RESUMO
Numerous studies on the health and functioning of veterans and former prisoners of war have shown that the experience of war captivity is one of the most difficult human experiences. Captivity is often characterized by extremely difficult and inhumane conditions, as well as exposure to various forms of both psychological and physical abuse. Such traumatic experiences can lead to serious psychological consequences that can last for years, even decades after release from captivity. The aim of this paper is to present a brief overview of research that points to the specifics of wartime captivity and the long-term psychological consequences in veterans of former camp detainees, as well as the consequences suffered by their families and factors that, apart from the intensity of the trauma, contribute to the emergence and persistence of psychological disorders. From the presented research, it can be concluded that former prisoners of the camp represent an extremely vulnerable group of the social community and require long-term appropriate treatment, while the needs of veterans' families should not be neglected, with the necessity of including spouses and children in psychological and psychosocial treatments.
RESUMO
The increase of breast cancer (BC) incidence has drawn attention to BC risk as means of reducing mortality and morbidity of the disease. The aim of this study was to determine the accuracy of BC risk perception, evaluate factors that affect risk perception and assess the correlation between BC risk perception and attitudes towards BC chemoprevention. A cross-sectional study included total of 258 women with average and high-risk for BC according to the Breast Cancer Risk Assessment Tool (BCRAT). All data were collected by face-to-face interview by three trained 6th year medical school students using a 54-item questionnaire. Each participant's actual BC risk was compared to a perceived risk and the accuracy of the BC risk self-assessment was determined. 72% of high-risk women underestimated their BC risk (p < 0.001). One third of subjects with a family history of BC have also underestimated their own risk (p = 0.002). Women who responded to screening mammography were more informed about BC risk factors (p = 0.001). General knowledge about BC chemoprevention was surprisingly low, regardless of the accuracy of BC risk self-assessment. High-risk women appear to be unrealistically optimistic, since there was a significant difference between the accuracy of self-perceived risk and the objective BC risk.
RESUMO
Breast density (BD) reduces sensitivity of mammography, and is a strong risk factor for breast cancer (BC). Data about women's awareness and knowledge of BD are limited. Our aim is to examine whether the BD information disclosure and BD awareness among women without BC are related to their knowledge about BC risk factors. We examined self-reported BC risk perception and its association to BD awareness and level of health literacy. A cross-sectional, single site study included 263 Croatian women without BC who had mammographic examination. Data were collected by interviews using questionnaires and a validated survey. Of the total, 77.1% had never heard of BD, and 22.9% were aware of their BD. Most participants who knew their BD (88.2%, p < 0.001) had higher levels of education. Majority of subjects (66.8%) had non-dense breasts and 33.2% had dense breasts. Subjects aware of their BD knew that post-menopausal hormone replacement therapy (p = 0.04) and higher BD (p = 0.03) are BC risk factors. They could more easily access information about health promotion (p = 0.03). High-BD informed women assessed their lifetime BC risk as significantly higher than all others (p = 0.03). Comprehension of BD awareness and knowledge is crucial for reinforcement of educational strategies and development of amendatory BC screening decisions.