Croatian Version Research Articles

Validation of the Croatian version of the adverse childhood experiences questionnaire 10-item version

ABSTRACT This study aimed to validate the Croatian version of the Adverse Childhood Experiences Questionnaire 10-item version (ACE-10) in a sample of 293 emerging adults (mean age 22 years old; 56.9% women). ACE-10 is a self-report retrospective questionnaire that assesses abuse, neglect, and household dysfunction. Measures of depression, anxiety, stress, and resilience were included to assess concurrent validity. The results confirmed the expected two-factor structure, displaying robust psychometric properties and concurrent validity. The ACE-10 proves reliable, making it well-suited for examining adverse childhood experiences in Croatian samples.

Gambling Disorder among Croatian University Students

Abstract Background Gambling has become a routine form of entertainment for many young people studying in universities. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence and characteristics of gambling disorder among Croatian university students. Methods A cross-sectional study using an anonymous self-administered questionnaire with sociodemographic and socioeconomic questions along with the Croatian version of the South Oaks Gambling Screen questionnaire (SOGS-CRO) was conducted in a representative sample of Croatian university students from Osijek, Eastern Croatia during January, and February 2020. Results A total of 844 students participated in the study, 45.6% males and 54.4% females, with a median age of 19.00 years (interquartile range 19.00-23.00 years). Gambling activities were performed by 66.2% of the students, most commonly lotteries, sports bets, and bingo. The final scores of the SOGS-CRO suggested that 21.1% of students may have a gambling disorder, with 16.4% being “probable pathological gamblers” and 4.7% being “problem gamblers”. Playing cards for money, animal bets, stocks bets, slot machines bets, pull-tabs, and other gambling activities such as online or videogames or mobile games present a higher risk of gambling disorder (p < 0.001, p < 0.001, p < 0.001, p < 0.001, p < 0.001, p < 0.001, respectively). Being male, repeating the year of study, being a student in interdisciplinary or technical field of study, and having a mother with gambling disorder (p < 0.001, p = 0.029, p < 0.001, p < 0.001, respectively) were the revealed contributing factors to the development of gambling disorder in study participants. Conclusions The study points to the fact that gambling disorder is quite a prevalent public health issue in the Croatian university student population. Specific public health preventive programs need to be designed and implemented in the study population to successfully prevent the development of investigated behavioral addiction. Key messages • Public health interventions directed toward the prevention of gambling must involve younger population subgroups, such as university students. • When designing the preventive programs for the successful prevention of gambling within the university student population selected sociodemographic variables should be considered.

Justice sensitivity among nurses and physiotherapists in a Croatian rehabilitation hospital.

The aim of this study was to investigate and compare justice sensitivity between self-perceived beneficiaries, victims, and observers in a sample of 90 healthcare workers (nurses and physiotherapists) at the Varaždinske Toplice Special Medical Rehabilitation Hospital, Croatia. For this purpose we used a questionnaire consisting of demographic data and the Croatian version of the justice sensitivity inventory developed by Schmitt. Regardless of its limitations, our study clearly shows that healthcare professionals at Varaždinske Toplice are most sensitive to injustice from the beneficiary's perspective, that is, as persons who personally benefitted from injustice, although they may not have been instrumental to this effect. They are less sensitive to injustice perceived on the outside (observer's perspective) or to injustice suffered by themselves (victim's perspective). Another important finding is that participants of female gender, rural residence, and nurses (who are all women) are significantly more sensitive to injustice, whereas age and marital status do not seem to contribute to justice sensitivity. Future research should investigate the perception of injustice over a longer timeframe and involve all healthcare workers. It could also address different approaches to management, especially in terms of worker rewards and career advancement. Qualitative research among healthcare workers could provide a broader and clearer idea of social injustice at their workplace.

Translation, Cross-Cultural Adaptation, and Validation of the Croatian Version of the Athlete Psychological Strain Questionnaire (APSQ).

The aim of this study is to translate, cross-culturally adapt, and validate the Croatian Athlete Psychological Strain Questionnaire (APSQ-Cro) as part of the Sport Mental Health Assessment Tool 1 (SMHAT-1) validation. We assessed the reliability and applicability of the APSQ-Cro among Croatian athletes. The international sports community is increasingly focused on mental health issues in athletes, highlighting the need for early detection tools like the Athlete Psychological Strain Questionnaire (APSQ) and SMHAT-1. We included 869 Croatian competing athletes across 54 sports who received a link to access the WEB-based questionnaire. The Croatian Olympic Board helped in distributing the questionnaires, aiming to reach as many and as diverse a group of registered competing athletes in Croatia as possible. Results showed a Cronbach's alpha of 0.75 for the entire questionnaire, indicating acceptable reliability. An exploratory strategy of factor analysis was used to determine the underlying structure of the APSQ-Cro. For this purpose, the Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin (KMO) test and Bartlett's test for sphericity were performed to ensure the suitability of the data. The KMO test ensured sampling adequacy, with a measure of 0.77 indicating suitability for factor analysis, while Bartlett's test confirmed significant correlations among variables (χ2 = 2779.155, df = 45, p < 0.001), validating the dataset's appropriateness for data reduction techniques. The factor analysis, together with the Cattell scree test and varimax rotation, resulted in a two-factor structure for the APSQ-Cro. Factor 1 included items related to internal psychological struggles, while Factor 2 included items related to external pressures from the athletic environment. These two factors explained 53% of the variability, with Cronbach's alphas of 0.75 and 0.88 for the respective factors. The APSQ-Cro is a valid and reliable tool for assessing distress in Croatian athletes. Croatian athletes' sporting experience will be improved with the broad adoption of the APSQ-Cro, which can help detect early signs of psychological distress and subsequently improve mental health outcomes.

Impact of Periodontal Diseases on Oral Health-Related Quality of Life: A Study with a Condition-Specific Questionnaire in Croatian Population.

The aim of this study was to translate and validate the condition-specific Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP) in the Croatian cultural context and assess the impact of periodontal diseases and nonsurgical periodontal therapy on quality of life (QoL). A cross-sectional study was carried out on 150 individuals: 50 periodontally healthy, 50 with gingivitis, and 50 with periodontitis who self-administrated the OHIP. The participants' age ranged between 18 and 71 years, with the median age of 45 (34-57) years. Forty-seven percent of the participants were females. The validity and reliability of the Croatian OHIP version were tested. The impact of gingivitis and periodontitis on QoL was assessed. Changes in QoL induced by nonsurgical periodontal therapy in 20 patients with periodontitis were analyzed. Categorical data were presented by absolute and relative frequencies. The normality of the distribution of continuous variables was tested by the Shapiro-Wilk test. Continuous data were described by the median and the limits of the interquartile range (IQR). Differences in continuous variables between two independent groups were tested with the Mann-Whitney U test, and between three groups with the Kruskal-Wallis test (post hoc Conover). The Wilcoxon signed-rank test was used to examine the differences in the total score before and after therapy. All p values were two-sided. The level of significance was set at alpha of 0.05. The analysis detected a single-factor structure that explained for the 56.9% of the variance. Cronbach's alpha value was 0.937, which indicated an excellent internal consistency. Overall OHIP score reported a strong correlation with the subjective estimate of periodontal problems (Rho = 0.92; p < 0.001). Test-retest reliability was high (r = 0.984; p < 0.001). The periodontitis group had the highest OHIP score (28 [23-34]), followed by the gingivitis group (14 [12-20]) and the periodontally healthy group (9 [5-11]; p < 0.001). Nonsurgical periodontal therapy significantly improved the QoL in those with periodontitis (p < 0.001). The condition-specific Croatian version of the OHIP instrument can be considered adequate to measure the impact of periodontal diseases on oral health-related QoL. Periodontal diseases, especially periodontitis, have a negative effect on the patient's QoL. Nonsurgical periodontal treatment can improve patients' QoL.

Is Salivary Α-Amylase a Reliable Indicator of Psychological Status and Quality of Life in Patients with Oral Lichen Planus: a Case-Control Study.

The objectives of our study were to determine salivary α-amylase activity (stress biomarker) and its association with psychological status and quality of life (QoL), disease duration and intensity of symptoms (pain/burning) in patients with OLP. A total of 50 subjects participated in this case-control study: 30 patients with oral lichen planus (OLP); 20 control subjects. Unstimulated whole saliva (UWS) was collected between 9 and 10 am to avoid diurnal fluctuations. Psychological status was assessed using the Croatian validated version of the original Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS-21). The impact of oral health on QoL was assessed using the Croatian version of the Oral Health Impact Profile Questionnaire (OHIP-CRO14). There was no statistically significant difference in salivary α-amylase activity between patients with OLP (N=30) and control subjects (N=20) (133813.3 vs. 166815.5 U/L, p=0.314; t-test). Depression, anxiety and stress showed no statistically significant difference between patients with OLP and control subjects (p=0.076, p=0.111, p=0.209; t-test). The patients with OLP had statistically significantly poorer QoL (total) compared to control subjects (p=0.004, t-test). There was a moderate positive correlation between symptom intensity (pain/burning) and poor QoL (total) (r=0.584, p<0.001), the OHIP-CRO14 dimension "physical pain" (r=0.661, p<0.001), "psychological impossibility" (r=0.555, p<0.01), "handicap" (r=0.546, p<0.01). Although salivary α-amylase showed no statistically significant difference between patients with OLP and control subjects, the patients with OLP had poorer psychological status (three times higher scores for depression and two times higher scores for anxiety) and poorer QoL compared to the control subjects. Recognising and treating mental disorders in patients with OLP is important in order to break the "vicious circle" and achieve a better QoL in these patients.

Reliability of the Croatian Version of Motivation Scale for Free Time

Aim: The Motivation scale for free time was developed to measure motivation for activity of population in their free time. The aim of this study was to determine test-retest reliability of Croatian version of Motivation scale for free time on students. Subjects and Methods: The sample was consisted of 97 students of Karlovac University of Applied Sciences 64 men and 33 women). Study was conducted on two occasions and there were 137 students in first measurement and 97 students in second. The response rate to the second measurement was 70,8 %. Statistical data analysis was performed with the software package SPSS 23.0. The normality of the distribution was checked by the Kolmogorov - Smirnov test to justify the use of parametric procedures. The asymmetry coefficient ranged from +/- 3, and the flattening coefficient from +/- 10, and the distribution is considered normal, so the use of parametric procedures is allowed. The validity was checked in the form of correlations of individual particles with the total result in both measurements. Results: The validity in both measurements proved to be statistically significant. In the first measurement, the correlation range of each particle with the total score on the scale ranged between 0.4 to 0.74, which was statistically significant at a risk level of less than 1 %. In the second measurement, the correlation range of each particle with the total score on the scale ranged between 0.31 to 0.73, which was statistically significant at a risk level of less than 1 %. Conclusion: The results showed satisfactory reliability of Croatian version of motivation scale for free time on students.

Linguistic Validation and Reliability of the Croatian Version of the TOPICOP Questionnaire.

Background and Objectives: This study demonstrates the factor structure and reliability of the Croatian version of the TOPICOP (Topical Corticosteroid Phobia) questionnaire, thereby contributing to further validation and standardization of the measurement of topical corticophobia with dermatological patients or their parents, which directly affects patient or parent compliance, as well as the final therapeutic effect. Materials and Methods: The cross-sectional, observational study was conducted at the University Hospital Centre Split, Department of Dermatovenerology. The research involved inviting 120 participants (age 12-68) who attended the University Hospital Centre Split's Atopy School, patients examined in the Dermatology Outpatient Clinic of the University Hospital Centre Split and diagnosed with atopic dermatitis (AD) or allergic contact dermatitis (ACD), and parents or legal representatives of patients younger than 12 years old. The TOPICOP questionnaire consists of 12 items assessing the three different components of topical corticophobia (worries, beliefs, and behaviour). Respondents evaluated their perception of the correctness of each statement within 10 min of filling out the questionnaire on a four-point Likert scale. Results: The response rate was 94%, resulting in a sample of 113 respondents (109 adults and 4 children). Factor analysis yielded one common factor of relatively high reliability (Cronbach α = 0.85, 95% CI 0.81 to 0.89). No differences were found in questionnaire scores between male and female participants, nor between the parents/legal representatives of dermatological patients and other patients. Conclusions: This research contributes to further development of the appropriate measuring instrument, its practical application, and thus, the better recognition, resolution, and prevention of topical corticophobia as part of the better overall healthcare and treatment of chronic dermatological patients.

Physical Literacy Levels in the Croatian Adult Population; Gender Differences and Associations with Participation in Organized Physical Activity

Physical literacy (PL) is the foundation for lifelong participation in physical activity. Most previous research concentrated on PL examinations in younger groups, while such research is scarce in the adult population. This study aimed to determine the PL levels of the Croatian adult population. Also, the aim was to investigate whether individuals with longer participation in organized physical activity have higher PL levels and do males and females differ in PL levels. The sample comprised 561 individuals (321 females, 240 males) aged 27.65±12.13 years. PL levels were assessed by the Croatian version of the Perceived Physical Activity Questionnaire (PPLQ-Cro). Demographic characteristics included age, gender, and years of involvement in organized physical activity. Gender differences were calculated using the Mann-Whitney U test and effect sizes. Spearman correlation coefficients were used to determine associations between study variables. Males had significantly higher PL levels compared to females (83.10±16.17 for males and 74.27±20.07 for females, Z=-6.88, p=0.001). Years of organized physical activity were associated with PL levels (R=0.48, p=0.001) in the total sample as well in males (R=0.55, p&lt;0.001) and females (R=0.24, p&lt;0.01) separately. The finding that years of organized physical activity are associated with total PL supports the theory that PL is the cornerstone for participating in lifetime physical activity. The results of this study emphasize the importance of introducing the concept of PL in numerous institutions and organizations connected with organized physical activity.

Croatian Translation and Validation of the Patient Satisfaction with Nursing Care Quality Questionnaire (PSNCQQ).

Patient satisfaction is a crucial measure of the quality of healthcare, especially with regard to nursing services in hospital settings. Understanding and increasing patient satisfaction with nursing care is critical to improving overall healthcare and ensuring positive patient experiences during their hospital stay. The aim of this research was to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Croatian version of the Satisfaction with Nursing Care Quality Questionnaire (PSNCQQ), test the reliability and validity of the tool after translation, and investigate differences in patient satisfaction based on demographic variables, as well as their contribution to satisfaction with the quality of nursing care. After translation and adaptation, the Croatian version of the PSNCQQ was applied to 350 hospitalized patients (average age 51.19 years (range: 18-87)), of whom 194 (55.4%) were men and 156 (44.6%) were women. The results showed high internal consistency (Cronbach's α = 0.977) and confirmed the one-factor structure of the questionnaire, explaining 70.64% of the total variance. Confirmatory factor analysis supported the unidimensional model, showing strong fit indices (χ2 = 583.047, df = 149, p < 0.001, GFI = 0.861, AGFI = 0.818, NFI = 0.936, TLI = 0.946, CFI = 0.955, RMSEA = 0.080, PCLOSE < 0.001). In conclusion, the validation of the PSNCQQ in the Croatian language increases resources for evaluating and improving the quality of nursing care. This research lays the foundation for future studies and practical applications aimed at improving patient satisfaction and nursing care outcomes in Croatia, but there are also limitations to this study, including its one-institution scope, the possible influence of factors outside the current treatment on satisfaction, and the lack of comparison with objective clinical indicators.

Knowledge about Fertility in Croatia, Measured with the Croatian Version of the Cardiff Fertility Knowledge Scale (CFKS-Hr), in Relation to Attitudes toward Having a Child and Associated Factors in a Cross-Sectional Survey.

Fertility is a crucial component of population maintenance and growth. A declining fertility trend has been observed over the past two decades, and it continues. The birth rate in the Republic of Croatia is continuously decreasing, which is insufficient to maintain its population. This research aimed to examine the level of fertility knowledge, factors influencing fertility knowledge, and the relationship between fertility knowledge and the decision to have a child. A cross-sectional study was conducted on a sample of mothers in five hospitals on the Adriatic coast of the Republic of Croatia, involving 1541 mothers, 18 years and older, from September 2021 to December 2023. The Cardiff Fertility Knowledge Scale (CFKS) was used for the research. The participants were divided into four groups according to age. The analysis was conducted using SPSS software (version 22.0). Descriptive statistics, chi-squared tests, t-tests, and Pearson's correlations were used for the data analysis. The average percent correct score on the CFKS was 51.8% (SD 22.6), with greater knowledge being significantly related to married status and higher education status (both p < 0.05). A total of 83% of mothers who have one child want to have more children. Fewer mothers who have two children want to have more children (42%), while only 11% of mothers who have three or more children want to have more children. There is no significant relationship between the CFKS and the importance of childbearing in the future (p = 0.12). Respondents indicated that they gained most of their knowledge from the internet (31%) and from the healthcare system (33%). The research results reveal a lack of fertility knowledge among participants, as well as an intention to have a child in the later stages of life. The lack of formal education on this topic leads to information gathering from friends, newspapers, television, and the internet. This study was not registered.

Differences in the Quality of Life Relative to the Level of Cardiorespiratory Capacity of Primary School Students

As cardiorespiratory capacity is an important factor of an overall quality of life and a significant indicator of physical fitness, its development should begin from early childhood. The goal of the research is to determine the differences in the quality of life and cardiorespiratory abilities of primary education students. A total of 651 fourth-grade primary school students from the Republic of Croatia participated in the research. The average age of the subjects was 10.38±0.50 years, and the sample was divided in two subsamples according to gender, 316 girls (10.30±0.47 years) and 335 boys (10.34±0.49 years). Body height was measured with a portable altimeter, while body mass, body mass index – BMI, percentage of fat, level of obesity, and muscle mass were measured with a two-frequency body composition analyser (TANITA DC-360P). Waist circumference and hip circumference were measured with a centimeter tape, while the ratio of the waist and hip circumference (WHR index) was calculated based on their ratio. Cardiorespiratory capacity was assessed with a multi-stage 20m-running test (20MSRT Shuttle run test). For assessing the qualty of life, the researchers used a Croatian version of the KIDSCREEN-10 Questionnaire. The research results show a high mean value of the overall life quality assessment (4.33). The identification of individual differences between the researched groups demonstrated that students with a high level of cardiorespiratory capacity rate their quality of life significantly higher than students with a low or moderate cardiorespiratory capacity. According to the results, 41.01% of students have an unsatisfactory level of cardiorespiratory ability. There are statistically significant differences in morphological characteristics and cardiorespiraory capacity among the groups classified according to their level of cardiorespiratory capacity. Children with a higher level of cardiorespiratory capacity report a better quality of life and have better indeces of physical nutrition. Physical exercises used to boost the development of the cardiorespiratory capacity of children indirectly impact the prevention of obesity and can diminish other factors of cardiovascular risk.

Factor Structure and Internal Consistency Reliability of the Croatian Version of the Family Adaptability and Cohesion Evaluation Scale (FACES) IV Package : A Preliminary Study

Introduction: A family operates as a dynamic system comprising various subsystems and is continually interacting with its environment. Therefore, it is essential to comprehend the underlying principles of family functioning. One of the most commonly used models for describing family functioning is the Circumplex Model of Marital and Family Systems (Olson &amp; Gorall, 2003). Aims: In this study, we aimed at examining the factor structure and internal consistency reliability in the Croatian version of the Family Adaptability and Cohesion Evaluation Scale IV Package, which measures family functioning through family cohesion and flexibility at the balanced and unbalanced levels, as well as family communication and family satisfaction. Methods: Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and exploratory factor analysis (EFA) were performed using a convenient sample of 528 participants. Results: CFA revealed that the Croatian version of the FACES IV Package does not fit the theoretical model of the original factor structure in this preliminary study. The exceptions were the Family Communication Scale and Family Satisfaction Scale, which showed satisfactory parameters. The results of the EFA of FACES IV showed a 5-factor model solution. Conclusions: The Croatian version of the FACES IV Package is not completely suitable for use in the national context. Thus, given these preliminary findings, further testing on a more representative or clinical sample is recommended.

Knjiga osvajanja otoka Krete i Zadra Livnjaka Sipahizade Ahmeda Čelebija

This paper deals with the work Gazavatname-i Cezire-i Kilid ve Zadre written by Sipahizade Ahmed Çelebi. Ahmed Çelebi was born in the second half of the 16th century in the town of Livno in southwestern Bosnia. He was a descendent of the local notable Ljubunčić family. He served as judge (kadı) at the various places in the territory of the Ottoman province of Bosnia. In his work he described the war events in Bosnia, Dalmatia and Croatia during the Cretan War (1645–1669). He provides detailed information on the preparation of Ottoman troops in Bosnia for military campaigns and the participation of members of the military and political elite in the battles against the Venetian troops as well as on the Venetian attacks in the Ottoman territory. Moreover, his work is very important for the study of folk literature. For example, Ahmed Çelebi mentioned a folk legend about Queen Kaydefa, whose capital was Solin near Klis, and that she was outwitted by Alexander the Great. This version of the folk tale about Queen Kaydefa was most likely based on the encounter from the epic poem on Alexander the Great written by the Ottoman poet Ahmedi and the Croatian version of Pseudo-Callisthenes’ novel about Alexander the Great. The work of Ahmedi Çelebi is a very important source for the 17th century Bosnia, Dalmatia and Croatia, and deserves to be edited and translated into the Croatian language.

Croatian nurses' and nursing students’ attitudes towards pressure ulcer/injury prevention

AimThe research aimed to validate the Croatian version of the Attitude towards a Pressure Ulcer Prevention Instrument (APuP) and determine the attitudes of students and nurses towards pressure injury prevention. MethodsThe cross-sectional study included 440 participants (114 nurses and 326 nursing students). The study used APuP translated into Croatian. Data were collected between 2020 and 2021. Descriptive statistics, the Kruskal–Wallis test, and the Mann-Whitney U test were used to analyse the data. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was performed to determine the factor structure of the questionnaire. ResultsThe average result at the APuP was 40.90/52 or 78.65%, with the highest results achieved by full-time students (79.71%) and the lowest by part-time students (78.03%). Three-quarters of participants (75.45%) achieved ≥75% points on the attitude scale. The EFA extracted a four-factor structure solution (competency, priority, personal responsibility and confidence in the effectiveness of prevention), explaining 50.41% of the total variance. Cronbach's alpha coefficient for the total APuP Instrument was 0.68. ConclusionsNurses and nursing students in Croatia have positive attitudes towards pressure injury (PI) prevention. The Croatian version of the APuP has been successfully applied to nurses and nursing students. The instrument has 12 items and is valid, reliable, and useful for measuring attitudes towards PI prevention.

The pain attitudes and beliefs scale for physiotherapists: psychometric properties of the Croatian version

Objective This study aims to create a Croatian version of the PABS-PT questionnaire and determine the psychometric properties. Design This study is a cross-sectional survey of Croatian physiotherapists. Methods The Pain Attitudes and Beliefs Scale for Physiotherapists is a questionnaire that includes 36 items. Only physiotherapists working with patients suffering from low back pain and who have been working for at least 1 year in the field of musculoskeletal physiotherapy participated in the study. The Factor and Cronbach’s alpha analyses were performed to determine the factor structure and internal consistency. Results A total of 203 physiotherapists (response rate 69.52%) completed the PABS-PT-CRO. The analysis reveals two factors, i.e. a biomedical and biopsychosocial treatment orientation. The two-factor structure explained 25.8% of the total variance, with factor 1 contributing 17.8% and factor 2 contributing 8%. Thirty-six items were reduced to fifteen, with ten items loading on factor 1 and five on factor 2. Cronbach’s alpha was 0.762 for factor 1 (biomedical scale) and 0.666 for factor 2 (biopsychosocial scale). Conclusion The Croatian version of the PABS-PT appears to be equivalent to the original Dutch version and indicates a similar internal consistency. The questionnaire is valuable and necessary in clinical work for physiotherapists.

Aphasia awareness and knowledge in Croatia

ABSTRACT Background Awareness and knowledge about aphasia are very important as they lead to positive changes that have a particular impact on the quality of life of people with aphasia (PWA) and their families. So far, studies in numerous countries have shown that public awareness and knowledge about aphasia are low and differ in certain groups, e.g., by age, gender, occupation and level of education. Aim The aim of this study was to investigate awareness and knowledge of aphasia among the public in Croatia. Methods & Procedures The modified Croatian version of the aphasia public awareness questionnaire was used for data collection. The questionnaire was completed by 300 adults. Participants were grouped according to gender, age, education level, and region of residence. Descriptive statistics and chi-square test were used for data analyses. Results According to the results, 41% of the participants had heard of aphasia, and 22.7% had basic knowledge about aphasia. Significant differences were found in relation to gender and level of education: awareness was higher among women and participants with a high level of education. No significant differences were found in relation to age or region of residence. The internet and social media were most frequently indicated by participants as sources of information about aphasia. Conclusion It is evident that awareness and knowledge about aphasia in Croatia are limited. There is a need to raise awareness and educate the public about aphasia to effect positive changes, including the reintegration of PWA into the community and the provision of new services where PWA and their family members can refer to experts for counselling and therapy. To this end, international interdisciplinary collaboration among researchers is desirable.

Validation of the Croatian version of the short form of the Burnout Assessment Tool: Findings from a nationally representative sample

AbstractBurnout poses severe health‐related and financial risks. However, valid and reliable measurement of this occupational phenomenon has been impeded by the conceptual, psychometric and pragmatical shortcomings of the extant burnout instruments. The Burnout Assessment Tool (BAT) is a new measure of burnout that was developed to overcome these deficiencies. The purpose of this study was to validate the Croatian version of its short form, BAT‐12, using a representative sample of the Croatian working population. To do so, we examined the factor structure and measurement invariance of BAT‐12 across gender, age, and occupational type, as well as convergent and discriminant data on BAT‐12 vis‐à‐vis an alternative burnout measure, the Oldenburg Burnout Inventory, job resources, job demands and job outcomes. The results obtained on online survey data from 966 employees supported the hierarchical structure of BAT‐12, although with slight modifications. We also found comparable loading structure across age, gender, and occupational type, whereas the intercept invariance depended on the moderator. Convergent and discriminant validity was supported in relation to all examined variables. Therefore, the psychometric soundness of the Croatian version of BAT‐12 adds new evidence to the current validation process of the BAT‐12 and supports the application of this measure on the Croatian working population.

Parental reports on language development in toddlers and preschoolers based on the Croatian version of Communicative Development Inventories III.

Previous studies have focused on understanding parental attempts to record language development in children, across many typologically different languages. However, many of these studies restricted their assessment to children up to the age of 3 years. The aim of this paper was to move this boundary by examining language development in typically language developed children older than 3 years. Using the Croatian version of the Communicative Development Inventories III (CDI-III-HR), we investigated the contribution of parental reports of a child's lexical, grammatical, and metalinguistic awareness abilities to general language abilities assessed by clinicians. Participants included the parents of 151 children between the ages of 30 to 48 months, who completed the CDI-III-HR and reported on their child's language abilities. Our results show that age is significantly associated with the lexical, grammatical, and metalinguistic awareness abilities of a child's language development. These findings confirm that all three abilities increase with age and that parents can perceive changes in a child's language development. The subsections of CDI-III-HR were moderately to strongly associated with each other, with the strongest association being between lexicon and grammar, suggesting that they remain closely related after the age of 30 months. Parental assessments of a child's language development are a better predictor of language production than language comprehension, with grammar making the most consistent and significant contribution. This study confirms that the development of grammatical abilities is the most prominent skill between the ages of 30 to 48 months and that parents can observe the transition in the child's language development through their usage of grammar in words to grammar in sentences. Based on the selected sample of children, we discovered different patterns of parental success in assessing the child's language ability. These findings indicate that parents can act as valuable sources of information regarding the child's language abilities, but clinical assessments of early language development should consider many other formal sources of information in addition to parental reports.

Are religious patients less afraid of surgery? A cross-sectional study on the relationship between dimensions of religiousness and surgical fear.

Surgical fear is common and has a negative impact on surgery and its outcome. Recent research has identified individual religiousness as an important factor among patients with associations to mental health, particularly anxiety. This study aimed to examine associations between religiousness and surgical fear in a representative sample of adult surgical patients in Croatia. Cross-sectional study among elective surgery patients at different departments of a single hospital. University Hospital Sveti Duh, a tertiary health care facility in Croatia. Religiousness and surgical fear were the variables of interest and assessed through self-report instruments. The Croatian version of the Duke Religiosity Index questionnaire (DUREL) assessed organizational religious activity (ORA), non-organizational religious activity (NORA), and intrinsic religiousness (IR). The Croatian version of the Surgical Fear Questionnaire (SFQ) measured surgical fear and its subscales the fear of the short-term and long-term consequences of surgery. Additionally, sociodemographic characteristics and medical history were assessed. Analyses were carried out using descriptive and linear regression analyses. 178 subjects were included for data analysis. Univariate linear regression found two dimensions of religiousness (non-organizational religious activity, intrinsic religiousness) to be weak, but significant predictors of greater surgical fear (adj. R2 = 0.02 and 0.03 respectively). In the multiple linear regression model together with age, gender, education and type of surgery, all three dimensions of religiousness were found to be significant independent predictors of greater surgical fear. The study was single-center and cross-sectional and did not assess patients' specific religious identity. This study demonstrated significant positive associations between dimensions of religiousness and surgical fear, potentially suggesting that surgical patients experience increased religiousness to cope with heightened anxiety. Assessment and intervention to address patient religiousness is warranted in the context of surgical fear among religious patients, and the importance of religiousness in the context of surgical fear needs to be further addressed in research.