Multiple health risk behaviour in Czech adolescents: family, school and geographic factors.

The study examines the relationship of family, school and geographic factors in relation to the prevalence of different health risk behaviours among Czech adolescents (aged 15-16 years) based on cross-sectional study design. Risk behaviours such as cigarette smoking, alcohol drinking and marijuana use among adolescents have often been shown to co-occur with each other. Data from the European School Survey Project on Alcohol and Other Drugs 2007 were used. A total of 7616 students from the Czech Republic were analysed in the study. About two thirds of students (63.5%) did not engage in any type of considered health risk behaviour, 21.1% reported one risk, 10.8% two risks, and 4.6% three risks. Thus, in sum 15.4% of Czech, students were engaged in multiple risk behaviour forms. Separate multilevel logistic regression models were performed in order to explore the redistribution of factors on categories of multiple health risk behaviour.

Social inequalities in alcohol consumption in the Czech Republic: a multilevel analysis.

Czech Republic traditionally ranks among the countries with the highest alcohol, consumption. This paper examines both risk and protective factors for frequent of alcohol, consumption in the Czech population using multilevel analysis. Risk factors were measured at the, individual level and at the area level. The individual-level data were obtained from a survey for a, sample of 3526 respondents aged 18-64 years. The area-level data were obtained from the Czech, Statistical Office. The group most inclinable to risk alcohol consumption and binge drinking are mainly, men, who live as single, with low education and also unemployed. Only the variable for divorce rate, showed statistical significance at both levels, thus the individual and the aggregated one. No cross-level interactions were found to be statistically significant.

Down syndrome, paternal age and education: comparison of California and the Czech Republic.

BACKGROUND: The association between maternal age and risk of Down syndrome has been repeatedly shown in various populations. However, the effect of paternal age and education of parents has not been frequently studied. Comparative studies on Down syndrome are also rare. This study evaluates the epidemiological characteristics of Down syndrome in two culturally and socially contrasting population settings, in California and the Czech Republic. METHODS: The observed live birth prevalence of Down syndrome was studied among all newborns in the California counties monitored by California Birth Defects Monitoring Program from 1996 to 1997, and in the whole Czech Republic from 1994 to 1998. Logistic regression was used to analyze the data. RESULTS: A total of 516,745 (California) and 475,834 (the Czech Republic) infants were included in the analysis. Among them, 593 and 251, respectively, had Down syndrome. The mean maternal age of children with Down syndrome was 32.1 years in California and 26.9 years in the Czech Republic. Children born to older mothers were at greater risk of Down syndrome in both populations. The association with paternal age was mostly explained by adjusting for maternal age, but remained significant in the Czech Republic. The association between maternal education and Down syndrome was much stronger in California than in the Czech Republic but parental age influences higher occurrence of Down syndrome both in California and in the Czech Republic. CONCLUSION: The educational gradient in California might reflect selective impact of prenatal diagnosis, elective termination, and acceptance of prenatal diagnostic measures in Californian population.