Eleven early maize (Zea mays) genotypes were evaluated for their yield and yield attributing traits at the research block of Regional Agriculture Research Station (RARS) Lumle, Kaski, Nepal during kharif season of 2016.

Cardiovascular diseases, which are the leading cause of death in Croatia, are linked to the high prevalence of hypertension. Both are associated with high salt intake, which was determined almost two decades ago when Croatian Action on Salt and Health (CRASH) was launched. The main objective of the present study was to evaluate salt, potassium, and iodine intake using a single 24 h urine sample in a random sample of the adult Croatian population and to analyse trends in salt consumption after the CRASH was intensively started. Methods: In this study, we analysed data on 1067 adult participants (mean age 57.12 (SD 13.9), men 35%). Results: Mean salt and potassium intakes were 8.6 g/day (IQR 6.2–11.2) and 2.8 g/day (IQR 2.1–3.5), respectively, with a sodium-to-potassium ratio of 2.6 (IQR 1.8–3.3). We detected a decrease of 17.6% (2 g/day less) in salt consumption compared with our previous salt-mapping study. However, only 13.7% and 8.9% met the WHO salt and potassium recommended targets of 5 g/day and 3.5 g/day, respectively. Salt intake was higher, and potassium ingestion was lower, in rural vs. urban regions and in continental vs. Mediterranean parts of Croatia. Moderate to severe iodine insufficiency was determined in only 3% of the adult participants. Conclusion: In the last fifteen years, salt consumption has been significantly reduced in the Croatian adult population because of the intensive and broad CRASH program. However, salt intake is still too high, and potassium ingestion is too low. Salt reduction programs are the most cost-effective methods of cardiovascular disease prevention and merit greater consideration by the government and health policy makers.

Background: To compare the effectiveness between conventional (face-to-face) and online public health approaches focused on mental health, self-efficacy of health management and quality of life of older adults. Design and methods: Participants will be 65+ residents of the city of Rijeka and the wider urban area and will be divided into three groups. The first group consists of participants who will be included in the conventional (face-to-face) form of public health intervention, the second group consists of participants who will be involved in online public health intervention and the third group consists of participants from the control group. A total of 450 participants will participate in a pretest-posttest non-equivalent groups design research, with 150 participants per group. A series of questionnaires will be administered to evaluate effect of the interventions on mental health, self-efficacy of health management and quality of life. Results of this research will provide insight into the effectiveness of the electronic way of implementing chronic disease self-management interventions compared to conventional (face-to-face) which can be useful to policy makers and public authorities in the organization and implementation of health policies. Expected impact of the study for public health: This research will contribute to the definition, implementation and adaptation of future public health interventions related to mental health, selfefficacy of health management and quality of life in the context of various epidemiological situations such as the current one caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The prevalence of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) use among oncology patients ranges from 30 to 80%, particularly higher in the United States compared to Europe. However, limited research exists on the attitudes of healthcare professionals and oncology patients toward CAM, especially within Western evidence-based medical settings. This study aims to address this gap by assessing CAM use prevalence among healthcare professionals and oncology patients and analyzing their cognitive, affective, and behavioral attitudes. Additionally, it explores the influence of sociodemographic factors and personal experiences on these attitudes. A cross-sectional survey was conducted between November 2022 and May 2023 at University Hospital Center Sisters of Mercy, Zagreb, Croatia. The study included 832 participants: 411 oncology patients and 421 healthcare professionals (100 physicians, 321 nurses/technicians). Data were collected using modified versions of the Health Belief Questionnaire (CHBQ) and Integrative Medicine Attitude Questionnaire (IMAQ). Statistical analysis included descriptive methods and tests such as Chi-square, Mann–Whitney U, Kruskal-Wallis, ANOVA, and post hoc Tukey tests. The results showed that 55.6% of oncology patients and 32.2% of healthcare workers had used CAM at least once. Oncology patients were more likely to use CAM than healthcare professionals, and among healthcare professionals, nurses/technicians used CAM more frequently than physicians. Significant differences in attitudes were observed based on sociodemographic factors. Positive attitudes were more common among women, older adults, individuals with lower education levels, nurses/technicians, those with longer work experience, non-oncology healthcare workers, believers, and those with lower incomes. Marital status and place of residence showed no significant effect. This study highlights a gap between cancer patients’ frequent, unsupervised CAM use and healthcare providers’ often skeptical attitudes, particularly among physicians. The findings underscore the need for targeted education for healthcare professionals, development of CAM management guidelines in oncology, and fostering open dialogue between patients and providers to optimize outcomes. Longitudinal research is recommended to explore CAM’s impact on clinical outcomes.

Cardiovascular diseases, which are the leading cause of death in Croatia, are linked to the high prevalence of hypertension. Both are associated with high salt intake which was determined almost two decades ago when Croatian Action on Salt and Health (CRASH) was launched. The main objective of the present study was to evaluate salt, potassium, and iodine intake using 24-hour urine samples in a random sample of adult Croatian population, and to analyse trends in salt consumption after the CRASH has intensively started. Methods: In this national population-based EH-UH 2 study performed in 2018-2021 (participation rate 72 %) in which we analysed a single 24-hour urine sample, 1067 adult participants (mean age 57.12 (SD 13.9), men 35%) were included. Results: Mean salt and potassium intakes were 8.6 g/day (IQR 6.2-11.2) and 2.8 g/day (IQR 2.1-3.5), respectively, with sodium-to-potassium ratio of 2.6 (IQR 1.8-3.3). We detected a decrease of 17.6% (2 g/day less) in salt consumption compared to our previous salt-mapping study. However, only 13.7%, and 8.9 % met the WHO salt and potassium recommended target of 5 g/day, and 3.5 g/day, respectively. Salt intake was higher, and potassium ingestion was lower in rural vs. urban regions, and in continental vs. Mediterranean parts of Croatia. Moderate to severe iodine insufficiency was determined in only 3% adult participants. Conclusion: In the last fifteen years, salt consumption has been significantly reduced in Croatian adult population because of intensive and broad CRASH program led by the Croatian Society of Hypertension and the Croatian Hypertension League. However, salt intake is still too high, and potassium ingestion is too low. With expected more active engagement and help of the government, obtained results could be significantly improved. Salt reduction programs are most cost-effective methods of cardiovascular disease prevention and should be considered more seriously by the government and health policy makers.

Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) is an important indicator of well-being among older people, especially those living with chronic diseases. Mindfulness-based interventions have shown promise in improving HRQoL. However, in the literature there is a limited number of studies that compare the effectiveness of face-to-face and online mindfulness-based public health interventions. This study aimed to evaluate and compare the effectiveness of face-to-face and online mindfulness-based public health interventions on HRQoL among older people with chronic conditions. A quasi-experimental pre-test–post-test non-randomized study design with non-equivalent groups was conducted among 388 participants aged 65 and older in Rijeka, Croatia. Participants chose to join either a seven-week face-to-face or online mindfulness program or were included in a control group. HRQoL was measured using the SF-12 and EQ-5D-5L questionnaires at baseline and six months post-intervention. Participants in the online intervention showed significant improvements in subjective HRQoL perception regarding physical (p < 0.001, η² = 0.066) and mental dimension (p = 0.052; η² = 0.010) as well as self-assessed health (EQ-5D-5L = p < 0.001, η² = 0.055; EQ-VAS = p < 0.001, η² = 0.067) compared to the control group. The face-to-face group also showed improvements, although to a lesser extent. The control group showed no significant change. Both face-to-face and online mindfulness-based interventions may be associated with improvements in HRQoL among older people with chronic conditions, with the online approach demonstrating slightly greater effects. These findings support the use of online approach in community-based public health interventions targeting older populations.