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Objective: The aim of this study was to describe the relationship between smoking habits and socioeconomic determinants among adolescents., Background: Tobacco use among young people is a formidable social health concern. The aim of this paper is to describe the situation in selected localities surveyed, and to elucidate the relations among experiments with tobacco in adolescent youth and behaviour of parents, friends and teachers and media influence. Thd objectives of this study are to describe patterns of self-reported smoking and to describe the association of trying smoking with other variables, such as social, or socio-demographics among a sample of young students., Methods: Global Youth Tobacco Survey to track tobacco use among youth across countries using a common methodology and core questionnaire. In Slovakia, GYTS was carried out at the turn of 2002 to 2003. A total of 4.594 students participated in the study., Results: The results indicate that the majority of the students (74.3%) have tried smoking where both parents are smokers. We found that gender, parents', friends' and teachers' smoking had a significant influence on whether the children ever tried smoking. A parent who smokes was found as a strong significant predictor for trying smoking in the group of students [OR = 1.6 (1.39-1.92)]., Conclusion: Predictors of smoking behaviour include parents', teachers' and friends' smoking. Public health interventions aim at conducting effective health promotion programs tailored to specific population groups and known predictors should be central to the design of such endeavours (Tab. 5, Ref. 18).

Objective: The article analyses changes in tobacco use in medical students in Slovakia in 1995, 1999 and 2004., Methods: Questionnaire survey in 448 students of the Jessenius Faculty of Medicine, Comenius University in Martin, Slovakia, was carried out in October and November 2004. Data were compared with similar surveys carried out in 1995 and 1999., Results: Prevalence of daily smoking in men increased from 11.1 in 1995 to 21.8% in 2004. In women, within 1995-2004, daily smoking increased from 5.2% to 12.3%, occasional smoking from 11.6% to 19.8%. Also proportion of women initiating smoking during their university study increased. In both genders the proportion of never smokers dramatically dropped between 1995 and 1999 (in men from 43.2% to 23.2%; in women from 61.9 to 18.2)., Conclusion: Upward trend in tobacco use, particularly in women, is a reason for concern. In medical faculties, principles of prevention should be more emphasized and the students motivated for healthy life-style and to fulfill their future role in public health. The situation noted among medical students indicates that a community in Slovakia is still not satisfactory inclined towards non-smoking and a dramatic decrease of tobacco use can hardly be expected either in the near future.

Objectives: To present data on Environmental Tobacco Smoke (ETS), Global Youth Tobacco Survey (GYTS), Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia., Methods: A questionnaire survey of a representative sample of 16 918 schoolchildren aged 13-15 years (2002-2003)., Results: Exposure to ETS was reported more frequently in public places than in homes and more frequently from current smokers (CS) than from never smokers (NS). ETS in homes was lower in Czech (57.6% in CS, 24.7% in NS) than in other countries (the highest in Poland: 93.0% in CS, 80.9% in NS). ETS in public places was highest in Hungary (96.9% in CS, 89.2% in NS), lowest in Czech (90.1% in CS, 57.3% in NS). Most students considered ETS as harmful and presented positive attitudes towards smoking ban., Discussion: ETS in studied countries, save the Czech Republic, exceeded the global prevalence, while the situation is better than in numerous other Eastern European countries.

Unlabelled: Diabetes mellitus (DM) is one of the most important public health concerns and its consequences represent a considerable social and health burden. The study analyses the occurrence of DM in Slovakia in 1992-2002., Material and Methods: Age standardised incidence and prevalence rates of DM were calculated from the data published by the Institute of Health Information and Statistics for 1992, 1997 and 2002. Disease length and the incidence of selected complications in 1997 and 2002 were also analysed., Results: In 1992-2002, DM prevalence in Slovakia increased from 4261.3 to 5065.8 cases per 100,000 population and appeared to be positively associated with age, while the DM incidence rates rose from 329.6 to 423.7 cases per 100,000 population. In most patients, DM length was 5 years or less, showing an upward trend over the studied period. From 1997 to 2002, the rates of selected diabetic complications slightly increased (from 18.7 % to 20.3 % for peripheral neuropathy, from 16.8 % to 18.0 % for retinopathy, from 7.1 % to 8.0 % for nephropathy and from 1.2 % to 1.3 % for amputations)., Discussion and Conclusions: Comparing with the world data, Slovakia ranks among the countries with relatively high prevalence of DM, mainly due to the rising incidence. These results are consistent with the global upward trend in DM. However, taking into account underreporting, the actual DM prevalence in Slovakia could be considerably higher. Besides primary prevention, risk reduction measures should be focused particularly on early diagnosis and better implementation of secondary prevention.

The authors carried out a survey in outpatient and hospitalised patients with risk factors for invasive pneumococcal disease in a tertiary-care medical faculty affiliated hospital. Data were collected by individual interviews and verified against the medical records of all addressed patients. The authors also attempted to discover the attitude of general practitioners (GPs) from 2 Slovak districts towards the pneumococcal vaccine by means of an anonymous questionnaire. Out of the total of 154 addressed patients, 128 (83.1%) had at least one risk factor for acquiring invasive pneumococcal disease. However, only 8 (6.3%) of them had ever been administered pneumococcal vaccine. Out of 34 hospitalised patients with at least one risk factor 82.4 % had not received any pneumococcal vaccination in the past. When subdivided according to age and risk factors (chronic respiratory, cardiovascular, uropoetic, metabolic, immunne system disorders, asplenia), vaccination coverage in all groups was very low, ranging between --9.3%. In an anonymous questionnaire 74 (94.9%) out of 77 surveyed GPs referred to a lack of information on the polysaccharide pneumococcal vaccine and 22 (28.2%) expressed their general distrust towards vaccination of any kind. The main role in increasing the disturbingly low pneumococcal vaccination coverage lies in the hands of medical professionals, especially GPs who should inform their patients about the possibility of a free vaccine and who should make an effort to explain to their patients the benefit of pneumococcal vaccination. (Tab. 4, Reft 9.)

The increased occurrence of lung cancer in residents of Dolny Kubin, the North-Slovakia district with ferrochromium industry, compared to the general population of Slovakia, led us to the study assessing influence of the occupational and environmantal exposure to chromium on the lung cancer incidence, respecting also the risk coming from cigarette smoking. Residents of Dolny Kubin district with the diagnosed lung cancer in 1984-1999 were involved in the study. The occurrence of lung cancer was significantly higher in people working in ferrochromium industry. The age at the onset of the disease in people exposed to chromium was by 5.5 years lower than in non-exposed. Smoking was an important risk factor, which has been proved particularly in non-exposed group where 62% were smokers and the onset of the lung cancer in them occured about 3.4 years earlier than in non-smokers. In exposed groups, no significant effect of smoking was found. We can conclude, that occupational exposure to chromium was identified as the main risk factor of lung cancer in Dolny Kubin district even overlaying effect of smoking.

While familial cases of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease are extremely rare all over the world, 3 familial clusters were observed between 1983-2000 in a relatively small area situated in the North of Slovakia. Prevalence of CJD in this area exceeded the overall prevalence in Slovakia more than 8 times. The majority of CJD patients admitted consuming sheep brain. Most patients lived in small secluded villages with rather common familial intermarriage. CJD affected both sexes equally. All patients were prior to the disease mentally normal individuals. Shortly after the onset of CJD their mental status deteriorated remarkably with an average survival rate of 3.6 months.

Introduction: The main goal of a questionnaire cross-sectional study was to compare the changes of smoking habits in medical students between 1995 and 1999. Beside this, other factors of life-style such as alcohol consumption, nutritional status [studied through body mass index (BMI)] and citrus consumption were studied., Methods: Cross-sectional questionnaire study in 453 medical students of 1st to 5th academic years of the Jessenius Faculty of Medicine, Comenius University in Martin, Slovakia, carried out in October and November 1999. Data on smoking habit were compared with a similar study carried out in 1995., Results: Prevalence of regular smoking (min. 1 cig/day) was 13.6% in men and 8.9% in women and did not change significantly in comparison with 1995. In women, prevalence of occasional smokers increased from 7.3% in 1995 to 19.8% in 1999 and almost reached men in the same year (21.8%). During this period significantly decreased proportion of respondents who have never smoked both in men (from 43.0 to 23.3%) and women (from 61.9% to 18.2%). Excessive drinking dominates in men, overweight (BMI > or = 25) had 16.0% of males and 2.0% of females and excessive underweight (BMI < or = 17.5) 1.0% of men and 2.8% of women. More than one half of respondents consumed less than 1 piece of citrus fruit per day., Conclusions: Smoking of men still predominates, however, the most apparent changes of smoking habit in regard to increasing proportion of smoking women, particularly occasional smokers. This indicates increasing social tolerance of smoking. In female a possibility of eating disorders deserve attention and a need for the improvement of diet is felt in both sexes.

The results of preventive parasitological examinations for intestinal parasites in preschool and school children of the Turiec Region (Central Slovakia) in 1970-1999 are submitted. The study is divided into three cross-sections in the following decades (1970-1979; 1980-1989; 1990-1999). An acute decrease in geohelminths virtually to zero values has been found, as well as a significant decrease in intestinal protozoans. The occurrence of Enterobius vermicularis, despite its significant decrease in the recent decade, remains on a relatively high level. In the conclusion the authors discuss continuation of parasitological field examinations, and, on the basis of their 30-year experience, they submit their recommendations for the simplest and most effective way of such examinations.

Introduction: Cigarette smoking has reached the proportion of a global epidemic with particularly devastating consequences in countries of Central and Eastern Europe. Learning of epidemiological aspects of smoking in youngsters, especially university students, is of great importance for the whole community. Goals of the study were mapping smoking habits and identifying other factors of life style including body mass index, alcohol and citrus fruit consumption in non-medical university students in Slovakia., Methods: A cross-sectional questionnaire study, including 2,419 respondents, was carried out in students of 5 non-medical faculties in Slovakia from October to December 1997., Results: 19.6% of males and 12.3% of females were regular smokers (min 1 cig/day) and 16.1% of males and 15.1% of females were occasional smokers. From regular smokers 11.5% of males and 13.2% of females started to smoke at the University. Respondents from urban areas smoked more frequently than those from rural areas. Significant association was found between alcohol consumption and cigarette smoking in males. More than a half of respondents consumed less than 1 piece of citrus per day. 15.4% of males were overweight (BMI > or = 25) and 8.5% of females were very underweight (BMI < or = 17.5)., Conclusions: In females social smoking prevails and an increasing rate of female-smoking can be expected in Slovakia. There is a need of improving dietary habits of youngsters in Slovakia in favour of the consumption of more fruit and vegetables in both sexes, and in females additional attention should be paid to eating disorders.

The authors submit a review of modifiable risk factors of cardiovascular diseases in the light of existing data in the literature. They analyze the epidemiological impact of smoking, hypertension, dietary factors, cholesterol and obesity in particular. They stress frequent dynamic changes in our knowledge in this field.

The authors analyzed the cardiovascular mortality trend in 1985 - 1990 and 1991 -1994. They discuss factors which may have influenced this trend which declined slightly since 1991. They emphasize the importance of cardiovascular diseases in public health and ask epidemiologists, health professionals and the public to pay more attention to the elimination of risk factors of cardiovascular diseases. The authors' suggestions are in context with some countries which made already considerable advances as regards elimination of cardiovascular risk factors.