Background and Objectives: Prehypertension and hypertension are the most common cardiovascular disorders worldwide and are increasingly considered one of the most serious public health problems, particularly in developing countries. The objective of this study was to determine the frequency and demographic and socioeconomic predictors of prehypertension and hypertension in the adults in Serbia, and to examine the relationship between prehypertension and hypertension and health behavior determinants (smoking, alcohol use, physical activity) and individual aspects of health (a health self-assessment, multimorbidity, BMI, depressive symptoms). Materials and Methods: The research is part of the fourth National Population Health Survey conducted in 2019, which was conducted by the Republic Institute of Statistics, in cooperation with the Institute of Public Health of Serbia and the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Serbia. As a research instrument, questionnaires were used in accordance with the methodology of the European Health Survey. For the purposes of this research, data on the adult population aged 20 and over were used. Results: Women are at a reduced risk for both prehypertension (OR = 0.328) and hypertension (OR = 0.349) by nearly 70%. Similarly, those aged below 60 years have a lower risk for prehypertension and those younger than 40 years have a lower risk for hypertension (OR = 0.995), whereas people with a lower education have a 4.3 times higher risk of prehypertension (OR = 4.323) and a 1.6 times higher risk of hypertension (OR = 1.614). The poor have a 1.4 times higher risk of prehypertension (OR = 1.413) and a 1 times higher risk of hypertension (OR = 1.035). People with multimorbidity have a 1.2 times higher risk of both prehypertension (OR = 1.218) and a 4.8 times higher risk of hypertension (OR = 4.867). Conclusions: Male gender, lower education, poverty, age and the presence of multimorbidity are significant predictors of prehypertension and hypertension in the Serbian adult population, so preventive strategies should be aimed at these sensitive population groups.

Background and Objectives: Melanoma is one of the most aggressive malignancies in humans and is associated with an unfavorable prognosis due to its high metastatic potential. In recent decades, increasing incidence and mortality rates have been reported worldwide among Caucasian populations. This study aimed to analyze melanoma incidence and mortality trends in the Republic of Serbia from 2008 to 2022, with a special regard to sex- and age-specific differences. Materials and Methods: A descriptive epidemiological study was conducted using data on all cases of primary cutaneous melanoma (ICD-10 code C43) reported to the Serbian Cancer Registry between 2008 and 2022. Data on newly diagnosed cases and melanoma-related deaths were analyzed by sex and 5-year age groups. Crude rates were calculated per 100,000 populations, whereas age-standardized rates were obtained using direct standardization. Temporal trends were evaluated using the Joinpoint regression analysis. Results: During the study period, 9600 new melanoma cases and 3882 melanoma-related deaths were reported in Serbia. Both incidence and mortality were higher in men (52.5% and 60.1%, respectively). Age-standardized incidence rates remained relatively stable in both sexes, with a slight increase in men (AAPC = 0.9%; 95% CI: −0.5 to 2.3) and a stable trend in women (AAPC = −0.1%; 95% CI: −1.5 to 1.3). Age-standardized mortality rates showed a mild, statistically insignificant decline overall (AAPC = −0.6% in men and −0.9% in women). The calculated mortality-to-incidence ratio (MIR) shows consistently higher values in men compared to women. A significant increase in incidence was observed among men aged 70–74 years (AAPC = 3.1%; p = 0.011), while mortality significantly decreased in women aged 40–44 years (APC = −7.0%; p = 0.017). Conclusions: Melanoma incidence in Serbia remained relatively stable between 2008 and 2022, with a modest increase primarily among older men. Mortality trends showed a slight decline, suggesting potential improvements in early detection and treatment outcomes.

Multimorbidity has been identified as one of the major health care concerns of the 21st century. Multimorbidity represents a major public health challenge in both developing and developed countries of the world. Although multimorbidity is considered a health problem of the elderly, a significant number of young and middle-aged people also have multimorbidity. Multimorbidity has a major impact on individuals and negatively affects quality of life, significantly increases the risk of disability and mortality, complicates the treatment process, poses a risk of repeated hospitalization, prolonged hospital stay, polypharmacy and adverse events, increases the use and costs of health care, and represents a significant economic burden on the individual, family and health system. Managing multimorbidity requires a multidisciplinary team to formulate active measures to improve health outcomes and quality of life of multimorbid patients, as well as comprehensive and coordinated health care for these patients. Due to the aging population and the consequent increase in multimorbidity and health service utilization in the future, health systems should prioritize improving the management of multimorbid patients. This would significantly increase the efficiency of health care and improve health outcomes and quality of life for patients with multimorbidity.

Background/Objectives: Cancer remains one of the leading causes of mortality worldwide and represents a major public health challenge in Serbia. Continuous monitoring of mortality trends is essential for evaluating progress in cancer control and identifying population groups requiring targeted interventions. This study aimed to analyze temporal trends in mortality from all malignant neoplasms in the Republic of Serbia during the period 2000–2021 using Joinpoint regression analysis. Methods: A population-based descriptive epidemiological study was conducted using mortality data for all malignant neoplasms (ICD-10: C00–C97) obtained from the Institute of Public Health of Serbia “Dr Milan Jovanović Batut”. Mortality trends were analyzed according to sex and age groups. Crude mortality rates, age-specific mortality rates, and age-standardized mortality rates (ASR) based on the Segi world standard population were calculated. Temporal changes were assessed using Joinpoint regression analysis, including annual percentage change (APC) and average annual percentage change (AAPC). Results: Between 2000 and 2021, a total of 448,391 deaths from malignant neoplasms were recorded in Serbia, including 254,988 deaths among men (56.9%) and 193,403 among women (43.1%). The mean age-standardized mortality rate was 135.2 per 100,000 population, with substantially higher rates among men than women (196.9 vs. 105.3 per 100,000). The highest number of deaths occurred among individuals aged 70–74 years, whereas the highest age-specific mortality rates were observed among those aged 80–84 years. Joinpoint regression demonstrated an overall significant decline in age-standardized mortality (AAPC −0.31%; p<0.001). Among men, mortality increased from 2000 to 2008 (APC +1.17%) followed by a significant decline until 2021 (AAPC −0.48%; p<0.001). Among women, mortality increased between 2000 and 2008 and subsequently declined; however, the overall trend remained stable (AAPC +0.03%; p=0.698). Conclusions: Although age-standardized cancer mortality in Serbia showed a gradual decline between 2000 and 2021, malignant neoplasms remain a substantial public health burden, particularly among older adults and men. Persistent sex differences and slower improvement among women indicate the need for targeted prevention strategies, strengthened screening programs, earlier diagnosis, and equitable access to cancer care.

Introduction: Multimorbidity, defined as the coexistence of two or more chronic conditions in the same person, represents a major challenge for modern health systems due to its association with adverse health outcomes, increased mortality, and high healthcare utilization. We aimed to assess the prevalence of multimorbidity in the adult population of Serbia and examine its association with demographic and socioeconomic factors and healthcare utilization. Methodology: Data were drawn from the 2019 Serbian National Health Survey. Descriptive statistics, chi-square and independent-samples t-tests, as well as univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses, were performed to examine the associations. Results: The study included 12,439 adults—48.5% men and 51.5% women (mean age: 52.83 ± 17.69). Multimorbidity was present in 35.2% of participants. It was significantly more frequent among women than men (39.65% vs. 30.53%, p < 0.001) and increased markedly with age, reaching 68.63% among individuals aged ≥80 years. Participants with multimorbidity were significantly older than those without it (p < 0.001). Higher prevalence was observed among widowed individuals, participants with lower education, economically inactive persons, those with poorer material status, and residents of Southern and Eastern Serbia (all p < 0.001). Multivariable regression analysis confirmed independent associations between multimorbidity and female sex, older age, lower education, poorer socioeconomic status, and regional disparities. Multimorbidity was a strong predictor of healthcare utilization. Individuals with multimorbidity were significantly more likely to use inpatient and day hospital services, visit specialist physicians, use prescribed medications, and receive home care (all p < 0.05). Conclusion: Multimorbidity affects more than one-third of adults in Serbia and is strongly associated with demographic and socioeconomic disadvantage. It substantially increases healthcare utilization, underscoring the need for integrated, patient-centered care and targeted public health interventions.