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Roșioară AI, Năsui BA, Ciuciuc N, Sîrbu DM, Curșeu D, Pop AL, Popescu CA, Popa M. Status of Healthy Choices, Attitudes and Health Education of Children and Young People in Romania-A Literature Review. MEDICINA (KAUNAS, LITHUANIA) 2024; 60:725. [PMID: 38792908 PMCID: PMC11123286 DOI: 10.3390/medicina60050725] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2024] [Revised: 04/22/2024] [Accepted: 04/24/2024] [Indexed: 05/26/2024]
Abstract
Background and Objectives: This study aims to assess the health status and factors influencing healthy choices among children and young people in Romania, as well as the efficacy of related health education programs. Through understanding these dynamics, the study seeks to provide insights that can shape targeted interventions, policies, and educational strategies to improve this demographic's overall health and well-being. Materials and Methods: For this study, we performed a literature review of original published papers on the health status, healthy habits, health education, predisposition to making healthy choices in the future, and accessibility to the paediatric health system of Romanian children and young people, as well as the effects of different types of educational interventions on this demographic in Romania. Results: The prevalence of dental caries is high in Romania. In terms of eating habits and nutritional status, a worrying proportion of children are overweight or obese, which can lead to a variety of future physical and psychological problems. In terms of physical activity, few adolescents demonstrate regular fitness practices. Romania presents an increase in alcohol and tobacco consumption among adolescents. The mental health of students has become a pressing public health concern, exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. The use of social networks is linked to mental health issues among young people. Romania still has one of the highest rates of sexually transmitted diseases and faces a high incidence of cervical cancer, with a mortality rate three times higher than the EU average. High rates of teenage pregnancies are linked to limited information about sexuality and a lack of access to family planning at a young age. There are large discrepancies in the accessibility of medical services between urban and rural areas. Conclusions: Romania faces significant obstacles to providing high-quality healthcare to children and young people. Improving nutrition, immunisation rates, and access to medical services represent essential areas for enhancing the health of children and young people in Romania.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra-Ioana Roșioară
- Department of Community Medicine, Iuliu Hațieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 400349 Cluj-Napoca, Romania; (A.-I.R.); (N.C.); (D.M.S.); (D.C.); (M.P.)
- Research Center in Preventive Medicine, Health Promotion and Sustainable Development, Iuliu Hațieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 400349 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Bogdana Adriana Năsui
- Department of Community Medicine, Iuliu Hațieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 400349 Cluj-Napoca, Romania; (A.-I.R.); (N.C.); (D.M.S.); (D.C.); (M.P.)
- Research Center in Preventive Medicine, Health Promotion and Sustainable Development, Iuliu Hațieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 400349 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Nina Ciuciuc
- Department of Community Medicine, Iuliu Hațieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 400349 Cluj-Napoca, Romania; (A.-I.R.); (N.C.); (D.M.S.); (D.C.); (M.P.)
- Research Center in Preventive Medicine, Health Promotion and Sustainable Development, Iuliu Hațieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 400349 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Dana Manuela Sîrbu
- Department of Community Medicine, Iuliu Hațieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 400349 Cluj-Napoca, Romania; (A.-I.R.); (N.C.); (D.M.S.); (D.C.); (M.P.)
- Research Center in Preventive Medicine, Health Promotion and Sustainable Development, Iuliu Hațieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 400349 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Daniela Curșeu
- Department of Community Medicine, Iuliu Hațieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 400349 Cluj-Napoca, Romania; (A.-I.R.); (N.C.); (D.M.S.); (D.C.); (M.P.)
- Research Center in Preventive Medicine, Health Promotion and Sustainable Development, Iuliu Hațieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 400349 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Anca Lucia Pop
- Faculty of Pharmacy, “Carol Davila” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 020945 Bucharest, Romania;
| | - Codruța Alina Popescu
- Department of Abilities Human Sciences, Iuliu Hatieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 400012 Cluj-Napoca, Romania;
| | - Monica Popa
- Department of Community Medicine, Iuliu Hațieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 400349 Cluj-Napoca, Romania; (A.-I.R.); (N.C.); (D.M.S.); (D.C.); (M.P.)
- Research Center in Preventive Medicine, Health Promotion and Sustainable Development, Iuliu Hațieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 400349 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
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Kangrga M, Nikolic D, Santric-Milicevic M, Rakic L, Knezevic T, Djuricic G, Stojkovic J, Radosavljevic N, Mihajlovic S, Medjo B, Lackovic M. Recognizing the Frequency of Exposure to Cyberbullying in Children: The Results of the National HBSC Study in Serbia. CHILDREN (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2024; 11:172. [PMID: 38397284 PMCID: PMC10887102 DOI: 10.3390/children11020172] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2023] [Revised: 01/19/2024] [Accepted: 01/22/2024] [Indexed: 02/25/2024]
Abstract
Nowadays, children are able to enrich their reality via the Internet. Unfortunately, this may increase their risk of becoming victims of cyberbullying. We analyzed the health characteristics and risk behavior of two cohorts of children in Serbia; those who reported being exposed to cyberbullying and those who did not. The statistical differences and logistic regression models were applied to the data on 3267 students collected from 64 schools participating in the 2017 Serbian Study on health behavior in school-age children (HBSC). Children exposed to cyberbullying reported having the following health problems on a daily basis: headache (18.5%), back pain (19.5%), depression (21.6%), irritability or bad mood (17.7%), nervousness (16.0%), sleep problems (16.1%), and dizziness (21.2%). As for the different types of risk behavior, cigarette smoking ranging from six to nine days ever was the most prevalent (26.9%). It was followed closely by getting drunk more than 10 times ever (24.1%). Compared to non-victims, victims were found to be at a higher risk of perceived back pain (OR = 2.27), depression (OR = 1.43), irritability or bad mood (OR = 2.07), nervousness (OR = 2.23), and dizziness (OR = 2.43) as well as being injured once or twice (OR = 1.98) or three or more times (OR = 4.09). Victims were associated with further risk factors: having smoked more than five cigarettes ever in life (OR = 1.73) and having gotten drunk two to three times (OR = 1.71) or four or more times (OR = 1.65). As the number of school-age children using social media continues to rise, we must prioritize educating them about self-help and community resources for addressing related health issues with greater speed and intensity. The findings from Serbia suggest that while children may be aware of their health issues, they may be unaware of their link to cyberbullying, which could hinder their ability to address these issues promptly. The respondents' attention to the health implications of cyberbullying could be increased by reformulating the survey questions used in the HBSC study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Milica Kangrga
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Belgrade, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, University Children's Hospital, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Dejan Nikolic
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Belgrade, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, University Children's Hospital, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Milena Santric-Milicevic
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Belgrade, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia
- Laboratory for Strengthening Capacity and Performance of Health System and Workforce for Health Equity, Institute of Social Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Belgrade, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Ljiljana Rakic
- Clinic for Hematology, University Clinical Center of Serbia, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Tatjana Knezevic
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Belgrade, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, University Children's Hospital, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Goran Djuricic
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Belgrade, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia
- Department of Radiology, University Children's Hospital, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Jasna Stojkovic
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Belgrade, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, University Children's Hospital, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Natasa Radosavljevic
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, State University of Novi Pazar, 36300 Novi Pazar, Serbia
| | - Sladjana Mihajlovic
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Belgrade, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University Hospital "Dragisa Misovic", Heroja Milana Tepica 1, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Biljana Medjo
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Belgrade, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia
- Department of Pediatrics and Neonatal Intensive Care, University Children's Hospital, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Milan Lackovic
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University Hospital "Dragisa Misovic", Heroja Milana Tepica 1, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia
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Endomba FT, Demina A, Meille V, Ndoadoumgue AL, Danwang C, Petit B, Trojak B. Prevalence of internet addiction in Africa: A systematic review and meta-analysis. J Behav Addict 2022; 11:739-753. [PMID: 35984734 PMCID: PMC9872524 DOI: 10.1556/2006.2022.00052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2022] [Revised: 06/24/2022] [Accepted: 07/12/2022] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIM In the last two decades, the proportion of internet users has greatly increased worldwide. Data regarding internet addiction (IA) are lacking in Africa compared to other continents. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to estimate the pooled prevalence of IA in African countries. METHODS We systematically sought relevant articles in PubMed/MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsycINFO and Cochrane database published before September 25, 2021. The risk of bias was assessed using the Joanna Briggs Institute tool, and we estimated the pooled prevalence of IA using a random-effects meta-analytic model. We followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses guidelines. RESULTS We included 22 studies (13,365 participants), and collected data from Egypt, Ethiopia, Morocco, Nigeria, South Africa, Tanzania and Tunisia between 2013 and 2021. The mean age of participants ranged from 14.8 to 26.1 years, and the most used tool for IA screening was the Young's 20-item Internet Addiction Test. The pooled prevalence rate of IA was 40.3% (95% CI: 32.2%-48.7%), with substantial heterogeneity. The pooled prevalence for Northern Africa was 44.6% (95% CI: 32.9%-56.7%), significantly higher than the prevalence in sub-Saharan Africa, which was 31.0% (95% CI: 25.2%-37.1%). The risk of bias was moderate for most studies, the certainty was very low, and we found no publication bias. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS Four in every ten individuals was considered to have IA in Africa. Further research with methodological optimization seems needed, especially for IA screening tools and the representativity of some subregions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francky Teddy Endomba
- Research Department, Medical Mind Association, Yaoundé, Cameroon,Psychiatry Internship Program, University of Burgundy, 21000, Dijon, France,Corresponding author. E-mail:
| | - Anastasia Demina
- General Medicine Internship, University of Burgundy, 21000, Dijon, France
| | - Vincent Meille
- Department of Addictology, CHU Dijon Bourgogne, Université Bourgogne Franche-Comté, France
| | | | - Celestin Danwang
- Epidemiology and Biostatistics Unit, Institute of Experimental and Clinical Research, Catholic University of Louvain, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Benjamin Petit
- Department of Addictology, CHU Dijon Bourgogne, Université Bourgogne Franche-Comté, France
| | - Benoit Trojak
- Department of Addictology, CHU Dijon Bourgogne, Université Bourgogne Franche-Comté, France,INSERM U1093, UFR Staps, Bourgogne Franche Comté University, France
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