Could the Majority of the Greek and Cypriot Population Be Vitamin D Deficient?

Objective: Hypovitaminosis D is prevalent in epidemic proportions in many developed countries. The aim of this study is to investigate the prevalence of adequate 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] levels in two Mediterranean countries, Greece and Cyprus.

Methods: Data such as 25(OH)D, the month of blood sample collection, and demographic information were blindly collected from 8780 Greek and 2594 Cypriot individuals over 5 years.

Health vs. wealth: Employer, employee and policy-maker perspectives on occupational heat stress across multiple European industries.

Successful implementation of cooling strategies obviously depends on identifying effective interventions, but in industrial settings, it is equally important to consider feasibility and economic viability. Many cooling interventions are available, but the decision processes affecting adoption by end-users are not well elucidated. We therefore arranged two series of meetings with stakeholders to identify knowledge gaps, receive feedback on proposed cooling interventions, and discuss factors affecting implementation of heat-health interventions.

Mental Health Disorders During the COVID-19 Outbreak in Cyprus.

Cyprus has been affected by COVID-19 since March 2019. With a case fatality rate of 2.6% (until June 2020) and the social isolation measures enforced on the population, the population's mental health has been affected.

Re-engineering the Cypriot healthcare service system.

Background: The Cypriot healthcare system has undergone a number of major transformations since the induction of the Republic of Cyprus in the European Union over 10 years ago. Currently Cyprus is undergoing a major reform, namely the introduction of a primary care driven national healthcare system. The aim of the study was to assess the existing state of training, support, quality, guidelines and infrastructure towards a better healthcare system in Cyprus.

High-Intensity Functional Training Improves Cardiorespiratory Fitness and Neuromuscular Performance Without Inflammation or Muscle Damage.

Posnakidis, G, Aphamis, G, Giannaki, CD, Mougios, V, Aristotelous, P, Samoutis, G, and Bogdanis, GC. High-intensity functional training improves cardiorespiratory fitness and neuromuscular performance without inflammation or muscle damage. J Strength Cond Res 36(3): 615-623, 2022-We examined the effects of high-intensity functional training (HIFT) on cardiorespiratory and neuromuscular performance, as well as on inflammatory and muscle damage markers.

Cultivating a Therapeutic Compassionate Relationship: The 3S Approach.

In the last decade, a plethora of healthcare research and literature was produced and, indeed, confirms the absolute need to cultivate a therapeutic and compassionate relationship between carer and patient/family, especially in the face of a long-term and /or life-threatening condition. We introduce the 3S model as an approach to cultivate a therapeutic relationship between the carer and the patient/family. It is based on some fundamental traditional skills which may be innate for some but may need to be awakened and cultivated for others, all for the benefit of each of the members of the involved triad: patients, family, and healthcare professionals.

Happiness and physical activity levels of first year medical students studying in Cyprus: a cross-sectional survey.

Background: Levels of physical activity and happiness may impact the health and performance of future doctors. The specific relationship between physical activity and happiness among first year medical students is unclear. The purpose of this study was to investigate these variables and how they relate within first year, graduate entry Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery students studying in Cyprus.

Effects of High vs. Low Glycemic Index of Post-Exercise Meals on Sleep and Exercise Performance: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Counterbalanced Polysomnographic Study.

The aim of the current study was to investigate the effect of the glycemic index of post-exercise meals on sleep quality and quantity, and assess whether those changes could affect the next day's exercise performance. Following a baseline/familiarization phase, 10 recreationally trained male volunteers (23.2 ± 1.

The contribution of Cyprus to non-communicable diseases and biomedical research from 2002 to 2013: implications for evidence-based health policy.

Background: Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are the leading causes of disease burden and mortality at the European level and in Cyprus. This research was conducted to map the research activities of Cypriot institutions in five NCDs, namely oncology, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, mental health and respiratory conditions.

Methods: For the period 2002-2013, research in Cyprus was assessed on its biomedical outputs and compared to the rest of Europe relative to their GDP.

Improving quality care for diabetes in the community: What do Cypriot patients want?

Objective: To measure patient preferences for their diabetic care in community setting.

Design: Discrete-choice survey.

Setting: Community setting (primary physician and hospital sites) in Cyprus.

Acquire, apply, and activate knowledge: A pyramid model for teaching and integrating cultural competence in medical curricula.

The importance of cultural competence in health care has been more acknowledged since modern societies are becoming increasingly multi-cultural. Research evidence shows that cultural competence is associated with improved skills and patient satisfaction, and it also seems to have a positive impact on adherence to therapy. Based on this evidence, the acknowledged importance of cultural competence and its poor integration into medical curricula, we present a pyramid model for building cultural competence into medical curricula whereby medical students can enhance their skills through acquiring, applying and activating knowledge.

Time-motion analysis as a novel approach for evaluating the impact of environmental heat exposure on labor loss in agriculture workers.

: In this study we (i) introduced time-motion analysis for assessing the impact of workplace heat on the work shift time spent doing labor (WTL) of grape-picking workers, (ii) examined whether seasonal environmental differences can influence their WTL, and (iii) investigated whether their WTL can be assessed by monitoring productivity or the vineyard manager's estimate of WTL. : Seven grape-picking workers were assessed during the summer and/or autumn via video throughout four work shifts. : Air temperature (26.

Implementing shared-decision-making for diabetes care across country settings: What really matters to people?

Context: Growing evidence of improved clinical outcomes and patient/professional satisfaction supports shared-decision-making (SDM) services as an effective primary care interventions for diabetes. However, only a few countries have actually adopted them (e.g.

Assessing Patient Participation in Health Policy Decision-Making in Cyprus.

Although the importance of patient participation in the design and evaluation of health programs and services is well-documented, there is scarcity of research with regard to patient association (PA) participation in health policy decision-making processes. To this end, the present study aimed to validate further a previously developed instrument as well as to investigate the degree of PA participation in health policy decision-making in Cyprus. A convenient sample of 114 patients-members of patients associations took part in the study.

General Practitioners' intention to prescribe and prescribing patterns in selected European settings: The OTCSOCIOMED project.

The aim of this paper is to explore general practitioners' (GPs) prescribing intentions and patterns across different European regions using the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB). A cross-sectional study was undertaken in selected geographically defined Primary Health Care areas in Cyprus, Czech Republic (CZ), France, Greece, Malta, Sweden and Turkey. Face-to-face interviews were conducted using a TPB-based questionnaire.

Irrational prescribing of over-the-counter (OTC) medicines in general practice: testing the feasibility of an educational intervention among physicians in five European countries.

Background: Irrational prescribing of over-the-counter (OTC) medicines in general practice is common in Southern Europe. Recent findings from a research project funded by the European Commission (FP7), the "OTC SOCIOMED", conducted in seven European countries, indicate that physicians in countries in the Mediterranean Europe region prescribe medicines to a higher degree in comparison to physicians in other participating European countries. In light of these findings, a feasibility study has been designed to explore the acceptance of a pilot educational intervention targeting physicians in general practice in various settings in the Mediterranean Europe region.

A pilot quality improvement intervention in patients with diabetes and hypertension in primary care settings of Cyprus.

Background: The achievement of quality of care constitutes a priority for modern health care systems. The objective of our study was to evaluate a quality improvement intervention in primary care of Cyprus.

Methods: In a two-arm non-randomized controlled study in primary care centres in Cyprus, all patients with hypertension (HTN) and diabetes (n = 539) were invited.

Designing a multifaceted quality improvement intervention in primary care in a country where general practice is seeking recognition: the case of Cyprus.

Background: Quality Improvement Interventions require significant financial investments, and therefore demand careful consideration in their design in order to maximize potential benefits. In this correspondence we present the methodological approach of a multifaceted quality improvement intervention aiming to improve quality of care in primary care, properly tailored for a country such as Cyprus where general practice is currently seeking recognition.

Methods: Our methodological approach was focused on the design of an open label, community-based intervention controlled trial using all patients from two urban and two rural public primary care centers diagnosed with hypertension and type II diabetes mellitus.

Implementation of an electronic medical record system in previously computer-naïve primary care centres: a pilot study from Cyprus.

Background: The computer-based electronic medical record (EMR) is an essential new technology in health care, contributing to high-quality patient care and efficient patient management. The majority of southern European countries, however, have not yet implemented universal EMR systems and many efforts are still ongoing. We describe the development of an EMR system and its pilot implementation and evaluation in two previously computer-naïve public primary care centres in Cyprus.

Sales of systemic anti-infective agents in Cyprus in comparison with four other European countries.

Objective: To determine the pattern of systemic antibiotic sales in Cyprus during the years 1990-1993 and 1996 and make a comparison with other four European countries.

Method: The Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical (ATC) classification and the Defined Daily Dose (DDD) methodology according to the WHO (World Health Organization) guidelines were employed and data in wholesales were used. The results were presented as DDD/1000 inhabitants/day and were compared with similar results from Sweden, Norway, Denmark and Greece.