Relationship between the names of people and enterprises with plant origin with phytotoponyms in five Croatian regions

In this study, the first and last names of people (FN and LN), enterprises (EN) (with plants’ species roots in their names) and phytotoponyms (PT) in five Croatian regions are analyzed, in their relationships. The goals of the study were: to determine the correlations between FN, LN, EN and PT; to determine the latent structure of these variables; to forecast number of PT (criterion) on the base of predictors (FN, LN, EN); to determine grouping of the places (within certain regions) as cases by two plants’ categorizations; to determine grouping of the plants as cases by regions. We have analyzed 15 places, grouped in five regions, with 39 different plant species. The results revealed that the only principal component highly positively correlated with the variables last name and office name, while the projections for the variables first name (moderate high) and phytotoponyms (low size) were negative. Prediction of the criteria phytotoponyms is satisfactorily good, using three predictors: last name, first name and the office name. First cluster analysis revealed that phytotoponyms are mostly related with trees and deciduous plants, while names are related with trees, deciduous and herbaceous plants. Second cluster analysis obtained clear distinction between regions in dominant PTs, based on certain plants’ names. The results indicate clear association between phytotoponyms and names of people

Data Quality in the Context of Longitudinal Research Studies

This paper discusses the concept of data quality in the context of longitudinal research. By deconstructing quality assurance process and data collection strategies through a case study of the “Croatian Birth Cohort Study“, we try to define causes and sources of poor data quality in the context of longitudinal studies. Besides the problems discussed throughout the known literature (panel conditioning, sample attrition, recall bias, temporal and financial demands), we introduce singlesource problems, multi-source problems, security problems, design questionnaire problems and QA workflow problems as important aspects in the domain of the possible sources of errors. Additionaly we propose models for eliminating the errors through prevention and detection in order to improve data quality

Stigmatizacija alkoholičara i drugih visoko rizičnih socijalnih skupina – odnos sa spolom i vrstom zanimanja

Apart from functional problems that arise from the fact that they belong to certain vulnerable social categories (individuals with chronic illnesses and conditions, individuals belonging to minorities and marginalized groups, etc.), members of these groups also face the feeling of distancing and/or rejection by others, including health professionals. The main purpose of this research is to determine social distances towards alcoholics compared with other high-risk social groups and to check for possible differences in social distances (and stigmatization) of alcoholics with regard to gender and occupation type. On a sample of 230 respondents (a deliberate sample of health and non-health professionals, heterogeneous by socio-demographic characteristics), using the Bogardus social distance scale, we investigated social distances for certain social groups: drug addicts, alcoholics, homosexuals, mentally ill individuals and individuals with physical disabilities. The results have shown that individuals with physical disabilities are the least stigmatized group, while the most stigmatized are drug addicts, with alcoholics being second according to social distance. A similar trend was also found in groups of subjects of different sex as well as different types of occupation, with an exception that alcoholics were the most stigmatized group among health professionals, while drug addicts were second most stigmatized group. Sexual differences in social distance towards alcoholics have not been confirmed, nor the differences between the two observed groups of occupations. The research results provide the basic guidelines needed to design the process of destigmatization of alcoholics, as well as other vulnerable social groups studied, in the populations of both health and non-health professionals of both sexes.Uz probleme u funkcioniranju koji proizlaze iz činjenice da pripadaju određenim osjetljivim socijalnim kategorijama (osobe s kroničnim bolestima i stanjima, pripadnici manjinskih i marginaliziranih skupina i dr.), pripadnici tih skupina suočavaju se i s osjećajem distanciranja i/ili odbacivanja od strane drugih ljudi, uključujući i zdravstveno osoblje. Glavni cilj ovog istraživanja je utvrditi socijalne udaljenosti prema alkoholičarima u usporedbi s pojedinim drugim visoko rizičnim socijalnim skupinama, te provjeriti eventualne razlike u socijalnim udaljenostima (i stigmatizaciji) alkoholičara s obzirom na spol i vrstu zanimanja. Na uzorku od 230 ispitanika (namjernog uzorka zdravstvenih i nezdravstvenih djelatnika, heterogenih po sociodemografskim obilježjima) primjenom Bogardusove ljestvice socijalne distance ispitivana je socijalna distanca prema određenim socijalnim skupinama: narkomanima, alkoholičarima, homoseksualcima, psihički bolesnim osobama i osobama s tjelesnim invaliditetom. Rezultati su pokazali da su osobe s tjelesnim invaliditetom najmanje stigmatizirana skupina, a najstigmatiziraniji su narkomani, dok su alkoholičari po socijalnoj distanci na visokom drugom mjestu. Sličan trend pronađen je i unutar skupina ispitanika različitog spola, kao i vrsta zanimanja, s tim da su se kod zdravstvenih djelatnika alkoholičari izdvojili kao najstigmatiziranija skupina, dok su se narkomani našli na drugom mjestu. Spolne razlike u socijalnoj distanci prema alkoholičarima nisu potvrđene, kao ni razlike među dvije promatrane skupine zanimanja. Rezultati istraživanja daju načelne smjernice potrebne za osmišljavanje procesa destigmatizacije alkoholičara, ali i drugih ispitivanih rizičnih socijalnih skupina, u populacijama zdravstvenih i nezdravstvenih djelatnika oba spola

Maternal Physical Activity in Pregnancy and Newborns` Anthropometry-The Preface From the CRIBS Study

Health benefits of physical activity during pregnancy include reduced risk of excessive gestational weight gain and conditions such as gestational diabetes, preeclampsia and preterm birth. The ongoing CRoatian Islands Birth Cohort Study (CRIBS) is the first cohort study in the South-Eastern Europe with an aim to assess the prevalence of risk factors (biological, environmental and behavioral) for the Metabolic Syndrome in populations from Dalmatian islands of Hvar and Brač and coastal Split city with its surroundings. At the time of writing, Over 350 pregnant women and 220 of their newborns have been involved in the study. Here we present the preliminary results of testing the association of mothers` self-estimated physical activity during pregnancy with newborns` anthropometric characteristics (birth weight, length and head circumference) using the data from questionnaires and obstetric records of 116 mother – newborn pairs. The difference in weight-at-birth was detected between newborn girls whose mothers were from Low vs. Intensive physical activity categories, as well as from Moderate vs. Intensive physical activity categories. In addition to that, the significant difference in weight-at-birth and height/length-at-birth was detected between newborn boys whose mothers were from Moderate vs. Intensive physical activity categories (p<0.01). No association between self-estimated level of physical activity and mothers’ body mass index was found. For women with normal pregnancies, light occupational activities do not cause problems with the fetal growth rate, but the same was not reported for women who maintained high-intensity activities

A sociodemographic profile of the participants in the Croatian Islands\u27 Birth Cohort Study (CRIBS)

U radu je predstavljen sociodemografski profil sudionica u Kohortnoj studiji rođenih na istočnojadranskim otocima (CRIBS), prvoj longitudinalnoj studiji u Hrvatskoj koja prati trudnice i njihovu djecu do navršene dvije godine života. Uzorak čini 286 trudnica (145 s otoka Brača i Hvara te 141 trudnica s kopna). Cilj je ove studije: 1) opisati glavna obilježja CRIBS uzorka, 2) usporediti uzorak s općom hrvatskom populacijom, 3) analizirati razlike među sudionicama u projektu CRIBS s obzirom na mjesto stanovanja (otoci vs. kopno) i tip obitelji u kojoj žive (nuklearna vs. proširena obitelj). U usporedbi s ženama s kopna otočanke su češće višerotkinje i češće završavaju samo srednju školu, dok većina žena na kopnu ima fakultetsko obrazovanje. Prevladavanje različitih tipova obitelji značajno se razlikuje između otoka i kopna, otočanke žive u proširenim obiteljima i imaju niže prosječne prihode kućanstava.This paper presents the socio-demographic profile of participants in the Croatian Islands\u27 Birth Cohort Study (CRIBS), the first longitudinal study in Croatia to follow pregnant women and their children up to the age of two. The sample consisted of 286 pregnant women (145 from the islands of Brač and Hvar, and 141 from the mainland). The study aimed to: 1) summarise the main characteristics of the CRIBS study sample; 2) compare the sample with the general population of Croatia; 3) analyse the differences between the CRIBS participants according to place of residence (islands vs. mainland) and family type (nuclear vs. extended family). In comparison with women from the mainland, islander women had more often given birth to more than one child and finished only secondary school, while most of the women from the mainland had university degree. The prevalence of different family types also significantly differed between the islands and mainland, with islanders living in extended families and having lower average household income

Impact of pre-pregnancy BMI on blood glucose levels in pregnancy and on the anthropometry of newborns – preliminary insights from the Croatian Islands\u27 Birth Cohort Study (CRIBS)

The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI) and fasting blood glucose level in pregnancy on the anthropometry of newborns. The sample consisted of 171 healthy pregnant women and their newborns from the Croatian Islands\u27 Birth Cohort Study. Peripheral blood of pregnant women was taken in the second trimester and fasting glucose values >5.1 mmol/l were considered elevated. Anthropometric variables (body weight, height and waist circumference) were measured according to the International Biological Program. Pre-pregnancy BMI and fasting glucose levels during pregnancy were significantly positively correlated (p<0,01), as were pre-pregnancy BMI and birth weight (p<0,05), length (p<0,01), and head circumference (p<0,05) of the newborns. Hyperglycaemic women gave birth to significantly heavier newborn girls then normal glycaemic women (p<0.05). In conclusion, there was a positive correlation between pre-pregnancy BMI, fasting glucose during pregnancy and the anthropometry of newborns in this study

Impact of pre-pregnancy BMI on blood glucose levels in pregnancy and on the anthropometry of newborns – preliminary insights from the Croatian Islands' Birth Cohort Study (CRIBS)

The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI) and fasting blood glucose level in pregnancy on the anthropometry of newborns. The sample consisted of 171 healthy pregnant women and their newborns from the Croatian Islands’ Birth Cohort Study. Peripheral blood of pregnant women was taken in the second trimester and fasting glucose values >5.1 mmol/l were considered elevated. Anthropometric variables (body weight, height and waist circumference) were measured according to the International Biological Program. Pre-pregnancy BMI and fasting glucose levels during pregnancy were significantly positively correlated (p<0,01), as were pre-pregnancy BMI and birth weight (p<0,05), length (p<0,01), and head circumference (p<0,05) of the newborns. Hyperglycaemic women gave birth to significantly heavier newborn girls then normal glycaemic women (p<0.05). In conclusion, there was a positive correlation between pre-pregnancy BMI, fasting glucose during pregnancy and the anthropometry of newborns in this study

Relationship between the names of people and enterprises with plant origin with phytotoponyms in five Croatian regions

In this study, the first and last names of people (FN and LN), enterprises (EN) (with plants’ species roots in their names) and phytotoponyms (PT) in five Croatian regions are analyzed, in their relationships. The goals of the study were: to determine the correlations between FN, LN, EN and PT; to determine the latent structure of these variables; to forecast number of PT (criterion) on the base of predictors (FN, LN, EN); to determine grouping of the places (within certain regions) as cases by two plants’ categorizations; to determine grouping of the plants as cases by regions. We have analyzed 15 places, grouped in five regions, with 39 different plant species. The results revealed that the only principal component highly positively correlated with the variables last name and office name, while the projections for the variables first name (moderate high) and phytotoponyms (low size) were negative. Prediction of the criteria phytotoponyms is satisfactorily good, using three predictors: last name, first name and the office name. First cluster analysis revealed that phytotoponyms are mostly related with trees and deciduous plants, while names are related with trees, deciduous and herbaceous plants. Second cluster analysis obtained clear distinction between regions in dominant PTs, based on certain plants’ names. The results indicate clear association between phytotoponyms and names of people