Compliance with a healthy lifestyle in a representative sample of the Greek population: preliminary results of the Hellas Health I study.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate lifestyle health behaviours, such as smoking, physical activity, weight status and dietary habits, in a representative sample of the adult Greek population. STUDY DESIGN: Cross-sectional, household interviews (Hellas Health I survey, 2006). METHODS: A stratified representative sample (n = 1005, 483 males, 522 females) of the Greek adult population (mean age 47.39 years, median age 46 years, range 18-99 years) was interviewed. Self-reported demographic and lifestyle behaviour data were obtained. The Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ) was used to record dietary habits, and a Mediterranean score was derived from the FFQ to assess adherence to the Mediterranean diet. A higher Mediterranean score indicates greater adherence to the Mediterranean diet. Physical activity was evaluated using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire. RESULTS: Smoking is highly prevalent in the Greek population (43.1%), particularly among people aged 18-36 (52.9%) and 37-56 years (51.9%). Smoking prevalence was 52.4% in men and 34.5% in women (P < 0.001). In total, 54.1% of men and 45.3% of women were classified as physically active (P = 0.007). The proportion of physically active subjects decreased with age (P for trend<0.001). The prevalence of obesity was higher in women (18.3%) than men (14.3%, P < 0.001), and increased with age (P for trend<0.001). Men were found to have higher Mediterranean scores than women (27.09 vs 26.14, P < 0.05). Dietary habits also differed between younger and older participants, and the Mediterranean score increased with age. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence rates for smoking, physical inactivity and obesity are high, and compliance with the Mediterranean diet is low in Greece. Nationwide interventions focused on health promotion and primary prevention are urgently needed.

Family correlates of adolescents' emotional/behavioural problems: evidence from a Greek school-based sample.

AIM: To investigate the associations of some family characteristics with adolescents' self-reported emotional/behavioural problems. METHODS: Questionnaires were administered to a Greek nation-wide random sample of adolescents (N = 1194) aged 11-18 years and their parents (N = 973) in 2003. The present analysis included the questionnaires completed by mothers and their offspring (639 families). Adolescents' emotional/behavioural problems, as measured by the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire, were assessed in relation to family socioeconomic status and residence type, parental marital status, educational attainment and subjective mental health, family cohesion and parent-child relations. RESULTS: The analysis showed that parental marital status other than being married, poor parent-child relations and low levels of maternal subjective mental health were independently correlated with significantly more adolescents' emotional/behavioural problems. CONCLUSION: Family factors are potential determinants of adolescent emotional/behavioural problems and therefore are potential targets for prevention and/or intervention.

Information sources and level of knowledge of contraception issues among Greek women and men in the reproductive age: a country-wide survey.

OBJECTIVE: Good reproductive health depends to a great extent on how well informed people are on contraception issues. Contrary to the situation existing in many European countries, in Greece there has been a lack of studies investigating how well informed Greek women and men are. Also, the sources on which they draw are equally important. The aim of this study was to examine the knowledge of Greek women and men on issues of contraception, with the ultimate goal of identifying which groups should be the focus of prevention planning programs. METHOD: A country-wide survey was conducted through a self-administered questionnaire. The sample, numbering 1500 people, was representative of the Greek population aged 16-45 years. RESULTS: A key finding was that only a small percentage of the respondents were able to answer correctly 50% or more of the questions on knowledge of basic contraceptive issues (30.6% of women and 14.7% of men). Regarding sources of information, media and friends were reported as the primary sources of information for men of all ages and young women. The gynecologist becomes a significant source of consultation for women only after the age of 25 years. Even then, only 4% of women visiting a gynecologist do so to obtain information on prevention of pregnancy. The majority of women asking professional advice have already experienced an unwanted pregnancy. CONCLUSION: The need for health education is apparent, especially for young people.

BIOMED-MEROPE project: service provision for adults with intellectual disability: a European comparison.

The aim of the present paper is to describe and compare services for adults with intellectual disability (ID) and mental health needs in five European countries: Austria, England, Greece, Ireland and Spain. A framework and structure for collecting information about service provision was designed. This information was collected through a mixture of interviews with service providers, questionnaires and a review of the research literature within each country. Information was collected on historical context, policy, legislation, assessment, treatment and the structure of services for people with ID and mental health problems. Overall, the needs of those with additional mental health needs have not been specifically addressed at a national level with perhaps the exception of England and Ireland, although there are still gaps in services in these nations. Normalization has been adopted in each of the five countries, and there are moves toward deinstitutionalization, integration and inclusion. Families and self-advocacy groups have grown. The pace of this change varies between and even within countries. The main findings of the study include: unclear policy, trends for legislative changes, increased prevalence of mental health problems, inadequate generic service provision, a need for specialist mental health services, a need for improved interconnections of services, and a need for training developments. Policy and legislation in the five European countries under consideration tend to separate the disability aspects of people with ID from their mental health needs. Consequently, the service needs of this group remain largely invisible. This might be a direct reflection of policy clarity and legislation, or could be the result of a failure to implement existing guidelines. This has a detrimental effect on the lives of people with ID, and their families and carers.