Changes in the prevalence of obesity in Czech adolescents between 2018 and 2022 and its current non-genetic correlates - HBSC study.

BACKGROUND: The main aim of the study is to examine changes in the prevalence of obesity in Czech adolescents between 2018 and 2022 and its current non-genetic correlates with respect to the adolescents' families'socioeconomic status (SES) in 2022. METHODS: The sample of 24,535 adolescents (n = 11,629/12,9062018/2022; boys: 50.4/50.6%2018/2022) aged 10.5-16.5 years that was analysed was drawn from two nationally representative cohorts of Czech youngsters from the last two cycles of the Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) online questionnaire survey from 2018 to 2022. Obesity is represented by the > 97th percentile interval on the World Health Organization Body Mass Index percentile chart, with distinctions by sex and the age of adolescents. The differences in the prevalence of obesity between boys and girls from all SES family categories in 2018 and 2022 were tested using a chi-square test (χ2). Multiple logistic regression analysis with repeated measures was used to analyse correlates of obesity in 2022. RESULTS: Between 2018 and 2022, there was no significant difference in the prevalence of obesity in girls or boys in any of the SES categories of families. Adolescents from low-SES families have the highest prevalence of obesity, 11% for boys and 5.8% for girls, significantly higher (p < .001) than its prevalence among adolescents from high-SES families, by + 4.8% points for boys and + 3.9% points for girls. Among adolescents from low-SES families, individuals who engaged in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (PA) daily (p < .005) or vigorous PA three times per week (p < .05) were significantly less likely to be obese than their less active peers. Skipping breakfast significantly (p < .05) increased the odds of obesity, but only among adolescents from low-SES families. Shorter screen time (ST) significantly (p < .05) reduced the odds of obesity for all categories of adolescent SES. CONCLUSIONS: Obesity is most pronounced in adolescents from low-SES families as a result of a long-term positive energy balance mediated by unbalanced behaviour. Significantly lower odds of obesity in adolescents from low-SES families were confirmed to be associated with regular practice of the recommended PA, shorter ST, and not skipping breakfast.

Time-trends and correlates of obesity in Czech adolescents in relation to family socioeconomic status over a 16-year study period (2002-2018).

BACKGROUND: The main objective of the study is to analyse the changes in the prevalence of obesity among Czech adolescents between 2002 and 2018 with regard to the socioeconomic status (SES) of adolescents' families and to find SES-separated correlates of adolescents' obesity in 2018. METHODS: A nationally representative sample of 29,879 adolescents (49.6% of them boys) aged 10.5-16.5 years was drawn from the Health Behaviour in School-aged Children cross-sectional, self-reported questionnaire surveys conducted in 2002, 2006, 2010, 2014, and 2018 in Czechia. Chi-square (χ2) tests were performed to assess the changes in the prevalence of obesity in both genders and all SES categories of adolescents between 2002 and 2018, and SES category-related differences in the prevalence of obesity in 2018 separately for boys and girls. A series of multiple stepwise logistic regression (backward elimination) analyses were used to reveal obesity correlates separately for SES categories of adolescents. RESULTS: Across the quadrennial surveys from 2002 to 2018, we observed a clear increase in the prevalence of obesity in all SES categories of adolescents, which was most striking (p < 0.05) in adolescents with low SES (boys: + 7.5% points (p.p.); girls + 2.4 p.p.). When all the survey cycles were compared, the highest prevalence of obesity was evident in the low-SES adolescents in 2018, both in girls (5.1%) and boys (12.0%). Regardless of the adolescent SES category, the lower odds of obesity were significantly (p < 0.05) associated with regular vigorous physical activity (PA), participation in organized sport, and daily consumption of sweets. In addition, at least 60 min of moderate-to-vigorous PA significantly reduced the odds of obesity in adolescents of low and high SES categories. CONCLUSIONS: An unreasonable increase in the prevalence of obesity in adolescents with low SES highlights the need to prevent obesity in adolescents with a low-SES background. Additionally, significantly higher odds of obesity in 11- and 13-year-old adolescents from low-SES families, compared with their peers aged 15, indicated an expectable rise in obesity in older low-SES adolescents in the near future.

Comparison of three focus sensors for optical topography measurement of rough surfaces.

The study compares three variants of focus sensors designed for the optical topography measurement of rough surface specimens with submicron accuracy. We present a theoretical analysis of the focus sensor principles and the experimental measurements with a single point laser probe. A low coherent illumination beam was provided by a monochromatic laser source and a rotating diffuser, which reduced the speckles generated by the rough surface. The reflected beam was modulated by three specific optical elements (axicon, double wedge prism, four spherical lenses) realized by a spatial light modulator. A digital camera detected the output intensity patterns that were evaluated by the intensity centroid method. The results showed a good coincidence of the surface profiles obtained by the three sensor variants with the root-mean-square deviations below one micron. We discuss the results obtained for several specimens with various surface roughness and compare the differences between the three focus sensor variants.

Trends and correlates of overweight/obesity in Czech adolescents in relation to family socioeconomic status over a 12-year study period (2002-2014).

BACKGROUND: This study examined a) trends in overweight/obesity, moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA), and screen time (ST) among Czech adolescents over a 12-year study period (2002-2014) in relation to family affluence (FA) and b) correlates of adolescent overweight/obesity from different FA categories. METHODS: A nationally representative sample of 18,250 adolescents (51.4% girls) aged 10.5-16.5 years was drawn from the Czech Health Behaviour in School-aged Children questionnaire-based surveys in 2002, 2006, 2010, and 2014. Using the FA scale, the socioeconomic status (SES) of the respondents' families was assessed. SES-stratified trends in the prevalence of overweight/obesity meeting the MVPA (≥60 min/day), and ST (≤2 h/day) recommendations were assessed using logistic regression. RESULTS: A trend-related significant increase (p < 0.05) in the prevalence of overweight/obesity was observed in low-/medium-FA boys and medium-/high-FA girls. Unlike in high-FA adolescents, a significant decrease was revealed in the rates of meeting the MVPA recommendation in low-FA boys (28.9%2002 → 23.3%2014, OR = 0.75, 95% CI = 0.59-0.95, p < 0.05) and girls (22.3%2002 → 17.3%2014, OR = 0.73, 95% CI = 0.57-0.92, p < 0.01). A significant (p < 0.001) trend-related increase in excessive ST was evident in adolescents regardless of gender and FA category. Generally, girls and older adolescents had lower odds of overweight/obesity than boys and 11-year-old adolescents. While in the high-FA category of adolescents, achieving 60 min of MVPA daily and the absence of excessive ST on weekdays significantly (p < 0.01) reduced their odds of being overweight/obese, in low-FA adolescents this was not the case. CONCLUSIONS: High rates of overweight/obesity and a poor level of daily MVPA among low-FA children provide disturbing evidence highlighting the necessity of public health efforts to implement obesity reduction interventions for this disadvantaged population.

Trends in Overweight and Obesity in Czech Schoolchildren from 1998 to 2014.

OBJECTIVE: Overweight and obesity in adolescents is associated with many health risks and considerable direct and indirect healthcare costs. The purpose of this study is to examine trends in the prevalence of overweight and obesity in 11-, 13- and 15-year-old adolescents in the Czech Republic from 1998 to 2014. METHODS: Data from five self-reported survey rounds (1998, 2002, 2006, 2010, and 2014) of the Health Behaviour in School-aged Children Study (HBSC) were used to assess trends in overweight and obesity among Czech adolescents. The total sample consisted of 19,103 adolescents (51.2% girls). A logistic regression analysis was used to assess trends in different age and gender categories. RESULTS: From 1998 to 2014 a significant increase in the prevalence of overweight and obesity was observed among boys in all age categories (11 years old 22.2%1998- 28.3%2014; 13 years old 17.9%1998- 26.7%2014; 15 years old 9.8%1998- 20.8%2014) and among 15-year-old girls (6.0%1998- 10.9%2014). None of the age and gender categories showed an overall decrease over the 16-year period. In boys, the prevalence of overweight was significantly higher with steeper negative trends compared with girls. However, stabilization in overweight rates was observed between 2010 and 2014 in all age and gender groups. CONCLUSION: Nationally representative self-reported data show a significant increase in overweight (including obesity) prevalence among children from 1998 to 2014 in the Czech Republic. The results also suggest stabilization in overweight prevalence between 2010 and 2014. Continuing research is needed to determine future trends while interventions aimed at reducing overweight and obesity in children should be implemented on different levels of public policy.

Trends in Active Commuting to School among Czech Schoolchildren from 2006 to 2014.

OBJECTIVE: Active commuting (AC) is an important factor in increasing the total daily physical activity (PA) in children, which is significant for their health and positive physical behaviour in adulthood. The objective of the study was to describe trends in active commuting to school among Czech girls and boys aged 11-15 years from 2006 to 2014, using data from the Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) study. METHODS: To investigate trends in AC among Czech children of school age data obtained from the HBSC surveys carried out in 2006, 2010, and 2014 was used. The study sample comprised 12,273 respondents, out of whom 5,992 (48.8%) were boys and 6,281 (51.2%) girls. The overall trends in AC were evaluated using logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: Compared with 2006, there was an overall decrease in AC among the 13-year-old boys and 13-year-old girls (boys - 1.8% in 2006 to 50.1% in 2014, girls - 69.3% in 2006 to 46.3% in 2014). The proportion of children AC (walking and cycling) to school significantly decreased from 74.3% in 2006 to 53.4% in 2014. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrated that AC to school decreased sharply among Czech children of school age from 2006 to 2014. However, walking was the most frequently used mode of travel. The boys were significantly more likely to cycle to school compared to the girls. PA interventions for youth should encourage participation in AC to school in the Czech Republic.

Trends in Lifetime Cannabis Use among Czech School-aged Children from 2002 to 2014.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study was to examine trends in the prevalence of lifetime cannabis use among the Czech 15-year old students. METHODS: Data from the nationally representative Health Behaviour in School-aged Children Survey, conducted in the Czech Republic in 2002, 2006, 2010 and 2014, were used. Trends in cannabis use among both boys and girls were modelled through binary logistic regression with period as a predictor of the lifetime cannabis use. RESULTS: The prevalence of lifetime cannabis use has significantly decreased among young Czechs, particularly among boys. Gender differences in cannabis use have been also gradually decreasing since 2002, with no significant differences between genders in recent period. CONCLUSIONS: Although there are positive changes in the prevalence of adolescent cannabis use, from the European perspective, Czech students still belong to those with significantly higher rates in this respect. Thus, alongside with the use of other substances, adolescent cannabis consumption remains an important challenge for the national public health policy.

Trends in Children's Toothbrushing in the Czech Republic from 1994 to 2014: Results of the HBSC Study.

OBJECTIVE: Brushing one's teeth twice a day is the main self-care method to prevent the most prevalent non-communicable diseases. The aim of the study is to describe the trends in brushing teeth in 11-, 13-, and 15-year-old Czech children between 1994 and 2014. METHODS: One question about oral health from the HBSC study protocol was used in the six surveys (1994, 1998, 2002, 2006, 2010, and 2014). Altogether, 21,170 answers from boys and girls were analyzed using statistical description and binominal logistic regression. RESULTS: The findings showed that the prevalence of brushing their teeth more than once a day increased throughout the twenty years, more so in boys, but a preventive programme is still needed to educate the 21-38% of those who brush their teeth less than twice a day. CONCLUSION: Although the recommended frequency of brushing their teeth has increased among Czech school-aged children, it still lags far behind the recommended twice-a-day regularity, especially among boys.

Trends in Medically Attended Injuries in Czech Adolescents.

OBJECTIVE: Due to the importance of surveillance of injuries and accidents in the Czech Republic, the purpose of this study was to report the temporal trends of injuries of Czech adolescents between 2002 and 2014. METHODS: Adolescents (N=20,038) from the Czech Republic, that took part in the 2002, 2006, 2010 and 2014 HBSC study, reported the frequency of medically attended injuries in the past 12 months. Repeated binary logistic regressions with different years as reference categories were performed. RESULTS: Less than half (44.7%) of all Czech adolescents reported they had experienced at least one medically attended injuries in the past 12 months, with boys experiencing more injuries than girls (p<0.001), and the injuries were more common in older adolescents. Fewer boys reported injury in 2014 when compared to 2002 (OR, CI: 0.81, 0.72-0.90), there was also a significant decrease in injuries among girls between 2014 and 2006 (OR, CI: 0.77, 0.69-0.86). CONCLUSIONS: The trend was not linear amongst boys. Along with improved safety promotion education, the rate of injuries decreased among adolescents between the years 2002 and 2014.

Brief report: Changes in parent-adolescent joint activities between 2002 and 2014 in the Czech Republic, Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) study.

Joint family activities (JFA) are linked to healthy adolescent development. The aim of the present study is to report time trends in JFA between 2002 and 2014. The sample concerned 16 396 adolescents aged 11, 13, and 15 years (48.4% boys) from the 2002, 2006, 2010, and 2014 surveys of the Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) study in the Czech Republic. The overall changes in JFA were evaluated using logistic regression. Compared with 2002, there was a slight increase in four out of the six selected JFA in 2014. In particular, the likelihood of engaging in joint active activities (sports and walks) increased in the 2002-2014 period. Conversely, nowadays adolescents watch TV with their parents less frequently. Moreover, families today do not eat together as often as in 2002, which might have negative consequences for healthy adolescent development. Adolescents aged 11 get involved in JFA more than their older counterparts.

Sedentary Behaviour and Physical Activity of Randomised Sample of Czech Adults Aged 20-64 Years: IPAQ and GPAQ Studies between 2002 and 2011.

AIM: The prevalence of sedentary behaviour has increased, and physical activity (PA) levels have declined with increases in urbanisation and modernisation. Researchers need to find solutions to address this lack of PA. The main aim of this study was to identify the PA level and sedentary behaviour in a randomised sample of the Czech adult population in 2002 and 2011. METHODS: To investigate PA in 20-64 year old adults, the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) (in 2002) and the Global Physical Activity Questionnaire (GPAQ) (in 2011) were applied. The randomised samples comprised 1,782 participants in 2002, and 1,359 participants in 2011. RESULTS: The results showed a significant decrease (F=83.84; p<0.001; ω²=0.03) in the time spent sitting between the years 2002 and 2011. The proportion of individuals reporting low PA has increased (11.4% in 2002 vs. 27.9% in 2011). Individuals with college/university education were more likely to have low PA levels (OR=1.51, p<0.001, CI=1.21-1.68) compared with those with elementary or secondary education. Along with educational level, low PA levels are also associated with older age, spending more than four hours a day sitting, and the survey year. CONCLUSION: Sedentary behaviour, PA, and factors influencing this behaviour may differ across countries; therefore, more trend-related research should be performed on these issues, especially in Central and Eastern Europe, where these studies are scarce.

How parents can affect excessive spending of time on screen-based activities.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study is to explore the association between family-related factors and excessive time spent on screen-based activities among school-aged children. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey using the methodology of the Health Behaviour in School-aged Children study was performed in 2013, with data collected from Slovak (n = 258) and Czech (n = 406) 11- and 15-year-old children. The effects of age, gender, availability of a TV or computer in the bedroom, parental rules on time spent watching TV or working on a computer, parental rules on the content of TV programmes and computer work and watching TV together with parents on excessive time spent with screen-based activities were explored using logistic regression models. RESULTS: Two-thirds of respondents watch TV or play computer games at least two hours a day. Older children have a 1.80-times higher chance of excessive TV watching (CI: 1.30-2.51) and a 3.91-times higher chance of excessive computer use (CI: 2.82-5.43) in comparison with younger children. More than half of children have a TV (53%) and a computer (73%) available in their bedroom, which increases the chance of excessive TV watching by 1.59 times (CI: 1.17-2.16) and of computer use by 2.25 times (CI: 1.59-3.20). More than half of parents rarely or never apply rules on the length of TV watching (64%) or time spent on computer work (56%), and their children have a 1.76-times higher chance of excessive TV watching (CI: 1.26-2.46) and a 1.50-times greater chance of excessive computer use (CI: 1.07-2.08). A quarter of children reported that they are used to watching TV together with their parents every day, and these have a 1.84-times higher chance of excessive TV watching (1.25-2.70). CONCLUSIONS: Reducing time spent watching TV by applying parental rules or a parental role model might help prevent excessive time spent on screen-based activities.

[Case report - pediatric visceral leishmaniasis]. / Kazuistika -visceralni leishmanioza ditete.

The diagnosis of visceral leishmaniasis (VL) is not an easy task. The clinical presentation of VL is similar to lymphomas which have significantly higher incidence in our country. This fact is one of the complications in the diagnosis of VL. Moreover, diagnostic methods have low sensitivity and bone marrow aspiration is necessary. We present a case report of a patient who fell ill in the first year of life and due to atypical lifestyle of his parents was seriously examined after 11 months from the first symptoms of the disease. Many problems with the diagnostic algorithm leading to the definitive diagnosis of VL were encountered. Thereafter, the patient underwent treatment with amphotericin B lipid complex. The course was complicated by febrile neutropenia and anemia, with the necessity for blood transfusion.

Leisure Time Use and Adolescent Mental Well-Being: Insights from the COVID-19 Czech Spring Lockdown.

BACKGROUND: As leisure-one of the crucial life domains-was completely disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic, our study aimed to investigate how adolescents spent their leisure time during the Spring 2020 lockdown. Secondly, we aimed to investigate the associations between the perceived changes in leisure time use, the leisure activities adolescents engaged in, and the associations with well-being during the Spring 2020 lockdown in Czechia. METHODS: Data from 3438 participants were included in this study (54.2% girls; mean age = 13.45, SD = 1.62). First, the initial number of items measuring leisure, electronic media use, and sports was reduced through Principal Component Analysis (PCA). Multivariate linear regression models tested the associations between leisure domains and mental well-being Results: The amount of leisure time, together with socially active leisure and sports and physical activity, formed the strongest positive predictors of mental well-being, whereas idle activities and time spent on electronic media acted as negative predictors. The amount of time spent doing schoolwork was unrelated to mental well-being. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, our results support the idea that leisure as a promoting factor for well-being is not just a matter of its amount but rather of engagement in meaningful and fulfilling activities.

12-Year Trends in Active School Transport across Four European Countries-Findings from the Health Behaviour in School-Aged Children (HBSC) Study.

Active school transport (AST) is a source of daily physical activity uptake. However, AST seems to have decreased worldwide over recent decades. We aimed to examine recent trends in AST and associations with gender, age, family affluence, and time to school, using data from the Health Behaviour in School-Aged Children (HBSC) study collected in 2006, 2010, 2014, and 2018 in the Czech Republic, Norway, Scotland, and Wales. Data from 88,212 students (11, 13 and 15 years old) revealed stable patterns of AST from 2006 to 2018, apart from a decrease in the Czech Republic between 2006 and 2010. For survey waves combined, walking to and from school was most common in the Czech Republic (55%) and least common in Wales (30%). Cycling was only common in Norway (22%). AST differed by gender (Scotland and Wales), by age (Norway), and by family affluence (everywhere but Norway). In the Czech Republic, family affluence was associated with change over time in AST, and the effect of travel time on AST was stronger. The findings indicate that the decrease in AST could be levelling off in the countries considered here. Differential associations with sociodemographic factors and travel time should be considered in the development of strategies for AST.

Temporal Trends in Overweight and Obesity, Physical Activity and Screen Time among Czech Adolescents from 2002 to 2014: A National Health Behaviour in School-Aged Children Study.

This study examines trends in overweight and obesity, physical activity (PA) and screen time (ST) among Czech adolescents over a recent 12-year study period. Nationally representative samples consisted of 19,940 adolescents (9760 boys and 10,180 girls) aged 10.5-16.5 years from the Czech Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) questionnaire-based surveys conducted in 2002, 2006, 2010 and 2014. Trends in the prevalence of overweight/obesity, meeting the recommendations for moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA) (≥60 min per day of MVPA) and excessive ST (>2 h per day) were estimated using logistic regression. Significant increases (p < 0.001) in the prevalence of overweight/obesity between the years 2002 and 2014 were evident for both adolescent boys (18.3%(2002)-24.8%(2014)) and girls (8.3%(2002)-11.9%(2014)). Compared to 2002, in 2014 significant decreases (p < 0.001) in meeting MVPA recommendations were observed among boys (32.2%(2002)-25.6%(2014)) and girls (23.2%(2002)-19.2%(2014)). Moreover, in boys we observed significant increases (p < 0.001) in excessive ST on weekdays (75.1%(2002)-88.8%(2014)), as well as on weekends (78.3%(2002)-91.9%(2014)) between the years 2002 and 2014. Increases in overweight/obesity with concomitant decreases in PA provide evidence in support of the current and upcoming efforts of government and commercial organizations in implementing interventions aimed at reducing excessive body weight among Czech adolescents.

Physical activity and sedentary behaviour in Czech adults: results from the GPAQ study.

The levels of physical activity (PA) and sedentary behaviour are significant indicators of health behaviour and their monitoring is crucial in developing public policy in the area of health promotion and non-communicable disease prevention. The aim of the study was to describe the prevalence of PA and sedentary behaviour as well as age and gender differences in Czech adults (18-90 years old, N = 1753; 48.4% male) participating in the Global Physical Activity Questionnaire (GPAQ) cross-sectional study 2011. To assess the significant differences between self-reported PA and sedentary behaviour the MANOVA, a post hoc Fischer's least significant difference (LSD) test and logistic regression were used. The level of PA was classified according to the amount of MET-minutes per week as high, moderate or low. Irrespective of age and gender, 32.3% of adults reported a low level of PA; 21.3% of adults fell within the category of moderate level of PA and 46.4% of adults reported a high level of PA. The level of PA decreases with age; men are generally more physically active than women. More than 60% of adults across all age categories are assessed as 'sedentary'. The highest rate of sedentary behaviour was observed in adults over 65 years of age. The development of national strategies for PA promotion together with the development and verification of specific intervention programmes, especially for women, should be a priority in the Czech Republic.