Impact of Childhood Cancer on Education, Professional and Social Life of Survivors in Croatia.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of childhood cancer and its treatment on the education, occupation, and social life of young adults in Croatia. There have been no comparable studies on this particular growing population group in Croatia to date. The study is the starting point for comparing and improving the quality of life of survivors of childhood cancer in Croatia and other countries that follow this population. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: The study was conducted using questionnaires distributed from October to November 2020. A total of 73 individuals were interviewed, including 40 survivors and 33 siblings as a control group. Data were collected on disease characteristics (for cancer survivors), school performance, occupational success, and quality of social life. The χ² test and Mann Whitney U test were used to compare differences between categorical and continuous variables, respectively. RESULTS: The type of childhood malignancy and the type of childhood malignancy treatment affected survivors' academic performance (p=0.140), but performance was not statistically significantly different from that of the control group (p=0.923). No difference was found in total monthly income (p=0.920). In social life, there were no differences in living with parents (p=0.002), married life (p=0.118), and offspring (p=0.196), although there was a tendency to lag behind their siblings. CONCLUSION: Treatment of childhood malignancy affected academic achievement and occupational success, while in social life there tended to be differences between survivors and controls, so further study is needed.

Quality of Diet of Patients with Coeliac Disease in Comparison to Healthy Children.

A lifelong strict gluten-free diet is the only available treatment for patients with coeliac disease (CD). As with any restrictive diet, it may potentially lead to nutritional deficits. Seventy-six patients with CD (mean age 9.0 ± 4.3 years, 57% female) and 590 healthy controls (HC) (mean age 9.9 ± 0.1 years, 54% female) were recruited and requested to keep a 3-day food record (3DFR). In HC patients, anthropometric data were determined at the time when 3DFRs were collected. In CD patients, anthropometric data were determined at two time points: at diagnosis and at the time of 3DFRs collection. Intake of energy, macronutrients, and micronutrients was determined using PRODI expert 6.9 software and expressed as a percentage of recommended daily intake. In CD patients, all measured anthropometric measures (body weight (BW), body height (BH), and body mass index (BMI) z-scores) increased significantly after the mean duration of 34.1 months of a GFD. Overall, CD patients had significantly lower BW and BH z-scores compared to healthy controls. Patients with CD were generally more compliant with the recommended dietary intakes of macronutrients and some micronutrients, as compared to HC. Three participants were not compliant with the GFD; 42.1% of participants took oral nutritional supplements at the start of their GFD. Our study showed that patients with CD have better compliance with dietary recommendations compared to healthy controls, showing that a well-balanced GFD diet can provide necessary macro- and micronutrients.