Prevalence and associated factors of overweight and obesity among medical students from the Western Balkans (South-East Europe Region).

Being overweight and obese is associated with an elevated risk of developing noncommunicable diseases, which are the leading causes of mortality worldwide. It is a warning that global prevalence of overweight among university students ranges from 20 to 40%, which presents a significant public health problem. To date, there was no research conducted on medical students regarding the prevalence and associated factors of overweight and obesity in the countries of the Western Balkans (Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia, and Serbia). The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence and potential demographic, socioeconomic, and health-related behavioral factors associated with overweight and obesity of medical students from Western Balkans. A cross-sectional study was conducted, surveying 2452 students from 14 medical faculties from 5 countries in the region. The prevalence of overweight was 12% and obesity was 2.3% among medical students from Western Balkans. Male gender and smoking status are significant positive predictors of overweight and obesity. Daily level of physical activity up to 1 h per day, going to preventive check-ups once a year or as a part of annual dormitory check-ups are associated with lower odds of being overweight and obese. By creating adequate public health educational programs, students can be influenced to acquire proper health-related lifestyle habits, which would lead to reducing the prevalence of overweight and obesity among the student population, as well as risk of developing noncommunicable diseases and improving the overall health of the population.

Motives and Barriers for Regular Physical Activity among Medical Students from the Western Balkans (South-East Europe Region).

Regular physical activity (PA) has multiple beneficial effects on students' health, effectively reducing the risk of various non-communicable diseases. Various factors play a role in an individual's motivation to engage in and maintain regular PA. So far, no research dealing with the motives and barriers for regular PA among medical students has been conducted in the countries of the Western Balkans. The aim of this study was to identify the motives and barriers related to regular PA and compare them with different demographic, socioeconomic, and individual lifestyle factors among Western Balkans medical students. The research was conducted in a form of a cross-sectional study. It included 2452 medical students from 14 faculties in five countries (Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia, and Serbia). The most commonly reported motive of medical students for regular PA is to feel better, followed by stress reduction, to look better, the desire to lose weight, and to control chronic disease. PA improvement motives are more frequently associated with the female gender, more advanced years of study, a normal weight, above average household income, and a non-smoking status. Faculty obligations are the most common barrier for regular PA among medical students, followed by other barriers, such as financial situation, current life situation, and health conditions. Barriers are more frequently reported by male students who are overweight or obese, who have a below average income, and are smokers. It is necessary for public health authorities to examine and take into account the perceived motives and barriers when forming activities and policies that aim at increasing the level of PA, in order to enhance the health of the student population.

Nutritional Knowledge, Confidence, Attitudes towards Nutritional Care and Nutrition Counselling Practice among General Practitioners.

Nutritional care represents any practice provided by a health professional, aimed to improve the patient's health outcomes by influencing patient's dietary habits. Clearly, dietitians are the ones supposed to provide top-quality nutrition care, but their services are often inaccessible to many for various reasons. This obliges general practitioners (GPs) in primary health care to provide nutritional counselling to their patients to a certain extent. Preconditions to successful nutritional counselling are GPs with adequate nutritional knowledge, positive attitudes towards nutrition and nutritional care, self-confident and competent in nutritional counselling. Therefore, the aim of this review is to summarise currently available information on nutritional knowledge, confidence and attitudes towards nutritional care and nutrition counselling practice of GPs, as well as barriers towards provision of nutritional counselling. GPs do not consistently obtain satisfying results in nutrition knowledge assessments and their self-confidence in nutrition counselling skills varies. Studies suggest that nutritional counselling practice still has not met its full potential, and GPs frequently report various barriers that impair nutritional counselling practice. Thus, health policies that help overcome barriers and create stimulating environment for GPs to implement nutrition counselling strategies efficiently are the key to improving quality and quantity of nutritional counselling.

Prevalence and Associated Factors of Physical Activity among Medical Students from the Western Balkans.

The student population includes young adults who need nutrition and regular physical activity (PA) for mental, cognitive, and physical development. It is estimated that, globally, only 25-40% of the university student population is involved in regular PA. To date, no research has been conducted in the Western Balkans to address the PA of medical students. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence and factors influencing PA among medical students from the Western Balkans. A cross-sectional study included 2452 students from 14 medical faculties in five countries (Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia and Serbia). There were significantly more students who engaged than those who did not engage in some type of regular (daily) PA. Gender, overweight or obesity, and household income are significantly associated with students' PA. Students who are more often involved in regular daily PA and have higher daily PA levels are more likely to be males whose household income is above average. In order to improve the health of the student population, the public health authorities need to continuously investigate the PA of students and introduce appropriate activities to increase their level of PA.

Cigarette Smoking among Medical Students from the Western Balkan.

University student's smoking is a significant public health problem. It is estimated that, globally, every fifth medical student is a smoker. So far, no research dealing with cigarette smoking among medical students has been conducted in the countries of the Western Balkans. The aim of this study was to examine the prevalence and risk factors of cigarette smoking among Western Balkans medical students. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 2452 students from 14 medical faculties in the Western Balkans (Republic of Slovenia, Republic of Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Republic of North Macedonia and Republic of Serbia). The data were gathered through an online survey. There were significantly more non-smokers than smokers among medical students. Only gender and parents smoking status were statistically significantly associated with students smoking status. The smokers were more often male students, who lived in urban areas prior their studies, and whose parents were both smokers. With the aim of monitoring and enhancing student population health, it is necessary for public health activists and health officials to continually survey the students' smoking status in order to recognize the smoking influencing factors, and form and take on appropriate activities to improve the prevention of cigarette smoking among students, as well as motivate those who smoke to give up smoking, which would contribute to improving the health of the student population.

Work motivation and job satisfaction of health workers in urban and rural areas.

Background/Aim: Motivated and job satisfied health professionals represent a basis of success of modern health institutions. The aim of this study was to investigate whether there was a difference in work motivation and job satisfaction between health workers in urban and rural areas in the region of Central Serbia. Methods: The study included 396 health professionals from urban setting, and 436 from a rural area, employed in four randomly selected health facilities. An anonymous questionnaire was used for data gathering. Statistical analysis was performed using χ2, Student t-test, Spearman's correlation coefficient, and logistic regression analysis. Results: Urban health professionals were significantly more motivated and job satisfied than respondents from rural area. In relation to work motivation factors and job satisfaction of health professionals in urban and rural areas, there were no significant differences in working conditions and current equipment, and in terms of job satisfaction there were no significant differences in relation to income either. Conclusion: In order to increase the level of work motivation and job satisfaction of health workers in rural areas, apart from better income, they should get more assistance and support from their supervisors, and awards for good job performance; interpersonal relationships, promotion and advancement opportunities, managerial performance and cooperation at work should be improved; employment security should be provided, as well as more independence at work, with professional supervision of health workers.

[Morphological characteristics of meningiomas].

INTRODUCTION: Meningiomas are common intracranial neoplasms which originate from the soft meninges, precisely from meningeal arachnoidal cells. The aim of this investigation was to establish the age and sex distribution of the examinees, localization, frequency and histological types of meningiomas. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The investigation was carried out in the period from January 2001 to June 2006. It included 490 consecutive patients of both sexes with diagnosed intracranial tumors and undergoing surgical treatment at the Neurosurgery Clinic of the Clinical Center of Vojvodina. The surgery samples were analyzed in the Laboratory of the Institute of Pathology and Histology of the Clinical Center of Vojvodina. Out of 490 patients with diagnosed intracranial tumors, 137 (27.96%) were diagnosed to have meningiomas. RESULTS: Meningiomas were more frequent in females (63%) than in males (37%) and they were most common in the 50-59 year age group (37.2%). The most common localization of meningiomas was the frontal region (36.5%). Meningiomas were more common on the left side (44.5%). In regard to other histological types of intracranial tumors, meningiomas were more frequent in females (36.3%). The most common histological type of meningiomas was transitional meningiomas (59.1%). The commonest histological types of meningiomas were benign meningiomas (93.4%). Malignant histological types of meningiomas were more common in males (83.3%), whereas benign histological types were more common in females (64.1%). CONCLUSION: A typical patient with meningiomas is a woman 50-59 years old. The tumor is located in the left frontal region. On histology it is benign, transitional type of meningiomas.

[Medical nutrition therapy planning].

INTRODUCTION: Diet has vital, preventive and therapeutic functions. Medical nutrition therapy is a part of the Standardized Nutrition Care Process integrated in health care systems. MATERIAL AND METHODS: An overview of the Nutrition Care Process model and the application of nutrition guidelines based on literature, reports, documents and programmes of international health, food and physical activity authorities was done. RESULTS: The Nutrition Care Process model requires registered dieticians, standardized terminology as well as nutrition diagnosis categorization. It consists of four distinct, but interrelated and connected steps: (a) nutrition assessment, (b) nutrition diagnosis, (c) nutrition intervention, and (d) nutrition monitoring and evaluation. An individual approach is essential for successful medical nutrition therapy. Nutrition guidelines facilitate the process of understanding and application of medical nutrition therapy. CONCLUSION: The Nutrition Care process provides dietetic professionals information on high-quality client nutrition care. The success of medical nutrition therapy rests not only upon the advice of the dietician, but also upon the client's compliance.

[Medical nutrition prevention and medical nutrition therapy of lipid metabolism disorder].

High energetic density of nutrition, insufficient physical activity and smoking are the most common causes of obesity and lipid metabolism disorders (hyperlipoproteinemia and dyslipoproteinemia). Hyperlipoproteinemia and dislipoproteinemia are mass noncommunicable diseases and at the same time they are main causes of atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases and cerebrovascular diseases, metabolic syndrome, hepatic diseases and some localization of malignant diseases. Cardiovascular diseases and malignant diseases are the leading causes of mortality in the world. Global Strategy on Diet, Physical Activity and Health Nutrition and The Second European Action Plan for Food and Nutrition Policy represent the World Health Organisation approach in prevention of risks of development, and treatment of mass noncommunicable diseases, first of all for hyperlipoproteinemia, cardiovascular diseases and cerebrovascular diseases. According to the previously mentioned health programmes, medical nutrition therapy of hyperlipoproteinemia and dislipoproteinemia should be applied on whole population and individual level as well. Medical nutrition therapy is managed on individual level. Eminent international organizations, such as the European Society of Atherosclerosis and the American Heart Association, give priority to medical nutrition prevention and medical nutrition therapy in their guides for prevention and therapy of hyperlipoproteinemia, cardiovascular diseases and cerebrovascular diseases.