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Aim: The aim of this study was to assess the level and socio-demographic correlates of satisfaction with services among adult primary health care users in Kosovo. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in Kosovo during the period May-June 2022 including a representative sample of 510 adult users (238 men and 272 women) of primary health care services in Kosovo (mean age: 44.6±19.2 years). In addition to socio-demographic data, a structured 23-item questionnaire aiming at assessing the level of satisfaction with primary health care services was administered to all participants (each item ranging from 1 [high] to 5 [low]). A summary score was calculated for all 23 items related to satisfaction level ranging from 23 (the highest satisfaction level) to 115 (the lowest satisfaction level). General linear model was used to assess the association between the summary score of satisfaction level with primary health care services and socio-demographic factors of study participants. Results: Mean summary score of the 23 items related to the satisfaction level with primary health care services was 49.8±13.0; median score was 49 (interquartile range: 41-57). In multivariable-adjusted models, the level of satisfaction with primary health care services was significantly higher among participants with a lower educational attainment, individuals with e lower income level, and ethnic Albanian participants. Conclusion: This study identified important socio-demographic correlates of the level of satisfaction with primary health care services in the adult population of Kosovo. Findings from this study should raise the awareness of policymakers and decision-makers in Kosovo and elsewhere in order to improve the quality of primary health care services., South Eastern European Journal of Public Health (SEEJPH), Special Volume No. 4, 2022: Health status of the populations and health sector reforms in Albania and Kosovo

Aim: Brain tumors (BT) are neoplasms developed in intracranial tissues and the meninges. The purpose of this study was to describe the epidemiological features of brain tumors diagnosed and treated at the University Clinical Center of Kosovo (UCCK), the only healthcare institution in Kosovo that diagnosis and treats malignancies. Methods: A 3-year retrospective study (2019-2021) was carried out in the Neurosurgical Clinic, Radiology Clinic, and Institute of Pathology, of UCCK. Mann-Whitney test was used to compare age distribution between males and females. Results: A total of 227 patients were treated for BT at the UCCK during the three-year period under investigation (that is 2019-2021). There were 119 males (52.4%) and 108 (47.6%) females. The incidence rate of BT for the year 2021 was 4.7/100,000 inhabitants. BT were most common in the age groups: >50 years (n=178, 78.4%), 25-50 years (n=33, 14.6%), whereas 13 cases (5.7%) were children from the age-group ≤14 years. Almost one third of the patients (33.9%) were from Prishtina region, followed by Peja region (18.5%) and Mitrovica region (13.2%). From the overall number of cases (n=227), 31.3% (n=71) were benign and 66.1% (n=150) were malignant tumors. The average age of brain tumor patients was 58.4±18.3 years. The most prevalent histological type of BT was meningioma WHO gr. I (n=57, 25.1%) followed by glioblastoma WHO gr. IV (n=43, 18.9%) with similar appearances in both genders. Most often, tumors had supratentorial/intra-axial localization (63.4%). Conclusion: Adults over 50 years old represent the most affected age-group for BT in Kosovo. Meningioma, and glioblastoma were the most frequent BT in Kosovo adults. Further studies are needed to assess the long-term outcome of patients with BT in Kosovo., South Eastern European Journal of Public Health (SEEJPH), Special Volume No. 4, 2022: Health status of the populations and health sector reforms in Albania and Kosovo

Aim: The National Institute of Public Health of Kosovo (NIPHK) considered the challenge of assessing the availability and performance of critical public health services in Kosovo. To this end, support was requested from the World Health Organization (WHO) European Regional Office, through the WHO office in Pristina, for an action-oriented process. The systematic process of the self-assessment of public health operations aimed to generate sufficient empirical evidence to identify the strengths and weaknesses of the country’s health services and functions to provide recommendations for future public health actions in Kosovo. Methods: The NIPHK team followed the systematic self-assessment methodology of the Essential Public Health Operations (EPHO) model that the WHO’s regional office for Europe developed. The appraisal was conducted throughout 2018 and the first quarter of 2019 and involved a broad spectrum of public health actors. It also followed a participatory, interdisciplinary, and inter-sectoral approach. It was developed in three phases: preparation and collection of information, analysis and interpretation of the data, and critical recommendations for the Kosovo health authorities’ consideration. Results: The assessment resulted in an overall score of 48% sufficiency for the set of public health operations (core and enablers). The most in need of development were EPHO 6, which is related to governance (only 20% of what is needed in this dimension as a whole), followed by EPHO 3, which considers vital aspects of health protection (35%), and EPHO 10, which is related to research capacities (40%). Based on the EPHO assessment results, the specialized teams developed a set of priority recommendations to strengthen the implementation of the EPHOs in Kosovo. Conclusion: The self-assessment revealed that, despite ongoing initiatives and measures to strengthen public health, the application of EPHOs has much room for improvement. We believe that decision-makers can use this method and the findings that it reveals to implement the most effective interventions to protect and promote the population’s health. In addition, the methodology and experience can be used for educational and training purposes. Acknowledgments: We acknowledge the work of the national working group, participating experts, and institutions in the EPHO assessment process, without which the self-assessment exercise would not have been possible. We thank the members of the WHO’s regional office for Europe and the WHO’s office in Pristina for assisting in the work of the national working group by providing expertise and logistical support. We also thank Professor Laura E. Cruz for her contribution to the English editing of this paper. Sources of funding: Work regarding the self-assessment was funded by the WHO’s regional office for Europe, the WHO’s office in Pristina, the National Institute of Public Health, and the Ministry of Health of Kosovo. Conflicts of interest: The authors of this article were part of the national working group for the self-assessment process. The first author (MB) received a consultancy fee from the WHO for coordinating, collecting, and analyzing the data required for the assessment reported in this article. The co-author (MM) received a consultancy fee through a professional assignment from WHO. The last author (JMM) also played a consulting role through a professional assignment from WHO. Disclaimer: The authors alone are responsible for the views expressed in this publication, and they do not necessarily represent the decisions or policies of the WHO., South Eastern European Journal of Public Health (SEEJPH), Volume XVIII, 2022

Additional file 1.

Additional file 2: Table S1. Stages of change for physical inactivity and unhealthy eaters comparing intervention and non-intervention municipalities among obese participants, overall and by presence/absence of at least one self-reported doctor’s diagnosis (diabetes, hypertension, CVD).

Additional file 1: Figure 1. Coding Tree.

Tani në kushtet e jetës bashkëkohore nuk ka ndonjë punë të mjaftueshme fizike kështu që të gjitha (aktivitetet fizike) janë reduktuar në minimum. Është shumë e rëndësishme që të jeni të shëndetshëm dhe të dukeni mirë fizikisht, të jetojmë me standard të lartë (të jetës) dhe të kemi kohë të mjaftueshme të lirë për aktivitetet rekreative-trupore. Marrja me rekreacion sportiv si ; ecja dhe vrapimi janë forma natyrore te karakterit të lëvizjes lokomotorike të llojit ciklik dhe si format më praktike (kryesore) natyrore të lëvizjes së njeriut. Çelësi më i mirë për të integruar kapacitetet muskulore, fiziologjike dhe funksionale të organizmit të njeriut qëndron në aftësinë dhe kyçjen si një formë e lëvizjes. Sot, favorizohet mendja ku njeriu është më i ngarkuar psikikisht se sa fizikisht. Lodhja psikologjike në vendin e punës, shkollë etj., në mënyrë të drejtpërdrejtë kalohet shumica me pushim pasiv si me anë të kompjuterit, televizion, gazetës, librit, video-lojërave, apo edhe në krevat ku të gjitha këto janë pasoja negative, andaj duhet bërë çmos që kjo disi të kontribuohet me aktivitet fizik në freskinë dhe dobinë e shëndeti tek njeriu në moshat e ndryshme. Ka shumë pyetje për rolin dhe ndikimin e rekreacionit sportiv në shëndetin e njeriut si: a ka nevojë për ushtrim sot?, pse duhet ushtruar?, çfarë ushtrimesh duhet?, cilët persona kanë nevojë e cilët jo?, cili është interesi dhe përfitimi?, etj., të gjitha këto pyetje mendoj që do i gjeni në këtë punim modest të studiuar dhe hulumtuar nga shumë ekspert botëror dhe vendor lidhur me këtë problematikë.