Behavioral correlates of health literacy among university students of health sciences in Kosovo: a cross-sectional study.

Aim: To assess the behavioral correlates of health literacy (HL) among university students of health sciences in Kosovo, irrespective of their sociodemographic characteristics.

Methods: This cross-sectional study, carried out in Kosovo in 2024, enrolled 470 students of health sciences from the universities of Prishtina and Gjakova (86% women; mean age: 20.7±2.

Injury prevention in youth football (soccer): a comprehensive description of the development process of the 'FUNBALL' programme.

Many football injury prevention programmes (IPPs) have been developed to target various injuries and populations. There was no specific IPP for youth players in place before. However, several existing IPPs designed for adults were also assessed in the youth population.

A new injury prevention program 'FUNBALL' improves cognitive performance of young football (soccer) players: A cluster randomized controlled trial.

The youth football injury prevention program 'FUNBALL' contains exercises requiring high cognitive demands, which are performed concurrently to the training of the respective motor task. This study evaluates whether the program increases cognitive performances of young football players. 1253 football players (aged 13-19 years old) were randomly assigned to either a control (CON) or an intervention (INT) group.

Association between vitamin D status, physical performance, sex, and lifestyle factors: a cross-sectional study of community-dwelling Kosovar adults aged 40 years and older.

Purpose: Vitamin D status and its association with age-related decline in physical performance and strength have already been highlighted in various ways, but data on the situation in developing countries are scarce. This study aimed to investigate vitamin D status, its association with muscle mass and function, and other potential determinants such as age, sex, lifestyle factors (physical activity, dietary behavior), self-perceived health status, medication intake, education and financial situation in adults from Kosovo.

Methods: This cross-sectional study included 297 participants (54.

Injuries in professional women's elite soccer players in Kosovo: epidemiological injury study.

Background: An emphasis has been given lately towards women's engagement together with their potential in soccer. As this sport develops with athletes becoming more physically fit and skilled, it is unclear what the consequences in terms of injuries are. Having this in mind, this study aimed to investigate the major injuries that occur in women's soccer players.

The Prevalent Cases of Endometrial Carcinoma in Different Life Periods of Women-Clinical and Histopathological Diagnosis.

Abnormal uterine bleeding is a term used to describe any irregular bleeding from the uterus that is not part of a woman's normal menstrual cycle and can happen during different life periods. Abnormal uterine bleeding can have structural etiologies (polyp, adenomyosis, leiomyoma, malignancy) or nonstructural etiologies (coagulopathy, ovulatory dysfunction, and not-classified). The post- and pre-menopausal period requires a detailed investigation to establish the etiology of the bleeding because the chances that the woman has a malignancy are plentiful in this period.

Predicting Risk Factors of Lower Extremity Injuries in Elite Women's Football: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

This study identified and analyzed the risk factors of lower extremity injuries (LEI) in elite women football players to improve career and health outcomes. To address this aim, a systematic review and meta-analysis methodology was used. In total, four relevant research articles were identified through database searching and screening using the PRISMA flow diagram.

Ultrasonographic examination and resolution of a pronounced hematocolpometra linked to an imperforate hymen: A detailed case study.

An imperforate hymen is a rare malformation present at birth; however, in most cases, diagnosis is missed until adolescence, when hematocolpometra and its symptoms develop. At this stage, every further delay in diagnosis and treatment will negatively affect the quality of life of young females. It may also be one of the causes of endometriosis and its consequences, such as subfertility.

Improving the Evidence-Based Practice Skills of Entry-Level Physiotherapy Students through Educational Interventions: A Scoping Review of Literature.

Evidence-based practice (EBP) is an essential approach in healthcare, attracting growing interest among both practitioners and researchers. This scoping review aims to (1) systematically investigate the effectiveness of pedagogical methods used to facilitate learning of the EBP approach, and (2) explore the perceptions, experiences, and issues related to these learning methods. The overarching purpose is to identify the state of the art in pedagogical methods, instruments, influences, and barriers in teaching and learning EBP within entry-level physiotherapy education programs.

Functional status and quality of life in post-COVID-19 patients two to three weeks after hospitalization: A cross-sectional study.

Background And Aims: Extended hospitalization due to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is associated with residual musculoskeletal and functional deficits lasting even 6 months after discharge; therefore, it is crucial that post-hospitalized patients are promptly assessed. The aim of this study was to identify post-COVID-19 patients' functional status and quality of life, as well as to investigate their inter-relatedness 2-3 weeks after hospital discharge.

Methods: The study included 39 post-COVID-19 patients previously hospitalized in the Clinic for Infectious Diseases at the University Clinical Center of Kosovo (UCCK) from August to December 2021.

Association between apelin-12 and creatine kinase-MB, depending on success of reperfusion in STEMI patients.

Background: Acute myocardial infarction is characterised by an imbalance in the supply and demand of oxygen in the heart. It requires urgent reperfusion, and poor outcomes are attributed to myocardial ischaemia-reperfusion injury. We aimed to evaluate the association between apelin-12 levels and creatine kinase-MB activity in predicting the effectiveness of reperfusion therapy in ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) patients.

Relationship of the Behavior of Older Participants with Body Composition Change: Results of the Second Wave of the Cognition of Older People, Education, Recreational Activities, Nutrition, Comorbidities, and Functional Capacity Studies (COPERNICUS).

Background: To examine the relationship between the frequency of physical activities and food product consumption with body composition change after two years in a sample of older people.

Methods: Body composition, mass change, frequency of physical activity, and food products consumption were measured. Depression severity, health self-assessment, cognitive function, and demographic data were included as confounders.

Efficacy of Multi-Component Exercise-Based Injury Prevention Programs on Injury Risk Among Footballers of All Age Groups: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

Background: Playing football is associated with a high risk of injury. Injury prevention is a priority as injuries not only negatively impact health but also potentially performance. Various multi-component exercise-based injury prevention programs for football players have been examined in studies.

Particulate Air Pollution and Primary Care Visits in Kosovo: A Time-Series Approach.

This study aimed to investigate the effects of particulate air pollution (PM2.5) on cardiovascular and respiratory diseases in Pristina, Kosovo, in a time-series analysis using daily primary healthcare visits to primary care institutions from 2019 to 2022. For the observation period, 6440 cardiovascular and 15,141 respiratory visits were reported, whereas the daily mean concentrations of PM2.

The Effects of Chromium and Vanadium on Biomarkers of Carbohydrate and Lipid Metabolism in Workers Exposed to Coal Fly Ash.

Chromium (Cr) and vanadium (V) are micronutrients playing a role in carbohydrate and lipid metabolism but can be toxic at high concentrations, especially in specific forms. The study documents the effect of Cr and V concentrations on glucose and lipid metabolism in workers exposed to coal fly ash. We quantified selected metals (Cr, V) in the blood and serum of workers from a thermal power plant in Kosovo and compared them with the reference biological values.

Impact of Using Population-Specific Cut-Points, Self-Reported Health, and Socio-Economic Parameters to Predict Sarcopenia: A Cross-Sectional Study in Community-Dwelling Kosovans Aged 60 Years and Older.

The age-related decline of muscle strength, mass, and physical performance (sarcopenia) has been raising concerns among the scientific and healthcare communities. This decline may differ between populations, age groups, and sexes. Therefore, we aimed to explore sarcopenia together with the impact of health and socio-economic parameters in mature Kosovans.

Is age-related sarcopenia a real concern for my developing country?

Ageing is a distinctive feature of living organisms. With the modernization of human societies, including the development of science, technology and education, expected life expectancy at birth is being extended. This allows novel health-related conditions to gain particular interest amongst the field experts.

Association between Polymorphisms in Vitamin D Pathway-Related Genes, Vitamin D Status, Muscle Mass and Function: A Systematic Review.

An association between vitamin D level and muscle-related traits has been frequently reported. Vitamin D level is dependent on various factors such as sunlight exposure and nutrition. But also on genetic factors.

ACTN3 Genotypes and Their Relationship with Muscle Mass and Function of Kosovan Adults.

Maintaining muscle mass and function is important throughout the lifestyle. While environmental factors such as physical activity and healthy nutrition are well investigated, the contribution of genetic factors is still controversial. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the impact of a common ACTN3 polymorphism (rs1815739) on body composition, handgrip strength, knee extensor peak torque, and physical performance (gait speed, 30-s arm curl, 30-s chair stand) in Kosovan adults.