Background Over the last decade, health literacy has become a vibrant area of research. Our objective was to evaluate health literacy and its association with socio-demographic variables, self-perception of health and the presence of chronic conditions in primary health-care patients.

As with all other chronic noncommunicable diseases, adequate health literacy plays a key role in making the right decisions in the treatment of heart failure. Patients with heart failure and a lower health literacy have a reduced quality of life. A cross-sectional study among 200 patients with heart failure was conducted at a state university hospital in Belgrade, Serbia. The European Health Literacy Questionnaire, HLS-EU-Q47, was used to assess health literacy. Quality of life was measured with the generic SF-36 and the Minnesota Living with Heart Failure Questionnaire. Descriptive and analytical statistical analysis was applied. More than half of the respondents (64%) had limited health literacy. The lowest mean health literacy index (28.01 ± 9.34) was within the disease prevention dimension, where the largest number of respondents showed limited health literacy (70%). Our patients had a poorer quality of life in the physical dimension, and the best scores were identified in the emotional role and social functioning. Health literacy was highly statistically significant and an independent predictor of quality of life (physical, mental, and total quality of life). Improving health literacy can lead to better decisions in the treatment of disease and quality of life in heart failure patients.

Background Health care workers (HCWs) are at risk of occupational exposure to human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Aim To investigate the perception of professional risk from, and the knowledge, attitudes and practice of HCWs to HIV and AIDS in Serbia. Methods Cross-sectional study of 1559 Serbian HCWs using self-administered anonymous questionnaires. Chi-square testing and multiple logistic regression analysis were applied. Results Eighty-nine per cent of HCWs believed that they were at risk of acquiring HIV through occupational exposure. The perception of professional risk was higher among HCWs frequently exposed to patients' blood and body fluids (OR 7.9, 95% CI 4.4–14.5), who used additional personal protection if the HIV status of patient was known (OR 2.6, 95% CI 1.5–4.6), who had experienced sharp injuries within the last year (OR 1.9, 95% CI 1.0–3.8) or who had been tested for HIV (OR 2.1, 95% CI 1.2–3.5), and among HCWs who had treated HIV-positive patients (OR 1.7, 95% CI 1.1–2.8). The majority of respondents had deficient knowledge about modes of HIV transmission. Attitudes towards HIV-positive patients were significantly different by occupation. Seventy per cent of HCWs used appropriate protection during their daily work with patients. Conclusions HCWs require specific educational programmes and training protocols to ensure that they are adequately protected when carrying out high quality care.