Background/Objectives: Declining fertility rates pose a major demographic and public health challenge across Europe, including Croatia. Although health literacy and psychological well-being may influence reproductive decision-making, their relationships with fertility attitudes remain insufficiently understood. This study examined the associations between health literacy, psychological distress, and fertility attitudes among postpartum women and investigated whether anxiety and depressive symptoms mediate the relationship between health literacy and fertility attitudes. Methods: A cross-sectional study included 1656 postpartum women from seven coastal counties in Croatia. Participants completed validated measures of health literacy (NVS-HR), anxiety (STAI), depressive symptoms (BDI-M), and breastfeeding attitudes (IIFAS). Correlation analyses, multivariable logistic regression, and mediation analyses were performed. Results: Higher health literacy was associated with more positive fertility attitudes (r = 0.18, p < 0.001), whereas anxiety and depressive symptoms were negatively associated with fertility attitudes (all p < 0.001). Health literacy was also negatively correlated with anxiety and depressive symptoms. Multivariable logistic regression demonstrated that higher health literacy (OR = 1.24, 95% CI 1.12–1.35), older age (OR = 1.08, 95% CI 1.05–1.12), and more positive breastfeeding attitudes (OR = 1.04, 95% CI 1.01–1.09) were independently associated with preferences corresponding to above-replacement fertility, whereas higher levels of depressive symptoms were independently associated with lower odds of this outcome (OR = 0.78, 95% CI 0.66–0.90; all p < 0.05). Mediation analysis demonstrated a significant direct association between health literacy and fertility attitudes (β = 0.020, p = 0.004), whereas no significant indirect effects through anxiety or depressive symptoms were observed. Conclusions: Health literacy was independently associated with fertility attitudes and with preferences corresponding to above-replacement fertility, while psychological distress did not mediate this relationship. These findings suggest that health literacy may serve as an important cognitive resource for reproductive decision-making and a potential target for future reproductive health promotion among postpartum women.

Background: Fertility is a crucial component of population maintenance and growth. A declining fertility trend has been observed over the past two decades, and it continues. The birth rate in the Republic of Croatia is continuously decreasing, which is insufficient to maintain its population. Objective: This research aimed to examine the level of fertility knowledge, factors influencing fertility knowledge, and the relationship between fertility knowledge and the decision to have a child. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on a sample of mothers in five hospitals on the Adriatic coast of the Republic of Croatia, involving 1541 mothers, 18 years and older, from September 2021 to December 2023. The Cardiff Fertility Knowledge Scale (CFKS) was used for the research. The participants were divided into four groups according to age. The analysis was conducted using SPSS software (version 22.0). Descriptive statistics, chi-squared tests, t-tests, and Pearson’s correlations were used for the data analysis. Results: The average percent correct score on the CFKS was 51.8% (SD 22.6), with greater knowledge being significantly related to married status and higher education status (both p < 0.05). A total of 83% of mothers who have one child want to have more children. Fewer mothers who have two children want to have more children (42%), while only 11% of mothers who have three or more children want to have more children. There is no significant relationship between the CFKS and the importance of childbearing in the future (p = 0.12). Respondents indicated that they gained most of their knowledge from the internet (31%) and from the healthcare system (33%). Conclusions: The research results reveal a lack of fertility knowledge among participants, as well as an intention to have a child in the later stages of life. The lack of formal education on this topic leads to information gathering from friends, newspapers, television, and the internet. This study was not registered.

Cilj: Cilj ovog rada je procijeniti stavove mladih ljudi prema ovisnosti. Metode: U istraživanju je sudjelovalo 502 ispitanika od kojih je bilo 246 (49%) muškaraca i 256 (51%) žena u dobi od 15 do 18 godina. Ispitanici su bili učenici prvog (N=261) i četvrtog (N=241) razreda splitskih srednjih škola Za istraživanje su korišteni upitnici za prikupljanje sociodemografskih karakteristika ispitanika te upitnik koji se odnose na stavove ispitanika prema konzumaciji droga. Rezultati: Na tvrdnje „Korištenje kanabisa ne treba biti legalno“ i „Nije normalno da mladi ljudi probaju droge barem jednom.“ muškarci su zauzeli značajno povoljnije stavove. Učenici prvog i četvrtog razreda su statistički značajno različito odgovorili na tvrdnju „Povremeno korištenje kanabisa/marihuane je opasno.“ dok su kod tvrdnje „Većina mladih danas proba ecstasy.“ odgovori učenika prvih i četvrtih razreda statistički značajno različiti. Učenici I i II gimnazije i učenici zdravstvene škole su na tvrdnju „Sve droge nisu jednako štetne za Vaše zdravlje.“, te „Povremeno korištenje kanabisa/marihuane je opasno.“ statistički značajno različito odgovorili, a kod tvrdnji „Korištenje kanabisa/marihuane ne treba biti legalno.“, „Povremeno korištenje kanabisa/marihuane je opasno.“ te „Edukacija o drogama ne treba početi u osnovnoj školi.“ odgovori učenika pomorske i zdravstvene škole su statistički značajno različiti. Zaključci: Iako većina ispitanika ima pozitivne stavove o ovisnostima i smatra da je edukacija o ovisnostima potrebna već u ranoj fazi školovanja, ipak su rezultati pokazali da svaki peti ispitanik prvog razredu srednje škole te svaki treći ispitanik četvrtog razreda srednje škole konzumira kanabis. Ovakvi rezultati govore u prilog potrebe sustavnog pristupa šire zajednice u rješavanju ovog problema.

Cilj: Ispitati i utvrditi prisutnost poteškoća i kvalitetu života bolesnika s kroničnom leukemijom s obzirom na spol, bračni status i starosnu dob bolesnika.Metode: Za potrebe istraživanja proveden je anketni upitnik među 44 bolesnika koji imaju dijagnosticiranu kroničnu leukemiju duže od godine dana. Istraživanje je provedeno u razdoblju od 15.6.2021. do 14.8.2021. godine. Ispitanici su anketirani preko anketnog upitnika koji je proveden pismeno, zaokruživanjem jednog od ponuđenih odgovora.Rezultati: U provedenom istraživanju sudjelovalo je 44 ispitanika, od kojih su 58,82% muškarci i 41,18% žene. Za većinu ispitanika postoji statistički značajna povezanost u prisutnosti poteškoća i kvaliteti života s obzirom na starosnu dob.Zaključci: Poteškoće uzrokovane leukemijom koje utječu na kvalitetu života s obzirom na spol bolesnika izraženije su kod žena. Poteškoće uzrokovane leukemijom koje utječu na kvalitetu života s obzirom na bračni status ispitanika nisu značajno izražene kod nijedne grupe ispitanika. Postoji povezanost između učestalosti općih poteškoća i starosne dobi, odnosno osobe starije životne dobi bilježe učestalije opće poteškoće.

Background: Nursing students are at high risk of exposure to blood and body fluids due to limited clinical experience. Ensuring adequate knowledge and proper post-exposure protocols is vital for improving safety and post-exposure management. Aim: This study aimed to evaluate the level of knowledge, previous exposure experience, and reporting practices regarding occupational exposure incidents among nursing students at the Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Split, Croatia. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 274 nursing students using a structured self-administered questionnaire. Descriptive statistical methods were applied, along with univariate and multivariate linear regression analyses. Results: Exposure incidents were experienced by 36.3% of students, with needlestick injuries being the most common (80.1%). In terms of reporting practices, fewer than half (40.8%) of those affected officially reported the incident. While students demonstrated adequate overall performance on the knowledge assessment (median score 12, IQR: 11–14), significant gaps were identified in hepatitis B and C protocols and immediate wound care. Multivariate analysis identified full-time student status (β = 1.24; p = 0.010) and first-year students (β = 0.82; p = 0.036) as factors significantly associated with higher knowledge scores. Conclusions: Although nursing students possess solid fundamental knowledge of exposure-related risks, a significant gap remains in their practical application and incident reporting. The high incidence of needlestick injuries (80.1%) underscores the importance of moving beyond theory toward enhanced clinical supervision. To address these gaps, nursing education should prioritize targeted practical training and cultivate a robust safety culture that encourages incident reporting.

Background/Objectives: Declining fertility rates pose a major demographic and public health challenge across Europe, including Croatia. Although health literacy and psychological well-being may influence reproductive decision-making, their relationships with fertility attitudes remain unclear. This study examined associations between health literacy, psychological distress, and fertility attitudes among postpartum women and tested whether anxiety and depression mediate the relationship between health literacy and fertility attitudes. Methods: A cross-sectional study included 1,656 postpartum women from seven coastal counties in Croatia. Participants completed validated measures of health literacy (NVS-HR), anxiety (STAI), depression (BDI-M), and breastfeeding attitudes (IIFAS). Results: Higher health literacy was associated with more positive fertility attitudes (r = 0.18, p < 0.001), while anxiety and depression were negatively associated with fertility attitudes (all p < 0.001). Health literacy was also negatively correlated with anxiety and depression. Logistic regression showed that health literacy (OR = 1.21, 95% CI 1.10–1.34), age (OR = 1.08, 95% CI 1.04–1.12), and positive breastfeeding attitudes (OR = 1.03, 95% CI 1.01–1.05) predicted more positive fertility attitudes, whereas depressive symptoms predicted less positive attitudes (OR = 0.74, 95% CI 0.63–0.88; all p < 0.05). Mediation analyses indicated a significant direct effect of health literacy on fertility attitudes (β = 0.020, p = 0.004), but no significant indirect effects through anxiety or depression. Conclusions: Health literacy was independently associated with positive fertility attitudes and may represent an important target for reproductive health promotion and fertility-related decision-making among postpartum women.