Association between Sociodemographic Factors and Depressive Symptoms among Adult Population in Serbia.

Background: Lower socioeconomic groups were more affected by depressive symptoms among adults of Serbia. In this study, we tested a model that examines association between sociodemographic factors and depressive symptoms among adult population in Serbia. Methods: The study was conducted within the National Health Survey of the Serbian population in 2019. The questionnaires used as instruments in this study were created in accordance with the questionnaires of the European Health Interview Survey -Third Wave. The Patient Health Questionnaire - 8 was used to evaluate the presence of depressive symptoms to the adult population aged 20 years and over. The relations between depression symptoms and a set of independent variables were examined with univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses. Results: The prevalence of mild depressive symptoms was 6.6%, %, the prevalence of depressive episodes was 2.2%, while 91.2% of respondents had no depressive symptoms. In the univariate regression model, depressive episodes is 1.9 times more frequent in women (OR=1.909), 6.6 times more frequent in persons over 80 years of age (OR=6.610 ), 3.1 times more frequent in divorced or without a partner (OR=3.143 ), 6.6 times more frequent in persons with low education (OR=6.609), 3.3 times more frequent in persons with a poor well-being index (OR=3.373), 3.6 times more frequent in persons inactive (OR=3.649) and 1.9 times more frequent in persons from Vojvodina (OR=1.902). Conclusion: Sociodemographic factors should be considered for policymaking and for the development of new interventions to lower prevalence of depressive symptoms in adults.

Assessment of Sexual Health and Use of Cervical Cancer Screening among the Female Working Population.

Background: Cervical cancer occupies a significant place in the overall structure of morbidity and mortality in developing countries. We focused on the sexual health and use of cervical cancer screening among the female working population of reproductive age in Central Serbia. Methods: The research was conducted as a cross-sectional study, according to the methodology Stepwise approach to noncommunicable disease risk factor surveillance WHO. The study population consisted of 1182 female working population aged 18-49 years, living on the territory of Central Serbia. The method of simple random sampling was utilized in the research itself. An anonymous standardized questionnaire was used as a research tool. Results: During the first sexual intercourse, 38.9% of the participants reported not having used any of the contraceptives, whereas 74.5% of the participants reported not having used them during their last sexual intercourse and 26.1% of the respondents reported not having had a single Pap smear in their lifetime. The multivariate logistic regression analysis singled out the following factors in women who reported not having done a Pap smear in their lifetime as the most significant ones: age - the youngest age group (OR = 3.30, CI = 1.80-6.04), unemployment (OR = 2.87, CI = 0.07-3.40), women who had never been married or had never been in a common-law marriage (OR = 2.55, CI = 1.40-4.66) and individuals with a medium education level (OR = 2.63, CI = 1.67-4.14). Conclusion: In Serbia, all the activities should be directed towards increasing the levels of awareness and knowledge on sexual health and cervical cancer screening services.

Sociodemographic Factors Associated with Breast Cancer Screening among Women in Serbia, National Health Survey.

Background: Approximately 2.3 million female breast cancer cases were identified globally in 2020, resulting in 685,000 fatalities among women. Serbia too experiences a high breast cancer burden. Effective reduction of breast cancer incidence and mortality necessitates strategic measures encompassing the implementation of cost-effective screening technology. However, various impediments to screening implementation persist. We aimed to estimate the impact of socioeconomic factors on breast cancer screening in Serbia. Methods: Data from the 2019 National Health Survey of the population of Serbia was. The research was a descriptive, cross-sectional analytical study by design, on a representative sample of the population of Serbia. Data from women aged 15+ yr were used to examine the demographic and socioeconomic factors associated with breast cancer screening inequalities. Results: In Serbia the age group of women who predominantly participated in organized breast cancer screening (39.5%) were the ones aged 65+ yr. Women with a secondary education were 2.1x more likely to undergo a screening exam voluntarily (57.5%), compared to women with a higher education background (26.6%). When considering marital and financial circumstances, married/unmarried women from an affluent financial category exhibited a notably higher frequency of self-initiating a mammography (73% and 48.5%) in comparison to those financially struggling (27.6%). Conclusion: Strong support is imperative for countries to establish prevention and early detection programs for cancer.

Socioeconomic inequalities in the use of dental health care among the adult population in Serbia.

Objectives: The aim of this paper is to assess the association of demografic and socioeconomic determinants with utilization of dental services among Serbian adults. Materials and methods: The study is a part of the population health research of Serbia, conducted in the period from October to December 2019 by the Institute of Statistics of the Republic of Serbia in cooperation with the Institute of Public Health of Serbia "Dr. Milan JovanovicBatut" and the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Serbia. The research was conducted as a descriptive, cross-sectional analytical study on a representative sample of the population of Serbia. For the purposes of this study, data on the adult population aged 20 years and older were used. Results: Men were approximately 1.8 times more likely than women to not utilize dental healthcare services (OR = 1.81). The likelihood of not utilizing dental healthcare protection rises with increasing age, reaching its peak within the 65-74 age range (OR = 0.441), after which it declines. Individuals who have experienced marital dissolution due to divorce or the death of a spouse exhibit a higher probability of not utilizing health protection (OR = 1.868). As the level of education and wealth diminishes, the probability of abstaining from health protection increases by 5.8 times among respondents with an elementary school education (OR = 5.852) and 1.7 times among the most economically disadvantaged respondents (OR = 1.745). Regarding inactivity, respondents who are not employed have a 2.6-fold higher likelihood of not utilizing oral health care compared to employed respondents (OR = 2.610). Conclusion: The results suggest that individual sociodemographic factors influence utilization of dental services by Serbian adults and confirmed the existence of socioeconomic disparities.

Mental health status and coping strategies during COVID-19 pandemic among university students in Central Serbia.

Background: The objective of this research was to evaluate the occurrence of depression, anxiety, and stress, as well as the level of life contentment and coping mechanisms employed by college students amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: A total of 588 students of the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and the Higher School of Medicine, Kraljevo, University of Kragujevac, Central Serbia, participated in an online cross-sectional survey in the period September-October 2022. Depression Anxiety Stress Scales (DASS-21) was used to measure the levels of depression, anxiety, and stress. The Coping Questionnaire-a shorter version (Brief Cope Inventories) assesses the coping strategies a person uses in stressful situations, and the 5-item Life Satisfaction Scale is used to examine the level of life satisfaction. Results: The symptoms of depression were reported by 34.9%, of anxiety by 47.1% and of stress by 44.2%. The type of faculty (p = 0.001), and place of residence (p = 0.036) correlated with depression, gender with anxiety (p = 0.001) and stress (p = 0.015). In terms of coping mechanisms, the most frequently mentioned strategies, based on average scores, were acceptance (5.76), positive interpretation (5.55), humor (5.46). Conclusion: The adverse impact of COVID-19 was a risk factor for depression, anxiety and stress symptoms. A negative correlation exists between the levels of depression, anxiety, and stress, and the overall life satisfaction of university students. Offering the necessary assistance through psychological interventions and effective coping techniques is crucial in ensuring the optimal mental health of university students.

Social support score in patients with malignant diseases-with sociodemographic and medical characteristics.

Introduction: Social support as a complex construct has a positive influence not only on a patient's condition but also on the process of the patient's emotional adjustment to cancer. The goal of this study is to investigate aspects of the level of social support in oncology patients and its interconnection with sociodemographic and medical variables. Method: The study was conducted as a prospective observational study in 2020, including 250 patients aged 19 and over, both sexes, with a diagnosis of oncological disease. The research was conducted in the Department of General Medicine of the Health Center Trstenik, Central Serbia, after approval by the Ethics Committee of the Health Center Trstenik, Central Serbia. A social support assessment questionnaire (Oslo-3 Social Support Scale) was used as a research instrument. Results: Data collected from the entire study population showed that bad social support was present in almost 90% of cases. Univariate and multivariate regression analysis showed a statistically significant influence of the following variables on the bad social support: education level, activity limitation, difficulties in performing daily activities, the impact of pain on the performance of activities, the need for additional help with activity, the need for help at home, unfulfilled needs for health care, means of information, anxiety score and depression score. Conclusion: Interventions to increase social support may be important for enhancing mental health and quality of life in cancer patients.

Risk Factors Related to Falling in Patients after Stroke.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to identify the risk factors associated with falling in post stroke patients. METHODS: This retrospective case-control study included 561 neurology patients hospitalized for a stroke and divided into two groups: falling patients and non-falling patients. They referred to the Special Hospital for Cerebrovascular Diseases "Sveti Sava" in Belgrade, Serbia, from 2018-2019. Logistic regression analysis was applied to examine socio-economic factors associated with predictors of unmet healthcare needs. RESULTS: A significant difference was seen in the length of hospitalization of falling patients compared to the non-falling (P<0.001). We established statistically significant differences in mental status (P<0.001), sensibility (P=0.016), depressed mood (P<0.001), early (P=0.001) and medium insomnia (P=0.042), psychomotor slowness (P=0.030), somatic anxiety (P=0.044) and memory (P<0.001). CONCLUSION: Cerebrovascular disease distribution and the degree of neurological deficit primarily altered mental status, which could be recognized as one of the more important predictors for falling after stroke. The identification of risk factors may be a first step toward the design of intervention programs for preventing a future fall among hospitalized stroke patients.