Natasa Zenic

Substance use and misuse among 17- to 18-year-old Croatian adolescents: correlation with scholastic variables and sport factors.

Substance use and misuse (SUM) and the relation to physical activity/exercise/athletic participation (sport factors) and scholastic achievement are rarely studied in Croatia. The aim of this study was: (1) to investigate the SUM habits in Croatian adolescents (17–18 years of age, 254 males, and 218 females), and (2) to study potential gender-specific interrelationships between scholastic and sport factors in relation to SUM. The testing was done using an extensive, anonymous, self-administered questionnaire that consisted of scholastic variables, sport factors, and SUM data. Descriptive statistics, counts, and proportions were calculated. Gender differences were established using the Kruskal–Wallis test. Gender-specific correlations within and between studied variables were established using the Spearmans correlation. The incidence of smoking habits and alcohol consumption among Croatian adolescents was alarming, and a serious intervention program should be developed to address this issue. Educational achievement was negatively related to SUM, with no gender-specific relationships. The data indicated some “protective” effects of the sport factors against SUM in boys, but a significant positive correlation between alcohol drinking and sport participation in girls was also noted.

Religiousness as a Factor of Hesitation Against Doping Behavior in College-Age Athletes

Religiousness is rarely studied as protective factor against substance use and misuse in sport. Further, we have found no investigation where college-age athletes were sampled and studied accordingly. The aim of the present study was to identify gender-specific protective effects of the religiousness (measured by Santa Clara Questionnaire) and other social, educational, and sport variables as a potential factors of hesitation against doping behaviors in sport-science-students from Mostar, Bosnia, and Herzegovina (51 women and 111 men; age range, 18–26). The gender differences for the non-parametric variables were established by Kruskall–Wallis test, while for the parametric variables the t-test for independent samples was used. Multiple regression calculations revealed religiousness as the most significant predictor of the social, health, sport and legal factors of hesitation against doping behaviors in both genders. However, the differential influence of the social, educational, sport and religious factors in relation to negative consequences of the doping behaviors is found for men and women. Such differential influence must be emphasized in tailoring the anti-doping policy and interventions.

Substance Use and Misuse and Potential Doping Behaviour in Rugby Union Players

The aims of this investigation were to compile evidence on substance-use-and-misuse (SUM) and to identify factors related to potential-doping-behaviour (PDB) in rugby union. The subjects were 105 rugby athletes (all males; 23.4 ± 4.1 years; 99% respondents). The variables included socio-demographic factors, SUM-data, sport-factors, knowledge-on-doping (KD), and PDB. Data showed high alcohol consumption, with more than 30% of the athletes binge drinking at least once per week. Approximately 52% of the subjects used dietary-supplementation (DS) and 23% reported PDB, whereas 55% believed that doping is present in rugby. Forward conditional logistic regression revealed that less rugby experience (OR:1.286; 95%CI:1.058–1.563; p < 0.05), less smoking (OR:2.034; 95%CI:1.100–3.760; p < 0.05), higher DS usage (OR:5.543; 95%CI:1.666–18.444; p < 0.01), and a stronger belief that doping is present in rugby (OR:0.305; 95%CI:0.066–0.638; p < 0.01) were significant predictors of PDB. The high PDB and alcohol consumption warrant a serious intervention on these problems in rugby.

Gender-Specific Analyses of the Prevalence and Factors Associated with Substance Use and Misuse among Bosniak Adolescents

Ethnicity and religion are known to be important factors associated with substance use and misuse (SUM). Ethnic Bosniaks, Muslims by religion, are the third largest ethnic group in the territory of the former Yugoslavia, but no study has examined SUM patterns among them. The aim of this study was to explore the prevalence of SUM and to examine scholastic-, familial- and sport-factors associated with SUM in adolescent Bosniaks from Bosnia-and-Herzegovina. The sample comprised 970 17-to-18-year-old adolescents (48% boys). Testing was performed using an previously validated questionnaire investigating socio-demographic-factors, scholastic-variables, and sport-factors, cigarette smoking, alcohol drinking, simultaneous smoking and drinking (multiple SUM), and the consumption of other drugs. The 30% of boys and 32% of girls smoke (OR = 1.13; 95% CI = 0.86–1.49), 41% of boys and 27% of girls are defined as harmful alcohol drinkers (OR = 1.94; 95% CI = 1.48–2.54), multiple SUM is prevalent in 17% of boys and 15% of girls (OR = 1.11; 95% CI = 0.79–1.56), while the consumption of other drugs, including sedatives, is higher in girls (6% and 15% for boys and girls, respectively; OR = 2.98; 95% CI = 1.89–4.70). Scholastic achievement is negatively associated with SUM. SUM is more prevalent in those girls who report higher income, and boys who report a worse familial financial situation. The study revealed more negative than positive associations between sport participation and SUM, especially among girls. Results can help public health authorities to develop more effective prevention campaign against SUM in adolescence.

Harmful Alcohol Drinking Among Adolescents: The Influence of Sport Participation, Religiosity, and Parental Factors

Studies that have investigated the potential protective/risk factors for alcohol drinking in Bosnia and Herzegovina and surrounding countries are lacking. The aim of this study was to examine the gender-specific protective/risk factors for harmful alcohol drinking among adolescents in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The study sample was composed of 1,015 17- to 18-year-old adolescents (426 boys and 589 girls). The logistic analysis predictors were as follows: parental monitoring, parents’ education, and sport factors. Among boys, individual sports participation, higher paternal education, and lower self-reported conflict with parents were protective factors against harmful drinking. Among girls, higher conflict with parents was the single significant risk factor for harmful alcohol drinking.

Examination of the community-specific prevalence of and factors associated with substance use and misuse among rural and urban adolescents: a cross-sectional analysis in Bosnia and Herzegovina

Objective The community of residence (ie, urban vs rural) is one of the known factors of influence on substance use and misuse (SUM). The aim of this study was to explore the community-specific prevalence of SUM and the associations that exist between scholastic, familial, sports and sociodemographic factors with SUM in adolescents from Bosnia and Herzegovina. Methods In this cross-sectional study, which was completed between November and December 2014, the participants were 957 adolescents (aged 17 to 18 years) from Bosnia and Herzegovina (485; 50.6% females). The independent variables were sociodemographic, academic, sport and familial factors. The dependent variables consisted of questions on cigarette smoking and alcohol consumption. We have calculated differences between groups of participants (gender, community), while the logistic regressions were applied to define associations between the independent and dependent variables. Results In the urban community, cigarette smoking is more prevalent in girls (OR=2.05; 95% CI 1.27 to 3.35), while harmful drinking is more prevalent in boys (OR=2.07; 95% CI 1.59 to 2.73). When data are weighted by gender and community, harmful drinking is more prevalent in urban boys (OR=1.97; 95% CI 1.31 to 2.95), cigarette smoking is more frequent in rural boys (OR=1.61; 95% CI 1.04 to 2.39), and urban girls misuse substances to a greater extent than rural girls (OR=1.70; 95% CI 1.16 to 2.51,OR=2.85; 95% CI 1.88 to 4.31,OR=2.78; 95% CI 1.67 to 4.61 for cigarette smoking, harmful drinking and simultaneous smoking-drinking, respectively). Academic failure is strongly associated with a higher likelihood of SUM. The associations between parental factors and SUM are more evident in urban youth. Sports factors are specifically correlated with SUM for urban girls. Conclusions Living in an urban environment should be considered as a higher risk factor for SUM in girls. Parental variables are more strongly associated with SUM among urban youth, most probably because of the higher parental involvement in children’ personal lives in urban communities (ie, college plans, for example). Specific indicators should be monitored in the prevention of SUM.

Gender-specific predictors of cigarette smoking in adolescents : an analysis of sport participation, parental factors and religiosity as protective/risk factors

Previous studies reported particularly high incidence of cigarette smoking among adolescents in Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H) but there is evident lack of investigations which systematically investigated the potential protective/risk factors of smoking in B&H and surrounding countries. The aim of this study was to examine the gender-specific protective/risk factors (predictors) for daily smoking among adolescents, residents of Herzegovina-Neretva County in B&H. The study sample comprised 1036 17- to 18-year-old adolescents (435 boys and 601 girls, all of whom were in their last year of high school). The predictors included factors of parental monitoring, parents’ educational level, sport factors and religiosity of the participants. A forward stepwise conditional logistic regression analysis with single dichotomous criterion (daily smoking vs. non-smoking) was applied. Regression model revealed lower maternal education (OR: 0.69; CI: 0.53–0.91), lower level of conflict with parents (OR: 1.44; CI: 1.12–1.83) and advanced individual sport participation (OR: 0.66; CI: 0.48–0.92) as protective factors of smoking; while advance team sport participation was strong risk factor of daily smoking for boys (OR: 2.17; CI: 1.53–3.10). Among girls, the higher level of conflict with parents is found to be a factor of increased risk for daily smoking (OR: 2.17; CI: 1.61–2.91). Further studies are needed to explain the issue for the entire geographic territory while observing some possible confounding factors (i.e. school monitoring of smoking, financial status, etc.)

Supplementation with Guanidinoacetic Acid in Women with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

A variety of dietary interventions has been used in the management of chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), yet no therapeutic modality has demonstrated conclusive positive results in terms of effectiveness. The main aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of orally administered guanidinoacetic acid (GAA) on multidimensional fatigue inventory (MFI), musculoskeletal soreness, health-related quality of life, exercise performance, screening laboratory studies, and the occurrence of adverse events in women with CFS. Twenty-one women (age 39.3 ± 8.8 years, weight 62.8 ± 8.5 kg, height 169.5 ± 5.8 cm) who fulfilled the 1994 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention criteria for CFS were randomized in a double-blind, cross-over design, from 1 September 2014 through 31 May 2015, to receive either GAA (2.4 grams per day) or placebo (cellulose) by oral administration for three months, with a two-month wash-out period. No effects of intervention were found for the primary efficacy outcome (MFI score for general fatigue), and musculoskeletal pain at rest and during activity. After three months of intervention, participants receiving GAA significantly increased muscular creatine levels compared with the placebo group (36.3% vs. 2.4%; p < 0.01). Furthermore, changes from baseline in muscular strength and aerobic power were significantly greater in the GAA group compared with placebo (p < 0.05). Results from this study indicated that supplemental GAA can positively affect creatine metabolism and work capacity in women with CFS, yet GAA had no effect on main clinical outcomes, such as general fatigue and musculoskeletal soreness.

Alcohol Drinking Among Kosovar Adolescents: An Examination of Gender-Specific Sociodemographic, Sport, and Familial Factors Associated With Harmful Drinking

ABSTRACT Background: Adolescent alcohol consumption is a significant public-health problem, although there is a lack of studies investigating this issue in Kosovo. Objectives: The aim of this investigation was to examine the prevalence of alcohol drinking, and the factors associated with harmful drinking (HD) in Kosovar 17–18 years old adolescents. Methods: The sample comprised 636 girls and 366 boys (17–18 years old) from Pristina, Kosovo. The independent variables included sociodemographic factors, variables examining familial-monitoring and conflict (familial-variables), and sport-factors. Alcohol-drinking (dependent variable) was measured by means of the alcohol use disorders identification test scale. Results: 39% of the girls and 43% of the boys reported HD (odds ratio (OR) = 1.17; 95% confidence interval = 0.90–1.55). A higher likelihood of HD is found for those girls whose mothers have an advanced education (OR = 1.59), who reported a higher level of conflict with their parents (OR = 1.95), whose parents are frequently absent from home (OR = 1.93), and who reported lower religiosity (OR = 0.90). HD is more frequent among boys who have participated longer in sports (OR = 1.49), whose fathers have an advanced education (OR = 1.80), and who reported higher level of familial conflict (OR = 2.87). Conclusions/Importance: The prevalence of HD is high. Knowing the problems related to alcohol drinking in girls (violence, trafficking, etc.), public-health authorities should urgently develop a specific preventive programme (SPP) to combat the misuse of alcohol. In preparing SPP, special attention should be paid to the varying influences of the studied factors on HD in boys and girls.

An Examination of the Ethnicity-Specific Prevalence of and Factors Associated with Substance Use and Misuse: Cross-Sectional Analysis of Croatian and Bosniak Adolescents in Bosnia and Herzegovina

Substance use and misuse (SUM) in adolescence is a significant public health problem and the extent to which adolescents exhibit SUM behaviors differs across ethnicity. This study aimed to explore the ethnicity-specific and gender-specific associations among sports factors, familial factors, and personal satisfaction with physical appearance (i.e., covariates) and SUM in a sample of adolescents from Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina. In this cross-sectional study the participants were 1742 adolescents (17–18 years of age) from Bosnia and Herzegovina who were in their last year of high school education (high school seniors). The sample comprised 772 Croatian (558 females) and 970 Bosniak (485 females) adolescents. Variables were collected using a previously developed and validated questionnaire that included questions on SUM (alcohol drinking, cigarette smoking, and consumption of other drugs), sport factors, parental education, socioeconomic status, and satisfaction with physical appearance and body weight. The consumption of cigarettes remains high (37% of adolescents smoke cigarettes), with a higher prevalence among Croatians. Harmful drinking is also alarming (evidenced in 28.4% of adolescents). The consumption of illicit drugs remains low with 5.7% of adolescents who consume drugs, with a higher prevalence among Bosniaks. A higher likelihood of engaging in SUM is found among children who quit sports (for smoking and drinking), boys who perceive themselves to be good looking (for smoking), and girls who are not satisfied with their body weight (for smoking). Higher maternal education is systematically found to be associated with greater SUM in Bosniak girls. Information on the associations presented herein could be discretely disseminated as a part of regular school administrative functions. The results warrant future prospective studies that more precisely identify the causality among certain variables.