Decline in alcohol use among adolescents in Slovakia: a reason for optimism?

OBJECTIVES: To analyze selected indicators of alcohol use (lifetime use, initiation of drinking at ≤13 years of age, weekly use, beverage preferences, initiation of drunkenness at ≤13 years of age and lifetime drunkenness) in adolescents in Slovakia from 2006 to 2014. STUDY DESIGN: The Health Behaviour in School Aged Children (HBSC) study is a cross-sectional questionnaire study. METHODS: A standardized uniform questionnaire was used in representative samples of 11-, 13- and 15-year-old adolescents. In Slovakia, the HBSC study was undertaken in 2006 (n = 3972), 2010 (n = 5089) and 2014 (n = 4369). RESULTS: Over the study period, decreases were observed in weekly drinking (from 34.3% to 21.0% in 15-year-old boys and from 22.1% to 11.9% in 15-year-old girls), lifetime drinking and initiation of drinking at ≤13 years of age. In terms of beverage preferences, the reduction in beer consumption was most notable. Approximately one-third of respondents got drunk for the first time at ≤13 years of age, and this remained consistent throughout the study period. CONCLUSIONS: The declining trend in alcohol use among adolescents in Slovakia may reflect a progressive change in the social environment and is attributable, at least in part, to policy improvements such as pricing and stricter legislation and enforcement.

Effectiveness of school programs in tobacco control.

The authors reviewed published data dealing with the effectiveness of school programs in tobacco control. Most of the evaluated school programs showed at least partial effect including namely improved knowledge level, decreased prevalence of smoking initiation and continuation. Less successful was achieving of behavioural changes and social resistance. Effect of the school programs can be significantly amplified by combination with other interventions such as mass media campaigns, parent involvement and extracurricular activities. The main problem of the studies in this field is a relatively short follow-up time not allowing considering findings as relevant evidences for long-term effects of school programs. However, even assuming only time limited decrease of prevalence of smoking among intervened students, such temporary effect leads to the decrease of a lifetime cigarette exposure having beneficial health effects. Considering social, demographic and cultural aspects of the epidemiology of smoking habit, evidence based data in this field, relevant for Central and Eastern Countries, are required. Such situation calls for authentic trials and studies respecting specific conditions in these countries.

Lifestyle of a women--mother and health of members of the family.

OBJECTIVE: The goal of the study was to evaluate the efficacy of prevention of cardiovascular diseases. METHODS: The follow-up study included a sample of 206 intervened pregnant women. They were given an information booklet about risk factors and prevention. During the postpartum period they were contacted again and 111 of them completed a questionnaire. Control sample consisted from 200 women inthe postpartum period not intervened, who filled in the same questionnaire. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: Such intervention positively influences both attitudes towards lifestyle and knowledge level and can be considered as an appropriate preventive measure in pregnant women. The question is, if the achieved changes last for a longer time and if they are passed an to members of families of the intervened women (Fig. 1, Ref. 8).