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Sport psychologist needs to understand how psychological factors affect athletic performance of an individual, considering individual differences among athletes. Each specific problem in working with athletes must be considered depending on complex factors: the type (specificity) of sport; characteristics of the activity (the training or competition); stages of athletes’ sports development; gender and age differences, etc. Although there are numerous psychological instruments, which assess psychological characteristics of athletes, it is important to select instruments adjusted to athletes, working style of sports psychologist, available time and other constraints. Here, we have formulated a preliminary version of our own battery of questionnaires, named Multi¬di¬men¬sional Inventory of Sport Excellence (MUSI), selecting the items for following psychological characteristics: energizing, main¬tain¬ing attention, directing attention, wide internal / external attention and narrow internal / external attention. In this phase of the stu¬dy, participants were stratified only by gender. Sample of 248 participants was examined, of which 103 male athletes (age 24.52 ± 11.80 years) and 145 female athletes (age 16.61 ± 6.69 years), from the Croatian sports clubs, competing in 16 different sports (archery, football, handball, bocce, bowling, cycling, karate, rowing, tennis, volleyball, basketball, synchronized swimming, tri¬a¬t¬h¬lon, table tennis, chess, badminton). Data were collected from March to June 2014 in Rijeka, during the trainings in sports clubs. Results of Principal Component Analysis and the reliabilities type internal consistency showed that each of sub-question¬na¬ires from battery MUSI have satisfactory reliability and construct validity, giving positive guidance for future adaptation of the que¬stion¬naire to specific subpopulations of athletes.

Cilj istraživanja bio je utvrditi postoji li povezanost između agresivnosti i crta ličnosti, kod tri skupine osoba: pravomoćno osuđenih za najteža kaznena djela iz područja nasilničkog kriminaliteta (ubojstva, silovanja i sl., tj. NK), pravomoćno osuđenih za nenasilna kaznena djela (pronevjere, krivotvorenje isprava i sl., tj. NNK) te odgovarajuće skupine osoba iz opće populacije koje nisu osuđivane (NO). Ispitane su tri dobno ujednačene grupe muških sudionika: NK (N=138), NNK (N=149) te NO (N=147). Primijenjena su tri mjerna instrumenta: International Personality Item Pool (IPIP50), Upitnik agresivnosti Bussa i Perrya te Upitnik agresivnosti A-87. Rezultati kanoničke korelacijske analize pokazuju statistički značajnu povezanost između crta ličnosti i agresivnosti osoba koje pripadaju dvjema grupama sudionika koji su počinitelji kaznenih djela (NK i NNK), ali ne i kod neosuđivanih ispitanika. U obje skupine osuđenih ispitanika najviše korelacije s kanoničkim faktorom od crta ličnosti imaju savjesnost i emocionalna stabilnost, a u skupini osuđenih za nasilnička djela visoki koeficijent korelacije s kanoničkim faktorom ima i ugodnost. Sve varijable agresivnosti imaju visoke korelacije s kanoničkim faktorom, kod oba korištena upitnika te u obje skupine osuđenih ispitanika. Rezultati istraživanja mogu poslužiti u smjeru modeliranja mjera prevencije, prvenstveno sa svrhom sprječavanja pojave nasilničkog i nenasilničkog kriminaliteta.

During working with athletes, important is the understanding how psychological factors affect the performance of an individual: considering individual differences among athletes is necessary. Characteristics closely related to stress and coping with stress in athletes are mental toughness (toughness) and hardiness, which actually describe how an individual cope with stress and how remains resistant to stress. Main aim of this study is to determine the basic psychometric characteristics of Mental Toughness /Hardiness Scale (SMZO), as a part of the battery called Multidimensional questionnaire of sporting excellence (MUSI). Second aim is related to the determination of the differences in specific aspects of mental toughness/ hardiness, with regard to gender, type of sport, age group of athletes and the type of engagement in sport. Then we are determined the correlations established between some aspects of mental toughness/ hardiness, with chronological age of the athletes and their sports experience. A total of 248 participants is examined, 103 male athletes (age 24.52 ± 11.80 years) and 145 female athletes (age 16.61 ± 6.69 years), from Croatian sports clubs, engaged in 16 different sports. Factor analysis and determining the reliability type internal consistency showed that one-factor solution of SMZO has satisfactory reliability and validity. The means for all aspects of mental toughness / hardiness are above the theoretical average, both for male and female athletes, while the number of statistically significant differences in relation to independent variables is small. None statistically significant correlations are found, in relation to athletes' age and sports experience.

This paper presents two types of bias that occur relatively often when using multivariate analysis. For both types of bias, it is characteristic that the number and choice of different types of variables are not balanced by application of clear methodological rules. Following the interpretation of broader theoretical positions, which include "confirmation bias" ( of initial hypothesis) and "misspecification bias", a description of two types of bias characteristic of multivariate analysis are given: "mixed-level bias" (in terms of specificity - generality) and "mixed- constructs bias" . Both types of bias further enhance the disparity in the number and ratio of different types of variables in the same multivariate analysis. Details of situations, when these two types of bias appear, are presented and displayed in four different examples. Several strategies are proposed as to how these types of bias can try to be avoided, during the preparation of studies, during the statistical analyses and their interpretation.

Objavljivanje radova u kvalitetnom znanstvenom časopisu glavni je cilj za svakog znanstvenika, osobito za istraživače u ranoj fazi karijere. Međutim, znanstvenicima i stručnjacima je važno naučiti pažljivo procijeniti i odabrati publikacije u kojima mogu publicirati svoje članke, zadovoljavajući uvjete za postizanje znanstvenih i nastavnih zvanja. Naime, s "eksplozijom" broja novoutemeljenih znanstvenih časopisa zadatak odabira može biti vrlo težak, a pritom osobiti problem stvaraju tzv. predatorski časopisi (PČ). PČ, kao specifični oblik kriminaliteta, ostvaruju zaradu krađom identiteta legitimnih časopisa, krivotvorenjem metrike i baza u kojima se citiraju, uz prikupljanje pristojbe za objavu članaka. Nastoje pridobiti znanstvenike dobro razvijenom mrežom koja uključuje izradu web stranica, intenzivni e-mail marketing i dobar izbor žrtava. Pokušaji razlučivanja legitimnih i nelegitimnih časopisa, kreiranjem liste sumnjivih časopisa (Jeffrey Beallov popis), uz zahtijevanje izdavanja pismene izjave o transparentnosti u izdavaštvu (udruge Open Access Scholarly Publishers /OAS/ i drugih globalnih organizacija), te postroženje kriterija indeksiranja od strane ureda OAS-a. Na žalost, niti jedna od postojećih mjera nije se pokazala posve učinkovitom, pa se autorima savjetuje stalno sustavno provjeravanje postojećih lista PČ zbog njihove sve češće pojave. Naime, rezultati provedene analize Beallove liste predatorskih izdavača, časopisa, metrike i "ukradenih" časopisa (2011-2015), pokazuju drastične razlike u verižnim (prosječna stopa promjene 84-267), a osobito u baznim (138-4883) indeksima (kod usporedbe početnog i finalnog razdoblja).

Peterofaktorski (Big Five) model ličnosti može ukazivati na profil osobe koja će više ili manje biti sklona činjenju određenih vrsta kaznenih djela. Glavni cilj istraživanja bio je utvrditi mogu li u značajnoj mjeri različite osobine ličnosti razlikovati tri skupine osoba: pravomoćno osuđenih za najteža kaznena djela iz područja nasilničkog kriminaliteta (ubojstva, silovanja i sl., tj. NK), pravomoćno osuđenih za nenasilna kaznena djela (pronevjere, krivotvorenje isprava i sl., tj. NNK) te odgovarajuće skupine osoba iz opće populacije koje nikada nisu kažnjavane (OP). Nadalje, željeli smo utvrditi povezanost između varijabli ličnosti i varijabli agresivnosti, posebno za svaki uzorak: NK, NNK i OP. Ispitane su tri dobno ujednačene grupe muških sudionika: NK (N=138), NNK (N=149) te kontrolna skupina osoba OP (N=147). Primijenjena su dva mjerna instrumenta: International Personality Item Pool (IPIP50) te Upitnik agresivnosti A-87. Rezultati diskriminacijske analize pokazuju statistički značajnu razliku u ličnosti osoba koje pripadaju trima grupama sudionika (NK, NNK i OP) i to u aspektima ekstraverzije te u emocionalnoj stabilnosti. Mogu se detektirati i određene razlike u povezanostima varijabli za različite grupe sudionika istraživanja. Rezultati istraživanja mogu poslužiti u smjeru modeliranja uspješnih mjera prevencije, prvenstveno sa svrhom sprječavanja pojave nasilničkog ali i nenasilničkog kriminaliteta.

The aim was to investigate whether social skills’ training (SST) influences the attitudes towards communication skills learning and to validate Communication Skills Attitudes Scale (CSAS) among students of health studies in the Republic of Croatia. SST (10 workshops) was implemented for this purpose. 70 students of 1st year in four Croatian university health studies were randomly selected to take part in the training and 169 students were a part of the control group. CSAS was applied at the beginning and end of the training to both groups. The results indicated good metric characteristics in relation to CSAS and its two-factor structure (positive attitude scale and negative attitude scale). Furthermore, we did not record significant change in attitudes towards communication skills learning in both groups. However, pursuant to average results from the subscales attitudes towards communication skills learning, we noticed that the negative attitudes tend to decrease and positive tend to increase. This indicates that 10 workshops might have been insufficient in order to change the attitude.

Homocysteine is an amino acid involved in several key metabolic processes. In the general population hyperhomocysteinaemia is an indicator of vascular disease, while in normal pregnancy homocysteine blood levels falls. The objective of this study was to examine associations of homocisteine in pregnant women with possible predisposing factors (older age, smoking status, physical inactivity, hypertension), pregnancy outcomes (preterm birth, small/normal/large for gestational age) and newborns` anthropometry (measures z- standardized according to WHO). Fasting homocisteine concentration, taken between 22nd and 26th week of gestation, were determined in 116 women, participants in the CRoatian Islands` Birth Cohort Study (CRIBS). Homocisteine below than referent range (3.4- 20.4 µmol/L) was determined in 19 women (16.4%) while its concentration in others was within the referent range. None of the investigated predisposing factors was significantly associated with predicting homocisteine level, nor were pregnancy outcomes. Newborns of mothers with homocisteine

Kruzing turizam može, uz pozitivne, rezultirati dugoročnim negativnim učincima po okoliš i život lokalnog stanovništva. U radu se analizira kako stanovnici Dubrovnika percipiraju razvoj i učinke kruzing turizma. Anketnom primjenom Skale utjecaja turizma (TIS) na uzorku od 122 stanovnika ljeta 2015. godine ispitano je postojanje povezanosti između pojedinih aspekata/percipiranih učinaka kruzing turizma i izabranih obilježja stanovnika: dobi, obrazovanja, radnog iskustva, broja članova obitelji, dužine življenja u Dubrovniku, udaljenosti stana/kuće od područja koja posjećuju turisti s kruzera te neposrednih iskustva s kruzing turizmom, kao i rodne razlike u latentnim dimenzijama kruzing turizma. Utvrđene su dobre osnovne metrijske karakteristike (pouzdanost i konstruktna valjanost) TIS-a. Nisu utvrđene statistički značajne rodne razlike u percipiranim aspektima kruzing turizma. Postoji manji broj statistički značajnih povezanosti između aspekata/percipiranih učinaka kruzing turizma s odabranim socio-demografskim i drugim varijablama istraživanja. U žena su te povezanosti mahom niske i vrlo niske. U radu se ističu implikacije percepcija i stavova lokalnog stanovništva na razvoj turizma i važnost njihovog daljnjeg istraživanja., In addition to its positive effects, cruising tourism can also have longterm negative impacts on the environment and life of local population. This paper analyzes how the development of cruising tourism in Dubrovnik and some of its effects are perceived by its residents. Using the questionnaire Tourism Impact Scale (TIS) on the sample of 122 residents during the summer of 2015, the correlation between the particular aspects/perceived effects of cruising tourism and some characteristics of the residents was examined (age, education level, work experience, family members' number, length of stay in Dubrovnik, the distance of the flat/house from the areas visited by the tourists from cruisers and direct experience with crusing tourism), as well as gender differences in latent dimensions of cruising tourism. Good metric characteristics (reliability and construct validity) of Tourism Impact Scale (TIS) were obtained, showing the relative compatibility with the original scales in the questionnaire TIS. There were no statistically significant gender differences in the perceived aspects of the cruiser tourism. There was a small number of statistically significant correlations between certain aspects/perceived effects of the cruising tourism with some socio-demographic and other variables in the research. For female participants, these correlations are mainly low and very low. The paper highlights the implications of perceptions and attitudes of local inhabitants on the development of tourism and emphasizes the importance of further research.

The intrauterine environment affects fetal growth and development. Healthy women with no history of chronic diseases, who concieved naturally and had singleton pregnancies have been participating in the CRoatian Islands` Birth Cohort Study (CRIBS), an ongoing project in the Eastern Adriatic, Croatia, aiming to assess the prevalence of risk factors for the Metabolic Syndrom. Fasting blood lipids (tot- Chol, Trig, HDL-Chol and LDL-Chol), glucose and homocysteine levels were determined in 94 pregnant women (taken between 22th and 26th week of gestation). We investigated their association with possible predisposing factors (age, gestational age, level of education, obesity and smoking status), newborns` anthropometric measures (weight, lenght and head circumference) and with adverse pregnancy outcomes (pre-eclampsia, preterm birth, small/large for gestational age). Among the blood lipids, the largest divergence was found in triglyceride levels (mean 4.2±1.1, range 0.9-11), with elevated values (>1.7 mmol/L) present in >75% of the examinees. Smokers, in comparison to non-smokers, had significantly lower HDL-Chol levels and women older than 30 years had significantly higher tot-Chol than younger ones. Women with higher mean glucose levels (but within the normal range) gave birth to children with significantly higher weight- at-birth z-standardized according to WHO, and women with low homocysteine levels (

Learning strategies are special thoughts or behaviours that individuals use to understand, learn or retain new information, according to the point of view of O'Malley & Chamot. The other view, promoted by Oxford, believes learning strategies are specific actions taken by the learner to make learning easier, faster, more enjoyable, and more transferrable to new situations of language learning and use. The use of appropriate strategies ensures greater success in language learning. The aim of the research was to establish metric characteristics of the Questionnaire on learning strategies created by the author, in line with the template of the original SILL questionnaire (Strategy Inventory for Language Learning). The research was conducted at the Rochester Institute of Technology Croatia on a sample of 201 participants who learned German, Spanish, French and Italian as a foreign language. The results have shown that one-component latent dimensions which describe the space of foreign language learning strategies according to Oxford’s classification, have metric characteristics which are low, but still satisfactory (reliability and validity). All dimensions of learning strategies appeared not to be adequately defined. Therefore, we excluded compensation strategies and merged social and affective strategies into social-affective strategies into the unique dimension. Overall, this version of Oxford’s original questionnaire, based on Oxford's theoretical construct, applied on Croatian students, clearly shows that current version of the questionnaire has poor metric characteristics. One of the explanations of the results obtained could be positioned in multicultural context and intercultural dialogue. Namely, particular social, political and economic context in Croatia could shape even foreign language learning strategies.

Sigurnost sudionika u prometu veća je što je manje prometnih nesreća i njihovih štetnih posljedica. Budući da su prometne nesreće sastavni i neizbježni dio prometa na cestama, postoji potreba za preventivnim i represivnim postupanjem ovlaštenih službi u cilju smanjenja njihovog broja na najniže razine. Analizirani su čimbenici i posljedice prometnih nesreća koje su se dogodile na raskrižju Slavonske avenije ̶ Ulice Hrvatske bratske zajednice ̶ Avenije Većeslava Holjevca u Zagrebu, gdje se u razdoblju od 2012. do 2014. godine dogodilo 87 prometnih nesreća. Utvrđeno je da ne postoje statistički značajne razlike u ukupnom broju prometnih nesreća u odnosu na njihove posljedice tijekom trogodišnjeg razdoblja. Međutim, broj prometnih nesreća s materijalnom štetom se smanjio od 2012. do 2014. godine. Distribucija broja nesreća u odnosu na težine ozljeda, kao ni ukupan broj nesreća u odnosu na težine posljedica ̶ nisu statistički značajne. Kod vožnje u slijedu postoji statistički značajan pad broja nesreća u razdoblju od 2012. do 2014. godine. Nisu pronađene statistički značajne razlike u broju ozlijeđenih osoba u odnosu na vrste prometnih nesreća, kao ni u ukupnom broju prometnih nesreća u odnosu na okolnosti koje su prethodile prometnoj nesreći. Ukupni broj najčešćih okolnosti koje su prethodile prometnoj nesreći opada s godinama (2012.̶2014.). Prema uvjetima vidljivosti, pokazalo se da se po danu broj nesreća smanjuje s godinama (2012.̶2014.), kao i za nesreće koje su se dogodile po suhom i čistom kolniku. Prema najčešćim stanjima površine kolnika utvrđeno je da ukupni broj nesreća opada s godinama. Također, prometne nesreće po vedrom i kišnom vremenu su u statistički značajnom padu s godinama. Prema dobu dana po satima, ne postoje statistički značajne razlike u distribuciji broja prometnih nesreća u promatranom razdoblju (2012.̶2014). Rezultati istraživanja mogu se koristiti za istraživanja drugih opasnih mjesta na prometnicama Republike Hrvatske, ali i pružiti bitne informacije o mjerama prevencije koje treba poduzeti, da bi se broj prometnih nesreća i njihovih posljedica u budućnosti smanjio.

Kruzing turizam može, uz pozitivne, rezultirati dugoročnim negativnim učincima po okoliš i život lokalnog stanovništva. U radu se analizira kako stanovnici Dubrovnika percipiraju razvoj i učinke kruzing turizma. Anketnom primjenom Skale utjecaja turizma (TIS) na uzorku od 122 stanovnika ljeta 2015. Godine ispitano je postojanje povezanosti između pojedinih aspekata/percipiranih učinaka kruzing turizma i izabranih obilježja stanovnika: dobi, obrazovanja, radnog iskustva, broja članova obitelji, dužine življenja u Dubrovniku, udaljenosti stana/kuće od područja koja posjećuju turisti s kruzera te neposrednih iskustva s kruzing turizmom, kao i rodne razlike u latentnim dimenzijama kruzing turizma. Utvrđene su dobre osnovne metrijske karakteristike (pouzdanost i konstruktna valjanost) TIS-a. Nisu utvrđene statistički značajne rodne razlike u percipiranim aspektima kruzing turizma. Postoji manji broj statistički značajnih povezanosti između aspekata/percipiranih učinaka kruzing turizma s odabranim socio-demografskim i drugim varijablama istraživanja. U žena su te povezanosti mahom niske i vrlo niske. U radu se ističu implikacije percepcija i stavova lokalnog stanovništva na razvoj turizma i važnost njihovog daljnjeg istraživanja.

Concentration of lipoprotein (a), Lp(a), an important part of the clinical biomarker profile for atherosclerosis, in blood plasma varies both between and among populations. The elevated Lp(a) level in pregnancy were recognized as a risk factor for thrombosis and/or pre-eclampsia, but the referent values for uneventful pregnancies are yet undefined. The objective of this study was to test the association of fasting Lp(a) levels, taken between 22nd and 26th week of gestation, with possible predisposing factors (older age, smoking status, physical inactivity, hypertension, gestational diabetes), pregnancy outcomes (preterm birth, small/normal/large for gestational age) and newborns` anthropometric measures in 113 women (age range 19.8-41.7 yrs, mean 30.6±4.6 yrs) from the CRoatian Islands` Birth Cohort Study (CRIBS). In these women, with no history of chronic disease prior to pregnancy, Lp(a) leves varied largely, from 1.0 mg/dl to 127.3 mg/dl (median 13.1 mg/dl), but most of the women (88.5%) had Lp(a) 35 yrs), smoking statuts (both current and ex-smokers) and hypertension in predicting Lp(a)≥50 mg/dL (p=0.017, Cox & Snell R2=0.162, Nagelkerke R2=0.333). Nor logistic, neither linear regression models used for the estimation of adjusted associations between Lp(a) and birth weight, length and head circumference, all z- standardized according to WHO, showed significant associations. In the CRIBS sample, elevated Lp(a) levels were not found to be a predictive biomarker for the pregnancy outcome and neonatal size.

Mnoga istraživanja agresivnog ponašanja rezultirala su velikim brojem različitih teorija, tj. shvaćanja i tumačenja fenomena agresivnosti. Različite su situacije i teorije koje opisuju zbog čega i u kojem trenutku pojedinac traži situacije u kojima može pokazivati svoju agresiju, pa je dan pregled nekih teorija koje to nastoje opisati. Unaprjeđenje mjera prevencije nepoželjnog agresivnog ponašanja zadatak je koji se postavlja za cijelu društvenu zajednicu, i u sferi prosvjete, državne sigurnosti i sigurnosti građana, medija i zdravstva.

Introduction. Main research objective is analysis of the grouping of the students of the University of Ljubljana, with respect to the intensity of different types of exercise participation motives, to their gender, type and year of the study, level of physical activity, status of physical education class, organization of physical activities during study and place of residence. Methods. Data were collected using personal data sheets during enrolling students in the University of Ljubljana. Students completed The Exercise Motivations Inventory (EMI-2), with additional data about socio-demographic parameters. Results. The results reveal that the students could be grouped in three distinctive clusters, which can be very clearly explained, in terms of the prevalence of exercise participation motives in general. Students grouped in the first cluster have the lowest average values (means) in all exercise participation motives. The students grouped in the second cluster have the profile with moderate means in all exercise participation motives, while the students grouped in the third cluster have the profile with the highest means in all exercise participation motives. Conclusion. The results indicate overall higher motivation for physical activity in men. All the sub-samples are different in their relevant features used in clustering (e.g. male students are dominant in life sciences, etc.), what provide a guide for the explanation of the results obtained, but also for practical implications.

The goals of the research were to determine the construct validity and reliability of two psychological instruments (AIMS) and (PSICA) applied on samples of college sport students ; the correlations between the students’ competition rank, years of engaging in sport, and level of physical exercise ; the differences among the universities in different countries, as well as among students from different years of study. The stratified sample included students from six universities, in total 1498 female and male college sport students, with an average age of 20.35±1.76 years (males) and 20.14±1.55 years (females). Both psychological measuring instruments showed very satisfactory psychometric properties. Reliability is particularly high for males for AIMS, while the reliabilities for PSICA are mainly moderate to high and lower than for AIMS. The results could be explained in terms of cultural and organizational differences, and provide the information about directions in designing efficient programs for physical exercise.

The prevalence of Metabolic Syndrome (MetS) on Eastern Adriatic islands is higher than in neighboring mainland area. The CRoatian Islands` Birth Cohort Study (CRIBS) is an ongoing 3-year-project with an aim to assess the prevalence of known risk factors for MetS. The CRIBS sample consists of pregnant women from Dalmatian islands Brač and Hvar and nearby coastal town Split and its surroundings, who had no history of chronic diseases (particularly MetS), who conceived naturally and had singleton pregnancies, and their newborns. We tested the association of possible predisposing factors for MetS (age, smoking, prepregnancy BMI, fasting blood biochemical parameters) and newborns` anthropometric measures. In this preliminary sample (n=131, age range 19.8-41.7 yrs, mean 30.6±4.6 yrs), 28.3% of women reported smoking in pregnancy and 22.2% reported being exposed to passive smoking. 17.9% of all the women were overweight and 4.7% were obese. In comparison to underweight women (

Procjenjivanjem aktualnog stupnja razvijenosti bitnih karakteristika djece određene dobi, može se preciznije ciljano unaprjeđivati psihosomatski razvoj djece. Za pospješenje dobrobiti djeteta, te poticanja njegovog optimalnoga psihosomatskoga razvoja, važno je procijeniti trenutni razvojni status djeteta, na temelju njegovih razvojnih karakteristika. Možda najpogodnije sredstvo za tu procjenu su razvojni miljokazi. Sustavno poticanje dječjeg razvoja obuhvaća zapravo dva procesa: planiranje (sadržaja rada s djecom) i vrednovanje (razvojnih efekata, tj. promjene u djetetovim karakteristikama). Dan je uvid u cjelokupni ciklus planiranja i vrednovanja razvoja predškolske djece, s operacionalizacijama bitnih pojmova u tom procesu.

The goal of this study is to determine secular changes in anthropometric measures of preschool girls at the age of six over a period of fifteen years. The study sample consisted of 372 preschool girls. The measurements were carried out four times (in 1998, 2003, 2008 and 2013). The sample of variables consisted of eight anthropometric measures. For the purpose of establishing the differences in anthropometric characteristics between girls for which measurements were taken four times over the period of fifteen years, the ANOVA was used, with Bonferonni post-hoc test. The obtained results reflect the inharmonious trend of change in certain anthropometric characteristics, which were established for girls at preschool age, during the observed period of fifteen years. Statistically significant differences between the generations of girls were not found only in two variables: Body Mass Index (BMI) and Body weight. The results obtained, not only regarding secular trends, but also the absolute values of means for the relevant variables (e.g. BMI), indicate important practical implications.

Bolesnikova sigurnost i bolesnik u središtu imperativ su kvalitetne zdravstvene skrbi. Koncept bolesnikove sigurnosti je tek nedavno proizašao kao odgovor na općenito nisku razinu prosvjećenosti o učestalosti i značenju prevencije neželjenog događaja u pružanju zdravstvene skrbi. Štetu pacijentu sačinjavaju sve vrste neželjenih pojava poput bolnički stečenih infekcija, pogrešnih dijagnoza, pogreški koje ne vode optimalnom liječenju, a svaka zahtjeva ulaganje energije u prevenciju. Koncept kulture sigurnosti je proizišao izvan zdravstvenih ustanova u studijama organizacija visoke vjerodostojnosti, koje kontinuirano umanjuju neželjene učinke usprkos izvođenju kompleksnih i opasnih djelatnosti. Svjetska zdravstvena organizacija, prepoznaje potrebu da se sigurnost pacijenta promovira kao fundamentalni princip zdravstvenih sustava, na primarnoj, sekundarnoj i tercijarnoj razini zdravstvene zaštite, kao i u svim zdravstvenim profesijama, u procesu promocije zdravlja, prevencije, dijagnoze, liječenja, rehabilitacije i drugih aspekata zdravstvene zaštite. Unaprjeđenje mjera procjene sigurnosti pacijenta zadatak je koji se postavlja i za potrebe kurativne, kao i preventivne medicine.

The aim of this preliminary study is to analyze genetic specificity of Kosovo Albanians comparing with neighboring populations using new genetic tool - MEDISCOPE gene chip, to investigate the feasibility of this approach. We collected 37 DNA samples (9 Croats, 17 Albanians from Croatia and 11 Albanians from Kosovo) from unrelated males born in Croatia and Kosovo. Additionally, samples were expanded with female individuals and mtDNA analysis included a total of 61 samples (15 Croats, 23 Albanians from Croatia and 23 Albanians from Kosovo). This pilot study suggests that the usage of the MEDISCOPE chip could be recognized as an efficient tool within recognition of the population genetic specificity even within extremely small sample size.

Svrha je ovog rada ukazati na važnost analize različitih segmenata neophodnih za što uspješniju provedbu programa poduke neplivača (PPN)„Varaždin pliva“. Iznesena su iskustva nositeljice PPN-a koja je u suradnji s plivačkim klubom, gradom Varaždinom i Ministarstvom znanosti, obrazovanja i sporta (MZOS) inicirala, koncipirala i sudjelovala u provedbi PPN.Poduka neplivača prioritet je u cjelokupnom antropološkom razvoju djeteta. Svjesnost roditelja koja se temelji na razumijevanju kriterija znanja plivanja bitna je zbog sprječavanja eventualnog utapanja s jedne strane te otvorenog i poticajnog odgoja u svrhu plivačkog oplemenjivanja djece s druge strane. To će posljedično utjecati na bolje razumijevanje znanja plivanja i kod samih učenika što može biti motivacija za učenjem plivanja. Za većinu djece bilo je dovoljno 8, odnosno 15 sati obuke. Za djecu koja u navedeno vrijeme (15 sati) ne nauče plivati preporuča se individualni pristup.

Maloljetnička delikvencija je nedruštveno i protudruštveno ponašanje u razvojnom periodu, a odraz je poremećenog biološkog, psihološkog i socijalnog razvoja. Ponašanje svakog djeteta rezultat je genetskih/bioloških, socijalnih i okolinskih faktora. Utjecaj obitelji na delikventno ponašanje možemo podijeliti na skupine rizičnih utjecaja u obiteljskom okruženju - odnos između roditelja i djece, roditeljski odgojni stilovi, jednoroditeljske obitelji i sociopatološke pojave u obitelji. Da bi dijete izraslo u sigurnu, zadovoljnu i zdravu osobu potrebno je da mu njegovo obiteljsko okruženje pruža osjećaj sigurnosti, zadovoljstva, radosti i sreće.

Uvod: Brojne studije pokazuju da širok raspon antropoloških karakteristika i zdravstvenih pokazatelja značajno utječe na uspjeh u softballu. Dakle, stalno praćenje tih pokazatelja omogućuje trenerima dobivanje informacija korisnih za planiranje trenažnog procesa, prilagođenih konkretnim sportašima. Ova studija istražuje odabrane morfološke i fiziološke karakteristike te zdravstvene pokazatelje softball igrača različite dobi i različitih razina sportske izvrsnosti. Cilj istraživanja bio je utvrditi razlike u navedenim pokazateljima, kao i njihove korelacije. Metode: Ispitan je uzorak od 59 muških softball igrača, u rasponu od njih 17 u najmlađoj dobnoj skupini 7-13 godina (M ± SD 12, 53 ± 0, 51), te njih pet u dobi od preko 30 godina (32, 00 ± 0, 71). Igrači su to iz zagrebačkih softball klubova, koji su bili uključeni u liječnički pregled na Poliklinici za medicinu rada i sporta s medicinsko-biokemijskim laboratorijem Zagrebačkog športskog saveza. Rezultati: Nekoliko razlika u varijablama koje su se ispitivale pronađene su između različitih dobnih skupina igrača, a identificirani su i različiti profili igrača, u odnosu na odabrane pokazatelje. Zaključci: Uglavnom lako objašnjivi u skladu s fazama rasta i razvoja, rezultati daju informacije za planiranje treninga, ali i za preventivne zdravstvene mjere.

The objective of this study is to determine the basic metrical properties of the tests for the assessment latent dimensions of motor abilities at four-year children. Sample included 50 children aged 4 years (±6 months) from three kindergartens in Zagreb, during the first half of 2015. Battery of tests that assess the hypothetical motor abilities (coordination, speed, balance, and strength) was applied. Reliabilities of the tests varied in the range from 0.45 to 0.96 (Cronbach’s alpha). Already satisfactory discriminability is not found only for tests two-leg jumping through hoops and standing on one leg. Homogeneity of the tests varies in range from 0.22 to 0.89 (average inter-item correlation). Analysis of the construct validity revealed two-component structure which has very low reliability of the second component. Results indicate the potential for constructing new instruments for measuring motor abilities in four-aged children, on a larger sample of participants.

The CRoatian Islands` Birth Cohort Study (CRIBS) is an ongoing project in Split-Dalmatia County (towns of Split and Solin, islands of Brač and Hvar), with an aim to assess the prevalence of variety of risk factors (biological, medical, epidemiological, environmental and psychosocial) for the Metabolic Syndrom (MetS) in the sample of up to 700 healthy pregnant women and their newborns. The project started in November 2015, and since February 2016 pregnant women have been enrolling in the study at several specialist gynecological practices. Here we present the preliminary results of the reproductive health characteristics (age at menarche, use of contraceptives before the pregnancy, age at primiparity) and the sociodemographic characteristics (place of residence, educational attainment, employment and financial status) of the first 50 pregnant women who decided to participate in the CRIBS study. The mean age at menarche of the CRIBS pregnant women was 12.92±1.19 yrs, and age at primiparity ranged from 19.15 yrs to 34.51 yrs (mean 25.51±4.07 yrs, p=ns between mainland and islands). Many enrolled women (82%) reported using no contraceptives before the pregnancy. In women who already had 2 or more children (n=7), the mean age difference between the offspring was 5.25±3.93 yrs (range 2.23-13.36 yrs). 94% of women reported being married or having a partner, who was in 87% of cases older than his wife/partner. 52% of pregnant women attained high level education, 70% were employed, 60% owned house/flat, and 90% perceived their financial status as average or better than average. This preliminary data show that pregnant women from the CRIBS study are on average younger at primiparity than the national mean is, use contraceptives very rarely, and, in spite of the significant percentage of unemployment, perceive that their financial status was good enough to raise a family.

Uspješan prosvjetni radnik mora, uz profesionalne (stručne), posjedovati i socijalne kompetencije (emocionalne i socijalne vještine). Cilj istraživanja je utvrđivanje razlika u socijalnim vještinama i kompetencijama prosvjetnih radnika Srednjobosanskog i Zeničko-dobojskog kantona u odnosu na: dob, radni staž, stupanj obrazovanja te vrstu zanimanja prosvjetnog radnika. Ispitana su 272 sudionika različitih prosvjetnih profila iz privatnih ili javnih odgojno-obrazovnih ustanova, primjenom Upitnika odgojiteljskih kompetencija te Inventara socijalnih vještina. Utvrđeno je postojanje statistički značajnih razlika u skupu socijalnih vještina i kompetencija, prema socio-demografskim obilježjima: stupnju obrazovanja sudionika, dobi, radnom iskustvu i vrsti zanimanja. Sudionici dobne grupe u rasponu 31-40 godina imaju najveću emocionalnu kontrolu. U emocionalnoj i socijalnoj kontroli prednjače sudionici s visokom stručnom spremom. Radno najneiskusniji sudionici superiorni su u vještinama emocionalne kontrole i socijalne izražajnosti. Direktori su superiorni u odnosu na ostale profile zanimanja u socijalnoj izražajnosti i socijalnoj kontroli. Stoga programe treninga socijalnih vještina treba prilagoditi socio-demografskom profilu prosvjetnog radnika.

Glavni cilj istraživanja bio je utvrditi da li neka socio-demografska obilježja razlikuju latentne dimenzije koje predstavljaju različita simbolička značenja vode, ili su s njima povezana. U istraživanju koje se provodilo na sudionicima iz Hrvatske, izabranih metodom snježne grude, koristio se preliminarni popis s 40 mogućih simboličkih značenja vode (izvučenih iz izvora povijesti, povijesti umjetnosti i iz svakodnevnog života), dok su sudionici procjenjivali u kojem stupnju određena značenja oni osobno pripisuju vodi. Rezultati faktorske analize pokazali su da postoje tri latentne dimenzije simboličkih značenja vode: 1. apstraktna (s ontološkim, mitološkim i religijskim značenjima), 2. konkretna (uglavnom povezana s praktičnom primjenom vode) i 3. voda kao identitetski čimbenik (povezan s nacionalnom i regionalnom pripadnošću). Žene su češće pokazivale asocijativna apstraktna značenja vode, u odnosu na muškarce. Jako „identitetsko“ značenje vode utvrđeno je kod sudionika koji su rođeni u neposrednoj blizini mora. Stariji sudionici također su pokazivali češće asocijacije na apstraktna simbolička značenja vode, kao i sudionici s duljim radnim iskustvom. Pronađene se i statistički neznačajne indicije da u dubrovačkom kraju voda ima snažno identitetsko značenje. Konačno, nisu utvrđene statistički značajne razlike u simboličkim značenjima vode kod osoba s različitim stupnjem obrazovanja. Međutim, znanje o simbolici vode može imati važnu ulogu u edukaciji ljudi po pitanjima upravljanja vodama i zaštite okoliša.

Uvod: U članku se opisuje povijest, obilježja i principi treninga Girevoy (Kettlebell) sportaša. U svrhu uvida u kineziološka i psihološka obilježja ovog (kod nas malo poznatog sporta), razmotrili smo učestalost, intenzitet i doživljenu stresnost treninga i natjecanja u ovom sportu. U istraživanju smo utvrdili razlike i povezanosti među čimbenicima koji su prema našim pretpostavkama relevantni za prethodno navedena obilježja (rod, trajanje treninga, itd.). Metode: Prigodno je sastavljena online anketa kojom su tijekom prve polovice 2015. godine ispitani domaći i inozemni (europski) amaterski i profesionalni natjecatelji u ovom sportu (N=92), 64 sportaša i 28 sportašica. Rezultati: Više sportaša nego sportašica trenira na razini profesionalnog natjecanja. Trener je iznimno važna podrška tijekom treninga, posebno u stresnim uvjetima za sportaše, i posebno za sportašice. Najsnažniji izvori stresa za sportaše je previše obaveza u privatnom životu (posao, fakultet, obitelj). Prednatjecateljski stres je u prosjeku doživljen kao vrlo intenzivan, premda ga natjecatelji prilično dobro kontroliraju. Zaključci: Girevoy (Kettlebell) sport je malo poznat kod nas. Rezultati provedenog istraživanja ukazuju na iznimnu važnost trenera te potrebe razvijanja vještina nošenja sa stresom treninga i natjecanja u ovom sportu.