BACKGROUND: Czech nutrition recommendations prioritize health aspects without considering affordability. Low socio-economic groups have the highest risk of nutrition-related noncommunicable diseases and cost has been identified as an obstacle to achieve a healthy diet, making the implementation of affordability into dietary guidelines necessary. The aim of this study was to develop a food basket (FB) for a low income Czech family of four that is nutritionally adequate, health-promoting and culturally acceptable at an affordable price. METHODS: Linear programming optimisation was used to ascertain that the FB covered the recommended nutrient intakes from the Czech Nutrition Society and from the World Health Organization (WHO). Cost of the FB was calculated on the basis of more than 3900 prices of 330 foods. Within a given cost constraint, all FBs were optimized for the highest possible similarity to the reported food group intake according to the most recent Czech National Food Consumption survey, which was used as a proxy for cultural acceptability. RESULTS: The optimised FB affordable at a daily food budget for a Czech family on minimum wage (CZK 177, ~ € 6.8) contained 76 foods and had an average relative deviation of 10% per food category from reported intake. The main deviations were: 72% less sweets and confectionery; 66% less salt; 52% less meat; 50% less milk products; 8% less potatoes; and 484% more milk; 69% more oils and fats; 20% more cereals; and 6% more vegetables. CONCLUSIONS: The optimised FB can help to guide the development of food-based dietary guidelines for low income households in Czech Republic.

• Keywords
• Affordable diet, Cultural acceptability, Food-based dietary guidelines (FBDGs), Linear programming, Low socio-economic status, Nutritionally adequate diet,
• MeSH
• Poverty economics   MeSH
• Diet economics   methods   MeSH
• Child MeSH
• Adult MeSH
• Culturally Competent Care methods   MeSH
• Middle Aged MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Adolescent MeSH
• Nutritive Value MeSH
• Health Promotion economics   methods   MeSH
• Nutrition Policy economics   MeSH
• Check Tag
• Child MeSH
• Adult MeSH
• Middle Aged MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Adolescent MeSH
• Male MeSH
• Female MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH
• Geographicals
• Czech Republic MeSH

BACKGROUND: Many studies have examined the socioeconomic variations in smoking and quitting rates across the European region; however, data from Central and East European countries, where the tobacco burden is especially high, are sparse. This study aimed to assess the patterns in current and past smoking prevalence based on cross-sectional data from a Central European urban population sample. METHODS: Data from 2160 respondents aged 25-64 years in Brno, Czech Republic were collected in 2013-2014 using the Czech post-MONICA survey questionnaire to assess the prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors, including smoking status. The age- and sex-stratified randomized sample was drawn using health insurance registries. Descriptive statistics and quit ratios were calculated, and chi-square and multivariate logistic analyses conducted to examine relationships between current and past smoking and demographic (age, gender, marital status) and socioeconomic variables (education, income, occupation). RESULTS: The prevalence of current and past smoking was 23.6 and 31.3 % among men and 20.5 and 23.2 % among women, respectively. Education reliably predicted smoking and quitting rates in both genders. Among men, being unemployed was associated with greater odds of smoking (OR 3.6; 1.6-8.1) and lower likelihood of quitting (OR 0.2: 0.1-0.6); the likelihood of quitting also increased with age (OR 1.8; 1.2-2.8). Among women, marital status (being married) decreased the odds of current smoking (OR 0.6; 0.4-0.9) and increased the odds of quitting (OR 2.2; 1.2-3.9). Quit ratios were the lowest in the youngest age group (25-34 years) where quitting was more strongly associated with middle income (OR 2.7; 95 % CI 1.2-5.9) than with higher education (OR 2.9; 95 % CI 0.9-8.2). CONCLUSIONS: Interventions to increase cessation rates and reduce smoking prevalence need to be gender-specific and carefully tailored to the needs of the disadvantaged groups of the population, especially the less well-off young adults. Future studies should examine the equity impact of the tobacco control policies and be inclusive of the Central and East European countries.

• Keywords
• Central and Eastern Europe, Cross-sectional survey, Inequalities, Smoking cessation, Socioeconomic status, Tobacco,
• MeSH
• Adult MeSH
• Cardiovascular Diseases epidemiology   MeSH
• Smoking epidemiology   MeSH
• Middle Aged MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Urban Population MeSH
• Smoking Cessation statistics & numerical data   MeSH
• Prevalence MeSH
• Cross-Sectional Studies MeSH
• Risk Factors MeSH
• Sex Factors MeSH
• Socioeconomic Factors MeSH
• Age Factors MeSH
• Check Tag
• Adult MeSH
• Middle Aged MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Male MeSH
• Female MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH
• Geographicals
• Czech Republic epidemiology   MeSH

Several studies have examined the relationship of high and low air temperatures to cardiovascular mortality in the Czech Republic. Much less is understood about heat-/cold-related cardiovascular morbidity and possible regional differences. This paper compares the effects of warm and cold days on excess mortality and morbidity for cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) in the city of Prague and a rural region of southern Bohemia during 1994-2009. Population size and age structure are similar in the two regions. The results are evaluated for selected population groups (men and women). Excess mortality (number of deaths) and morbidity (number of hospital admissions) were determined as differences between observed and expected daily values, the latter being adjusted for long-term changes, annual and weekly cycles, and epidemics of influenza/acute respiratory infections. Generally higher relative excess CVD mortality on warm days than on cold days was identified in both regions. In contrast to mortality, weak excess CVD morbidity was observed for both warm and cold days. Different responses of individual CVDs to heat versus cold stress may be caused by the different nature of each CVD and different physiological processes induced by heat or cold stress. The slight differences between Prague and southern Bohemia in response to heat versus cold stress suggest the possible influence of environmental and socioeconomic factors such as the effects of urban heat island and exposure to air pollution, lifestyle differences, and divergence in population structure, which may result in differing vulnerability of urban versus rural population to temperature extremes.

• MeSH
• Adult MeSH
• Hospitalization statistics & numerical data   MeSH
• Cardiovascular Diseases epidemiology   mortality   MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Urban Population statistics & numerical data   MeSH
• Morbidity MeSH
• Cold Temperature MeSH
• Rural Population statistics & numerical data   MeSH
• Hot Temperature MeSH
• Check Tag
• Adult MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Male MeSH
• Female MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH
• Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't MeSH
• Geographicals
• Czech Republic epidemiology   MeSH

STUDY OBJECTIVE: To ascertain, whether, conventional risk factors and readiness of coronary patients to modify their behaviour and to comply with recommended medication were associated with education in patients with established coronary heart disease. DESIGN AND METHODS: EUROASPIRE II was a cross sectional survey undertaken in 1999-2000 in 15 European countries to ascertain how effectively recommendations on coronary preventions are being followed in clinical practice. Consecutive patients, men and women

• MeSH
• Patient Compliance statistics & numerical data   MeSH
• Adult MeSH
• Cholesterol, HDL blood   MeSH
• Hypolipidemic Agents administration & dosage   MeSH
• Body Mass Index MeSH
• Cardiovascular Agents administration & dosage   MeSH
• Coronary Disease blood   psychology   therapy   MeSH
• Blood Glucose analysis   MeSH
• Blood Pressure MeSH
• Middle Aged MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Odds Ratio MeSH
• Cross-Sectional Studies MeSH
• Risk Factors MeSH
• Aged MeSH
• Sex Factors MeSH
• Drug Utilization MeSH
• Educational Status MeSH
• Health Behavior * MeSH
• Health Surveys MeSH
• Check Tag
• Adult MeSH
• Middle Aged MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Male MeSH
• Aged MeSH
• Female MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH
• Multicenter Study MeSH
• Geographicals
• Europe MeSH
• Names of Substances
• Cholesterol, HDL MeSH
• Hypolipidemic Agents MeSH
• Cardiovascular Agents MeSH
• Blood Glucose MeSH

STUDY OBJECTIVES: To examine whether psychosocial factors at work are related to self rated health in post-communist countries. DESIGN AND SETTINGS: Random samples of men and women in five communities in four countries were sent a postal questionnaire (Poland, Czech Republic and Lithuania) or were invited to an interview (Hungary). Working subjects (n=3941) reported their self rated health in the past 12 months (5 point scale), their socioeconomic circumstances, perceived control over life, and the following aspects of the psychosocial work environment: job control, job demand, job variety, social support, and effort and reward at work (to calculate a ratio of effort/reward imbalance). As the results did not differ by country, pooled analyses were performed. Odds ratios of poor or very poor health ("poor health") were estimated for a 1 SD increase in the scores of work related factors. MAIN RESULTS: The overall prevalence of poor health was 6% in men and 7% in women. After controlling for age, sex and community, all work related factors were associated with poor health (p<0.05). After further adjustment for perceived control, only two work related factors remained associated with poor health; the odds ratios (95% confidence intervals) for 1 SD increase in the effort/reward ratio (log transformed) and job variety were 1.51 (1.29, 1.78) and 0.82 (0.73, 1.00), respectively. Further adjustment for all work related factors did not change these estimates. There were no interactions between individual work related factors, but the effects of job control and social support at work differed by marital status, and the odds ratio of job demand increased with increasing education. CONCLUSIONS: The continuous measure of effort/reward imbalance at work was a powerful determinant of self rated health in these post-communist populations. Although the cross sectional design does not allow firm conclusions as to causality, this study suggests that the effect of the psychosocial work environment is not confined to Western populations.

• MeSH
• Adult MeSH
• Middle Aged MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Adolescent MeSH
• Odds Ratio MeSH
• Attitude to Health MeSH
• Workplace psychology   MeSH
• Prevalence MeSH
• Cross-Sectional Studies MeSH
• Surveys and Questionnaires MeSH
• Health Status * MeSH
• Health Surveys * MeSH
• Check Tag
• Adult MeSH
• Middle Aged MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Adolescent MeSH
• Male MeSH
• Female MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH
• Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't MeSH
• Geographicals
• Czech Republic epidemiology   MeSH
• Lithuania epidemiology   MeSH
• Hungary epidemiology   MeSH
• Poland epidemiology   MeSH

AIMS: To investigate the effects of parental smoking, socioeconomic characteristics, and indoor environment on the risk of invasive meningococcal disease in children. METHODS: Population based case-control study. A total of 68 incident cases of invasive meningococcal disease in children less than 15 years old were compared with 135 controls selected from the same school and matched for year of birth, sex, and place of residence. Information on exposures was obtained in interviews with parents. RESULTS: Invasive meningococcal disease was strongly associated with parental smoking; rate ratios adjusted for socioeconomic factors were 3.5 (95% confidence interval 1.4-8.7) for smoking of mother, 3.2 (1.5-6.9) for smoking of father, and 2.7 (1.3-5.4) for every 20 cigarettes smoked at home on an average day. The risk of the disease was strongly inversely related to maternal education and, less strongly, to ownership of a car and of a weekend house, father's education, crowding, and the number of siblings, but these associations were reduced or eliminated in multivariate models. The type of heating and cooking (used as proxies for indoor air pollution) were not associated with the disease. CONCLUSION: The risk of invasive meningococcal disease in children is strongly influenced by parental smoking and unfavourable socioeconomic circumstances.

• MeSH
• Family Characteristics MeSH
• Child MeSH
• Confidence Intervals MeSH
• Infant MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Meningococcal Infections etiology   MeSH
• Adolescent MeSH
• Multivariate Analysis MeSH
• Crowding MeSH
• Infant, Newborn MeSH
• Child, Preschool MeSH
• Risk Factors MeSH
• Parents MeSH
• Socioeconomic Factors MeSH
• Case-Control Studies MeSH
• Educational Status MeSH
• Tobacco Smoke Pollution adverse effects   MeSH
• Check Tag
• Child MeSH
• Infant MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Adolescent MeSH
• Male MeSH
• Infant, Newborn MeSH
• Child, Preschool MeSH
• Female MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH
• Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't MeSH
• Names of Substances
• Tobacco Smoke Pollution MeSH

OBJECTIVE: To study the association between own education, adult and parental circumstances and the risk of myocardial infarction in a former communist country. DESIGN: Population based case-control study. SETTING: General population of five districts of the Czech Republic in the age group 25-64 years. PARTICIPANTS: Random sample of population (938 men and 1048 women, response rate 77%) served as controls to 282 male and 80 female cases of non-fatal first myocardial infarctions. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Myocardial infarction was defined by the WHO MONICA criteria based on ECG, enzymes and symptoms. The following socioeconomic indicators were studied: own education, crowded housing conditions (more than one person per room), car ownership, and education and occupation of mother and father. RESULTS: There was a weak correlation between education and car ownership, and a strong association between own education and parental education and occupation. Crowding was not related to other socioeconomic factors. The risk of myocardial infarction was inversely related to education, and was unrelated to material conditions and parental education and occupation. The age-sex-district adjusted odds ratios for apprenticeship, secondary, and university education, compared with primary education, were 0.87, 0.74 and 0.46, respectively (p for trend 0.009); odds ratios for car ownership and crowding were 1.01 (95% confidence intervals 0.77, 1.34) and 0.92 (0.76, 1.12), respectively. Further adjustment for parental circumstances and adult height did not change these estimates but adjustment for coronary risk factors reduced the gradient. Increased height seemed, anomalously, to confer a small increased risk. CONCLUSIONS: In this population, the social gradient in non-fatal myocardial infarction is only apparent for own education. Materialist explanations for this gradient seem unlikely but behaviours seem responsible for a part of the gradient.

• MeSH
• Adult MeSH
• Myocardial Infarction epidemiology   MeSH
• Middle Aged MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Risk Factors MeSH
• Socioeconomic Factors MeSH
• Case-Control Studies MeSH
• Educational Status MeSH
• Check Tag
• Adult MeSH
• Middle Aged MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Male MeSH
• Female MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH
• Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't MeSH
• Geographicals
• Czech Republic epidemiology   MeSH