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Objective -- Since it is known that awareness and attitudes about breastfeeding are formed in adolescence, the goal of this study was to question the short-term effects of structured breastfeeding education on a sample of students from a medical high school in Croatia. Materials and Methods -- Students from Medical School in Bjelovar were participants of this study; the experimental group consisted of 89 fourth graders versus 52 first graders in the control group. Their intentions, attitudes and knowledge about the breastfeeding were measured using a Breastfeeding Intentions, Attitudes and Knowledge questionnaire before the four-hour structured educational course was held, then 3 weeks and 3 months after the education. The results of the experimental group, who participated in the course, and the control group, who did not participate in the course, were compared. Results -- In the control group there were no significant differences in the results of the questionnaire of the participants between the first and the later two surveys. The results of the experimental group differ notably in all aspects of the questionnaire and the overall results of the questionnaire when comparing the results prior to the course and those 3 weeks and 3 months after it. The outcome of the course was better in women. The results of the knowledge questionnaire showed an inconsistent correlation with the results of the intentions and attitudes questionnaires. Conclusion -- The results confirm, the statistically significant improvement of attitudes, intentions and knowledge about breastfeeding in the experimental group, after the educational course on breastfeeding. Education about breastfeeding should contain not only recent information about breastfeeding but also specific activities aimed at correcting students' attitudes and intentions regarding breastfeeding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim To determine the prevalence of muscular dystrophy (MD) and spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) in Croatia by use of multiple epidemiological tools. Methods This epidemiological study collected data from three national patient registries and one database of a non-governmental organization (NGO) of MD and SMA patients. The study involved all individuals who either had undergone hospital treatment for MD or SMA, had consulted their primary health care providers for MD- and SMA-related symptoms, were listed as disabled due to MD or SMA, or were members of the mentioned NGO in 2016. In order to prevent double entries, we created a new database of all living individuals, each with a unique identification number. The prevalence rates for 2016 were calculated by age and sex groups. Results There were 926 patients diagnosed with MD (544 men). Most men diagnosed with MD were in the age group 10-19, whereas most women were in the age group 50-59. MD prevalence in Croatia was 22.2 per 100 000 population. There were 392 patients diagnosed with SMA (198 men). Most men with SMA were in the age group 50-59, whereas most women were in the age group 60-69. SMA prevalence in Croatia was 9.3 per 100 000 population. Conclusion SMA prevalence rate in Croatia is similar to SMA prevalence worldwide. However, MD prevalence rate is higher than worldwide estimates. This difference could be attributed to the fact that we could not confirm whether every patient registered in these databases actually met the diagnostic criteria for MD and SMA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Aim To determine the prevalence of common somatic comorbidities among coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) positive patients in Croatia in the first pandemic wave, and assess the differences in clinical outcomes depending on the presence of comorbidities. Methods We analyzed data from patients confirmed to be SARS-CoV-2-positive from February through May 2020. The data were obtained from clinical laboratories, primary health care providers, and hospitals. Previously recorded comorbidities, including diabetes, cancer, circulatory diseases, chronic pulmonary, and kidney disease, were analyzed. Results Among 2249 patients, 46.0% were men (median age 51 years; median disease duration 27 days). Hospitalization was required for 41.8% patients, mechanical ventilation for 2.5%, while 4.7% of all patients died. Patients who died were significantly older (median 82 vs 50 years, P < 0.001) with a higher prevalence of all investigated comorbidities (all p's <0.001), more frequently required mechanical ventilation (34% vs 1%, P < 0.001), and had shorter length of hospital stay (median 13 vs 27 days, P < 0.001) with no sex preponderance. Patients requiring mechanical ventilation were significantly older (median age 70 vs 51 years, P < 0.001), more frequently men (59.6% vs 45.7%, P = 0.037), showed a higher prevalence of all comorbidities except ischemic heart and chronic kidney disease (all p's <0.001), and demonstrated a higher case-fatality rate (63.2% vs 3.2%, P < 0.001). Conclusion COVID-19 patients who died in the first pandemic wave in Croatia were more likely to suffer previous somatic comorbidities. This corroborates the findings of similar studies and calls for further research into the underlying disease mechanisms, hence providing ground for more efficient preventive measures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The authors reflect on the epidemiological parameters of the surveillance system for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) that were provided by the Crotian Institute of Public Health (CIPH) in 2020. The system provides data to parties like the National Civil Protection Directorate (NCPD), European institutions and expert workgroups. Among the data provided are number of infected patients and health care workers, and the total number of deaths.