Zdravstveno rizična ponašanja i zdravlje stanovništva Hrvatske starijeg od 50 godina

Recent data indicate that self-rated health among Croatians is substantially lower, and the gender gap more pronounced, than the EU28. Thus, our study aims to test the sex-specific associations of various health-risk characteristics with subjective and objective health in the Croatian population aged 50 and older (2,436 individuals, cross-sectional SHARE Wave 6 dataset). The logistic regression analyses were performed on health-risk behaviours (nutrition, physical activity, smoking, and alcohol consumption), together with the selected socioeconomic variables and the quality of life scale (CASP-12). The study revealed the importance of vigorous physical activity and the CASP score as being consistently relevant for objective and subjective health in both sexes. Univariate associations of the majority of health- -risk behaviours and health have disappeared from the multivariate model; we have thus concluded that they are often a proximate reflection of underlying economic and psychosocial factors. Furthermore, our findings support the necessity of country-specific health-risk research since the relevance of particular health risks can be considered culturally specific.Noviji podaci pokazuju da je samoprocjena zdravlja stanovnika Hrvatske značajno niža i da je razlika po spolu naglašenija nego u EU28. Stoga je cilj ove studije bio ispitati odnos raznih karakteristika povezanih sa zdravljem sa dva pokazatelja zdravlja (subjektivnog i objektivnog) u stanovništvu Hrvatske starijem od 50 godina (2436 osoba, presječno istraživanje studije SHARE, 6. val). Analize logističke regresije napravljene su primjenom značajki ponašanja (prehrana, tjelesna aktivnost, pušenje, konzumacija alkohola), uz uključivanje odabranih društvenih i ekonomskih varijabli, te skale procjene kvalitete života (CASP-12). Nalazi upućuju na važnost intenzivne tjelesne aktivnosti i samoprocjene kvalitete života (CASP skala) kao dva obilježja koja su se konzistentno pokazala važnima za objektivno i subjektivno zdravlje u oba spola. Kako je univarijatna povezanost većine ispitivanih elemenata ponašanja i zdravlja nestala u multivarijatnom modelu, zaključujemo da je takva povezanost samo neposredan odraz ekonomskih i psihosocijalnih čimbenika koji stoje u podlozi određenoga zdravstveno rizičnog ponašanja. Rezultati ove studije pružaju dodatni argument za potrebu provedbe istraživanja zdravstvenih rizika unutar svake države posebno, jer je važnost određenih obilježja očito kulturno specifična

Functional Ability of the Elderly in Institutional and Non-Institutional Care in Croatia

Gerontology-public health indicators of functional ability of the elderly in institutional and non-institutional health care in Croatia were determined by use of expert methodology developed at Department of Gerontology, Dr. Andrija [tampar Institute of Public Health in Zagreb, with the aim to upgrade the Program of Health Care Measures and Procedures in Health Care of the Elderly. Comparison of functional ability between the users of selected Old People’s Homes (institutional care; N=5030) and Gerontology Centers (non-institutional care; N=2112) yielded highest between-group difference in the proportion of »fully movable« and »fully independent« categories in favor of the latter, thus steering the program of health care for the elderly accordingly. In addition, study results showed greater difference in the proportion of categories describing mental status of institutional and non-institutional care users as compared with the categories describing their physical status, suggesting that mental status plays a more important role than physical status in the geriatric user’s stay in non-institutional care versus institutional care. This issue requires additional studies. The results obtained by this indicator analysis pointed to the preventive and geroprophylactic measures to ensure efficient health care for the elderly and to develop the program of mental health promotion and preservation. According to 2007 estimate, there were 759,318 (16.9%) persons aged ł65 in Croatia. Data collected at gerontology database kept at Department of Gerontology, Dr. Andrija [tampar Institute of Public Health (September 2008) showed 2% of the elderly (N=14807) to be accommodated at Old People’s Homes, which is below the European average of 4%

Functional Ability of the Elderly in Institutional and Non-Institutional Care in Croatia

Gerontology-public health indicators of functional ability of the elderly in institutional and non-institutional health care in Croatia were determined by use of expert methodology developed at Department of Gerontology, Dr. Andrija [tampar Institute of Public Health in Zagreb, with the aim to upgrade the Program of Health Care Measures and Procedures in Health Care of the Elderly. Comparison of functional ability between the users of selected Old People’s Homes (institutional care; N=5030) and Gerontology Centers (non-institutional care; N=2112) yielded highest between-group difference in the proportion of »fully movable« and »fully independent« categories in favor of the latter, thus steering the program of health care for the elderly accordingly. In addition, study results showed greater difference in the proportion of categories describing mental status of institutional and non-institutional care users as compared with the categories describing their physical status, suggesting that mental status plays a more important role than physical status in the geriatric user’s stay in non-institutional care versus institutional care. This issue requires additional studies. The results obtained by this indicator analysis pointed to the preventive and geroprophylactic measures to ensure efficient health care for the elderly and to develop the program of mental health promotion and preservation. According to 2007 estimate, there were 759,318 (16.9%) persons aged ł65 in Croatia. Data collected at gerontology database kept at Department of Gerontology, Dr. Andrija [tampar Institute of Public Health (September 2008) showed 2% of the elderly (N=14807) to be accommodated at Old People’s Homes, which is below the European average of 4%

Are the Physically Active Adolescents Belonging to the »At Risk of Overweight« BMI Category Really Fat?

The adolescence is recognized as one of the critical periods for the development of obesity. Children and adolescents who practice sports regularly have higher muscle mass and lower percentage of body fat than their peers who are physically less active. Since body mass index (BMI) is a widely used indicator of overweight/obesity in spite of the fact that it directly measures excess in weight but not in fat, it often misclassifies athletic populations, both children and adults. The specific aim of this study was to evaluate whether BMI adequately assesses fatness in adolescents, especially physically active ones. The analysis was performed on anthropometric data from two surveys (1997 and 2009/2010) of Zagreb secondary school adolescents, 1315 girls and 1034 boys, aged 15–19 years. The group defined as »physically active« consisted of adolescents who practice organized sports (36.2% girls, 44.6% boys), while the »physically inactive« group was made of their peers who practice sport only as a part of physical education in schools. The standardized values, calculated within each sex by survey, were used for comparison of adolescents with different levels of physical activity. Physically active adolescents of both sexes had lower sum of skinfolds mean Z-values (pgirls<0.05, pboys<0.001); additionally, boys had higher Z-values for body weight (p<0.05) and triceps/subscapular ratio (indicating peripheral distribution of body fat) (p<0.05) than their less active peers. In order to evaluate whether BMI was adequate indicator for body composition during adolescence, we estimated the concordance of above-median category defined by BMI and the other body fat indicators. The largest discrepancy was found for sum of skinfolds in both sexes and was more pronounced in physically active adolescents. This finding was further confirmed in more extreme BMI category (85th – 95th percentile) which indicated that adolescents categorized as »at risk of overweight« were predominantly characterized by larger lean body mass and not by increased fatness

ACE Alu Insertion Polymorphism in Croatia and its Isolates

Alu elements are a family of interspersed repeats in the genome propagating by retroposition into new chromosomal locations. Alu insertion in Ace gene is known to be polymorphic (presence/absence of Alu element) in worldwide populations and as such serves as marker for population structure analyses. In this study we examined the distribution of genotypes and allele frequencies of this polymorphism in general Croatian population and its two isolates (the island of Hvar and the coastal region of the Middle Dalmatia) and related them to the level of endogamy as an indicator of inbreeding in these populations. Results showed that these three population groups are different with respect to Ace Alu polymorphism. The endogamy was highest on the island of Hvar. With the increase of endogamy a decrease in heterozigosity was observed. The same trend was observed for the frequency of insertion allele. Its frequencies in the village subpopulations of two studied isolates are subject to genetic drift due to small population sizes and high levels of endogamy. This in turn causes genetic differentiation among villages that is observed to be higher on the island of Hvar than in the coastal region. In the worldwide perspective, the Ace Alu insertion allele frequency of 50.6 % in the general Croatian population falls within the range of other European populations

Calcaneous Ultrasonographic Assessment of Bone Mineral Density in the Roma Minority Population of Croatia – Preliminary Report

A multidisciplinary anthropological and epidemiological pilot field study of the Bayash population living in 6 villages of the eastern Croatian region of Baranya has been performed in 2005/06. The Bayash (or Boyash) belong to the Roma minority population speaking a distinct archaic dialect of the Romanian language. Since the bone mineral density values in the Roma have not been explored so far and the prevalence of osteoporosis is unknown for this ethnic minority group a screening by means of the »Sahara« Hologic clinical bone sonometer has been performed on 232 voluntary participants (73 males and 159 females). The prevalence of osteoporosis (T-score <–2.5) in the Bayash aged 50 and older is found to be 9.1% in males and 34.4% in females, which is substantially higher than in the general population of Croatia. The prevalence of T-values ranging from –1 to –2.5 indicating osteopenia is found to be 63.6% in males and 45.3% in females, while T-values within the normal range are found only in 27.3% males and 20.3% females. In addition to the low bone mass in older subjects, the mean estimated bone mineral density in all age groups of Bayash men and women was lower in comparison to the manufacturer’s reference ranges for European population of the same age. Since body size effects could not be declined, the reference values that would be appropriate for the Roma population should be further explored. The high estimated prevalence of developed osteoporosis calls for attention and the survey should also be extended to exploring the association of low bone mineral density with particular life style and reproductive factors present in this semi-sedentary Roma population

Comparative Analysis of Dermatoglyphic Traits in Albanian and Turkish Population Living in Kosovo

The aim of the study was to compare quantitative dermatoglyphic traits of two ethnic groups with different origin and customs, living on the same territory. The dermatoglyphic prints were collected from 800 inhabitants of the Dukagjin valley in southwest Kosovo, of Albanian (400) and Turkish (400) ethnic origin. The quantitative analysis comprised the number of ridges and triradii on the fingers, and the number of ridges in the interdigital areas on the palm (a-b, b-c, and c-d) as well as the size of the atd angle. The statistical analysis showed significant differences between the Albanian and the Turkish males for two fingers and pattern intensity index left, and on palms for a-b rc and c-d rc on both hands and b-c rc on the left hand, and between females for six fingers and almost all palmar traits. Significant inter-population variations were observed for most palmar areas in both sexes but more pronouncedly in females. The differences found between the examined population groups show that admixture between Albanian and Turkish population in Kosovo has been small, and the Turks have retained their ethnic identity for several centuries

Anthropometric indices of nutritional status in Croatian oldest old: new equations to predict height and weight

Anthropometry is an essential tool in the geriatric nutritional assessment. Measuring height and weight can be quite problematic in the old age so they can be estimated using theWHO equations. The purpose of this study was to: (a) show anthropometric indices of nutritional status of the ambulatory institutionalized oldest old in Zagreb, Croatia; (b) examine the adequacy of WHO equations for predicting height and weight of oldest old persons; (c) develop population-specific equations for estimating height and weight. The sample of this cross-sectional study comprised 314 examinees (F/M=234/80, 85-101 years). The classic anthropometric parameters (height, weight, extremities\u27 circumferences, knee height and skinfolds) were measured. The adequacy of WHO equations for predicting height and weight in Croatian oldest old was assessed using the paired t-test. Multiple linear regression analysis was performed to derive population-specific equations for predicting height and weight. The sexual dimorphismwas found in several anthropometric indices;men were taller, had larger weight and knee height, while women had larger triceps skinfold thickness. In women, most indices declined with age and in men the negative relation of knee height with age indicated a secular trend. The WHO equations for elderly acceptably predicted nothing but height in oldest old women. The presently developed equations, using the sameWHO\u27s predictor variables, proved to be more adequate for the studied population. The equations developed for estimating height and weight of non-ambulatory oldest old Croatians proved to be more appropriate than WHO equations and are therefore proposed for use in the everyday practice

Comparative Analysis of Dermatoglyphic Traits in Albanian and Turkish Population Living in Kosovo

The aim of the study was to compare quantitative dermatoglyphic traits of two ethnic groups with different origin and customs, living on the same territory. The dermatoglyphic prints were collected from 800 inhabitants of the Dukagjin valley in southwest Kosovo, of Albanian (400) and Turkish (400) ethnic origin. The quantitative analysis comprised the number of ridges and triradii on the fingers, and the number of ridges in the interdigital areas on the palm (a-b, b-c, and c-d) as well as the size of the atd angle. The statistical analysis showed significant differences between the Albanian and the Turkish males for two fingers and pattern intensity index left, and on palms for a-b rc and c-d rc on both hands and b-c rc on the left hand, and between females for six fingers and almost all palmar traits. Significant inter-population variations were observed for most palmar areas in both sexes but more pronouncedly in females. The differences found between the examined population groups show that admixture between Albanian and Turkish population in Kosovo has been small, and the Turks have retained their ethnic identity for several centuries

Program of primary, secondary and tertiary prevention for the elderly

The aging process is normal physiological phenomenon.The elderly are a heterogeneous group that requires individual gerontological approach. The basis for the implementation of the programof healthy aging represent their own decisions about positive health behaviors,that are made at a younger age and interact with an effective health programs of preventive health measures. As part of evaluation of the implementation of the preventive program for is important to define negative health behaviour of the elderly and determine the risk factors of pathological ageing. Primary prevention ensures not only prevention of death in early old age but also preservation of functional ability through health promotion in old age. The implementation of secondary prevention in health care of the elderly people results in timely diagnosis of disease which can stop its further development and help in its treatment, nursing care and rehabilitation. Tertiary prevention includes different health procedures that prevent physical andmental decline in a diseased old individual and develops the remaining functional capacity. The Program ofHealth careMeasures of Prevention for the Elderly is primarily carried out through active primary health care institutions within local, regional and national gerontological centres of the Institute of Public Health. Implementation of preventive programs for the elderly can avert the development of a number of preventable diseases as are diabetes mellitus, obesity, hypertension, cerebrovascular and cardiovascular diseases, cancer of the breast, ovaries, prostate, lungs, osteoporosis/fractures, incontinence, mental disorders, respiratory diseases. In Croatia, the program promotes a healthy active aging, consisting of the “Guide for active healthy aging”