Self-efficacy and Unwanted Sexual Intercourse: 'Reproductive Health Education Programme for High-school Students in Vojvodina'.

Introduction: Studies have shown the importance of self-efficacy in the domain of risky sexual behaviour. The aim of this study was to examine the association of unwanted sexual intercourse among secondary-school students with socio-demographic factors and perceived self-efficacy, and to assess the effectiveness of the programme on reproductive health. Methods: The study involved 5,026 second-grade students in 72 high schools in the Province of Vojvodina, Serbia (APV). They were surveyed before and after the implementation of the extracurricular 'Reproductive health education programme for secondary-school students in APV'. A questionnaire consisting of 57 questions (socio-demographic characteristics, knowledge, attitudes, and behaviour of students regarding reproductive health, and a general self-efficacy scale) was used as the research instrument. Results: One quarter of students had engaged in unwanted sexual intercourse on one or more occasions. Students with poor material status were twice as likely to engage in unwanted sexual intercourse (ОR=2.01; 95%CI=1.07-3.75) as students with average or good material status. Students who did not engage in unwanted sexual intercourse had a higher self-efficacy score than students who who did (t=2.903; p<0.01). After the programme was completed, there was an increase in general self-efficacy. Conclusion: Poor material status is a predictor of unwanted sexual intercourse. Students who have a higher level of self-efficacy engaged to a lesser degree in unwanted sexual intercourse. The programme is effective in terms of increasing general self-efficacy, and can be applied to encourage responsible sexual behaviour.

Quality of life of elderly people living in a retirement home.

BACKGROUND/AIM: The World Health Organization (WHO) identified four broad domains as being universally relevant to the quality of life, namely physical, and psychological health, social relationships, and environment. The aim of this study was to assess the relationship between sociodemographic characteristics and quality of life of old people. METHODS: The World Health Organization Quality of Life BREF questionnaire (WHOQOL-BREF) was used to assess quality of life on a random sample of 200 people aged 60 years and over who lived in the Retirement Home in Novi Sad. Items within the questionnaire were organized into four domains: physical, psychological, social relationships and environment. RESULTS: The majority of the participants were women (69.8%). The mean age was 79.2 years (SD = 6.6 years). Most of them were widowed (73.4%). More than two thirds of participants (68.8%) reported that they were ill at that moment and almost half of them (48.8%) had cardiovascular, 18.5% musculoskeletal, 9.6% endocrine and 5.9% neurological disease. In the social relations domain scores were lower in males (t = 2.4; p = 0.017). Scores of other domains did not differ significantly with regard to the age, educational level and the marital status of the participants. Participants who reported the presence of a disease had significantly lower mean scores of physical, psychological and environment domain. CONCLUSION: The presence of disease is a relevant factor for quality of life, whereas age, education and marital status do not reflect on physical health, psychological and environmental domain of quality of life.

Association between obesity and socioeconomic factors and lifestyle.

BACKGROUND/AIM: The prevalence of overweight and obesity is increasing at an alarming rate and it is a manifestation of the epidemics of a sedentary lifestyle and excessive energy intake. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of overweight and obesity in the population of the Province of Vojvodina, Serbia, and to examine the association between obesity and socioeconomic and lifestyle factors. METHODS: A cross-sectional study conducted in the Province of Vojvodina in 2006 involved 3 854 participants aged 20 years and over (1 831 men and 2 023 women). The study was a countinuation of the baseline study conducted in 2000 (n = 2 840, 1 255 men and 1 585 women). The main outcome measures were overweight and obesity (Body Mass Index - BMI > or = 25 kg/m2), sociodemographic factors, including nutrition habits--having breakfast everyday and television watching frequency. RESULTS: The prevalence of overweight and obesity in both sexes in 2006 was 57.4% (35.7% were overweight and 21.7% obese). The prevalence of overweight was higher in men (41.1%) than in women (30.9%) (p < 0.001) while obesity was higher in women (23.10%) as compared to men (20.2%) (p = 0.035). For both sexes, overweight rates were highest at the age 60-69 (men 44.8% and women 39.1%) while obesity rates were peaked to men aged 50-59 (25.1%) and women aged 60-69 years (37.8%). Increasing ageing, males, rural population, single examinees, lower educational level, improved income, examinees that never/sometimes have breakfast and frequently watch TV were associated with obesity. CONCLUSIONS: The population of Vojvodina, with 23.1% obese women and 20.2% obese men is one of severely affected European populations. High prevalence of obesity requires urgent public health action. Healthy lifestyle, balanced nutrition with low energy intake and increased physical activity have to be promoted within a prevention strategy and obesity management.