Cent Eur J Public Health 2022, 30(2)
Asbestos danger in central Europe is not yet over – the situation in the Czech Republic
Miroslav Urban, Daniela Pelclová, Pavel Urban, Michael Vít, Peter Urban, Zdenka Fenclová
Cent Eur J Public Health 2022, 30(2):67-73 | DOI: 10.21101/cejph.a7094 
Objectives: In the Czech Republic, asbestos has been classified as a known human carcinogen since 1984. The use of asbestos-containing products was limited to scenarios where the use of other materials was not possible. Since 1997, the manufacture of asbestos materials has been forbidden, and in 1999, the import, manufacture and distribution of all types of asbestos fibres was legally banned by Act No. 157/1998 Coll. Although the use of asbestos is forbidden, the risk of exposure still exists given the ongoing demolition and reconstruction of buildings in which asbestos has been used. In addition, a novel risk has arisen through the quarrying of asbestos-containing...
Effectiveness of anti-epidemic measures on ensuring indoor air quality of cleanrooms in a tertiary care hospital
Lukáš Fedor, Marie Nakládalová, Ladislav Štěpánek, Ondřej Holý, Ivanka Matoušková
Cent Eur J Public Health 2022, 30(2):74-78 | DOI: 10.21101/cejph.a7060
Objectives: Maintaining cleanrooms in a hospital is a key part of preventing healthcare-associated infections (HAIs). The aim of this work was to verify the effectiveness of anti-epidemic measures to ensure air quality in cleanrooms in a tertiary care hospital. Methods: The study was based on the application of anti-epidemic measures and verification of their effectiveness by regular indoor air monitoring between the years 2014-2019. Monitoring was performed according to a recommended procedure based on European standards for cleanrooms. Results: The results demonstrate a reduction in the number of airborne particles and the number of colonies, as...
Does tobacco use among adolescents come out of style in Czechia and Slovakia? Findings from the Global Youth Tobacco Survey between 2002 and 2016
Martina Bašková, Hana Sovinová, Ladislav Csémy, Tibor Baška, Robert Ochaba
Cent Eur J Public Health 2022, 30(2):79-85 | DOI: 10.21101/cejph.a6858
Objectives: The aim of this study is to analyse Global Youth Tobacco Survey (GYTS) data on a prevalence of tobacco use, indicators of tobacco control and pro-tobacco activities in Czechia and Slovakia between 2002 and 2016. Methods: GYTS is a school-based survey of students aged 13-15 years carried out in Czechia and Slovakia in 2002/2003, 2007, 2011 and 2016. Standardized uniform questionnaires provided representative data. Results: Between 2002 and 2016 the current cigarette smoking declined both in Czechia and Slovakia (from 34.6% and 26.4% to 15.2% and 17.1%, respectively). Indicators of tobacco control activities either did not change (access...
Chemsex users in Czechia: EMIS survey
Xenie Uholyeva, Michal Pitoňák
Cent Eur J Public Health 2022, 30(2):86-92 | DOI: 10.21101/cejph.a6923
Objectives: Chemsex is a phenomenon highly relevant to public health concerns. Our primary aim is to describe the Czech chemsex scene regarding substances used, sexual behaviour, mental health, sexual life satisfaction, internalization of homonegative attitudes, and prevalent chemsex patterns. Methods: The data from the European Men Who Have Sex With Men Internet Survey (EMIS) 2017 were used. The mental health of chemsex users was assessed by the Patient Health Questionnaire 4 (PHQ4), internalized homonegativity was measured using the Short Internalized Homonegativity Scale. A sample of 87 men who have sex with men (MSM) chemsex users and a comparison...
Perception of testing for COVID-19 during the first wave of the pandemic in Slovakia with emphasis on population age groups
Beáta Gavurová, Martin Rigelský
Cent Eur J Public Health 2022, 30(2):93-98 | DOI: 10.21101/cejph.a7013
Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the perception of the respondents in selected areas of testing for COVID-19 during the first waves of this disease with an emphasis on the age categories. Methods: The research sample consisted of 806 Slovak respondents and the collection of data took place in February 2021. The study examined six areas, of which five focused on the perception of testing and one area focused on examining the risk of population behaviour. All areas were examined in the first as well as in the last testing for COVID-19. In terms of age, we focused on 4 age categories: up to 24 years, 25-44 years, 45-59 years, and over...
Determinants of COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy: questionnaire development and validation
Smiljana Cvjetković, Vida Jeremić Stojković, Pavle Piperac, Ognjen Djurdjević, Vesna Bjegović-Mikanović
Cent Eur J Public Health 2022, 30(2):99-106 | DOI: 10.21101/cejph.a7074
Objectives: Vaccine hesitancy presents one of the critical constraints in combating COVID-19 pandemic. The aim of this study was to develop and validate an instrument for measuring factors that contribute to COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy. Methods: The key constructs in the study instrument were factors that constitute the "3C" model of vaccine hesitancy: Confidence, Complacency and Convenience. Using a cross-sectional, online survey design, the 8-item COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy Questionnaire was administered to a sample of 667 adult citizens of Serbia in December 2020. We used confirmatory factor analysis to investigate the model that assumes three latent...
Digital technology and HIV, HCV and STI voluntary counselling and testing: good practice example from Croatia
Tatjana Nemeth Blažić, Nikolina Bogdanić, Iskra Alexandra Nola, Mirjana Lana Kosanović Ličina, Marija Delaš Aždajić
Cent Eur J Public Health 2022, 30(2):107-110 | DOI: 10.21101/cejph.a7237
The aim of this paper is to introduce the digitalization process and its effects on better reach of the target population. Progress in the digitalization and e-health tools worldwide enables new opportunities in prevention, diagnostics and treatment for people living with HIV (PLHIV) and people in the risk of HIV infection, hepatitis C (HCV) and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs), especially in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. The system already used for voluntary counselling and testing (VCT) at the CheckPoint Centre Zagreb run by the non-governmental organization (NGO) Croatian Association for HIV and Viral Hepatitis (CAHIV) was upgraded...
Declining neutralizing antibody levels after SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccination: observational data from community point-of-care testing service in Brno, Czechia
Viktor Mravčík, Simona Kumpanová Valachovičová, Jindřich Vobořil
Cent Eur J Public Health 2022, 30(2):111-118 | DOI: 10.21101/cejph.a7230
Objectives: Understanding immune response is critical for control of COVID-19 pandemic. However, recent studies show that vaccine-induced humoral immunity may not be long-lasting and weaker in SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern. Methods: In May 2021, 253 self-nominated persons were tested for antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 in 1 to 104 days (mean 41, median 28) after two doses of Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines in the city of Brno, Czechia. Two point-of-care iCHROMA™ II immunofluorescence assays were used: COVID-19 Ab against mix of SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid and spike proteins (IgG Ab); and COVID-19 nAb against S1-RBD protein (nAb). Results were...
Knowledge and barriers to early detection of breast cancer among female primary care patients in Serbia
Milena Šantrić Milićević, Ana Djurin, Zorica Terzić-Šupić, Jovana Todorović, Dejan Nikolić, Ivan Soldatović
Cent Eur J Public Health 2022, 30(2):119-130 | DOI: 10.21101/cejph.a6305
Objectives: Breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer mortality among women in Serbia and accounts for 22.8% of total cancer mortality in 2018. This study assessed the knowledge and barriers to early detection of breast cancer in women. Methods: In March 2019, at the Primary Healthcare Centre Kikinda, Serbia, a 22-item questionnaire was distributed to a series of patients (N = 403, response rate 91.8%) to assess the odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) between variables explaining knowledge of breast cancer symptoms and risk factors and barriers to screening, and four types of early detection of breast cancer. Results: The majority of...
Short communication
Telemedicine in prenatal care
Hynek Heřman, Adéla Faridová, Ondřej Tefr, Sarah Farid, Noble Ayayee, Klára Trojanová, Jindřich Mareš, Petr Křepelka, Jiří Hanáček, Barbora Jalůvková, Ladislav Krofta, Jaroslav Feyereisl
Cent Eur J Public Health 2022, 30(2):131-135 | DOI: 10.21101/cejph.a7458
Telemedicine, as a health service provided remotely, is increasingly becoming a common part of health care. Telemedicine is defined as "an umbrella term for health activities, services and systems operated remotely through information and communication technologies to promote global health, prevention and health care, as well as education, health management and health research". It also describes telemedicine as "the provision of services where distance is a critical factor, using information and communication technologies to exchange valid information for the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of disease and injury, for research and evaluation, and...