HEALTH STATUS, LIFESTYLE, USE OF HEALTH SERVICES, SOCIAL CAPITAL AND LIFE SATISFACTION AS PREDICTORS OF MENTAL HEALTH - COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF WOMEN THAT RECEIVE AND DO NOT RECEIVE PUBLIC ASSISTANCE IN CROATIA

Background: The connection between socio-economic status and health is documented, yet not fully understood. The goal of this research was to analyze the relationship between socio-economic status, lifestyle and health status, availability of health-care, social capital, and satisfaction with life. Subjects and methods: Subjects were 1117 women aged 25-65 years divided in two groups. Group 1 consisted of women who receive public assistance (N1=591), while Group 2 consisted of women who do not (N2=526). The sample was stratified by random choice into multiple stages based on six regions of Croatia, residential area size, and the age of respondents. Visiting nurses surveyed the deprived population, while in Group 2 self-interviewing was conducted. A questionnaire entitled “Inequalities in health” was used. The respondents participated in this research voluntarily and anonymously. Results: Socially deprived women consume spirits and wine more often (p<0.001). There is no difference between groups regarding tobacco consummation. Working women perform significantly less strenuous physical tasks (p<0.001). Deprived women are significantly less engaged in physical activities (p<0.001). Health conditions in deprived women more commonly limit their physical activity (p<0.001). There is a significant difference in utilization of health-care among groups (p<0.001). Younger women who are married, with a higher number of household members, a larger income, and with higher education are generally more satisfied with life (p<0.001). Although deprived women are significantly less satisfied with their lives, feel less free, are less physically active, and less likely to consume spirits or beer, they are significantly happier than working women (p<0.001). Conclusions: Personal health status and lifestyle, access to health-care services, and life satisfaction have a high importance as predictors and protective factors of mental health in women - recipients of state-provided financial welfare

The role of sanitary inspection of water in public health protection in Croatia

Voda je jedan od čimbenika opstanka čovjeka i stoga predstavlja bogatstvo i dobro od općega interesa svake države. To ukazuje potrebu za intenzivnu brigu i nadzor vodoopskrbe, te primjenu tehnoloških postupaka pročišćavanja i dezinfekcije vode. U Hrvatskoj se putem sustava organizirane komunalne vodoopskrbe opskrbi oko 80% ljudi, a putem lokalnih vodovoda oko 260.000 korisnika ili 6% ukupne populacije. Vodu za piće iz individualnih izvora, bunara i cisterni koristi 14% ukupne populacije. Republika Hrvatska donijela je Zakon o sanitarnoj inspekciji 2009. godine kojim je uređena organizacija i ustrojstvo sanitarne inspekcije, te njezine nadležnosti i ovlasti. Budući da sanitarna inspekcija ima izuzetno široko polje djelatnosti, Zakon propisuje da je na 15.000 stanovnika potrebno zaposliti jednog inspektora, kako bi se zaštita zdravlja stanovništva kvalitetno mogla obaviti. Tako ukupni zbroj sanitarnih inspektora iznosi, i u operativi i administrativnim pozicijama, 258, te po postojećem kriteriju na razini cijele RH nedostaje samo 37 inspektora. Ipak ovi brojevi dovode u zabludu, jer gledajući distribuciju po županijama, situacija je daleko lošija, budući da na mjestu gdje se neposredno obavlja 80% sanitarnog nadzora nedostaje 101 inspektor. Trenutačno osnovni problem u upravljanju vodama i proizvodnji vode za piće su mala materijalna sredstva, te bi stoga veću pažnju trebalo posvetiti upravo zaštiti onoga što imamo, a sanitarna inspekcija u tome igra značajnu ulogu. Država bi i dalje trebala ulagati u edukaciju i organizaciju sanitarne službe, a njezin položaj treba ojačati kao integralni dio Ministarstva zdravstva i socijalne skrbi.Water is one of the main factors in the sustainability of human life and, therefore, an asset and public interest of every state. The preservation of water and intensive care of water supply systems with the application of new technologies is an integral part of health care quality. In Croatia 80% of the population is covered with drinking water from communal water supply systems, 6% is using water from small local water supply systems, and the remaining 14% of the population is using water from individual wells or cisterns. In Croatia, the Law on Sanitary Inspection was ratified at the beginning of 2009, and it regulates the organization and establishment of sanitary inspection, its competences and authorities. Since sanitary inspection covers an exceptionally wide area of expertise, the law defines the employment of one inspector per 15.000 inhabitants in order to have quality health protection. Today there are 258 inspectors in Croatia, combined on administrative and operative positions and indicating a shortage of only 37 inspectors according to the Republic of Croatia criteria. However, these numbers are misleading because the distribution on county level, where 80% of sanitary inspection is performed, is much worse, and there is a shortage of 101 inspectors. At the moment the main problem in water production and management in Croatia are financial resources. More attention should be headed to the protection of the existing water resources, and sanitary inspection plays a significant role in that process. Croatia should invest more in the education and organization of sanitary inspection, and strengthen its position within the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare

Determination of Enzyme Matrix Metalloproteinases-9 and Immune Status as Indicators of Development of the Environmental Diseases

The majority of environmental diseases are multifactorial airway illnesses, including genetic background and exposure to different kind of airborne irritants and allergens. Altered lifestyle and changes in environmental exposures contribute to the occurring of these diseases. The term of environmental illnesses includes the disease primarily caused by pollution of air and water, chemical and physical agents, radiation, contaminated food and direct contact with the toxins we are exposed to natural and/or working environment. The members of the matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) family are involved in the pathogenesis of COPD. MMPs comprise a large family of structurally related zinc metalloendopeptidases with different substrate specificities and possibilities to degrade protein constituents of the extracellular matrix. We investigated immunological status and level of MMP-9 in workers occupationally exposed to volatile aromatic hydrocarbons compared to urban residents and rural areas. The phenotypic profiles of peripheral blood lymphocytes were done by flow cytometry. The method of enzyme immunoassay (ELISA) was used to determine enzyme expression of matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9). The occupationally exposed group had a significantly elevated level of enzyme MMP-9 in the urine, accompanied with augmentation of cells of innate immunity in peripheral blood, which could contribute to the monitoring, early detection of environmental diseases and consequent earlier and more effective treatment

HEALTH STATUS, LIFESTYLE, USE OF HEALTH SERVICES, SOCIAL CAPITAL AND LIFE SATISFACTION AS PREDICTORS OF MENTAL HEALTH - COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF WOMEN THAT RECEIVE AND DO NOT RECEIVE PUBLIC ASSISTANCE IN CROATIA

Background: The connection between socio-economic status and health is documented, yet not fully understood. The goal of this research was to analyze the relationship between socio-economic status, lifestyle and health status, availability of health-care, social capital, and satisfaction with life. Subjects and methods: Subjects were 1117 women aged 25-65 years divided in two groups. Group 1 consisted of women who receive public assistance (N1=591), while Group 2 consisted of women who do not (N2=526). The sample was stratified by random choice into multiple stages based on six regions of Croatia, residential area size, and the age of respondents. Visiting nurses surveyed the deprived population, while in Group 2 self-interviewing was conducted. A questionnaire entitled “Inequalities in health” was used. The respondents participated in this research voluntarily and anonymously. Results: Socially deprived women consume spirits and wine more often (p<0.001). There is no difference between groups regarding tobacco consummation. Working women perform significantly less strenuous physical tasks (p<0.001). Deprived women are significantly less engaged in physical activities (p<0.001). Health conditions in deprived women more commonly limit their physical activity (p<0.001). There is a significant difference in utilization of health-care among groups (p<0.001). Younger women who are married, with a higher number of household members, a larger income, and with higher education are generally more satisfied with life (p<0.001). Although deprived women are significantly less satisfied with their lives, feel less free, are less physically active, and less likely to consume spirits or beer, they are significantly happier than working women (p<0.001). Conclusions: Personal health status and lifestyle, access to health-care services, and life satisfaction have a high importance as predictors and protective factors of mental health in women - recipients of state-provided financial welfare

Who Empowers Women Towards Healthier Lifestyles? Example from Western Croatia

This article explores who among the doctors, other health care workers, family or somebody else most frequently advised women about their lifestyle changes related to cardiovascular health (including smoking, nutritional habits and physical activity). We analyzed who advised the most, in relation to the parameters important in the etiology of cardiovascular diseases: age, systolic blood pressure and body mass index (BMI). Sample was a part of comprehensive Croatian Adult Health Survey, comprised of women from Primorje-Goran, Istra and Lika-Senj Counties. Results indicated low frequency of advising on lifestyle changes in primary health care in all three counties, with most advice from general practitioners on nutritional habits. Family and other health care workers advised about smoking and nutrition and had strong influence in the youngest age groups. The GPs failure to counsel younger population and disease-free women could be regarded as the missed opportunity for avoidance of preventable risk factors that are associated with cardiovascular diseases. Other subjects in the health care process, as well as the family and media could fill the gaps between the patients and health care system messages. In order to create and develop such heterogeneous network approaches to training various programs and activities have to take into account all specific gender and regional characteristics

Centrality evolution of the charged-particle pseudorapidity density over a broad pseudorapidity range in Pb-Pb collisions at root s(NN)=2.76TeV

Peer reviewe

THE EFFECTS OF SOCIO-ECONOMIC FACTORS AND HEALTH BEHAVIOUR ON THE QUALITY OF LIFE SATISFACTION IN WOMEN IN THE REPUBLIC OF CROATIA

Cilj istraživanja: Glavni cilj istraživanja jest ispitati povezanost demografskih i socioekonomskih čimbenika, te različitih aspekata zdravstvenih ponašanja sa zadovoljstvom životom žena koje primaju i koje ne primaju socijalnu pomoć u Republici Hrvatskoj. Ispitanici, metode: Uzorak je sačinjavalo 1 117 žena u dobi od 25-65 godina podijeljenih u dvije grupe. Grupu 1 činile su žene koje primaju socijalnu pomoć (N1=591), a Grupu 2 žene koje ne primaju socijalnu pomoć (N2=526). Uzorak je stratificiran u više etapa slučajnim odabirom prema šest regija Republike Hrvatske, veličini naselja te dobi ispitanika. Patronažne sestre anketirale su populaciju koja prima socijalnu pomoć, dok je u Grupi 2 provedeno samo-intervjuiranje. Korišten je upitnik pod naslovom “Nejednakosti u zdravstvu”. Ispitanici su u studiji sudjelovali dobrovoljno i anonimno. Rezultati: Od demografskih parametara kao statistički značajni prediktori zadovoljstva nađeni su: gradska sredina, život u Dalmaciji, život u Slavoniji dob i stupanj obrazovanja. Svi zdravstveni čimbenici pokazali su značajan utjecaj, s time da je najjači utjecaj socijalno ograničavajućih zdravstvenih problema. Žene koje imaju bilo kakav zdravstveni problem koji ih ograničava u obavljanju svakodnevnih aktivnosti imaju 3.142 puta veće šanse da ne budu zadovoljne životom u odnosu na žene koje takve probleme nemaju. Žene kod kojih su izraženi zdravstveni problemi koji ih ograničavaju u društvenim aktivnostima imaju 3,345 veće šanse da ne budu zadovoljne životom. Žene čije su posjete liječniku učestale ima oko 2,4 puta veću šansu da bude nezadovoljna od žena čiji posjeti liječniku nisu toliko učestali. Žena koja prima socijalnu pomoć a druži se ima 2,59 puta veće šanse da bude zadovoljna životom. Zaključci: Osobni zdravstveni status, dostupnost korištenja zdravstvenih usluga, obrazovanje, druženje sa prijateljima te dobra percepcija o sebi u kontekstu okoline utječu na zadovoljstvo životom te imaju veliku važnost kao prediktori i zaštitni čimbenici zdravlja žena koje primaju financijsku pomoć od države. Obzirom da je u našem kulturološkom krugu ženina uloga u održavanju obitelji, njezine društvene i zdravstvene dobrobiti nezamjenjiva, upravo žene koje primaju socijalnu pomoć od države trebaju biti u posebnom fokusu interesa.Research aim: The main aim of this research is to examine the correlation between demographic and socio-economic factors and different aspects of health behavior and the satisfaction with the quality of life of women who are receiving and are not receiving social assistance in the Republic of Croatia. Participants, methods: The sample consisted of 1,117 women aged 25-65 years, divided into two groups. Group 1 included women who are receiving social assistance (N1=591) and Group 2 those women who are not receiving social assistance (N2=526). The sample was stratified in multiple stages by means of a random selection of six regions of the Republic of Croatia, the size of the community, and the age of the participants. Patronage nurses conducted a survey on the population receiving social assistance, while self-interviews were carried out in Group 2. The “Inequalities in Health” questionnaire was used in this endeavor. The participants took part in the research voluntarily and anonymously. Results: The following demographic parameters were found to be statistically significant predictors of satisfaction: urban environment, life in Dalmatia, life in Slavonia, age, and level of education. All health factors have shown a significant impact, with socially limiting health problems being the most pronounced. Women with a limiting health problem in performing daily activities are 3.142 more likely of not being satisfied with life than women without such problems. Women with pronounced health problems that limit them in performing social activities are 3.345 times more likely to be dissatisfied with life. Women that frequently seek medical assistance are about 2.4 times more likely of being dissatisfied with life as opposed to women whose visits to the doctor are not as frequent. Women receiving social assistance but with a social life is 2.59 times more likely to be satisfied with life. Conclusions: The personal health status, access to health care services, education, socializing with friends, and a good sense of self in the context of one’s environment affect the life satisfaction and are of great importance as predictors and protection of health of those women who are receiving financial help from the state. Obviously, in our cultural context, women’s role as the backbone of the family, her social and health well being is irreplaceable; therefore, women receiving state-provided social assistance should be of particular interest