Eating disorders (EDs) represent a disparate group of mental health problems that significantly impair physical health or psychosocial functioning. The aim of this study was to present some evidence about the prevalence of eating-disordered behavior (EDB) in adolescents, and explore its associations with body image (BI), body composition (BC) and physical activity (PA) in this age group. Data from 780 adolescents participating in a health behavior in school-aged children (HBSC) study conducted in Slovakia in 2018 were used (mean age 13.5 ± 1.3; 56% boys). Differences in mean values of numerical indicators were evaluated using the independent samples t-test. Differences between nominal variables were assessed by the chi-square test. Pearson correlation was used to describe the associations between all the selected variables. EDB was positively screened in 26.7% (208/780) of adolescents, with a higher prevalence in girls (128/344, 37.2%) than in boys (80/436, 18.3%). Significantly higher means of BI, body weight (BW), body mass index (BMI), body fat mass (BFM), body fat percentage (BFP), body fat mass index (BFMI), fat free mass index (FFMI), and SCOFF questionnaire score (SCOFF QS) were found in those positively screened for EDB. Pearson correlation analysis revealed positive associations between EDB and BI, BW, BMI, BFM, BFP and BFMI. The prevalence of EDB is high in Slovak adolescents. Positive associations between EDB, BI, BMI and fat-related body composition parameters support the idea of a more integrated approach in EDs and obesity prevention and treatment. At the same time, gender differences suggest the need for considering gender-specific strategies aimed at girls and boys separately.

Oral diseases, particularly dental caries, affect as much as nine in 10 persons globally. Its development starts during childhood. Behavioural factors play an important role in its aetiology. The aim of the research was to analyse the prevalence of selected behavioural factors associated with dental caries in Slovak adolescents. Selected factors, such as toothbrushing less than once a day, consumption of sweets and sweetened soft drinks daily and their combination, were analysed using data from Health Behaviour in School-Aged Children surveys carried out in 2005/2006, 2009/2010, 2013/2014 and 2017/2018 in Slovakia. The target group consisted of 11- to 13-year-old schoolchildren. The results were analysed by sex and socioeconomic status. The consumption of sweets and sweetened soft drinks, despite declining, remains widespread (41.3% of boys and 39.6% of girls in 2017/2018). The absence of daily toothbrushing, similarly as a co-occurrence of factors, were more frequent in boys (10.6% and 5.0% in 2017/2018, respectively) than in girls (5.1% and 2.3% in 2017/2018, respectively). The absence of daily toothbrushing was associated with a lower socioeconomic situation. In conclusion, behavioural risk factors affecting oral health are widespread in Slovak adolescents. Despite the positive development of the epidemiological situation, effective interventions, as well as the improvement of oral hygiene in lower socioeconomic groups, are needed.

Objective: The aim of the study was to analyse the occurrence of lead in selected samples of fruit distilled spirits for own consumptions in terms of possible contribution to the occurrence of alcohol-attributable diseases. Methods: In a pilot...

The aim of our study was to analyse differences in dietary habits and alcohol drinking between 1st- and 4th-year medical students. The research was designed as a cross-sectional questionnaire study. The data were collected during the winter semester of the academic year 2015/2016. Prevalence rates of the following aspects were assessed and compared between 1st- and 4th-year medical students at the Jessenius Faculty of Medicine in Martin, Comenius University in Bratislava, Slovakia: (a) breakfast skipping; (b) having fewer than three main meals a day; (c) fresh fruits and vegetables consumption less than once a day; (d) eating sweets every day; (e) eating in fast-food restaurants at least once a week; and (f) alcohol consumption (beer, wine, spirits) at least once a week. Less than one in five students reported their breakfast skipping and most of them had only 1 or 2 main meals daily. About half of the respondents consumed fruits and vegetables insufficiently and less than one quarter of them reported eating meals in fast-food restaurants weekly. Daily consumption of sweets in males doubled in the 4th year if compared to the 1st year of the study. While drinking patterns in males did not show differences between study years, in females, alcohol drinking dominated in the 4th year. Finally, it may be concluded that most aspects of dietary habits in medical students did not differ between the younger and the older ones. Irregular eating presents a particular problem. Alcohol drinking in females showed a possible increasing tendency during their studies.

Analysis of subnational regional differences in frequency of selected risk factors of overweight and obesity in adolescents in Slovakia. Cross-sectional study. Health Behaviour in School-aged Children is an international cross-sectional questionnaire study using the standard protocol to create representative samples of adolescents. We analyse subnational regional differences in the occurrence of selected risk factors of overweight and obesity among 10-12-year-old (n = 4194) and 14-16-year-old (n = 3806) respondents of a survey conducted in Slovakia in 2022. Overweight and obesity dominated especially in the regions with the Hungarian minority among boys aged 10-12 years (29.2 %) and 14-16 years (34.0 %). Consumption of energy (24.9 % of girls and 29.9 % of boys) and sweetened (25.0 % of girls and 27.1 % of boys) drinks dominated among 14-16-year-old respondents in the poverty regions with socio-economic problems. Skipping breakfast was most widespread among 14-16-year-old girls from regions with a Hungarian minority (72.6 %). Insufficient physical activity was most frequent among 10-12-year-old respondents, namely, in the poverty regions (85.0 % of girls) and the Hungarian minority (79.6 % of boys) regions. The differences also remained significant after weighting for a possible confounding effect of family socioeconomic status. The regional social environment is associated with selected aspects of adolescents' behaviour related to overweight and obesity, namely, the poverty regions and Hungarian minority environments, and can be considered as an independent determinant regardless of a family background.