Introduction: It can be said that midwifery is as old as humankind because there has always been someone who accompanied women in childbirth. The purpose of this article is to present the history of midwifery on the present-day territory of the Republic of Croatia, from prehistoric ages to the present. Method: Historical methodologies were used for the study. An analysis of available literature and archives was carried out. Results: For many centuries, midwifery was in the hands of formally uneducated but skilled women. Midwives had professional autonomy until the 1960s when obstetricians took full control of maternal care, and midwives became their assistants. Discussion: Although midwives in the Republic of Croatia are more educated today than at any time in history, in practice, they do not have professional autonomy in the field of work that they are entitled to under Directive 2005/36/EC.

The aim is to present the 60-year experience in modified Ritgen maneuver according to perineal injuries. This retrospective clinical observational study (1950-2010) analyzed the impact of modified Ritgen maneuver delivery technique...

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.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly affected the mental health of older adults, particularly through increased loneliness and psychological distress. While various contributing factors have been studied, the role of preference for solitude as a potential predictor and mediator remains poorly understood. Objective: This national cross-sectional study aimed to examine predictors of loneliness and psychological distress among older adults during the pandemic, with a specific focus on preference for solitude and its mediating role between pandemic-specific stressors and self-efficacy. Methods: A total of 2053 Croatian residents aged 65 years and older were recruited using snowball sampling. Validated instruments were used, including the UCLA Loneliness Scale, Preference for Solitude Scale, Clinical Outcomes in Routine Evaluation-Outcome Measure, General Self-Efficacy Scale, and Pandemic-Specific Stressors Questionnaire for Older Adults. Hierarchical regression and path analysis were used, with statistical significance set at P <.05. Results: For loneliness, the final model explained 30.7% of the variance, with a coefficient of determination ( R ²) of 0.307 and a root mean square error of 0.708 ( P <.001). Significant predictors included marital status (eg, never married: B=0.390, P <.001; psychological problems: B=0.020, P <.001; functionality: B=−0.037, P <.001; and social distancing: B=0.014, P <.001). Preference for solitude was also a significant predictor of loneliness (B=0.011; P <.001). For psychological distress, the final model explained 30.8% of the variance ( R ²=0.308; root mean square error=14.872; P <.001). Self-efficacy emerged as the strongest negative predictor of distress (B=−1.066; P <.001), whereas preference for solitude was a positive predictor (B=2.403; P <.001). The variable “spending several hours alone per day” was associated with lower levels of distress (B=−3.509; P =.003), while “frequent or superficial interactions with acquaintances (eg, at least once a week)” were related to higher distress (B=4.321, P =.002). Path analysis revealed that both social distancing and exposure to infection had a significant direct effect on self-efficacy: negative in the case of social distancing ( β =−.391; P <.001) and positive for exposure to infection ( β =.386; P <.001). However, preference for solitude did not significantly mediate either relationship, as indicated by nonsignificant indirect effects ( β =−.006; P =.09 and β =.002; P =.48, respectively). Conclusions: Psychological problems and reduced functionality emerged as the strongest predictors of loneliness among older adults during the pandemic. Self-efficacy was the most important protective factor against psychological distress. Although preference for solitude may have adaptive benefits, in the context of this study, it was associated with increased loneliness and distress during enforced isolation. These findings suggest that public health interventions should balance respect for individual preferences with the provision of active support for vulnerable populations during crises.

Background: Fertility is a crucial component of population maintenance and growth. A declin-ing fertility trend has been observed over the past two decades, and it continues. Objective: The aim of this research was to examine the level of fertility knowledge, factors in-fluencing 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 from September 2021 to De-cember 2023. The Cardiff Fertility Knowledge Scale was used for the research. Results: The participants were divided into two groups based on fertility status in women, spe-cifically the period of declining fertility in women. Group 1 included participants aged 18-31 with sustained fertility, and Group 2 included participants aged 32 and older experiencing de-clining fertility. Fertility knowledge was 58.9%. Women with higher educational status showed better results (62.3%). The most common sources of fertility knowledge were the healthcare sys-tem and the internet. Factors associated with the level of fertility knowledge included higher education, marital status, and higher economic status. Conclusion: The research results reveal a lack of fertility knowledge among participants, as well as an intention to have a child in later stages of life. The lack of formal education on this topic leads to information gathering from unreliable sources.

Objective: The Covid-19 pandemic has raised significant concerns about public health, particularly in terms of mental well-being due to heightened fear and uncertainty. The findings of this study are based on a survey conducted to evaluate the mental health status of the general population in Croatia during the Covid-19 pandemic. Methods: A survey conducted randomly and cross-sectionally included 588 respondents from all 21 counties in Croatia. The survey gathered demographic data and assessed various factors related to pandemic response measures and mental health using the Mental Health Continuum-Short Form (MHC-SF) scale. Results: Despite feeling adequately informed about Covid-19 (76.0%), most respondents (60.8%) expressed concerns about their loved ones during the pandemic. There were significant numbers who felt there was no risk of infection (50.9%) or believed they would not get infected (40.2%), while 72.4% were content with government measures. Statistical analysis indicated that mental health was not significantly different between genders, but age-related differences were evident, with those under 21 experiencing the most distress. The lowest level of psychological and social well-being was observed in respondents who were unemployed. Conclusions: The study identifies vulnerable groups in the Croatian population during the pandemic, including younger individuals, those on parental leave, students, and the unemployed, who exhibited worse mental health. The importance of implementing targeted mental health interventions to support these vulnerable groups is highlighted by these findings.