Northeast Hungary Research Articles

Age-related shifts in mental health determinants from a deprived area in the European Union: informing the national healthy aging program of Hungary

Mental disorders are among the leading causes of disability worldwide, disproportionately affecting older people. This study aims to assess the mental health of elderly individuals living in a deprived region of Hungary, and to identify and estimate the weight of different determinants of mental health across different age groups. A cross-sectional study was conducted with randomly selected samples of individuals (n = 860) aged 18 years and older in Northeast Hungary. The World Health Organization Well-Being Index (WHO-5), the single-item Life Satisfaction Scale, and the 12-item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12) were used to measure mental health of the participants. Multiple linear regression analysis was performed to measure the association between sociodemographic and health-related variables and mental health. Overall, the mean WHO-5 score was 69.2 ± 18.1 and it showed a significant decrease by age (p < 0.001), with the lowest score observed in aged 75 years and above (p < 0.001). The mean life satisfaction score was 7.5 ± 1.9 and it showed a significant decreasing trend over the life course (p < 0.001). The highest level of psychological distress as assessed by GHQ-12 was observed in the group aged 75 years or older (11.5 ± 6.0, p < 0.001). Multiple linear regression indicated that self-reported financial status, social support, sense of control over their health, activity limitation and pain intensity were the most important determinants of mental health among older adults. Interventions to improve the mental health of older adults should focus on the positive impact of social support, the reduction of financial insecurity and the use of effective pain relief medications.

Enhancing water balance assessment in urban areas through high-resolution land cover mapping: Case study of Debrecen, Hungary

Land cover (LC) mapping in urban areas is one of the core applications in remote sensing (RS), and it plays an important role in modern urban planning and management. In order to support up-to-date simplified water balance calculation, LC modelling needs to be developed for precise and high-resolution operations to monitor rapidly expanding urban areas. This study provides a spatial decision support tool for urban water balance calculations considering hydrological parameters at pixel scale. The study is aimed to create a high-resolution LC map for more precise water balance calculations to identify and link the most important parameters, such as crop coefficient, for estimating crop evapotranspiration, runoff coefficients, and infiltration rate. Meteorological data from 2016 to 2019 were involved in evapotranspiration estimation. The study site is Debrecen, a city in northeast Hungary with a population of about 200,000. By integrating Landsat 8 imagery, Google Earth (GE), and Corine Land Cover (CLC), a LC map of 30 m resolution was created with 81.2 % overall accuracy (OA) and a coefficient of kappa greater than 0.78. For the classification of Landsat 8, seven classes were assigned (forests, sealed surfaces, areas with crop cover, grassland, semi-sealed surfaces, bare ground and surface water bodies). Classification results were validated by 101 ground truth samples using other satellite images and aerial photographs. Water balance parameters (i.e. surface runoff, infiltration and evapotranspiration) were then defined and calculated at a pixel scale and for larger areas. The technique developed in this study can also be utilized in other urban areas.

Equality Drowned in Thermal Water – Environmental Racism and Antisemitism in the Context of Tourism-Centred Modernisation in Interwar North-East Hungary

This paper discusses the interrelationship between discourse about the natural environment and nationalist ideologies in interwar Hungary through a case study on the politicisation of bath culture. As a result of the peace treaty that ended World War One, in the 1930s and 1940s, a previously neglected thermal bath town in North-east Hungary became a target for national scale real estate development as well as virulent antisemitism. In order to legitimate antisemitic policy barring Jews from public baths, Hungarian Christian nationalists evoked myths about Jewish bodies being unclean and infectious and used the term ‘Galician Jew’ in reference to Galicia in Eastern Europe, a region historically associated with dirtiness and backwardness. The present study explores the discourse developing around access to thermal resources and argues that the discriminatory bath decrees pushed by the far right were the first step towards the disenfranchisement and eventual extermination of the Hungarian Jewish community.

Huge amounts of iron raw material from the Early Iron Age settlement of Dédestapolcsány-Verebce (N-Hungary) – a preliminary archaeometallurgical study

The team of the Institute of Archaeological Sciences of the Eötvös Loránd University has been investigating the Early Iron Age hillfort at Dédestapolcsány-Verebce-bérc (Northeast Hungary) since 2020. The settlement was destroyed by siege in the late 7th century BC, as evidenced by hundreds of early Scythian bronze arrowheads and burnt buildings. Based on the recovered metal and pottery findings the settlement dated to the Early Iron Age in the Carpathian Basin (end of the 7th century – beginning of the 6th century BC). The quantity of the Early and Middle Iron Age iron and bronze artefacts and pieces of iron raw material on the site is exceptionally high. More than 30 depots were unearthed which include pieces of iron raw material. In the whole territory, the number of these finds is more than 600. The average weight of the pieces was 1.54 kg. A few selected objects were sampled and subjected to archaeometric analysis (OM and SEM-EDS). The main aim of the examinations carried out by the experts of the Archaeometallurgical Research Group of the University of Miskolc (ARGUM) was the material characterisation of the samples to figure out what kind of processing has been applied and reveal how the iron raw materials can be connected in any way to the other iron objects found at the site. Based on the results, it can be concluded that the iron pieces are compacted with a slightly heterogeneous structure. Each one is a part of a single bloom, not several pieces of different blooms assembled together. Numerous pores and cavities were observed in the microstructure of the samples. Their basic character is similar, although, they differ from each other, mainly in terms of carbon content and degree of forming. These pieces are not typical semi-finished products; they can be identified somewhere halfway between primary bloom and compacted bar.

Archeogeophysical application of non-traditional geoelectric arrays. A case study in a north-east Hungary site

With the continuous development of multielectrode geoelectrical tomography (ERT) as a geophysical technique, we became able to detect small size targets. In this paper, we present ERT interpretation results obtained at an archaeological site in Szendrő village in northeastern Hungary, where a 17th century fortress once stood. Several historical notes and a collapsed entrance recall the existence of tunnels under the fortress and a water well of uncertain depth. To detect these structures, geoelectrical multielectrode measurements were carried out using conventional and quasi-null arrays. The quasi-null array applies the arrangement of the current (A and B) and potential electrodes (M and N) in a special way, i.e., the electrodes A, M, B, N follow each other in line in special distances from each other. The horizontal sensitivity of the resistivity profiling method using these types of arrays has been proven to be better than that of the Wenner or other conventional arrays. The comparative study aims not just to investigate the archeological features, but to test the sensitivity of the non-traditional quasi-null arrays to these two-dimensional inhomogeneities. As a result, the optimal array can be chosen, and the identification and delineation of shallow structures can be made more reliably. In this paper, we present the very first archeogeophysical field measurements carried out by the gamma quasi null array (γqnull).

Land Cover Modelling with Sentinel 2 in Water Balance Calculations of Urban Sites

This study investigates how a land cover map is produced using Sentinel 2 satellite images and how the resulting map is integrated with the calculation of hydrological parameters. Due to its capacity to deliver high-resolution spatial data, satellite imagery is increasingly being used for land cover mapping (1). The process involves several stages, including pre-processing of the Sentinel 2 imagery, image classification using machine learning algorithms, and post-processing of the classified image to generate a land cover map. The resulting land cover map is then integrated with hydrological parameters such as precipitation, evapotranspiration, and soil characteristics to calculate various hydrological parameters. Debrecen, north-east Hungary is the study area. This study's method is suitable for usage in other cities. Understanding the relationship between land cover and water availability requires the integration of the land cover map with hydrological parameters (2). The study demonstrates the potential of using remote sensing data for hydrological studies and highlights the importance of integrating various data sources for accurate estimation of hydrological parameters. The results show that the land cover classes have a significant impact on the water balance of urban sites. This study outlines the key steps involved in creating a land cover map using Sentinel 2 satellite imagery and integrating it with hydrological parameters calculation. The application of this strategy supports sustainable water management techniques and offers insightful information about a region's hydrological processes.

Exploring the eighteenth-century concept of soil as reflected in Sámuel Domby's De vino Tokaiensi

AbstractThe treatise De vino Tokaiensi (On Tokaj Wine) written by Sámuel Domby of Gálfalva (1729–1807), is a valuable source on Hungarian history of culture and science which has become widely accessible thanks to its facsimile edition. This medical doctoral dissertation published in 1758 in Utrecht presents a study of the medicinal effects of Tokaj wine, mirroring the norms of philosophical-scientific literature in eighteenth century Hungary. It is unequivocally an exceptional document of the intellectual heritage of the educated classes in the early modern age regarding growth habitat, viticulture and winemaking, with specific reference to Tokaj-Hegyalja, a wine region and cultural landscape of historic importance in Northeast Hungary. The present paper aims at identifying the perceptions detailed in the candidate's argument in pedological terms.

Exploring health service utilization among elderly populations in Hungary: A comparison of rural and urban settings in the context of Unhealthy Ageing

Abstract Background The demographic transition presents a significant challenge for health systems due to increasing healthcare needs of ageing population, particularly in Central and Eastern European (CEE) countries. In first step, we aimed to describe the health status and use of health services among elderly living in the most deprived region in Hungary, and to compare the use of health services (including preventive and healthcare services) among older adults living in urban and rural areas. Methods A complex health survey was carried out on randomly selected sample of individuals aged 65 years and older (n = 443) in Northeast Hungary in 2022. Demographic, socioeconomic characteristics and use of health services were analysed by type of residence. Results Generally, 15.3% of elderlies rated their health as poor/very poor (14.9% in rural and 15.7% in urban areas), and 57.8% (63.5% and 52.6%) reported limitation in daily activities. Elderlies living in rural area in comparison with that living in urban area reported lower frequency of visiting a dentist (21% vs. 32.9%; p = 0.006), and specialists (53.4% vs. 63.8%; p = 0.028), having fecal occult blood testing (8.8% vs. 21.7%; p &amp;lt; 0.001), colorectal cancer screening (12.1% vs. 20.9%; p = 0.014), and mammography (16% vs. 26.6%; p = 0.035), and reported higher frequency of blood pressure measurement (90.9% vs. 84.4%; p = 0.042). After adjustment for demographic, socioeconomic and health related factors, urban residence showed positive association with having fecal occult blood testing (OR = 2.72, 95% CI: 1.42-5.22), and negative association with blood pressure (OR = 0.44, 95% CI: 0.23-0.86) and blood glucose measurements (OR = 0.55, 95% CI: 0.33-0.92). Conclusions Our findings suggest the impact of residence on health (especially preventive) service utilization among older adults in Hungary. Further comprehensive studies are needed to describe the health needs of older people to implement policies to promote healthy ageing in CEE countries.

Comparative analysis of health status and health service utilization patterns among rural and urban elderly populations in Hungary: a study on the challenges of unhealthy aging

The demographic transition poses a significant challenge for health systems, especially in Central and Eastern European (CEE) countries, where the healthcare needs of aging populations are on the rise. This study aimed to describe and compare the health status and utilization of health services among the elderly residing in urban and rural areas of the most deprived region in Hungary. A comprehensive health survey was conducted in 2022, involving a randomly selected sample of 443 older adults (≥ 65 years) in Northeast Hungary. Multivariable logistic regression models adjusting for age, sex, education, financial status, chronic diseases, and activity limitations were used to investigate the association between type of residence and health service use. Among the study participants, 62.3% were female, 38.3% attained primary education, 12.5% reported a bad or very bad financial situation and 52.6% lived in urban areas. Overall, 24% of the elderly rated their health as very good or good (27.8% in urban and 19.7% in rural areas), while 57.8% (52.6% and 63.5% in urban and rural areas) reported limitations in daily activities. Compared to urban residents, rural residents reported lower rates of dentist visits (p = 0.006), specialist visits (p = 0.028), faecal occult blood testing (p < 0.001), colorectal cancer screening with colonoscopy (p = 0.014), and breast cancer screening (p = 0.035), and a higher rate of blood pressure measurement (p = 0.042). Multivariable models indicated that urban residence was positively associated with faecal occult blood testing (OR = 2.32, p = 0.014), but negatively associated with blood pressure (OR = 0.42, p = 0.017) and blood glucose measurements (OR = 0.48, p = 0.009). These findings highlight the influence of residence on health service utilization among older adults in Hungary. Further comprehensive studies are needed to better understand the health needs of the elderly population and to develop policies aimed at promoting healthy aging in CEE countries.

Widening Gap of Land Evaporation to Reference Evapotranspiration Implies Increasing Vulnerability to Droughts in Hungary

Severe droughts of 2022 in Europe raise the question if one has sufficient knowledge and tools to predict and prevent such events. Analysis of 40 years of meteorological data for Hungary between 1981 and 2020 confirms significant upward trends with p = 0.05 in temperature, relative humidity, and net radiation. Shortwave net radiation has increased by 89.6 mm in water equivalent. Estimates of land evaporation and reference evapotranspiration also show a significantly increasing trend. The gap between them is widening with a significant trend in northeast Hungary. The demand (reference evapotranspiration) is increasing by 2.23 ± 0.3 mm yr–1, while supply (land evaporation) by 1.64 ± 0.2 mm yr–1. The opening gap can be interpreted as a decreasing stability of the energy distribution system, where water is the dominant energy transfer medium for climatic energy. This change could lead to an increased risk of droughts, a symptom of system underperformance. The climatic energy distribution process – a key environmental service - is shifting to a new operating point where more water would be needed to transport energy. These trends call for a process capability approach. Desertification cannot be stopped by chasing water use efficiency and using less water, but vice versa: water scarcity can only be eliminated by ensuring that there is sufficient water available for evapotranspiration. This will raise the priority for initiatives to design and implement a wide range of preventing actions, such as nature-based solutions and water retention measures.

Health Psychology Services for People in Disadvantaged Regions of Hungary: Experiences from the Primary Health Care Development Model Program.

The importance of community health psychology in providing complex bio-psycho-social care is well documented. We present a mixed-method outcome-monitoring study of health psychology services in the public-health-focused Primary Health Care Development Model Program (2012-2017) in four disadvantaged micro-regions in northeast Hungary. Study 1 assessed the availability of the services using a sample of 17,003 respondents. Study 2 applied a follow-up design to measure the mental health outcomes of the health psychology services on a sample of 132 clients. In Study 3, we conducted focus-group interviews to assess clients' lived experiences. More mental health issues and higher education predicted a higher probability of service use. Follow-up showed that individual and group-based psychological interventions resulted in less depression and (marginally) higher well-being. Thematic analysis of the focus-group interviews indicated that participants deemed topics such as psychoeducation, greater acceptance of psychological support, and heightened awareness of individual and community support important. The results of the monitoring study demonstrate the important role health psychology services can play in primary healthcare in disadvantaged regions in Hungary. Community health psychology can improve well-being, reduce inequality, raise the population's health awareness, and address unmet social needs in disadvantaged regions.

New Perspectives for Living Traditions: Intangible Cultural Heritage in North-East Hungary

AbstractThe UNESCO World Heritage Convention (1972) was originally focused on nature conservation and built heritage. The immaterial aspect of the worldwide heritage discourse arrived at a turning point in 2003, when the Convention for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage was adopted. The definition of the intangible cultural heritage provides essential frames for a wide range of interpretations. The UNESCO concept focuses on inclusive, representative and community-based traditions which are contemporary and living at the same time. In this sense, the intangible cultural heritage conception is based on the fundamental dichotomy of tradition and modernity. For the communities concerned, a new perspective for living traditions is the process from tradition to heritage. There are four essential features of this process: participation, consciousness, organization and valorization. They can make a difference between tradition and heritage. The Hungarian model for the implementation of the UNESCO Convention is based on a bottom-up system, where the heritage bearers themselves initiate the nomination process for the National Inventory. It is based on their strong commitment to their heritage and it relies on their involvement and participation. In this paper, three case studies from North-East Hungary (Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén County) represent different ways of “creating a heritage.” The various patterns are closely related to the ideas of identity, community cohesion, tourism, local economy and the preservation of living traditions.

The bryophyte richness and diversity of Tamás Pócs’s private domestic garden

This paper presents the bryophyte diversity of Tamás Pócs’s house garden in Felsőtárkány village (NE Hungary). Altogether 49 taxa (2 liverworts and 47 mosses) were recorded from the noted bryologist’s private garden. More than half of the species (57%) belong to the three families: Orthotrichaceae, Pottiaceae and Brachytheciaceae. Compared with nearby surveyed parks and botanical gardens, the private garden has outstanding bryophyte richness in relation to the size of its area. In terms of species composition the garden shows the greatest similarity to the Central park of Eger town among the nearby localities. Recent data of Entodon concinnus is the fifth occurrence in the country and the first from North East Hungary.

Innovation in assessment of the geothermal energy potential of abandoned hydrocarbon wells in the southern and southeastern foreground of the Bükk Mountains, northeast Hungary

An innovative methodology is introduced to study abandoned oil exploration drillings for possible geothermal energy production at a test area in northeast Hungary. An evaluation method supported by robust statistical analysis was elaborated to provide the possible future investors with adequate technical and earth-science related information for their decision-making processes. All the available data of 161 abandoned hydrocarbon wells, with different physical conditions, were examined based on the proposed evaluation system to provide information about the geothermal energy potential for each well, as well as over a bigger area. The abandoned wells and their environments, the quantity of stored heat, and the fluid temperature and geothermal heat were the key parameters determined, which are critical when considering geothermal energy utilization or thermal water production. The maximum amount of stored energy was determined as the sum of the amount of energy extractable from the rock and the fluid. The heat stored in the rock was determined by basin modelling. The evaluation process, using one-dimensional (1D) basin modelling and 3D lithological-stratigraphic modelling, was successfully applied in the pilot area. The maximum amount of heat stored in the fluid can be determined by subtracting the heat stored in the rock from the total heat. Drilling and completing geothermal wells are rather expensive in Hungary, depending on the depth and the types of geological formations. The application of this research could greatly reduce the cost and risk of creating new geothermal energy systems based on production wells or abandoned wells in Hungary or elsewhere.

Diet quality as assessed by Healthy Eating Index-2015 among Hungarian Roma living in settlements of Northeast Hungary

Inequalities in diet quality are increasingly reported, but such studies among Roma are scarce and challenging. Here we attempt to examine diet quality and adherence to food based dietary guidelines among Hungarian Roma (HR) ethnic minority living in segregated settlements while comparing a sample of Hungarian adults from the general population (HG). Data were obtained from a complex comparative health survey conducted in Northeast Hungary in 2018, including sociodemographic and physical examination data. Dietary data were collected using two non-consecutive 24-h dietary recalls. We assessed diet quality based on using a 13-component Healthy Eating Index-2015 (HEI-2015, range 0–100). Differences in median intakes of food and nutrients and HEI-2015 scores were evaluated by Mann–Whitney test or Kruskal–Wallis test. Quantile regression was used to adjust HEI-2015 scores for socioeconomic factors including age, sex, educational status, and perceived financial status. This analysis included 393 and 415 subjects, aged between 18 to 70 years, of HR and HG populations, respectively. Results showed overall low median HEI-2015 scores for both HR and HG, with significantly lower total score among HR participants (41.6, interquartile range (IQR): 39.5–42.8) compared to HG (47.2, IQR: 45.7–51.1). Scores for individual components, such as intake of fruits, greens and beans, whole grains, seafood, and plant proteins were particularly suboptimal among both groups, but significantly lower among the HR population. Scores for refined grains, sodium, saturated fats and added sugar reflected high intakes of these components but did not differ between study groups. Our findings revealed an unfavorable diet quality among the HR compared to HG and a potentially increased risk for diet-related NCDs. Future health intervention programs are warranted to address dietary disparities of segregated minorities in Hungary while considering ethnic and cultural differences.

Health Anxiety Among the Normal Population and Healthcare Professionals in a Highly Disadvantaged Region During Three Waves of COVID-19

Abstract Health anxiety manifests in fearing for our health when we recognize factors endangering it. The COVID-19 pandemic has occurred as such a factor in which millions of people have become infected and lost their relatives. The pandemic initiated by an unknown pathogen has occurred as an obviously health-influencing and -threatening phenomenon. The presence of health anxiety related to COVID-19 is considered to be an adaptive reaction, since it strengthens health behaviour (following epidemiological rules, health-protecting behaviour), but its long-lasting, increased level has created problems by influencing more fields of human life in a negative way and inhibiting people seriously in their everyday activities. Our research goal is the assessment of health anxiety among the population of a highly disadvantaged region in North-east Hungary during three waves of the pandemic. We will deal with the health anxiety of healthcare professionals working in this region separately, and we will examine how much the anxiety of people working with seriously ill patients differs from the normal population’s anxiety. This study presents the partial results of the complex mental health image research of the region’s adult population. In this unit of the research, we used the shortened version of the WHO Well-being questionnaire and the Short Health Anxiety Inventory. In the online data recording, 550 persons completed the questionnaire on average. It is not representative, but it reflects the attitude of the region’s population well.

Unusual early peaks of airborne ragweed (Ambrosia L.) pollen in the Pannonian Biogeographical Region.

Early peaks of airborne ragweed (Ambrosia L.) pollen concentrations were observed at several monitoring stations in Hungary in June 2017 and 2018, onemonth before the usual start of the pollen season at the end of July. Backward trajectories were calculated to simulate potential sources of pollen collected at different locations in the Pannonian Biogeographical Region. In a collaboration between aerobiological and phenological networks, a nationwide campaign was conducted to collect field data of ragweed blooming. During field surveys, ragweed plants having extremely early blooming were found most abundantly in a rural site near Vaja (North-East Hungary) and other locations in Hungary. Field observations matched with source areas identified by trajectory analyses; i.e., early-flowering ragweed plants were found at some of these locations. Although similar peaks of airborne pollen concentrations were not detected in other years (e.g., 2016, 2019-2021), alarming results suggest the possibility of expanding seasons of ragweed allergy.

Physical Activity Pattern Characterized by Domains and Dimensions of the Roma Population in Comparison with That of the General Population in Northeast Hungary.

Our study focuses on examining physical activity, as one of the most influential health determinants by domains and dimensions among Roma, the largest vulnerable ethnic minority in Europe. The study was carried out on a sample representative of the Hungarian Roma (HR) population (n = 350) living in segregated colonies in Northeast Hungary in comparison with the Hungarian general (HG) population sample (n = 343) from the same region. Data were collected using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) long-form and physical activity was quantified as MET-min/week. Scores were calculated for walking, moderate and vigorous-intensity activities for each domain (work, transport, domestic and gardening, leisure) and as an overall total. The HR population—similarly to the HG—is characterized by moderate or high physical activity; however, this level is achieved by work and housework/gardening instead of leisure time activities, which is worryingly low among HR females, but its prevalence is significantly (p < 0.001) lower in both sexes than among the HG population in the vigorous activity category. HR men move (walk and cycle) significantly more during transport than HG men. Our results may direct the attention of decision-makers to improve the health of Roma by increasing leisure-time physical activity.

Instrumental orientation and motivational intensity among secondary school students in north-east Hungary

One of the major factors influencing the rate and success of second or foreign language learning is motivation, which is well acknowledged by both teachers and researchers (Dörnyei, 1998). Consequently, the aim of this paper is to describe some of the motivating factors of secondary school learners studying English or German as a foreign language. The study was conducted in the autumn of 2018 at 16 secondary schools in north-east Hungary, where 453 students studying English or German as a foreign language filled in the questionnaire in Hungarian. The first part of the paper describes the theoretical background of the research. The second part shows the aim, method, and participants of the research. The results of the research are presented in the third part of the paper.

Improvement of Seismic Sections and Well Logs for Joint Geophysical Interpretation

Seismic and well-logging data are useful for comparison and then integratation for a comprehensive geophysical interpretation. In the course of this work, seismic results were compared with well-logging geophysical data and profiles for more reliable evaluation of groundwater formations in the Tokaj region, north-east Hungary. The seismic results and profiles were obtained by the Common Reflection Surface (CRS) stacking technique. This is an advantageous stacking technique that is expected to greatly improve seismic profiles. In connection with this, we also examined some well-logging geophysical profiles so that we can improve later results. By comparing and examining the two types of sections together, we provide a basis for various method developments that improve the sections. Thus, the aim is to fill in the missing data, so that the well-logging and seismic sections can be examined together as accurately as possible in order to gain a more accurate picture of the subsurface formations. It is important to determine the lithology and petrophysical characteristics using well logs. The section replacement the improvement of the units is done using machine learning-based and inversion methods such as factor analysis or cluster analysis. An important outcome in the application of geophysical inversion methods is that the results of different methods can be jointly interpreted and this can significantly increase the reliability of the results. The application of these methods and their development is expected to reduce uncertainty and ambiguity and to increase the accuracy of the sections.