Can social media intervention improve physical activity of medical students?

OBJECTIVES: Physical activity level decreases during young adulthood. As social media are nowadays widely used and are included into many people's daily routines, the interventions on these websites have the possibilities to be integrated into those routines without becoming a burden. The aim of this study was to assess physical activity level among first- and fifth-year medical students and social media intervention with the aim to improve physical activity among them. STUDY DESIGN: Prospective longitudinal study was conducted during October of 2016 at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Belgrade, Serbia. The study included 375 first- and fifth-year students. METHODS: At the baseline, students filled in the questionnaire and were asked to join a Facebook discussion group. The intervention consisted of motivation for physical activity through motivational pictures, texts, and discussions. The second assessment was carried out after one month. Based on the reported physical activity level, students were divided into groups: sufficient (>600 metabolic equivalent [MET]-minutes/week) and insufficient physical activity (≤600 MET-minutes/week). RESULTS: Total of 85.4% of students were sufficiently active at the baseline, whereas 90.4% were sufficiently active after one month. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that students who were part of the Facebook group (odds ratio [OR]: 3.51, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.46-8.43) and students who had sufficient physical activity at the baseline (OR: 5.44, 95% CI: 2.44-12.13) had a higher likelihood to be sufficiently active after one month. CONCLUSION: Social media are shown to be valuable in health-promoting interventions and can be used for interventions targeting lifestyle change among young adults.

Systematic review of studies investigating the association between dietary habits and cutaneous malignant melanoma.

OBJECTIVE: Several papers have dealt with diet as a risk factor for cutaneous malignant melanoma (CMM). This study aimed to synthesize available data on the topic. STUDY DESIGN: A systematic review of observational studies assessing the association between dietary habits and CMM was performed. METHODS: Electronic databases were used to identify eligible articles. Quality was assessed through the Newcastle-Ottawa scale. Case-control and cohort studies evaluating the intake of food/nutrients through the assessment of dietary habits and the occurrence of CMM were considered eligible. Data comparing the highest and lowest levels of consumption were collected from single studies and described qualitatively as data combination was not possible. Results were reported as percentages on the basis of relative risks and odds ratios. RESULTS: Eighteen studies reported in 21 articles were selected. Cohort studies showed better quality than case-control studies. Most articles did not detect any significant association between food/nutrient intake and CMM, except for limited evidence of a protective role associated with fish, vegetables and fruit. Risk reduction was shown to be 35-37%, 40-57% and 34-46%, respectively, in studies reporting significant results. Similarly, few articles showed protective roles of beta-carotene and vitamins A, C, D and E, with risk reduction of 64%, 37-43%, 41%, 15-39% and 50-66%, respectively. CONCLUSION: A trend towards reduced risk of CMM associated with higher intake of fish, vegetables and fruit, as well as beta-carotene and vitamins A, C, D and E, has been shown but further research is needed to provide decisive data.

Gender differences in smoking experience and cessation: do wealth and education matter equally for women and men in Serbia?

BACKGROUND: Although nowadays smoking is less popular, one-third of adults in Serbia still smoke regularly. The aim of this study was to analyze associations of smoking experience and quitting with gender and socio-economic status. METHODS: Cross-sectional, population-based nationally representative household survey (Health Survey, 2006). Age- and multivariate-adjusted logistic regression analyses were used to analyze predictors of smoking experience and cessation. RESULTS: Of 12 365 interviewed, 51.1% used to smoke: current smokers accounted for 36.8% and former smokers for 14.3%. Higher educated women were more prone to smoking [secondary school: odds ratio (OR), 1.75; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.52-2.01; university degree: OR, 1.53; 95% CI, 1.26-1.86], whereas for men the opposite was observed (university degree: OR, 0.72; 95% CI, 0.60-0.86). Education also was 'pro-quitting' factor (university degree: OR, 1.46; 95% CI, 1.07-1.99 for women; university degree: OR, 1.61; 95% CI, 1.23-1.80 for men). To quit smoking, wealth status was gradually more important for women, while just the richest men were more likely to quit smoking (OR, 1.45; 95% CI, 1.09-1.93). CONCLUSION: The poorest women in Serbia and the least educated men are those least likely to quit smoking, which indicates that ability to quit is predicted by socio-economic status.