Faculty of Medicine

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    Item type:Publication,
    Prevalence of the Respiratory Allergies among Adult Population in the City of Skopje in Relation to Climatic Change and Change in Pollen Micro Flora
    (Scientific Research Publishing, Inc., 2012)
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    Kendrovski, Vladimir
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    Milkovska, Snezana
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    Introduction: Climate change may have an impact of prevalence and severity of respiratory allergies causing changes in the concentrations, distribution, dispersion patterns, and allergenic potential of aeroallergens in the environment. Objective: To assess the prevalence of atopy, sensitization to common pollen allergens, and respiratory allergies (aller-gic rhinitis and asthma) among adult population in the city of Skopje in relation to changes in pollen distributions caused by climate change and particularly maximum temperature, in the period 1996-2010. Methods: Aeropalinologi-cal measurements in the city of Skopje were performed by volumetric method in the period 1996-2009. Serial cross-sectional studies on the prevalence of atopy, sensitization to common pollen allergens, allergic rhinitis and asthma in adults by standardized methodology were conducted in defined critical periods (1996, 2003, 2007/2008 and 2009/2010). Evaluation of examined subjects included completion of a questionnaire, skin prick tests (SPT) to common inhalant allergens, and lung function tests. Results: Data from aeropalinological measurements showed differences in the pollen concentrations, as well as in the duration of pollen season for some pollen types. The prevalence of atopics was similar in all critical periods, and the prevalence of sensitization to common pollen allergens was slightly higher in the last study than in the study performed in 1996. We registered increase in the prevalence of allergic rhinitis in the examined period (11.5% in 1996 to 17.4% in 2009/2010) followed by increase in the prevalence of rhinitics sensitized to common pollen allergens. The prevalence of allergic asthma was significantly higher in the study conducted in 2009/2010 than in the study conducted in 1996 (5.1% vs. 2.1%, P = 0.037) followed by slightly higher prevalence of asthmatics sensitized to common pollen allergens in the same period. Conclusions: Registered changes in the preva-lence of sensitization to common pollen allergens, as well as in the prevalence of subjects with respiratory allergies sen-sitized to these allergens, even statistically non-significant, indicate the need of further monitoring and investigation in order to assess the association between climate change with change in pollen micro flora and related allergic disorders.
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    Item type:Publication,
    Functional Foods in Macedonia: Consumers’ Perspective and Public Health Policy
    (ID Design 2012/DOOEL Skopje, 2013-12-15)
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    Milosevic, Jasna
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    Kendrovski, Vladimir
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    Naunova-Spiroska, Daniela
    Background: The objective of our study was to explore the knowledge, attitudes and practices of Macedonian consumers towards functional foods, to predict future trends and to assess the national public health policies encompassing the functional foods market. Methods: Total of 518 respondents aged 18+, from all regions in the country participated in the study. They were sampled through three-staged national representative sampling procedures. The questionnaire comprised questions regarding the level of information about functional foods, trust in health claims, frequency of consumption and knowledge and attitudes related to those foods. Statistical significance was determined at p<0.05. Results: Respondents aged 18-34 were more informed compared to the total population (22 and 16 % respectively, p<0.05). Most of the consumers consume these products once a day. Employed consumers were willing to increase daily consumption from 3 to 18 % (p<0.05). On average 65.1% of the statements assessing knowledge were answered correctly. On a scale from -3 to +3 functional foods were considered as very healthy (mean=2.03, SD=1.42). Conclusion: On average, Macedonian consumers have a positive attitude and high expectations of functional foods. Public health policies still lag when compared to comprehensive approach of the food industry in market placement of these products.
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    Nutritional status and growth parameters of school-age Roma children in the Republic of Macedonia
    (2011-06)
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    Dimitrovska, Zlatanka
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    Mikik, Vladimir
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    Efremova-Stefanoska, Vesna
    Main objective of the study was to assess the nutritional status of school age Roma children in Macedonia in order to detect precursors of possible health risks at an early age. The study was designed as a comparative case control study. Study group consisted of 229 Roma school children from the 1st and 272 from the 5th grade residing in different towns in Macedonia. The control group was recruited from other than Roma ethnic background and consisted of 283 children attending 1st and 356 children attending 5th grade. Every participant was measured for his/hers body height and weight. The t-test and Chi square (Chi2) were applied to test statistical significance of variables. The WHO's AnthroPlus software was applied to assess growth parameters and population at risk. There were significant differences in values of the body weight (p = 0.001) and height (p = 0.001) between Roma and non-Roma children attending the 1st grade of primary school. Weight-for-age, height-for-age and BMI-for-age indexes of the 1st grade children significantly differred in in the same intervals of SD (> or = -2SD and < -1SD; > or = -1SD and median; > +1SD and < or = +2SD; between Roma and non-Roma 5th graders. Anthropometric parameters of nutritional status of Roma children in Macedonia are significantly different than those of their non-Roma peers. Their health risks are predominantly related to underweight. The parameters related to health risks of overweight or obesity are lower in Roma than in non-Roma children.