the last five days). Patients at nutritional risk were referred to a clinical dietitian for individual nutritional intervention. The effect of the nutritional intervention was assessed six months after the patients' first visit with a clinical dietitian.

Results: The sample included 94 patients. Nutritional risk was reduced significantly in high-risk and moderate-risk patients. In a subgroup of patients with a MUST score ≥1 (77 patients), body weight, BMI, Fat-Free Mass Index (FFMI), energy intake, and protein intake increased significantly (p<0.001). At the same time, the phase angle significantly increased (p<0.001), but there were no statistically significant changes in the improvement of grip strength. In a subgroup of patients with MUST score 0 (17 patients), we observed an increase in their median daily energy intake (p<0.001) and median protein intake (p=0.003).

Conclusion: Nutritional intervention delivered by a clinical dietitian improved patients' nutritional intake and nutritional and functional status.

Purpose: The ability to perform motor imagery has been shown to influence individual athletic performance and rehabilitation. Recent evidence supports its potential as a training tool to improve motor skills in children. Although there is a standardized assessment of the imagery abilities in Slovenian-speaking adults, there is currently no validated instrument for use with Slovenian children. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to conduct a linguistic validation study of the movement imagery questionnaire for children (MIQ-C).

Methods: A total of 100 healthy children (mean age 10.3±1.3 years; 50 female) were assessed with a Slovenian version of the MIQ-C at Day 1 and Day 8. Inter-day agreement was examined using intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC). Construct validity and internal consistency were assessed using a Cronbach's alpha coefficient and exploratory - confirmatory factor analysis, respectively.

Results: The test-retest ICC were very high for all three scales examined (ICCKI=0.90; ICCIVI=0.92; ICCEVI=0.90). Excellent internal consistency (up to 0.90) was found for kinaesthetic and both visual imageries. Confirmatory analysis confirmed a three-factorial structure of the MIQ-C.

Conclusions: The Slovenian version of the MIQ-C proved to be highly reliable and valid in assessing children's motor imagery abilities, and as such for use with Slovene-speaking children. Moreover, this standardized instrument can be a helpful tool in training and rehabilitation practice with children aged 7-12 years.

Aim: Communication and information sources can play an important role when addressing drug use. The aim of this study is to assess the association of different levels of trust in information sources regarding drug use within different population groups.

Methods: Data was gathered using a mixed methods approach, with an online survey and interviews. A structured questionnaire was designed for data collection using the methodology of the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction, with additional items measuring trust in the information sources.

Results: In total 9,161 inhabitants of Slovenia aged 15-64 years and living in the private households completed the survey as part of this non-experimental quantitative study (response rate: 57%). A total of 20.7% of the participants reported having used cannabis or hashish at least once in their lives, 2.5% cocaine/crack cocaine and 0.4% heroin. Mean age of the first cannabis/hashish use was 19.59 years, cocaine/crack cocaine 22.73 years and heroin 20.63 years. The participants most value and trust the information sources regarding tobacco, alcohol and illicit drugs if it comes from healthcare workers or immediate family and other relatives, and put the least trust in the internet and television.

Conclusions: The data show that drug users have less trust in the given information sources compared to the whole sample. The present research serves as evidence for development and implementation of targeted interventions, including communication activities and tools.

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to a surge in scientific publications, some of which have bypassed the usual peer-review processes, leading to an increase in unsupported claims being referenced. Therefore, the need for references in scientific articles is increasingly being questioned. The practice of relying solely on quantitative measures, such as impact factor, is also considered inadequate by many experts. This can lead to researchers choosing research ideas that are likely to generate favourable metrics instead of interesting and important topics. Evaluating the quality and scientific value of articles requires a rethinking of current approaches, with a move away from purely quantitative methods. Artificial intelligence (AI)-based tools are making scientific writing easier and less time-consuming, which is likely to further increase the number of scientific publications, potentially leading to higher quality articles. AI tools for searching, analysing, synthesizing, evaluating and writing scientific literature are increasingly being developed. These tools deeply analyse the content of articles, consider their scientific impact, and prioritize the retrieved literature based on this information, presenting it in simple visual graphs. They also help authors to quickly and easily analyse and synthesize knowledge from the literature, prepare summaries of key information, aid in organizing references, and improve manuscript language. The language model ChatGPT has already greatly changed the way people communicate with computers, bringing it closer to human communication. However, while AI tools are helpful, they must be used carefully and ethically. In summary, AI has already changed the way we write articles, and its use in scientific publishing will continue to enhance and streamline the process.

Objective: The syndrome of relative energy deficiency in sports (RED-S) is the result of a prolonged period of low energy availability in athletes and leads to the deterioration of health and physical performance. Our study aimed to investigate the prevalence of RED-S-related health and performance problems in young Slovenian athletes, comparing middle (14-17 years) with late (18-21 years) adolescents.

Methods: We analysd data of 118 young athletes (61 females, 57 males) who had nutritional assessments. Statistical analysis was carried out to determine the prevalence of RED-S-related problems. RED-S was diagnosed using the Relative Energy Deficiency Tool and the Sports Clinical Assessment Tool. Nutrition-related risk factors for RED-S were assessed with the use of a questionnaire and analysis of a three-day food diary.

Results: The majority of athletes had at least one RED-S-related health disorder. The number of health-related disorders was significantly higher in females 3.0 (0.2) compared to males 1.6 (0.2). It was also significantly higher in middle 2.6 (0.2) compared to 1.9 (0.3) late adolescents. Potential nutritional risk factors for RED-S were low carbohydrate intake, skipping meals before and after practice, a desire to lose weight, and a history of weight loss in the past year.

Conclusion: The prevalence of health-related RED-S disorders and performance problems in young athletes is concerning, and our study indicates that middle adolescents are more vulnerable to this than late adolescents. Our findings suggest that screening for RED-S symptoms and nutrition-related risk factors for RED-S should be included in regular medical examination of young athletes.

Aim: Recently, a patient-reported experience measure (PREM) was developed in Slovenia to assess patients' experiences with outpatient specialist healthcare clinics. The aim of this study was to evaluate the psychometric properties (including factor structure, reliability, convergent validity, and response distribution) of the questionnaire.

Methods: The sample consisted of 8,406 adult participants treated in 171 specialist clinics from different medical fields. Participants voluntarily and anonymously responded to either the paper or online survey.

Results: Descriptive statistics show meaningful response patterns with a general tendency towards favourable assessments. The psychometric analyses of the scales evaluating doctor's and nurses' work, respectively, generally showed a good fit of the unidimensional factor model as well as the Rasch model, high factor loadings and very good to satisfactory reliability. The Rasch scaling showed that these scales were most informative for patients with relatively unfavourable experience ratings.

Conclusions: The results are similar to those found in previous evaluations of PREMs in other countries. Given its good psychometric properties, the Slovenian PREM can be recommended for healthcare evaluations in Slovenia and as a model for the development of similar PREMs in other countries.