Opportunities for public health inspectors to work as specialists in health education in schools

Здравните знания, умения и навици се изграждат от най-ранна възраст и се утвърждават чрез здравно обучение в училище. Правят се предложения за въвеждане на специалисти по здравно образова ние с комплексна подготовка. Инспекторите по обществено здраве притежават необходимата здравно-хигиенна подготовка. От 2011 г. в учебния план на студентите от Медицински колеж - Варна, е включена избираема дисциплина „Промоция на здраве в училище`, чрез която се развиват специфични практически умения за работа с ученици.Целта на разработката е да се обоснове възможността за реализация на инспекторите по обществено здраве като специалисти по здравно образование в училищата. Обсъждат се нагласите на студентите от специалността към необходимостта от здравно обучение в училищата, подготовката им за дейности по промоция на здраве в училище, както и възможности за практическата им реализация в тази област.От проучването на 160 ученици от VІІІ-ХІ клас става ясно, че около 20-30% от учениците имат неточна или непълна информация по отношение на теми, свързани с хранене, двигателна активност, употреба на наркотични вещества, 80% споделят, че в училище никога не са провеждани срещи с родителите по тези теми.Средно 87% от студентите от специалност „Инспектор по обществено здраве` имат положително отношение към необходимостта от здравно обучение в училищата. Около 90% считат, че е възможно да се реализират в сферата на здравното образование. Това дава основание завършилите специалността да бъдат кадрови ресурси в тази област.Health knowledge and skills are built from the earliest age and are confirmed by health education in school. There are proposals to introduce health education specialists with comprehensive training. Public health inspectors have the necessary health and hygiene training. Since 2011, the curriculum of the students of the Medical College of Varna includes an elective course in Promotion of Health in School that develops specific skills for working with students.The aim of the article is to provide a justification for the professional realization of public health inspectors as health educators in the school system. The attitudes of the students from the university program are discussed in regard to the need for school-based health education, together with their level of preparedness to deliver health promotion activities in school, as well as the possibilities for practical realization in this area.The study included a total of 160 pupils from 8th to 11th grade and showed that about 20-30% of the students have inaccurate or incomplete information with respect to topics related to nutrition, physical activity, drug use.Eighty percent report that no meetings have ever been held in school with parents on these topics. On the average, 87% of the students from the Public Health Inspector major have a positive attitude towards the need of health education in schools. About 90% believe that it is possible for them to work in the field of health education. This gives grounds to the graduates to be human resources in this area

Health, Social and Economic Costs of Complex Treatment of Heroin Addiction

The use of drugs is a significant health and social problem worldwide. It gets increasingly complicated dueto the emerging new challenges that give rise to concerns about public health. Besides the controlled use for medicalpurposes, around 250 million, (5.7%) of the world population aged 15-64 years, use illegal drugs.The opioid addiction is a mental and behavior disorder with complex bio-psycho-social genesis and chronic recidivisticcourse. One of the treatment methods is the so-called medication-assisted treatment that is performed by use of opiateagonists (methadone, etc.). Practically, this treatment means administration of the relevant medicine products incombination with a wide range of medical and rehabilitation services to alleviate the adverse medical, psychologicaland physiological effects that are inherent of opioid addiction.It is presented a good practice of a treatment methadone program by describing the organization of the MethadoneTreatment Program at the Mental Health Center of Varna. It is presented an assessment of the effectiveness of theProgram and its dynamics over the years as an expression of the health, social and economic costs of complex treatmentof heroin addictio

Determinants Of Psychoactive Substance Abuse Among Students From 7th To 9th Grade In Kavarna And Dobrich – A Comparative Study

Доказано е, че колкото в по-млада възраст детето посегне към психоактивните вещества, толкова вероятността да развие тежка зависимост е по-голяма.Целта на това изследване е да се анализират основните причини за употреба на вещества в тази възрастова група и да се диференцират условията, благоприятстващи употребата. Проучването е проведено в две средни училища в градовете Добрич и Каварна. Класовете в училищата са произволно избрани, като всички ученици в класовете участват в проучването.Като основна причина за експериментална употреба на психоактивните вещества анкетираните са посочили „от любопитство” – 65,3% - Каварна, и 55% - Добрич. Голяма част от учениците живеят в семейства, където родителите им употребяват психоактивни вещества – в 45% от семействата на анкетираните ученици в Добрич и 58 % от Каварна. Процентът на приятелите, използващи психоактивни вещества – в Добрич: 54% от приятелите употребяват тютюневи изделия, 42% употребяват алкохол и 39% употребяват наркотични вещества; в Каварна: 57% употребяват тютюневи изделия, 56% алкохол и 30% наркотични вещества. Алкохолът и цигарите са най-масово употребявани психоактивни вещества сред учениците и в същото време най-достъпни. Повече от 60% от анкетираните споделят, че се снабдяват с тях от търговската мрежа.It has been proven that the younger an individual starts using psychoactive substances, the greater possibility of becoming an addict later on.The aim of the current study is to analyze the main factors that are contributing to the greater abuse of these substances at such age, as well as to differentiate the conditions that contrubite to the problem. Research was done in two high schools in Dobrich and Kavarna. The groups of students were randomly chosen, with every single one of the students from the chosen groups participating in the study.The main reason for the experimental use of psychoactive substances is out of curiosity- 65.3% in Kavarna and 55% in Dobrich. A high percentage of students live in families where the parents took psychoactive substances - 45% of the surveyed ones in Dobrich and 58% from those in Kavarna. The percentage of students with friends taking psychoactive substances in Dobrich was as follows: 54% had friends who smoked cigarettes, 42% had friends consuming alcohol and 39% took narcotics. In Kavarna the distribution was as follows: 57% smoked cigarettes, 56% consumed alcohol, and 30% took narcotics. Alcohol and cigarettes are massively used by students and are with the easiest access at the same time. More than 60% of the surveyed students said that they buy them in stores

Opportunities for public health inspectors to work as specialists in health education in schools

Health knowledge and skills are built from the earliest age and are confirmed by health education in school. There are proposals to introduce health education specialists with comprehensive training. Public health inspectors have the necessary health and hygiene training. Since 2011, the curriculum of the students of the Medical College of Varna includes an elective course in Promotion of Health in School that develops specific skills for working with students.The aim of the article is to provide a justification for the professional realization of the public health inspectors as health educators in the school system. The attitudes of the students from the university specialty are discussed towards the need for school-based health education, together with their level of preparedness to deliver health promotion activities in school, as well as the possibilities for practical realization in this area. The study included a total of 160 pupils of 8th to 11thclass, indicated that about 20-30% of the students have inaccurate or incomplete information with respect to topics related to nutrition, physical activity, drug use). Eighty percent report that no meetings have been ever held in school with parents on these topics. On the average, 87% of the students of the Public health inspector major have a positive attitude towards the need for health education in schools. About 90% believe that it is possible for them to work in the field of health education. This gives grounds to the graduates to be human resources in this area

Cigarette, Alcohol And Drug Use Among Students From 7th Until 9th Grade In Kavarna And Dobrich

Тревожен е фактът, че все повече деца от ранна възраст посягат към цигарите, алкохола и наркотичните вещества. В периода на активен растеж това води до много сериозни последици върху детския организъм.Целта на настоящото изследване е да се установи и сравни нивото на употреба на цигари, алкохол и наркотици сред учениците от 7-9 клас в Добрич и Каварна. Проучването е проведено в две средни училища в градовете Добрич и Каварна.Резултати: по отношение на тютюнопушенето – 31% от учениците в Добрич и 55,1% от учениците в Каварна използват тютюневи изделия, като процентът на момичетата е по-голям от този на момчетата. Най ниската възраст за употреба на тютюневи изделия е 8-10 г. (4% и за двете училища). По отношение употребата на алкохол – 4 % от анкетираните в Добрич и 66,3% от анкетираните в Каварна употребяват алкохол, като превес отново имат момичетата. Най-ниска възраст на употреба на алкохол – 8-10 г. и за двете училища. По отношение употребата на наркотични вещества – 10% от анкетираните в Добрич и 6% от анкетираните в Каварна употребяват наркотични вещества, като най-масово учениците използват марихуаната. Най-ниска възраст на употреба на наркотични вещества – 15 г.Резултатите показват, че независимо от промените в обществената политика, насочена към ограничаване на употребата на психоактивни вещества, тя продължава да бъде сериозен и приоритетен проблем на общественото здравеопазване и подчертава императивната нужда от разработване и внедряване на качествено нови подходи и програми още в най-ранна възраст.Introduction: The fact that more and more kids in adolescence are smoking cigarettes, drinking alcohol and taking psychoactive substances is very worrying. Since youth is a crucial development period f this automatically leads to serious consequences for a child’s body.Aim: The focus of the current study is to establish and to compare the level of cigarette, alcohol and drug use among students from 7th to 9th grade in Dobrich and Kavarna.Results: In regard to smoking cigarettes it was established that 31% of the students in Dobrich and 55.1% of those from Kavarna smoke cigarettes, with the percentage of girls being higher than that of boys. The youngest individuals smoking cigarettes were 8-10-year-old kids (4% in both schools). When comes to alcohol – 44% from the surveyed students in Dobrich and 66.3% of surveyed students in Kavarna consumed alcohol, again more consumed by girls than boys. The youngest age of alcohol consumption for both schools was 8-10 years. When it comes to narcotics - 10% of surveyed in Dobrich and 6% of surveyed in Kavarna have taken them, with the most common one being marijuana. The earliest age in this group was 15 years.The results from the study are proof that regardless of the policy changes in terms of the abuse of psychoactive substances, the issue continues to be present and serious. Thus,  the development of a new program and way of communication is crucial, starting as early as possible

Trust of population in public control

Public health inspectors are civil servants, whose activity is related to the implementation of the established by a statutory instrument health requirements for control of sites of public importance. That is why the confidence of the population in the proper performance of their functions is essential.The aim of the study, on the one hand, is to examine the population's assessment of the activities of public health inspectors, and on the other hand, to establish the confidence of the public in the exercise of their control functions.There were 123 respondents, randomly selected individuals, divided by age and education. Over 2/3 of the respondents were inspected by inspectors from the Regional Health Inspection and Regional Directorate of Food Safety, and a significant proportion of them were present at such inspections (87.8% of respondents). In the majority of cases (83.3%), inspectors had an adequate attitude to the inspected and correctly explained the procedure. Nearly 2/3 of the respondents (65%) had confidence in the control exercised by health inspectors. However, respondents shared suggestions for improving the effectiveness of health control: increasing the remuneration of inspectors, optimizing the regulatory framework, strictly monitored health control, better qualification of the personnel. This will increase confidence and restore respect and deference to the institution that public health inspectors represent

Dental health prophylaxis and prevention of children with diabetes mellitus type 1

Захарният диабет e социално значимо заболяване, чийто подвид - инсулинозависимият диабет (захарен диабет тип 1) - засяга все повече деца. В нашата страна не се отделя достатъчно внимание на влиянието на диабета върху детското дентално здраве и последвалите дентални усложнения.Целите на настоящето проучване са да се до каже необходимостта от въвеждането на превантивни мерки за опазване на денталното здраве на деца със захарен диабет тип 1, както и да се повиши информирането на пациентите и техните семейства за усложненията, които тип 1 диабет може да предизвика.Резултатите от анкетирането на 99 родители на деца от 2 до 16 г. възраст показват, че половината от анкетираните са завели децата си на стоматолог след диагностициране на диабета. В резултат на това при една трета от децата са констатирани дентални проблеми. Една четвърт от родителите не оценяват значението на зъбната профилактика. Независимо от твърдението, че са информирани, 76% от анкетираните родители признават, че имат нужда от специализирана информация. Тя трябва да бъде поднасяна предимно от стоматолозите и да включва конкретни мерки за опазване на денталното здраве и предотвратяването на усложнения при деца с диабет тип 1.Diabetes mellitus is a socially significant disease, whose subtype insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (type 1 diabetes mellitus), affects mostly children. Bulgaria is a country where not enough attention has been paid to the impact of diabetes on children‘s dental health and the subsequent dental complications.The aim of this study was to demonstrate the need for the introduction of preventive measures to protect the dental health of children with type 1 diabetes, as well as to increase the amount of available and accesible information to the patients and their families regarding the dental complications that type 1 diabetes can cause.The results of the survey involving 99 parents of children of 2-16 years of age showed that half of the surveyed parents have taken their children to the dentist after the diagnosis of diabetes. As a result, in one third of the children dental problems were detected. Moreover, one quarter of the parents did not appreciate the importance of dental prophylaxis. About 76% of the surveyed parents recognized their need for more detailed information.Such information should be provided mainly by the dentists and should include detailed measures to protect dental health and prevention of complications in children with type 1 diabetes

Model for integrated care for the mentally ill in the community

Integrated care is a complex set of planned and managed services for a specific group of patients with specific needs, provided by different health and social institutions. The introduction of this type of services in the field of psychiatric care is necessary because of a number of factors related to both the nature and course of mental diseases and the need to provide long-term comprehensive care for patients in the community.One of the successful models is the Dutch one, which provides flexibly assertive care to the mentally ill in their home and social environment. The services are provided by multidisciplinary teams covering a certain number of persons on a territorial basis. Both intensive care and treatment, as well as ongoing support in daily work or domestic activities, are provided.In Bulgaria, integrated care is a priority in a number of regulatory documents.  Thus, after the adaptation of the proposed model and the combined efforts of the medical and social institutions, continuous care of the mentally ill in the community can be successfully implemented in our country

Effective school-based drug prevention strategies

The use of drugs among adolescents is a significant problem. For solving this problem, we need the joined efforts of the specialized institutions for prevention, the educational institutions, specialists, teachers and parents.School-based drug prevention is one of the most important components, so it is important to develop effective evidence-based strategies and programs.The basic unsolved problems are: lack of a single system for effectiveness evaluation of prevention, lack of a systematic model and congruence between the institutions, non-sufficient interaction between children, parents and teachers.The opportunity for a decision on behalf of the specialized institutions for prevention are: introduction of effective preventive strategies, regular quality monitoring and effectiveness evaluation of the programs.The use of drugs among adolescents is a significant problem. For solving this problem, we need the joined efforts of the specialized institutions for prevention, the educational institutions, specialists, teachers and parents.School-based drug prevention is one of the most important components, so it is important to develop effective evidence-based strategies and programs.The basic unsolved problems are: lack of a single system for effectiveness evaluation of prevention, lack of a systematic model and congruence between the institutions, non-sufficient interaction between children, parents and teachers.The opportunity for a decision on behalf of the specialized institutions for prevention are: introduction of effective preventive strategies, regular quality monitoring and effectiveness evaluation of the programs