Serbian National Research Articles

Association between health-enhancing physical activity and the social factors, lifestyle and dietary characteristics.

The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends minimum of 150 minutes of moderate intensity aerobic physical activity or 75 minutes of vigorous intensity aerobic physical activity along with at least two sessions of muscle strengthening exercises per week. Compliance with these recommendations is classified as Health Enhancing Physical Activity (HEPA). The aim of this study was to analyze the association between the HEPA and the social factors, lifestyle and dietary characteristics. We conducted the secondary analyses of the data from the Serbian National Health Survey 2019, on 12067 adult participants classified in two groups: with HEPA and without HEPA based on the compliance with the WHO recommendations. Prevalence of HEPA was 3.3% (394/12067). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed positive association between HEPA and male sex (OR: 4.25, 95% CI: 2.68-6.73), average (OR: 3,01, 95% CI: 1.13-8.04), good (OR: 3.10, 95% CI: 1.21-7.94) and very good (OR: 4.64, 95% CI: 1.82-11.84) income quintile being single (OR: 1.85, 95% CI: 1.16-2.95), the number of portions of fruits per day (OR: 1.29, 95% CI: 1.09-1.53), the frequency fresh fruit/vegetable juice consumption (OR: 1.20, 95% CI: 1.02-1.40), and being non-smoker (OR: 1.67, 95% CI: 1.03-2.73). There was a negative association between HEPA and age (OR: 0.96, 95% CI: 0.95-0.98), BMI (OR: 0.94, 95% CI: 0.88-1.00), average self-rated health (OR: 0.18, 95% CI: 0.12-0.60), and the frequency of non-alcoholic beverages consumption (OR: 0.75, 95% CI: 0.62-0.89). Since only a small percentage of the adult population in Serbia meets the WHO recommendations for physical activity, action is required. This should involve creating future strategies and policies, as well as initiatives focused on education and raising awareness about the importance of physical activity and health.

Nationalism as an Unobvious Construct of Serbian Political Thinking in XIX–XX Century

Wars in former Yugoslavia diffused an opinion that Serbs are nationalists, and that attitude always characterized this nation. This article investigates, if the opinion is true or it is misuse. It is necessary, to ask questions about the sources of Serbian nationalism; both – on the historical level, as well as on the linguistic level. Which words are used in Serbian language for describing nation, and the other terms related to it? When could the Serbian nationalism originated, and when in the Serbian politics appeared the word nationalism? In pertain to the subject, the article investigates three periods: XIX century; The Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes, and the Tito’s Yugoslavia until it’s disintegration.

THE REVIVAL OF SERBIAN NATIONALISM IN THE FORMER YUGOSLAVIA

With the establishment of Yugoslavia as a state that consisted of several nations such as Croats, Slovenes, Bosnians, Albanians, Macedonians and Serbs, there will constantly be attempts to dominate other nations. For Serbia, the Yugoslav state will only be a tool for Serbian domination, which, in turn, stimulated Croatian national opposition. Nationalism will come to the fore mostly from the years 1844 with the infamous "Nacertania" program until the end of the Second World War. Serbian nationalism will also be emphasized during Tito's leadership, with the program of the Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts in 1986 and its implementation by Slobodan Milosevic. The Serbs never stopped these forms of war even with the ethnic Albanians of Kosovo and the Albanians who lived in other territories in the former Yugoslavia, but they managed to adapt them, depending on the political currents in the world, and continued the ethnocide that can be taken as an example flagrant application of silent fascism that acted in the institutional framework, without any serious reaction from the outside.

The Perpetuation of Greater Serbian Ideas about the Croats and Croatian Language in the Seemingly Scientific Works on Vuk Stefanović Karadžić

On the basis of a broad array of scholarly works, the paper breaks down the seemingly scientific approach to Greater Serbian ideas of Vuk Stefanović Karadžić in contemporary works which rely on the sources which, implicitly or explicitly, perpetuate those very same ideas. An example of such an approach is an article titled The Role of Vuk Karadžić in the History of Serbian Nationalism by Slovak historian Maroš Melichárek, as well as the many works to which this historian makes reference to, in order to create an impression of studiousness and impartiality.

Sites of the Memory of the Serbian Nation in Kosovo and the Place of Kosovo in the Collective Memory of the Serbs

Drawing on the conceptual framework of sites of memory and collective memory, the study examines Kosovo as a crucial site of Serbian national memory, focusing on the historic Battle of Kosovo in 1389. Through a qualitative analysis based on primary and secondary sources, it addresses the question of why, when, and how Kosovo became a prominent part of the Serbian collective memory. In this regard, the study explores the contribution of the Serbian Orthodox Church, historical narratives, myths, monuments, memorials, songs, poems, and other cultural expressions in both achieving and maintaining Kosovo's distinctive position within the collective memory of the Serbian nation. Moreover, the study explores Serbian perceptions and socially constructed images related to Kosovo, the Battle of Kosovo, and the national heroes central to this significant event. Finally, it scrutinizes the resurgence of the Kosovo narrative for political objectives orchestrated by Serbian political elites, with particular attention given to the influence of Slobodan Milosevic.

"Remove Kebab": The Appeal of Serbian Nationalist Ideology among the Global Far Right

This article examines the appeal of Serbian nationalist ideology among the contemporary far right. We argue that the discursive othering of Bosnian Muslims as “Turks” as well as the Serbian grand narrative presenting the Bosnian War as a civilizational struggle between Christian Europe and Islam are uniquely resonant with the popular anti-Muslim and xenophobic discourses that are mobilizing right-wing extremists across the globe. Through an analysis of Serbian and far-right discourses, we demonstrate how the patterns of representation that were used to incite and justify the violence committed against Bosnian Muslims in the 1990s are being exported to remote corners of the world via the internet, where they merge with extraneous Islamophobic and racist ideologies to inspire a new generation of extremism, hatred, and violence.

Demographic and Socioeconomic Predictors of Prehypertension and Hypertension in the Adult Population: Serbian National Health Survey

Background and Objectives: Prehypertension and hypertension are the most common cardiovascular disorders worldwide and are increasingly considered one of the most serious public health problems, particularly in developing countries. The objective of this study was to determine the frequency and demographic and socioeconomic predictors of prehypertension and hypertension in the adults in Serbia, and to examine the relationship between prehypertension and hypertension and health behavior determinants (smoking, alcohol use, physical activity) and individual aspects of health (a health self-assessment, multimorbidity, BMI, depressive symptoms). Materials and Methods: The research is part of the fourth National Population Health Survey conducted in 2019, which was conducted by the Republic Institute of Statistics, in cooperation with the Institute of Public Health of Serbia and the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Serbia. As a research instrument, questionnaires were used in accordance with the methodology of the European Health Survey. For the purposes of this research, data on the adult population aged 20 and over were used. Results: Women are at a reduced risk for both prehypertension (OR = 0.328) and hypertension (OR = 0.349) by nearly 70%. Similarly, those aged below 60 years have a lower risk for prehypertension and those younger than 40 years have a lower risk for hypertension (OR = 0.995), whereas people with a lower education have a 4.3 times higher risk of prehypertension (OR = 4.323) and a 1.6 times higher risk of hypertension (OR = 1.614). The poor have a 1.4 times higher risk of prehypertension (OR = 1.413) and a 1 times higher risk of hypertension (OR = 1.035). People with multimorbidity have a 1.2 times higher risk of both prehypertension (OR = 1.218) and a 4.8 times higher risk of hypertension (OR = 4.867). Conclusions: Male gender, lower education, poverty, age and the presence of multimorbidity are significant predictors of prehypertension and hypertension in the Serbian adult population, so preventive strategies should be aimed at these sensitive population groups.

Srpska stranka (1920-1926): ideologija – praksa – ishod

This paper reconstructs the ideology and political practice of the Serbian Party, the only political party that in the first Yugoslav state stood for Serbian nationalism and the defense of Serbian cultural and state traditions. The central theme of the paper is the attitude of the ideologues of the Serbian Party towards Yugoslavism as a state and national idea. Special attention is paid to the attitudes of the Serbian Party towards the so-called the “Croatian question” and its relation to Bosnian and Old Serbian Muslims, Catholic clericalism and national minorities. In addition, we expose the foreign policy conceptions of the Serbian Party and its relationship with neighboring countries and the Versailles order. At the end, we analyzed the attitudes of the Serbian Party towards the leading political parties of the first Yugoslav state and its cooperation with ideologically similar political groups such as the Serbian National Youth (SRNAO), the Serbian National Organization, the Warrior Party and the Associations of Volunteers and thewar invalids.

Identity engineering of post-Yugoslav countercultural transculturalism

The subject of the paper is post-Yugoslav countercultural identity engineering as an ideological construct of left-liberal Euro-Atlantic totalitarianism. The author studies the subject through the analysis of a model of countercultural action directed against the basic identifiers of Serbian cultural identity - Svetosavlje as the Othodox Cristians philosophy of life derived from the teaching of Saint Sava, whose spiritual creation is a centuries-oldvalue system, and the Cyrillic script of the Serbian language through which the Serbian people communicate the Saint Sava worldview. The aim of the research is to understand and explain the way of thinking and action of neoliberal Euro-Atlantic totalitarianism in the area of the former Yugoslavia based on theoretical sources, analysis of empirical data, media texts, internet presentations and weblogs. The results of the historical-comparative analysis of Yugoslav and post-Yugoslav identity engineering show that a key role in the process is played by the hybrid model ?double of the state? which assumes the role of a cultural hegemon. Model operates on the principle of ?divide and rule? by antagonizing existing political and cultural identities to impose a set of beliefs about gender identity with devastating consequences for society as a whole. For expansion of left-liberal Euro-Atlantic totalitarianism to the poscommunist Europe after the breakup of Yugoslavia, the ?double of the state? model was necessary in order to remove all the subversive contents of cultural identity. This especially refers to the key identifiers of the Serbian cultural identity, which the comunist - ateist ideology of Yugoslavia perceived as a threat due to the alleged ?Greater Serbian hegemony and nationalism?, and has already pushed it out of public life to a significant extent. Thus, the post -Yugoslav left-liberal ideology found its natural ally in neoliberal Euro-Atlantic countercultural transculturalism.

Makedonski separatizam na prostoru Južne Srbije u periodu 1941‒1945.

This article aims to shed light on Macedonian separatist aspirations in the area of the occupied part of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia, which in the pre-war period was known as South Serbia, during the World War II, but also immediately after its end, when a political entity called Macedonia was formed for the first time in history. Macedonian autonomists and federalists in this area promoted, tactically speaking, two version of the same policy in the Ottoman and interwar periods, which aimed at the national emancipation of the Macedonians from the rest of the Serbian nation. Thus, during the World War II, there will be several factions of Macedonian separatist politics. One will openly side with the Bulgarian fascist occupier and serve in his occupation apparatus, and for the first time towards the end of the war (1944) will try to form the Independent State of Macedonia, while the other will operate under the auspices of the Communist Party of Yugoslavia. During the war itself, and within the KPJ, several currents appeared, which, wanting to achieve the same goal, advocated different approaches to solving the Macedonian issue. One faction will advocate the fight for a Macedonian state in the Balkans through an autonomous national liberation movement with the possibility of joining the Balkan Federation, while the other, prevailing, will fight for the establishment of Macedonia within the Yugoslav framework, i.e. for the realization of national rights under the leadership of the KPJ as part of solving the national question. This policy will win after the Second World War, when the Macedonian federal unit is formed within the new Yugoslav state, which will be the embryo of the future independent state of North Macedonia.

Multimorbidity in the working-age population of Serbia: Results from the 2019 National Health Survey

Background/Aim. Population aging and the increase in the prevalence of chronic diseases led to a rise in the number of people who live with more than one disease. The aim of the study was to determine the prevalence and predictors of multimorbidity in the working-age population (WAP) of Serbia. Methods. The study is part of ?The 2019 Serbian National Health Survey?, a cross-sectional study conducted on a representative stratified two-stage sample. For this paper, a representative data sample for 9,473 persons of the WAP (aged 15-64 years) was used. Multimorbidity was defined as the co-occurrence of two or more of 13 chronic conditions. Data on chronic conditions were self-reported, and data on body mass and body height were measured. Multivariable logistic regression was used to assess predictors of multimorbidity. Results. Multimorbidity prevalence among WAP was 12.0%, and it was significantly higher among women (13.3%) than in men (10.6%). The predictors of multimorbidity were: female gender, increasing age, lower level of education, lower income, unemployment, retirement, widowhood, and divorce. Being overweight and obese were associated with higher odds of multimorbidity in both men and women. Conclusion. Multimorbidity is an important public health problem amongst WAP in Serbia due to its high prevalence, especially among vulnerable groups, and its inequality in frequency among different socioeconomic groups.

Effectiveness of the first and the second dose of COVID-19 vaccines in Serbia during the first three months of rollout

Introduction/Objective. The main aim of this study was to assess COVID-19 vaccination effectiveness (VE) of BBIBP-CorV, Gam-COVID-Vac, BNT162b2, and ChAdOx1-nCoV-19 in Serbia during the first three months of rollout. Methods. The data from the Serbian National Immunization Registry, the Primary Health Centre Report, and the University Clinical Centre Report for Kragujevac, Serbia, for the period from January 1 to March 31, 2021 were used to compare COVID-19 vaccinated population to unvaccinated individuals in terms of laboratory confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection, COVID-19-related hospitalization and intensive care unit (ICU) admission due to COVID-19. VE was estimated based on the incidence rate ratio, adjusted for age and sex. Results. Overall VE after the first dose reached 20.6%, 28.2%, and 56.1%, and 55.7%, 63.9%, and 79.8%, after the second dose for SARS-CoV-2 infection, COVID-19-related hospitalization, and ICU admission, respectively. BNT162b2 exhibited 96.7% VE against infection and no hospitalization after the second dose. Complete vaccination with BBIBP-CorV and Gam-COVID-Vac demonstrated VE of 43.2% and 78.6% against infection, 56.9% and 85.3% against hospitalization, and 82.3% and 52.7% against ICU admission, respectively. ChAdOx1-nCoV-19 after the first received dose showed VE of 10.3% and 74.7% against infection and hospitalization, with no ICU admission. Conclusion. COVID-19 vaccination in general, as well as each of the four studied vaccines, reduces the risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection, hospitalization due to COVID-19, and COVID-19-related ICU admission. Vaccine effectiveness significantly increases with the second received dose for all study outcomes.

A real-world analysis of pharmacotherapy adherence and the factors influencing it in Serbia: a nationwide, population-based, cross-sectional study.

Monitoring the pharmacotherapy adherence in society is crucial for identifying occurance and causes of potential inadequate use of drugs and inform providers about the need for better customer counceling. It is necessary component of the strategic planning of the quality of healthcare services. This population- based study aimed to assess the medication intake adherence in the Republic of Serbia and the individual factors and health system variables influencing its pattern. We applied a cross-sectional approach to study medication intake adherence using a secondary analysis of the latest 2019 Serbian National Health Survey data. The statistical modeling of the pharmacotherapy adherence incorporated sociodemographic data, self-reported disease, and lifestyle behavior. In 2019, in the representative sample of 12,066 adults in Serbia, requiring prescribed medicine, 49.8% did comply with the prescribed drugs, and 50.2% do not. Participants who adhered to prescribed medication were significantly (p < 0.001) older (62.4 ± 14 years), predominantly female (55.3%), had secondary education (48.5%), resided in southern and eastern parts of Serbia (55.5%), and belonged to the lowest income quintile (21.4%). The participants most often take prescribed drugs for hypertension (64.1%) and lower back pain (30.5%), while around 20% take medication for coronary disease, diabetes mellitus, and high blood cholesterol. About 85-92% of participants with financial or general difficulties using prescribed medication. There is poor medication intake adherence to prescribed medication in Serbia. Gender, age, and region determine the adherence. Also, health-related and healthcare system-related factors impact the use of prescribed medication. Study findings can inform planning the counceling interventions in the target groups where improving medication adherence is necessary, as well as to enhance training of healthcare providers about pharmacotherapy adherence.

Etnofarmakološka upotreba kantariona (Hypericum perforatum) na Rujan planini (Jugoistočna Srbija)

St. John’s wort (Hypericum perforatum) has been traditionally used for centuries to treat various ailments. On Rujan Mountain, this plant was used in ethnomedicine (197 reports), ethnoveterinary (54 reports) and for other purposes (1 report). Out of the total of 130 respondents, 101 knew the use of St. John’s wort (78 Serbian, and 23 Albanian respondents). Respondents of Serbian nationality participated in greater numbers and gave more statements about the use of St. John’s wort. In ethnomedicine, St. John’s wort flowers were most often used (61.4%). The preparation of oil extract (58.9%) was the most used form. The external application was the most frequently used (62.4%). The treatment of skin burns was usually use (34%). In ethnoveterinary, the only application of St. John’s wort, according to the reports, was the use of oil extract form, prepared with the flowers for the external treatment of skin wounds in cows and goats. For other purposes, the respondents collected St. John’s wort in the field and sold it to buyers. New applications that have not been mentioned in previous research are the use of St. John’s wort for the treatment of colds, skin ulcers and in the prevention of health.

Značaj dijabetes melitusa u stomatološkoj praksi

This paper presents the basic characteristics of diabetes mellitus, a disease that affects about 10% of the population, with a tendency to further increase in frequency. There is a special focus on the oral manifestations of diabetes and the specifics of diabetic patients undergoing various dental procedures and interventions. In this context, hyper and hypoglycemic crises, which can quickly progress to coma, if not recognized and treated promptly, are especially apostrophized. With the goal of timely diagnosis, clinical manifestations and laboratory parameters of acute diabetic complications are presented, as well as risk factors that contribute to the occurrence of these complications. The recommendations of the American and European Diabetes Associations, as well as the Serbian National Guide for the Diagnosis and Treatment of Diabetes mellitus, are given regarding the necessary pre-procedural evaluation of these patients and the equipment of dental offices, to successfully prevent and treat acute complications of diabetes.

The Serbian Orthodox Church in Western Historiography: Maria Falina, Religion and Politics in Interwar Yugoslavia: Serbian Nationalism and East Orthodox Christianity, (London: Bloomsbury Academic, 2023)

This essay is a review of Maria Falina’s book, which investigates the complex interaction between the Serbian Orthodox Church (SOC), nationalism, and politics in Yugoslavia during the interwar period. It delves into Maria Falina’s ideas, historical context, and various perspectives that she offers. Falina questions commonly held beliefs about the natural relationship between religion and Serbian nationalism, and digs into the SOC’s changing role as a political actor during a period of profound social and political change. Falina investigates the influence of people such as Nikolaj Velimirović and Justin Popović, the Church’s reaction to the Yugoslav state, religious competition, and modernity issues.

Migration Depicted in Cartoons

This paper examines the depiction of migrations from Kosovo and Metohija during the 1980s in cartoons published in Yugoslavia’s most prominent satirical newspaper – Jež (Hedgehog). During that time, readers were consistently exposed to emotionally charged drawings illustrating the departure of emigrants. What was significant in these illustrations was the wearing of the Serbian national hat, šajkača. Previously, this hat symbolized social status, representing the rural population and peasants. However, during the crisis, its significance shifted, becoming a symbol of Serbian nationality. In public life, particularly among intellectual circles, this era saw the resurgence of neo-traditionalist narratives glorifying Serbia’s past. The visual representation of these narratives can be observed in cartoons, notably from 1986 onward, coinciding with the proliferation of cartoons featuring emigrants. These constructed neo-traditionalist narratives were appropriated and utilized by Slobodan Milošević’s populist machinery as a means to maintain power. The cartoons, as a direct product of the burgeoning Serbian nationalist policy at that time, played a role in propaganda and mobilization.

Ivo Andrić: Bosnian and Serbian Nationalism (Book review: Zoran Milutinović, Bitka za prošlost. Ivo Andrić i bošnjački nacionalizam, Beograd: Geopoetika, 2018. 384 pp. ISBN: 978–86–6145–296–3 &amp; Zoran Milutinović, Fantom u biblioteci. Postoji li srpski nacionalistički diskurs o Ivi Andriću?, Beograd: Geopoetika, 2022. 256 pp. ISBN: 978–86–6145–388–5)

The double review deals with two books by Zoran Milutinović. Bitka za prošlost [The Battle for the Past] (2018) explores the Bosnian nationalist reception of Ivo Andrić in the form of an in-depth discourse analysis. Milutinović points out the biases of this discourse, the unsoundness of its arguments and the unprofessionalism of its reading. Notable among the reactions to the book was a study by Nenad Veličković, in which he argued that the Bosnian nationalist reception was merely a reaction to Andrić’s Serbian nationalist reception. Milutinović has devoted his book Fantom u biblioteci [Phantom in the Library] (2022) to a thorough examination of this claim, in which he takes stock of the critical reception and points out its unfoundedness.

MILOVAN ĐILAS I KONCEPT CRNOGORSKE NACIJE U SOCIJALIZMU

Before the Second World War, the Communist Party of Yugoslavia started from the point of view of the dominance of the so-called of “Greater Serbian hegemonism”, as the main and most important component of the policy of the “Greater Serbian bourgeoisie” in the pre-war Kingdom of Yugoslavia, from which the attitude about the “endangerment” of other peoples and minorities by the ruling Serbian nation stemmed. After the Second World War, the new socialist Yugoslavia was organized as a complex state - a federation. In accordance with the pre-war ideology and policy of the Communist Party of Yugoslavia, a new principle of handling the national question was applied in the new state. Milovan Djilas, one of the most influential people of the Communist Party of Yugoslavia, was given the task at the end of the war to officially explain the concept of the Montenegrin nation under socialism. He did this in the article “On the Montenegrin national question” in the party newspaper Borba on 1 May 1945. Djilas’ basic position was that Montenegrins have Serbian traditional and cultural origins, but that over time they formed into a separate nation.

The Ruler’s and Warrior’s Theodouly According to Saint Nicholai (Velimirovich) — the Hermeneutics of the Phenomenon through a Case Study on the Occasion of the 480th Anniversary of the Blessed Repose of Saint Stefan Štiljanović

From the perspective of the concept of theodouly, established in the work Theodule, especially in the chapter „The Serbian People as a Theodule“ (lit. The Serbian Nation as a Servant of God) of Saint Bishop Nicholai Velimirovich, the paper examines the life, work, and achievements of Saint Stefan Štiljanović. Although it is not explicitly mentioned in Nicholai’s text, in which the author reminds us of the pious rulers of Serbia, Štiljanović’s character and legacy correspond in many ways to the descriptions from the aforementioned work. This established the paradigmatic nature of Nicholai’s instructions on the character of Serbian rulers according to the criteria of serving God, caring for the family, enduring suffering, and endowment. Confirmations of Stephen’s theodouly are found in the historical and liturgical writings in which it appears. Comparing pious Christian rulers with Old Testament patriarchs, in Stephen’s case — Joseph, represents a widespread archetype of Christian culture, noticeable both in early Christian painting and in the mentioned work of Nicholai as well as in the Service to Stefan Štiljanović. The credulous Prince Stefan also fits into Nicholai’s thesis that the battle on the Kosovo field, in fact, never ended, as well as into his epic contextualization of the Serbian defenders of Christian faith, freedom, and fatherhood. This is exactly what inspired Serbian defenders and officers from his time to the present day and led them to „theodoulian“ swear over the relics of Saint Stefan Štiljanović and ask for his blessing and intercession before God. The representatives of the army still maintain this custom through their own representative — Saint Stefan Štiljanović, in this way, they come closer to the ideal of theodouly and the Saints of Heavenly Serbia.