Jesu li hrvatski davatelji krvi pretili?

The rising prevalence of overweight and obesity is characterized as a pandemic of the modern era. The purpose of this study was to analyze the prevalence of overweight and obesity in healthy blood donors in Primorje-Gorski Kotar County, Croatia, and the relationship between sociodemographic factors, lifestyle and eating habits, and body mass index (BMI), including the association of these factors with overweight and obesity. This cross-sectional study included 1255 healthy individuals aged between 18 and 70 years who donated blood between January 2015 and October 2016 at the Clinical Institute of Transfusion Medicine. Each participant completed a questionnaire regarding weight, height, blood type, socio-demographic factors, health parameters, physical activity, alcohol consumption, and smoking habits. Overweight was defined as BMI of 25-29.9 kg/m2, and obesity as BMI ≥30 kg/m2. A logistic regression model was used on data assessment. BMI was normal in 33.6% of participants, whereas 44.1% were overweight and 21.8% were obese. Higher BMI was correlated with male sex (odds ratio [OR]=0.21), lower education level (OR=0.77) and unhealthy diet (OR=0.57), whereas lower BMI was correlated with lower age (OR=2.05) and unemployment (OR=1.85). To our knowledge, this is the first study to investigate the prevalence of BMI in a healthy Croatian population; our results confirmed the findings of studies conducted in other European countries. Our results highlighted the importance of improving education levels and raising awareness of healthy dietary habits in high-risk groups, i.e. men and older individuals with lower education levels.Sve veća učestalost pretilosti predstavlja pandemiju modernog doba. Svrha ovoga istraživanja bila je analiza učestalosti prekomjerne tjelesne težine i pretilosti u zdravih darivatelja krvi kao dijela zdrave populacije u Primorsko-goranskoj županiji, Hrvatska. Analiziran je utjecaj i povezanost socio-demografskih čimbenika, načina života, prehrambenih navika s indeksom tjelesne mase (ITM), prekomjernom težinom i pretilošću. Presječnim istraživanjem ispitano je 1255 zdravih osoba u dobi od 18 do 70 godina koje su darivale krv u razdoblju od siječnja 2015. do listopada 2016. u Kliničkom zavodu za transfuzijsku medicinu. Svaki sudionik ispunio je upitnik s podatcima o vlastitoj težini, visini, krvnoj grupi, socio-demografskim podatcima, pokazateljima zdravstvenog stanja, fizičkoj aktivnosti, konzumaciji alkohola i navikama pušenja. ITM od 25-29,9 kg/m2 definiran je kao prekomjerna težina, a ITM ≥30 kg/m2 kao pretilost. Za procjenu podataka korišten je logistički regresijski model. Normalan ITM imalo je 33,6% sudionika, 44,1% ispitanika je imalo prekomjernu težinu, a 21,8% je bilo pretilo. Visoki ITM bio je povezan s muškim spolom (omjer vjerojatnosti [OR]=0,21), nižom razinom obrazovanja (OR=0,77) i nezdravom prehranom (OR=0,57), dok je niži IT M bio povezan s nižom dobi (OR=2,05) i nezaposlenošću (OR=1,85). Prema našim saznanjima, ovo je prva studija koja istražuje učestalost IT M u zdravoj hrvatskoj populaciji; naši rezultati potvrđuju rezultate istraživanja provedenih u drugim europskim zemljama. Rezultati ovoga istraživanja naglašavaju važnost obrazovanja i podizanja svijesti o zdravim prehrambenim navikama, naročito u skupinama visokog rizika, tj. kod muškaraca i starijih osoba s nižim stupnjem obrazovanja

Development and Validation of a Questionnaire Measuring Attitudes towards e-learning among University Students

Cilj: Tijekom posljednjeg desetljeća provode se mnoga istraživanja koja analiziraju čimbenike utjecaja na e-učenje; između ostalog, informatičke vještine korisnika, pristup internetu i stav studenata prema e-učenju. Većina studija stav ispituje utvrđujući svrhu i učestalost uporabe računala, dok neke mjere stav studenata upitnikom, a da pritom nisu određene mjerne osobine upitnika. Stoga je cilj ovog rada bio oblikovati upitnik za mjerenje stava studenata prema e-učenju te odrediti njegove psihometrijske osobine. Metode: Istraživanje je bilo provedeno od listopada 2010. godine do listopada 2011. godine. Ispitano je 308 ispitanika (106 studenta i 202 studentice) s Medicinskog i Tehničkog fakulteta Sveučilišta u Rijeci. Za nastanak prve inačice upitnika oblikovano je 40 tvrdnji (čestica). Iz relevantne znanstvene literature odabrane su 22 tvrdnje, a na osnovi vlastitih znanja i iskustva preostalih 18. Dva stručnjaka koja se bave izradom i validacijom upitnika i dva stručnjaka u području e-učenja pregledala su svih 40 tvrdnji te uklonila tvrdnje sa sličnim ili nejasnim značenjima. Preostale su 24 tvrdnje na kojima je učinjena eksploratorna faktorska analiza tipa analize glavnih komponenata. Rezultati: Utvrđena su dva faktora: faktor I – pozitivan stav prema e-učenju (10 čestica), faktor II – negativan stav prema e-učenju (12 čestica). Korelacija između faktora iznosila je 0,67. Pouzdanost upitnika bila je vrlo visoka (a = 0,87). Završna inačica upitnika sastojala se od 22 čestice kojima se opisuje pozitivan i negativan aspekt prema e-učenju. Studenti su iskazali visoko pozitivan stav prema e-učenju (87 ± 10 od mogućih 110). Zaključak: Oblikovan je upitnik s dobrim psihometrijskim osobinama koji će u daljnjim istraživanja predstavljati standardni alat za mjerenje stava studenata prema e-učenju.Aim: In the last decade many survey studies have analyzed factors that influenced e-learning such as computer skills, access to the Internet and attitudes towards e-learning. Some surveys were developed for broader studies and different contents while others lack psychometric properties testing. The aim of this study was to construct and examine the psychometric properties of a questionnaire measuring students’ attitudes towards e-learning. Methods: Research was conducted from October 2010 to October 2011. Participants were 308 undergraduate students (106 men and 202 women) from the School of Medicine and the School of Engineering at the University of Rijeka, Croatia. In the first version of the questionnaire, we generated 40 statements (items). Twenty-two statements were based on relevant scientific literature, whereas the remaining 18 statements were developed on the basis of our own knowledge and experience. Two experts in questionnaire construction and validation and two experts in e-learning reviewed independently all the statements and removed those with similar or ambiguous meaning. The remaining 24 statements were chosen for the validation. Factor analysis was used to find the factor structure of the questionnaire and to measure construct validity. Results: The final version of the questionnaire consisted of 22 items. The Principal Component Analysis (PCA) determined two factors: factor I – positive attitudes towards e-learning (10 items) and factor II – negative attitudes towards e-learning (12 items). Correlation between factors was 0.67. The reliability of the questionnaire was high (a=0.87). Participants had positive attitudes towards e-learning with a mean score ± standard deviation of 87±10 out of maximum 110. Conclusion: The instrument proved to have good psychometric properties and it can be used for future studies assessing attitudes towards e-learning

NEFROPATIJA POVEZANA S VARFARINOM – PRIKAZ BOLESNIKA NA TEMELJU BIOPSIJE BUBREGA I PREGLED LITERATURE

Warfarin-related nephropathy (WRN) is a recently recognized condition in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). WRN is clinically detected as an episode of unexplained acute kidney injury (AKI). It is defined as a serum creatinine (sCR) increase >0.3 mg/dL (26.5 μmol/L) within one week of an international normalized ratio (INR) measurement >3.0 in a patient treated with warfarin without clinical evidence of hemorrhage. Therefore, warfarin therapy can result in AKI by causing glomerular hemorrhage and renal tubular obstruction by red blood cell casts. WRN appears to accelerate the rate of CKD progression and increase the risk of death in susceptible patients. We report on renal biopsy in a patient on warfarin therapy with unexplained AKI and hematuria associated with increased INR. We would like to stress the necessity of an interdisciplinary approach to patients on warfarin therapy.Nefropatija povezana s varfarinom (WRN) je odnedavno prepoznato stanje u bolesnika s kroničnom bolešću bubrega (KBB). WRN je klinički prepoznata kao epizoda neobjašnjivog akutnog oštećenja bubrega (AOB). Definira se kao povećanje kreatinina u serumu (sCR) >0,3 mg/dL (26,5 micromol/L) unutar tjedna INR mjerenja >3,0 u bolesnika liječenog varfarinom bez klinički utvrđenog krvarenja. Zbog toga terapija varfarinom može dovesti do AOB uzrokujući glomerularno krvarenje i opstrukciju bubrežnih tubula odljevnim cilindrima eritrocita. Čini se da WRN ubrzava napredovanje KBB i u osjetljivih bolesnika povećava rizik od smrtnog ishoda.Izvješćujemo o biopsiji bubrega u bolesnika na terapiji varfarinom s neobjašnjivim AOB i hematurijom povezanom s povećanim INR. Namjera nam je naglasiti potrebu interdisciplinarnog pristupa bolesnicima na terapiji varfarinom

Complement-dependent cytotoxicity and Luminex technology for human leucocyte antigen antibody detection in kidney transplant candidates exposed to different sensitizing events

Background: The aim of this study was to determine the frequency of exposure to different sensitizing events (SEs) and to assess their effects on human leucocyte antigen (HLA) alloimmunization in transplant candidates using two different HLA antibody screening techniques: complement-dependent cytotoxicity (CDC) and Luminex. Methods: This retrospective study included HLA antibody screening results for 163 patients on the kidney transplant waiting list (WL) tested from March 2012 until the end of December 2015 at the Tissue Typing Laboratory, Rijeka, Croatia. All sera samples were tested using the CDC and Luminex techniques in parallel. Results: Two-thirds of the patients [114 (70%)] on the WL were exposed to transfusions, pregnancies and/or kidney transplant. The pre-transplant sera of 104 (63.80%) patients were negative for antibodies. In the sera of 23 (14.11%) patients, HLA antibodies were detected by CDC and Luminex and in the sera of 36 (22.09%) patients by Luminex only. Conclusion: In patients on kidney WL, previous organ transplantation represents the strongest immunogenic stimulus, followed by blood transfusions (the most frequent SE) and pregnancies. Although Luminex is more sensitive than CDC in HLA antibody detection, the decision on unacceptable HLA antigens in WL patients has to be based on the results of both assays and the patient’s immunization history

An Increasing Older Population Dictates the Need to Organise Palliative Care and Estabilish Hospices

The aim of this study is to assess population needs for the organisation of palliative care and establishment of hospices. An opinion poll was created to investigate these needs. The research was carried out in 2007/2008 among 1564 citizens not working in health services, and 789 health service workers – a total of 2353 people questioned in 7 towns of the Republic of Croatia. The significant results obtained using adequate statistical methods confirm that 90.6% of all respondents favour the introduction of a palliative care system and 88% favour the establishment of hospices. This leads us to conclude that the need to establish a palliative care system and hospices has been recognised by citizens and health service workers, thus their implementation in the Republic of Croatia without further delay should be recommended

Attitudes toward plagiarism among pharmacy and medical biochemistry students – cross-sectional survey study

Introduction: Plagiarism is one of the most frequent and serious forms of misconduct in academic environment. The cross-sectional survey study was done with aim to explore the attitudes toward plagiarism. Materials and methods: First year students of Faculty of Pharmacy and Medical Biochemistry, University of Zagreb, Croatia (N = 146) were anonymously tested using Attitude toward Plagiarism (ATP) questionnaire. The questionnaire is composed of 29 statements on a 5 point Likert scale, (1 - strongly disagree, 2 - disagree, 3 - neither agree nor disagree, 4 - agree and 5 - strongly agree) measuring three attitudinal factors (positive and negative attitude and subjective norms) toward plagiarism. Results were presented as score (mean ± SD) followed by reference range (divided in three equal parts: low, moderate and high score). Score range expends from 12 to 60 (low: 12-28; moderate: 29-45; high: 46-60) measuring positive attitude toward plagiarism, from 7 to 35 (low: 7-16; moderate: 17-26; high: 27-35) measuring negative attitude toward plagiarism and from 10 to 50 (low: 10-23; moderate: 24-37; high: 38-50) measuring subjective norms. Response rate was 99% (N = 144). Results: Results revealed moderate positive attitude (36 ± 7) and subjective norms (32 ± 6) toward plagiarism and moderate to high negative attitude (26 ± 4). Plagiarism is perceived as not very important (63% of students), harmless (59%), justified under special circumstances (42%), and sometimes necessary (35%). Conclusion: Students\u27 attitudes reflect insufficient level of seriousness and awareness with which plagiarism is perceived. They are lacking knowledge on scientific methodology, academic and scientific misconduct. Plan and program to educate students about academic integrity and research methodology is required on all educational level

Undergraduate Grade Point Average is a Poor Predictor of Scientific Productivity Later in Career

The aim of this study was to investigate the usefulness of the undergraduate grade point average in prediction of scientific production of research trainees during their fellowship and later in career. The study was performed in 1,320 research trainees whose fellowships from the Croatian Ministry of Science, Education and Sports were terminated between 1999 and 2005. The data were analyzed using logistic regression. The results indicated that undergraduate grade point average was negatively associated with scientific productivity both during and after the fellowship termination. Other indicators, such as undergraduate scientific productivity exhibited much stronger positive association with scientific productivity later in career and should be given more weight in candidate selection process in science and research

Undergraduate Grade Point Average is a Poor Predictor of Scientific Productivity Later in Career

The aim of this study was to investigate the usefulness of the undergraduate grade point average in prediction of scientific production of research trainees during their fellowship and later in career. The study was performed in 1,320 research trainees whose fellowships from the Croatian Ministry of Science, Education and Sports were terminated between 1999 and 2005. The data were analyzed using logistic regression. The results indicated that undergraduate grade point average was negatively associated with scientific productivity both during and after the fellowship termination. Other indicators, such as undergraduate scientific productivity exhibited much stronger positive association with scientific productivity later in career and should be given more weight in candidate selection process in science and research

Can Croatian Medicine do Without Palliative Medicine? – Study Investigating the Need for Formal Education

The aim of this study was to determine the public’s, i.e. citizens’ attitude on one hand, and health-care professionals’ attitude on the other, regarding the public education in palliative care. Also, the assessment of health-care professionals’ attitude regarding the need to establish a sub-specialty in palliative medicine in Croatia was performed. The study was carried out during 2007 and 2008 in the capitals of 7 Croatian counties, involving 2353 participants. Two types of anonymous questionnaire were distributed. Citizens were surveyed at public places, business offices, waiting rooms, while health-care professionals were surveyed in medical centers. The survey was conducted personally by the authors, i.e. »face to face« with the respondents. The collected data were entered into a database and analyzed, taking into account the anonymity, privacy and data confidentiality. The response rate was 99% for the public and 97% for health-care professionals. 44% of the public thought that educating the public in palliative care is absolutely necessary, and 42% that it is mostly necessary; compared with 47% of health-care professionals who thought education was absolutely necessary, and 45% who thought it is mostly necessary. In addition, health-care professionals were asked about their opinion regarding the establishment of a subspecialty in palliative medicine and 76% of respondents considered it absolutely necessary. Both the public and health-care professionals recognize the need for public education in palliative care. The authors wish to especially emphasize health-care professionals’ perception of a great need for the establishment of an official medical curriculum and a medical sub-specialty in palliative medicine

NEFROPATIJA POVEZANA S VARFARINOM – PRIKAZ BOLESNIKA NA TEMELJU BIOPSIJE BUBREGA I PREGLED LITERATURE

Warfarin-related nephropathy (WRN) is a recently recognized condition in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). WRN is clinically detected as an episode of unexplained acute kidney injury (AKI). It is defined as a serum creatinine (sCR) increase >0.3 mg/dL (26.5 μmol/L) within one week of an international normalized ratio (INR) measurement >3.0 in a patient treated with warfarin without clinical evidence of hemorrhage. Therefore, warfarin therapy can result in AKI by causing glomerular hemorrhage and renal tubular obstruction by red blood cell casts. WRN appears to accelerate the rate of CKD progression and increase the risk of death in susceptible patients. We report on renal biopsy in a patient on warfarin therapy with unexplained AKI and hematuria associated with increased INR. We would like to stress the necessity of an interdisciplinary approach to patients on warfarin therapy.Nefropatija povezana s varfarinom (WRN) je odnedavno prepoznato stanje u bolesnika s kroničnom bolešću bubrega (KBB). WRN je klinički prepoznata kao epizoda neobjašnjivog akutnog oštećenja bubrega (AOB). Definira se kao povećanje kreatinina u serumu (sCR) >0,3 mg/dL (26,5 micromol/L) unutar tjedna INR mjerenja >3,0 u bolesnika liječenog varfarinom bez klinički utvrđenog krvarenja. Zbog toga terapija varfarinom može dovesti do AOB uzrokujući glomerularno krvarenje i opstrukciju bubrežnih tubula odljevnim cilindrima eritrocita. Čini se da WRN ubrzava napredovanje KBB i u osjetljivih bolesnika povećava rizik od smrtnog ishoda.Izvješćujemo o biopsiji bubrega u bolesnika na terapiji varfarinom s neobjašnjivim AOB i hematurijom povezanom s povećanim INR. Namjera nam je naglasiti potrebu interdisciplinarnog pristupa bolesnicima na terapiji varfarinom