The prevalence of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) is increasing, partly due to a lack of physical activity. In a cross-sectional study with 18,216 pupils (5th, 6th, and 8th grades) from four Croatian counties using the forward bend test (FBT; presumed AIS), the prevalence of AIS and its correlation with physical activity were evaluated. Pupils with presumed AIS were less physically active than their peers without scoliosis (p < 0.001). Abnormal FBT was more prevalent among girls than boys (8.3% vs. 3.2%). Boys were more physically active than girls (p < 0.001). Pupils with presumed AIS were less physically active than their peers without scoliosis (p < 0.001). A higher prevalence of presumed AIS was found among inactive or just recreationally active schoolchildren than among those engaged in organized sports (p = 0.001), girls especially. Pupils with presumed AIS were less active and had fewer weekly sports sessions than their peers without scoliosis (p < 0.001). Notably low prevalence of AIS was detected among pupils engaged in soccer (2.8%, p < 0.001), handball (3.4%, p = 0.002), and martial arts (3.9%, p = 0.006), while it was higher than expected in swimming (8.6%, p = 0.012), dancing (7.7%, p = 0.024), and volleyball (8.2%, p = 0.001) participants. No difference was detected for other sports. A positive correlation was found between time spent using handheld electronic devices and the prevalence of scoliosis (r_s = 0.06, p < 0.01). This study confirms the increasing prevalence of AIS, particularly among less athletic girls. Further, prospective studies in this field are required to explain whether the higher prevalence of AIS in these sports is due to referral or other aspects.

To assess awareness and use of evidence-based medicine (EBM) databases and The Cochrane Library among physicians in Croatia. A cross-sectional study with a telephone survey was performed among 573 physicians (88.6% response rate from 647 contacted physicians) from family practice and 4 major university hospital centers in Croatia. The main outcome measures were physicians' awareness of The Cochrane Collaboration, awareness and use of The Cochrane Library, access to EBM databases, and access to internet at work. Overall, 54% of respondents said they had access to EBM databases, but when asked which databases they used, they named mostly non-EBM databases. The question on the highest level of evidence in EBM was correctly answered by 53% respondents, 30% heard of The Cochrane Collaboration, and 34% heard about The Cochrane Library. They obtained information about The Cochrane Library mostly from colleagues and research articles, whereas the information about EBM was gained mainly during continuous medical education. There were more respondents who thought The Cochrane Library could help them in practice (58%) than those who heard about The Cochrane Library (30%). Only 20% of the respondents heard about the initiative for the establishment of the Croatian branch of The Cochrane Collaboration. Family physicians had significantly lower level of awareness, knowledge, and use of EBM and The Cochrane Library than physicians from university hospitals. There is low awareness about EBM and The Cochrane Library among physicians in Croatia, which creates a need for educational interventions about EBM for the benefit of health care in Croatia.

To evaluate daily-written 10-question quizzes in a medical anatomy course as a way to integrate assessment into the course and to evaluate their effect on the course success.Students answering correctly 8/10 or more questions were awarded 0.5 points per ...