Physical Inactivity Changes in Croatia: the CroHort Study

The aim of this paper was to compare the surveys conducted respectively in 2003 and 2008 within the Croatian Adult Health Cohort Study (CroHort) regarding the physical activity/inactivity of the inhabitants of the Republic of Croatia. The collected data show a significant decline in the intensity of physical activity in 2008 with regards to 2003, regarding the way of getting to work (60.7%), the level of physical strain at work (72.2%), and the frequency of physical activity taken in the subjects’ spare time (55.8%). In order to prevent the risk of cardiovascular diseases and to raise the public awareness of the potential health threat physical inactivity poses, a number of thoroughly conceived health promotion strategies should be implemented, which would equally encompass all the segments of Croatian society

Trends in traffic deaths before and after the passing of the non-alcohol law in Croatia in 2004

The aim of the research was to gather data as the basis to formulate theory and researchbased recommendations to policy makers with the intention of decreasing the number of alcoholrelated accidents and victims on the Croatian roads. In order to achieve that, data about the injured traffic participants and the share of participants under the influence of alcohol in the Republic of Croatia, have been collected and analysed through a fouryear period, before and after the passing of the New Road Traffic Safety Act on 20 August 2004.Цель исследования заключалась в сборе данных для разработки теоретических научно обоснованных рекомендаций для директивных органов с целью уменьшения числа связанных с алкоголем аварий и жертв на дорогах Хорватии. Для этого были собраны данные о пострадавших от дорожно-транспортных проишествий (ДТП) в Республике Хорватия участников дорожного движения и доли участников, находящихся под воздействием алкоголя. Данные проанализированы за четыре года до и после принятия новых Правил дорожного движения дорожного движения от 20 августа 2004 года.Мета дослідження полягала в зборі даних для розробки теоретичних науко во обгрунтованих рекомендацій для ди рективних органів з метою зменшення числа пов’язаних з алкоголем аварій і жертв на дорогах Хорватії. Для цього були зібрані дані про постраждалих від дорож ньо транспортних пригод (ДТП) в Рес публіці Хорватія учасників дорожнього руху та частки учасників, що знаходяться під впливом алкоголю. Дані проаналізо вані за чотири роки до і після прийняття нових Правил дорожнього руху дорожнього руху від 20 серпня 2004 року

The Relevance of GHG Emissions from Motor Vehicles

The Earth\u27s atmosphere contains not more than 2% of greenhouse gases (GHG), and only 3.4% of them are produced by human activities. GHG emissions from road transport amount to less than 0.3 % of global GHG emissions. In spite of that, even in the Kyoto Protocol, road transport is pointed out as one of the most important targets when the global GHG emission reduction is concerned. In April 2009, the European Commission adopted the regulation (EC) 443/2009, setting CO2 emission performance standards for new passenger cars. The paper briefly describes the global economic impact of the Kyoto Protocol on developing countries. Then, total GHG emissions of various types of vehicles are reviewed, and the emerging vehicle technologies, focusing on reducing GHG emissions and replacing fossil fuels with alternative energy resources, are discussed. A well-to-wheel (WTW) analysis of a midsize electric car operating in Croatia has been carried out in the case study. Finally, the main conclusions are drawn: further reduction in GHG emissions from road transport would result in marginal global effects and, compared to all new power train systems, internal combustion engine running on fossil fuels still has great potential for further improvements thus remaining the most viable solution for the future

Dynamic Anthropometric Characteristics of Pedestrians in Case of Car Collision

The paper gives an overview of the specific features of anthropometric characteristics of humans – pedestrians in case of car accidents involving pedestrians and cars. Here, special attention has been paid to the configuration of the human body while moving, which is in turn related to the initial conditions of a collision. Special part of biomechanics in humans refers to their moving, where human’s walk has a specific posture as a mechanical phenomenon. Based on the carried out analysis the need has been observed for a classification of anthropologic variables by means of which the dynamic inertia moments of a walking human can be calculated, as well as the human, who hit by a car in a traffic accident flies along a production curvilinear path. With the development of ergonomics, and the accompanying increased application of anthropometry, the static anthropometry was abandoned, since the humans are considered highly variable in their dimensions, which is extremely importantfor the dynamic analysis of the human body posture in the collision process

Alcohol-Related Road Traffic Accidents Before and After the Passing of the Road Traffic Safety Act in Croatia

The aim of this study was to gather enough data in order to formulate theory- and research-based recommendations to policy makers with the intention of decreasing the number of alcohol-related accidents and victims on Croatian roads. The data on the injured traffic participants and the share of participants under the influence of alcohol were collected from the police reports of the Traffic Police Department, Ministry of the Interior, written at the scene of the respective accidents. This documentation was then processed by descriptive epidemiology and analysed through a four-year period, before and after the passing of the New Road Traffic Safety Act in the Republic of Croatia, on 20 August 2004. In the first six months of 2005, after the passing of the Act, there were 3,275 accidents caused by the motorists under the influence of alcohol (12.5% of all the accidents), with 64 persons killed. Only 5 fatalities (8%) were caused by the drivers with measured blood alcohol concentration of up to 0.5‰. As much as 27 fatalities (42%) were caused by the drivers with measured more than 1.5‰, while half of the fatalities, 32 (50%), were caused by drivers with 0.5 – 1.5‰. In this period, more than 451,000 violations were recorded, whereas in the same period of the previous year, the number of violations was about 519,000. A reduction of the total number of accidents is the result of the new regulation provision, according to which the incidents without human victims do not have to be reported to the police. The number of traffic accidents caused by drivers under the influence of alcohol had increased by some dozen per cents, namely: 2005 – 6,219 persons, 2006 – 6,590 persons, noting that in 2006 one less person was killed (123) compared to 2005. In 2005, drivers with alcohol concentration of 0–0.5‰ caused 1,096 accidents, with 14 fatalities, whereas in 2006 there were 1,164 accidents with 9 fatalities. A total of 2,314 accidents were caused by drivers with more than 0.5‰ and up to 1.5‰ in 2005 (in 2006 – 2,582), along with 53 fatalities (1 fewer than in 2006). Drivers with more than 1.5‰ participated in 2,809 accidents (2006 – 2,844), with the number of killed drivers amounting to 57, three fewer than in 2006. In light of these facts, alcohol use still remains a significant factor in road traffic accidents and is an important area for injury prevention efforts

Physical Inactivity Changes in Croatia: the CroHort Study

The aim of this paper was to compare the surveys conducted respectively in 2003 and 2008 within the Croatian Adult Health Cohort Study (CroHort) regarding the physical activity/inactivity of the inhabitants of the Republic of Croatia. The collected data show a significant decline in the intensity of physical activity in 2008 with regards to 2003, regarding the way of getting to work (60.7%), the level of physical strain at work (72.2%), and the frequency of physical activity taken in the subjects’ spare time (55.8%). In order to prevent the risk of cardiovascular diseases and to raise the public awareness of the potential health threat physical inactivity poses, a number of thoroughly conceived health promotion strategies should be implemented, which would equally encompass all the segments of Croatian society

THE RELEVANCE OF GHG EMISSIONS FROM MOTOR VEHICLES

The Earth\u27s atmosphere contains not more than 2% of greenhouse gases (GHG), and only 3.4% of them are produced by human activities. GHG emissions from road transport amount to less than 0.3 % of global GHG emissions. In spite of that, even in the Kyoto Protocol, road transport is pointed out as one of the most important targets when the global GHG emission reduction is concerned. In April 2009, the European Commission adopted the regulation (EC) 443/2009, setting CO2 emission performance standards for new passenger cars. The paper briefly describes the global economic impact of the Kyoto Protocol on developing countries. Then, total GHG emissions of various types of vehicles are reviewed, and the emerging vehicle technologies, focusing on reducing GHG emissions and replacing fossil fuels with alternative energy resources, are discussed. A well-to-wheel (WTW) analysis of a midsize electric car operating in Croatia has been carried out in the case study. Finally, the main conclusions are drawn: further reduction in GHG emissions from road transport would result in marginal global effects and, compared to all new power train systems, internal combustion engine running on fossil fuels still has great potential for further improvements thus remaining the most viable solution for the future

Das Tragen von Fahrradhelmen bei Grundschülern in Kroatien

The purpose of this research was to study the behaviour and attitudes of young cyclists in different urban environments towards wearing a helmet, and possible differences regarding the length of the cycle lanes in the surveyed cities. A survey was carried out among 546 schoolchildren, aged from 10 to 15 years, at primary schools in three Croatian cities: Zagreb, Vara`din and Samobor. A comparison of the cities regarding the ownership of bicycles has shown that there are no statistically significant differences between the cities, whereas the difference in helmet ownership is statistically significant. Attitudes towards wearing a helmet are generally more positive in Zagreb and Vara`din, while the situation in Samobor, a town with no bike lanes, is just the opposite – schoolchildren there have negative attitudes towards wearing helmets. Negative attitudes and insufficient knowledge about wearing a protective cycle helmet indicates the necessity of developing positive attitudes towards wearing a safety helmet among schoolchildren and educating them about the means of injury prevention when riding a bicycle.Namjera je ovoga istraživanja proučiti ponašanje i stavove mladih biciklista u urbanim okruženjima prema nošenju kacige i moguće različitosti s obzirom na duljinu biciklističkih staza u gradovima u kojima je provedena anketa. Ukupno je anketirano 546 osnovnoškolaca od 10 do 15 godina koji pohađaju osnovne škole u tri grada u Hrvatskoj: Zagrebu, Varaždinu i Samoboru. Podaci su obrađeni deskriptivnom statistikom i χ˛ testom signifikantnosti p=0,05. Usporedba spomenutih gradova glede posjedovanja bicikala pokazala je da nema statistički značajnih razlika među njima, dok je razlika u vezi s posjedovanjem kacige statistički značajna. Stavovi prema nošenju kaciga općenito su pozitivniji u Zagrebu i Varaždinu, no u Samoboru, gradu bez biciklističkih staza, situacija je suprotna – ondje djeca imaju negativne stavove prema nošenju kacige. Negativni stavovi i nedovoljno znanje o nošenju zaštitnih biciklističkih kaciga upućuju na nužnost razvijanja pozitivnih stavova prema nošenju kacige kod školaraca i provođenja edukacije o sredstvima prevencija ozljeda prilikom vožnje bicikla.Im vorliegenden Artikel soll untersucht werden, welche Einstellung jugendliche Radfahrer in verschiedenen kroatischen Städten zum Tragen von Fahrradhelmen haben, ferner ob es Unterschiede gibt, die mit der Länge des Fahrradwegnetzes in den betreffenden Städten in Bezug stehen. An der Befragung nahmen insgesamt 546 Grundschüler im Alter von 10 bis 15 Jahren aus Zagreb, Vara`din und Samobor teil. Die ermittelten Angaben wurden mittels deskriptiver Statistik und einem χ2-Signifikanztest (p = 0.05) ausgewertet. Ein Vergleich ergab, dass sich die Radfahrer in den betreffenden Städten hinsichtlich des Fahrrads als Verkehrsmittels nicht unterscheiden, dass es jedoch in puncto Fahrradhelm statistisch relevante Unterschiede gibt. Allgemein sind die Einstellungen zum Fahrradhelm in Zagreb und Vara`din positiver; hingegen in Samobor, das keine Radwege hat, ist die Lage genau umgekehrt: Kinder lehnen das Tragen von Fahrradhelmen ab. Diese negative Haltung und unzureichende Kenntnisse über die Vorzüge von Fahrradhelmen lassen erkennen, dass bei Schulkindern ein Meinungsumschwung bewirkt werden muss; des Weiteren sind Aufklärungskampagnen nötig, um Kinder und Jugendliche über Schutzmaßnahmen gegen Verletzungen durch Fahrradunfälle zu informieren

Blunt Trauma of Thorax with Subclavian and Axillary Artery Lesion - Case Report

We report a rare case of blunt trauma of the axillary artery in the 20-year-old man who was injured as a motorcycle rider and received severe body injuries. Injuries included severe trauma of the left lower leg with contusion and extensive soft tissue and bone trauma of these regions with poor general condition and with the presence of clinical signs of traumatic shock. Upon arrival, we found that in addition to earlier clearly visible trauma to the leg, there is a hematoma of the medial side of the left supraclavicular region and the absence of the radial artery pulse with paralysis of the left arm. Given the clinical findings, emergency radiological examination is made to the patient (X-ray, US, CDFI, MSCT - angiography) and we found out that there is trauma of axillary artery with clear signs of thrombosis of extra thoracic part of subclavian artery due to its transition in to the axillary artery. After hemodynamic stabilization, above knee amputation of the left leg is made and emergency exploration of earlier mentioned arteries. Bypass of the damaged arteries with synthetic graft 6mm in diameter was made. Control MSCT angiography showed normal flow in the arterial tree of the whole left hand and the MRI of the cervical spine and shoulder girdle did not found lesions of the brachial plexus. SSEP demonstrate the absence of pulses on the left hand. Patient on regular check-ups showed normal general condition, with adequate passable graft and pronounced paralysis on the left hand. In the process of rehabilitation physiotherapy was also included. Blunt trauma to the axillary artery is an extremely rare example of trauma of blood vessels which makes only 0.03% of all vascular injuries