Association between depression levels and self-perceived oral health among medical students

© 2020 Sciendo. All rights reserved. The aim of the study was to determine the correlation between depression levels, oral health, oral health habits and subjective feelings in the region of the mouth and teeth in senior medical students. A total of 103 students at the final study year at the Faculty of Medical Science, University of Kragujevac, participated in the research. Two types of questionnaires were used in this research - Beck Depression Inventory-II and Oral Health Questionnaire for Adults. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS, version 21. Chi-square test was performed and the results with p-value less than 0.05 were considered statistically significant. There was no statistically significant difference between the levels of depression among genders. Twenty-one point four percent of students had depression. The correlation between depression levels and oral health variables showed that frequency of brushing teeth and avoiding smiling were significant between different levels of depression among females. The problems with biting food and problems in social interaction were significant among genders. Depressive feelings were noticed among senior medical students and they affected their self-perceived oral health. Oral health promotion programs targeting the young population could help improving oral health behaviour

Effects of meteorological conditions on mortality from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

© 2020, Serbia Medical Society. All rights reserved. Introduction/Objective Previous studies have confirmed the effect of different meteorological parameters on patients suffering from lung diseases. The objective of the study is to investigate the impact of meteorological phases on the death rate from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Methods The data on the number of deaths caused by COPD and meteorological phases during a five-year period (2011–2015) in Šumadija District (Central Serbia) were obtained from the Republic Hydrometeoro-logical Service and the Center for Biostatistics and Informatics of the Kragujevac Institute of Public Health. Results A statistically significant correlation was determined between certain meteorological phases and COPD death rate. The highest death rate was determined during colder months, February and March. The lowest death rate was detected during the warm months (June–September). Although men died more often from COPD than women, the death rate of women showed a considerable increase during the five-year period. Conclusion COPD death rate is highly dependent on the season of the year and might be associated with certain meteorological phases. There is a need for further research of the impact of meteorological phases on the morbidity and mortality from COPD

Gross Domestic Product and Health Expenditure Growth in Balkan and East European Countries—Three-Decade Horizon

© Copyright © 2020 Stepovic, Rancic, Vekic, Dragojevic-Simic, Vekic, Ratkovic and Jakovljevic. Background: Dynamics of health care has changed over time along with development of the countries themselves. The aim of the study is to compare macroeconomic and health expenditure indicators of interest, such as total health expenditure (THE) as percentage of global domestic product, global domestic product per capita in US$, and private households' out-of-pocket payments of Balkan and Eastern European countries on health, as well as to assess their progress over the observed period. Methods: This research report represents a descriptive data analysis of indicators extracted from the European Health for All database. The data were analyzed using a linear trend and regression analysis to estimate the timeline changes. Results: Greece and Slovenia have the largest median values of global domestic product per capita throughout the whole period, and the largest increment trend was in Lithuania. Median value in out-of-pocket payment of THE was the highest in Albania and Ukraine, while the largest decrease in trend was noticed in Albania and Bosnia and Herzegovina. Bosnia and Herzegovina and Greece had the largest median value of THE as percentage of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in the observed period, while regression trend analysis showed that Serbia had the largest increase. Most of the countries showed a significant correlation between observed indicators. Conclusion: Trends in the economy must be constantly monitored due to the fact that the population is aging and non-communicable diseases are multiplying, which requires innovations in medical treatment and pharmaceutical development

Relationship Between Socio-Demographic Characteristics, Reproductive Health Behaviors, and Health Literacy of Women in Serbia

Introduction: Health literacy of women can significantly affect different aspects of reproductive health. The aim of this study was the assessment of relationship of health literacy, socio-demographic characteristics and reproductive health behaviors of women in Serbia. Methodology: This was a cross-sectional study on a random sample of women aged 18 and over from the territories of three Serbian regions, stratified according to age groups, region and type of settlement. A standardized version of the European Health Literacy Survey Questionnaire (HLS-EU-Q47) was used in assessing health literacy of women. Results: Based on the calculated index of health literacy, 9.6% of respondents had inadequate health literacy. Inadequate levels of health literacy were more common in women living in rural areas (OR = 1.111) and the poorer classes (OR = 5.122). Employed women (OP = 1.249), with good health (OR = 1.512) with a degree (OR = 1.535) had bigger odds to have adequate health literacy. Multivariate regression analysis showed the following significant predictors: commitment to the chosen gynecologist (OR = 1.530), contraceptive use (OR = 1.020), knowledge of the damages that could be caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV) (OR = 1.578), awareness of vaccine availability against HPV infection (OR = 1.217) and following the health-related topics (OR = 2.350). Conclusion: Limited levels of health literacy were significantly higher among middle-aged women, among those living in rural areas, among women who rated their health as poor or very poor, and who exhibited more negative patterns of reproductive health behavior, indicating the need for implementation of prevention programs and strategies with the aim of increasing the level of health literacy