OBJECTIVES: This study was to examine the relationship between health literacy (HL) and health behaviors in the South Bohemia Region in the Czech Republic (CR) and compare them to HL and health behaviors in the Visegrád group countries (Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, and Slovakia). The paper reports the results from the research in the CR. STUDY DESIGN: A quantitative descriptive study. METHODS: The sample was stratified by sex and age and included a representative sample of 303 adults. The data were collected using the combination of a country-specific questionnaire with the HLS-EU-16 standardized questionnaire. RESULTS: Exercise was significantly associated with perceived health and HL; those with a lower level of HL did not exercise during the previous month. Based only on full answers (N = 251), inadequate HL was identified in 17.5% of the respondents (44), marginal HL in 31.5% (77), and adequate HL in 51% (128) of the respondents. Nearly 49% of the participants evaluated their health as 'good', 25.7% rated their health as 'very good' and 'satisfactory' by 25.7%. But 41.6% experienced one or more chronic diseases, 37.6% had some limitations to their health, and 20.5% smoked. For alcohol consumption, 26% drank weekly and 23% drank two to three times a month. Exercise varied from never (29.7%) to daily (7.9%). CONCLUSION: Based on our results, we conclude that health behavior risk factors are still present in the South Bohemia region of the CR regardless of levels of HL reported on the HLS-EU-16.

• Klíčová slova
• Active ageing, Behavioral health factors, Health, Health literacy, Visegrád group countries,
• MeSH
• cvičení fyziologie   psychologie   MeSH
• dospělí MeSH
• lidé středního věku MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• mladiství MeSH
• postoj ke zdraví etnologie   MeSH
• průzkumy a dotazníky MeSH
• senioři nad 80 let MeSH
• senioři MeSH
• sociální determinanty zdraví MeSH
• socioekonomické faktory MeSH
• zdravé chování etnologie   MeSH
• zdravotní gramotnost statistika a číselné údaje   MeSH
• Check Tag
• dospělí MeSH
• lidé středního věku MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• mladiství MeSH
• mužské pohlaví MeSH
• senioři nad 80 let MeSH
• senioři MeSH
• ženské pohlaví MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• Geografické názvy
• Česká republika MeSH
• Maďarsko MeSH
• Polsko MeSH
• Slovenská republika MeSH

AIM: This paper presents the Czech national pilot project - the first educational course of Romany health and social assistants for community work with the Romany population in excluded communities. BACKGROUND: The Romany people are the biggest minority in the Czech Republic. The number is ever increasing because of the migration from South-East Europe. At the same time, the health and social problems of the Romany population are rising, too. To begin to address some of the health problems of this population, a pilot community project entitled Romany Health and Social Assistant was implemented in the years 2002-2004 in Ostrava. Ostrava is the third largest city and has the largest Romany population. Based on the outcomes of this project and as part of the national project SASTIPEN - Reduction of Health Inequalities in the Romany Community, the systematic education of selected Romany health and social assistants was carried out in 2005-2007. CONCLUSIONS: These trained Romany assistants are now working in the regions of the Czech Republic where inhabitants live in large Romany communities. The project evaluation was based on a questionnaire investigation of 170 clients living in Romany communities and on the statements of Romany health assistants. They found positive outcomes in several areas: obtaining information on health, motivation to healthy lifestyle, concrete changes in lifestyle and boosting trust towards doctors. Following the end of the project and its evaluation, an educational course will be accredited and certified, and the education of Romany assistants will be widespread across the whole country.

• MeSH
• cíle organizace MeSH
• disparity zdravotní péče organizace a řízení   MeSH
• disparity zdravotního stavu MeSH
• doškolování organizace a řízení   MeSH
• dospělí MeSH
• emigranti a imigranti MeSH
• hodnocení programu MeSH
• hodnocení výsledků zdravotní péče MeSH
• interprofesionální vztahy MeSH
• kurikulum MeSH
• lidé středního věku MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• menšiny MeSH
• oprávnění k praxi MeSH
• pilotní projekty MeSH
• postoj ke zdraví etnologie   MeSH
• role odborníka MeSH
• Romové výchova   etnologie   MeSH
• výběr pracovníků MeSH
• zaměstnanost organizace a řízení   MeSH
• zdravotní pomocníci v komunitě výchova   organizace a řízení   psychologie   MeSH
• Check Tag
• dospělí MeSH
• lidé středního věku MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• ženské pohlaví MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• hodnotící studie MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH
• Geografické názvy
• Česká republika MeSH

In the framework of the Central European Study on Air pollution and Respiratory Health (CESAR), a risk perception and risk communication study was carried out in a total of 25 areas in Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Romania and the Slovak Republic. This paper is focused on the differences of perception between the Czech (CR) and the Slovak Republic (SR), and the other involved countries. The analysis is based on the data of a structured risk perception questionnaire survey of a random population sample. 6,043 completed questionnaires were collected from the total number of 14,400 distributed ones in 25 areas of the 6 countries. The risk perception was different in the CR and the SR, mainly concerning local environment and health of children in the CR and drug abuse including alcohol consumption and AIDS in the SR. In both countries environmental and health problems were seen as important, but the perceived responsibility for finding a solution was placed with different kinds of institutions.

• MeSH
• dospělí MeSH
• hodnocení rizik * MeSH
• komunikace MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• postoj ke zdraví etnologie   MeSH
• průzkumy a dotazníky MeSH
• veřejné mínění * MeSH
• zdravotní priority MeSH
• znečištění ovzduší statistika a číselné údaje   MeSH
• znečištění životního prostředí statistika a číselné údaje   MeSH
• Check Tag
• dospělí MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• Geografické názvy
• východní Evropa epidemiologie   MeSH