Reaction to political and socioeconomic transition and self-perceived health status in the adult population of Gjilan region, Kosovo

Aim: The objective of our study was to assess the association of reaction to political and socioeconomic transition with self-perceived general health status in adult men and women in a region of Kosovo, a post-war country in the Western Balkans which has proclaimed independence in 2008. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study carried out in Gjilan region of Kosovo in 2014, including a representative sample of 867 primary health care users aged ≥35 years (419 men aged 54.3±10.9 years and 448 women aged 54.0±10.1 years; overall response rate: 87%). Reaction to political and socioeconomic aspects of transition was assessed by a three-item scale (trichotomized in the analysis into positive attitude, intermediate attitude, and negative attitude towards transition), which was previously used in the neighbouring Albania. Self-reported health status was measured on a 5-point scale which was dichotomized in the analysis into “good” vs. “poor” health. Demographic and socioeconomic data were also collected. Binary logistic regression was used to assess the association of reaction to transition with self-rated health status. Results: In crude/unadjusted models, negative attitude to transition was a “strong” predictor of poor self-perceived health (OR=2.5, 95%CI=1.7-3.8). Upon multivariable adjustment for all the demographic factors and socioeconomic characteristics, the association was attenuated and was only borderline statistically significant (OR=1.6, 95%CI=1.0-2.6, P=0.07). Conclusion: Our findings indicate an important association between reaction to transition and self-perceived health status in the adult population of the newly independent Kosovo. Policymakers and decision-makers in post-war countries such as Kosovo should be aware of the health effects of attitudes towards political and socioeconomic aspects of transition, which is seemingly an important psychosocial factor

Reaction to political and socioeconomic transition and self-perceived health status in the adult population of Gjilan region, Kosovo

Aim: The objective of our study was to assess the association of reaction to political and socioeconomic transition with self-perceived general health status in adult men and women in a region of Kosovo, a post-war country in the Western Balkans which has proclaimed independence in 2008.Methods: This was a cross-sectional study carried out in Gjilan region of Kosovo in 2014, including a representative sample of 867 primary health care users aged ≥35 years (419 men aged 54.3±10.9 years and 448 women aged 54.0±10.1 years; overall response rate: 87%). Reaction to political and socioeconomic aspects of transition was assessed by a three-item scale (trichotomized in the analysis into positive attitude, intermediate attitude, and negative attitude towards transition), which was previously used in the neighbouring Albania. Self-reported health status was measured on a 5-point scale which was dichotomized in the analysis into “good” vs. “poor” health. Demographic and socioeconomic data were also collected. Binary logistic regression was used to assess the association of reaction to transition with self-rated health status.Results: In crude/unadjusted models, negative attitude to transition was a “strong” predictor of poor self-perceived health (OR=2.5, 95%CI=1.7-3.8). Upon multivariable adjustment for all the demographic factors and socioeconomic characteristics, the association was attenuated and was only borderline statistically significant (OR=1.6, 95%CI=1.0-2.6, P=0.07).Conclusion: Our findings indicate an important association between reaction to transition and self-perceived health status in the adult population of the newly independent Kosovo. Policymakers and decision-makers in post-war countries such as Kosovo should be aware of the health effects of attitudes towards political and socioeconomic aspects of transition, which is seemingly an important psychosocial factor

Height and body-mass index trajectories of school-aged children and adolescents from 1985 to 2019 in 200 countries and territories: a pooled analysis of 2181 population-based studies with 65 million participants

Summary Background Comparable global data on health and nutrition of school-aged children and adolescents are scarce. We aimed to estimate age trajectories and time trends in mean height and mean body-mass index (BMI), which measures weight gain beyond what is expected from height gain, for school-aged children and adolescents. Methods For this pooled analysis, we used a database of cardiometabolic risk factors collated by the Non-Communicable Disease Risk Factor Collaboration. We applied a Bayesian hierarchical model to estimate trends from 1985 to 2019 in mean height and mean BMI in 1-year age groups for ages 5–19 years. The model allowed for non-linear changes over time in mean height and mean BMI and for non-linear changes with age of children and adolescents, including periods of rapid growth during adolescence. Findings We pooled data from 2181 population-based studies, with measurements of height and weight in 65 million participants in 200 countries and territories. In 2019, we estimated a difference of 20 cm or higher in mean height of 19-year-old adolescents between countries with the tallest populations (the Netherlands, Montenegro, Estonia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina for boys; and the Netherlands, Montenegro, Denmark, and Iceland for girls) and those with the shortest populations (Timor-Leste, Laos, Solomon Islands, and Papua New Guinea for boys; and Guatemala, Bangladesh, Nepal, and Timor-Leste for girls). In the same year, the difference between the highest mean BMI (in Pacific island countries, Kuwait, Bahrain, The Bahamas, Chile, the USA, and New Zealand for both boys and girls and in South Africa for girls) and lowest mean BMI (in India, Bangladesh, Timor-Leste, Ethiopia, and Chad for boys and girls; and in Japan and Romania for girls) was approximately 9–10 kg/m2. In some countries, children aged 5 years started with healthier height or BMI than the global median and, in some cases, as healthy as the best performing countries, but they became progressively less healthy compared with their comparators as they grew older by not growing as tall (eg, boys in Austria and Barbados, and girls in Belgium and Puerto Rico) or gaining too much weight for their height (eg, girls and boys in Kuwait, Bahrain, Fiji, Jamaica, and Mexico; and girls in South Africa and New Zealand). In other countries, growing children overtook the height of their comparators (eg, Latvia, Czech Republic, Morocco, and Iran) or curbed their weight gain (eg, Italy, France, and Croatia) in late childhood and adolescence. When changes in both height and BMI were considered, girls in South Korea, Vietnam, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and some central Asian countries (eg, Armenia and Azerbaijan), and boys in central and western Europe (eg, Portugal, Denmark, Poland, and Montenegro) had the healthiest changes in anthropometric status over the past 3·5 decades because, compared with children and adolescents in other countries, they had a much larger gain in height than they did in BMI. The unhealthiest changes—gaining too little height, too much weight for their height compared with children in other countries, or both—occurred in many countries in sub-Saharan Africa, New Zealand, and the USA for boys and girls; in Malaysia and some Pacific island nations for boys; and in Mexico for girls. Interpretation The height and BMI trajectories over age and time of school-aged children and adolescents are highly variable across countries, which indicates heterogeneous nutritional quality and lifelong health advantages and risks

Heterogeneous contributions of change in population distribution of body mass index to change in obesity and underweight NCD Risk Factor Collaboration (NCD-RisC)

From 1985 to 2016, the prevalence of underweight decreased, and that of obesity and severe obesity increased, in most regions, with significant variation in the magnitude of these changes across regions. We investigated how much change in mean body mass index (BMI) explains changes in the prevalence of underweight, obesity, and severe obesity in different regions using data from 2896 population-based studies with 187 million participants. Changes in the prevalence of underweight and total obesity, and to a lesser extent severe obesity, are largely driven by shifts in the distribution of BMI, with smaller contributions from changes in the shape of the distribution. In East and Southeast Asia and sub-Saharan Africa, the underweight tail of the BMI distribution was left behind as the distribution shifted. There is a need for policies that address all forms of malnutrition by making healthy foods accessible and affordable, while restricting unhealthy foods through fiscal and regulatory restrictions

Photosynthetic capacity, nutrient and water status following precommercial thinning in Anatolian black pine

WOS: 000487577400004Changes in gas exchange, photosynthetic pigments, midday xylem water potential (Psi(md)) and needle nutrient status of the trees and environmental conditions following precommercial thinning (PCT) in the naturally regenerated Pinus nigra Arn. subsp. pallasiana (Lamb.) Holmboe stand was studied in forest districts of the western Mediterranean region of Turkey. An experiment involving two PCT treatments (spacing varied between 3.0 to 3.5 m and between 2.0 to 2.5 m) and one control (unthinned) was established in late April 2015. Different physiological responses to environmental changes following thinning were observed during the next three growing seasons. The soil water content (SWC) and temperature, Psi(md), chlorophyll pigments, needle N, P, and K concentrations, and gas exchange parameters were affected by PCT and the season. Compared to the unthinned plots, PCT increased the SWC and the soil temperature. The SWC was higher in the 3-3.5 m spaced plots. Increases in soil temperatures were generally similar between PCT treatments. The Psi(md), net photosynthetic rate (A), transpiration rate (E) and stomatal conductance (g(s)) of the trees in the thinned plots increased significantly compared to unthinned trees. This increase was attributed to increases in the SWC and decreases in soil temperature. The PCT with 3-3.5 m spacing had the highest Psi(md) and A or similar to the 2-2.5 m spacing. However, the A, E, and g(s) was higher at 2-2.5 m spacing in the dry period (July) of the second and third years after PCT. Needle N (May 2015), P (September 2015), and K (July 2016) concentrations increased after the PCT with 3-3.5 m spacing compared with the unthinned and the 2-2.5 m spacing. Needle K concentration was negatively correlated with Psi(md) and positively with WUE. A, g(s) and E were positively correlated with needle P concentration but not correlated with needle N concentration. The chlorophyll content of the unthinned trees remained high in the spring, similar to the 3-3.5 m spacing in the summer. The Psi(md), A, g(s) and E varied seasonally in both unthinned and thinned plots, with the higher values in the spring and lower values in summer. According to the short-term results, the PCT with the 2-2.5 m spacing appeared more appropriate when the 3-3.5 m spacing might negatively impact soil, water, and photosynthetic parameters in extreme drought years and management objectives such as improvement of stem quality are considered.TUBITAK (The Scientific and Technical Research Council of Turkey)Turkiye Bilimsel ve Teknolojik Arastirma Kurumu (TUBITAK) [TOVAG-114O659]This work was supported by the TUBITAK (The Scientific and Technical Research Council of Turkey, Project Number: TOVAG-114O659). We are also thankful for the support of the Isparta Forest Regional Directorate and its staff

OSTILITATEA ȘI STAREA DE SĂNĂTATE A POPULAȚIEI ADULTE DIN REGIUNEA GJILAN, KOSOVO

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to assess the association of hostility with self-reported health status in the adult population of Gjilan region in Kosovo, a transitional country in the Western Balkans which is striving for international recognition. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted in Gjilan region, Kosovo, in 2014 including a representative sample of 867 primary health care users (419 males and 448 females; overall mean age: 54.2±10.5 years; overall response rate: 87%). Hostility was assessed with the 8-item Cynical Distrust Scale. Self-reported health status was measured on a 5-point scale which was subsequently dichotomized into “good” vs. “poor” health. Demographic and socioeconomic data were also collected. Binary logistic regression was used to assess the association of hostility with self-reported health status.   RESULTS: In this representative sample of primary health care users in Kosovo, overall, 80.5% of participants perceived their health status as “good” compared with 19.5% of individuals who perceived their health status as “poor”. Upon multivariable adjustment for demographic factors and socioeconomic characteristics, there was evidence of a strong and significant association between the upper tertile of hostility score and poor self-perceived health: OR=1.7, 95%CI=1.0-2.7. CONCLUSION: Our findings point to a strong positive association between hostility and poor self-perceived health status in the adult population of transitional Kosovo. Health professionals and policymakers in developing settings and transitional societies should be aware of the negative health effects of psychosocial factors. Keywords: cynical distrust, Gjilan, hostility, Kosovo, psychosocial factors, self-perceived health status.CONTEXT: Scopul acestui studiu a fost evaluarea asocierii ostilităţii cu starea de sănătate auto-percepută a populației adulte a regiunii Gjilan din Kosovo, o țară în tranziție din Balcanii de Vest, care se luptă pentru recunoaștere internațională. METODE: A fost realizat un studiu transversal în regiunea Gjilan, Kosovo, în 2014 pe un eșantion reprezentativ de 867 de utilizatori ai serviciilor de asistență medicală primară (419 bărbați și 448 femei, cu o medie de vârstă: 54,2 ± 10,5 ani; rata generală de răspuns: 87%). Ostilitatea a fost evaluată cu ajutorul celor 8 itemi ai Scalei  Cynical Distrust. Starea de sănătate auto-raportată a fost măsurată pe o scală de 5 puncte, care a fost ulterior împărţită în sănătate "bună" versus sănătate "proastă". De asemenea au fost colectate date demografice și socio-economice. S-a utilizat pentru a evalua asocierea ostilitate - stare de sănătate auto-raportată regresia logistică binară. REZULTATE: În acest eșantion reprezentativ de utilizatori ai asistenței medicale primare în Kosovo, 80,5% dintre participanți şi-au perceput starea de sănătate ca fiind "bună", comparativ cu 19,5% care şi-au perceput starea de sănătate ca fiind "proastă". Pe baza ajustării multivariabile pentru factorii demografici și caracteristicile socio-economice a rezultat evidenţa unei asocieri puternice și semnificative între cea de a treia cuartilă superioară a scorului ostilitate și starea proastă de sănătate auto-percepută: OR = 1,7, 95% CI = 1,0-2,7. CONCLUZII: Rezultatele noastre indică o asociere pozitivă puternică între ostilitate și starea proastă de sănătate auto-percepută, în populația adultă a regiunii în tranziţie Kosovo. În cursul dezvoltării societăților de tranziție profesioniștii din domeniul sănătății și factorii de decizie politică ar trebui să fie conștienți de efectele negative ale factorilor psihosociali asupra stării de sănătate.   Cuvinte cheie: neîncredere cinică, Gjilan, ostilitate, Kosovo, factorii psihosociali, stare de sănătate auto-percepută

Superiority of Ceftriaxon to Cefazolin in a Rat Model of Obstructive Jaundice: An Experimental Study

Objective: The objective of this study was to evaluate the serumand bile concentrations of cefazolin and ceftriaxone at the third and sixth hours in an experimental obstructive jaundice model and to identify the rate of excretion of these antibiotics into the bile. Material and methods: Thirty-twoWistar albino rats were used in this study. The bile and serum levels of cefazolin were measured at the third hour in the A1 group and at the sixth hour in the A2 group, with cefazolin administered as 5mg/rat; while the bile and serum levels of ceftriaxone were studied at the third hour in the B1 group and at the sixth hour in the B2 group, with ceftriaxone administered as 5mg/rat. Results: After 3 hr of cefazolin administration, the serum concentration in the A1 group reached a mean of 1.8 mu g/ml, while the bile concentration was 90% of the serum concentration, with a mean of 1.6 mu g/ml; whereas in the B1 group, the third-hour serum concentration of ceftriaxone was 18.6 mu g/ml, while the bile concentration was found to be as high as 330% of this level, i.e., 56 mu g/ml. The serum value of cefazolin decreased to 1.4 mu g/ml in the A2 group and ceftriaxone decreased to 3.7 mu g/ml in the B2 group at the sixth hour. Conclusions: Although the excretory level of cefazolin and ceftriaxone into the bile reaches therapeutic doses, the duration for which these levels are above those required for bactericidal activity is short. Ceftriaxone is better concentrated in the serum and bile than cefazolin