Southeastern European Countries Research Articles

Femicide and COVID-19 Pandemic: Examining the Situation in Croatia, Hungary, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Slovenia

Government measures to limit the spread of COVID-19 affected crime opportunities and criminal justice systems, resulting in changes in crime trends. This article explores the effects of restrictions (lockdowns) on the number of femicides. The monthly data on femicides from 2017 to 2021 were collected in five Central and South-eastern European countries: Croatia, Hungary, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Slovenia. The total number of femicides from 2017 to 2021 decreased in all observed countries. Increases were detected in Croatia and Slovenia in 2020. However, they presented an exception to the general trend. The monthly distribution of femicides showed that there was no common point peak month(s) among observed countries. Analyzing the effects of the level of restrictions using the Stringency Index on the number of femicides confirmed the initial observation that the number of femicides was not dependent on lockdown measures. In general, the findings show that restriction measures had no effect on the number of femicides in the studied countries.

Pothiti Hantzaroula, Child Survivors of the Holocaust in Greece: Memory, Testimony and Subjectivity

This article reviews Pothiti Hantzaroula's Child Survivors of the Holocaust in Greece: Memory, Testimony and Subjectivity (Routledge, 2020). It highlights how Hantzaroula’s book  represents a needed and much welcome addition to the study of child survivors of World War II by offering students and scholars of the Holocaust a comprehensive insight into the specifics of Greece, which can serve as a basis for subsequent comparative or kindred assessments in the case of other Southeastern European countries.

Availability and Access to Orphan Drugs for Rare Cancers in Bulgaria: Analysis of Delays and Public Expenditures.

Rare cancers are defined by an annual incidence of fewer than 6 per 100,000. Bearing similarities to rare diseases, they are associated with substantial health inequalities due to diagnostic complexity and delayed access to innovative therapies. This situation is further aggravated in Southeastern European countries like Bulgaria, where limited public resources and expertise underscore the need for additional policy and translational research on rare cancers. This study aimed to explore the availability and access to orphan drugs for rare cancers in Bulgaria for the period of 2020-2023. We cross-compared data from both the European Union and national public sources to evaluate the number of available and accessible orphan drugs for rare cancers, the delay from market authorization to reimbursement, the dynamics of public expenditures, and regional disparities in access across the country. We juxtaposed the main characteristics of oncological and non-oncological orphan drugs as well. Only 15 out of 50 oncological orphan drugs that were authorized by the European Medicine Agency were accessible for rare cancer patients in Bulgaria. The median delay between market authorization and inclusion in the Bulgarian Positive Drug List was 760 days. The total expenditures for all orphan drugs for rare cancers amounted to EUR 74,353,493 from 2020 to 2023. The budgetary impact of this group rose from 0.24% to 3.77% of total public medicinal product expenditures for the study period. Rare cancer patients represent a vulnerable population that often faces limited to no access to treatment. We call for targeted European and national policies to address this major inequality.

Sustainable Earthquake Preparedness: A Cross-Cultural Comparative Analysis in Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Serbia

Authorities and governmental bodies strongly emphasize the importance of residents preparing for natural disasters, particularly underscoring the significance of readiness for geophysical hazards like earthquakes. In this study, which represents comparative quantitative research, the levels and predictors of the impact on preparedness for earthquake-induced disasters in South-Eastern European countries such as Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Serbia are examined. Using the snowball sampling technique (online questionnaire), a survey of 1245 respondents (Montenegro (n = 400), North Macedonia (n = 345), and Serbia (n = 500) was conducted from February 2023 to February 2024. The paper is based on the central hypothesis that the most significant predictor of earthquake preparedness in Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Serbia is age, followed by education and gender. Multivariate regression analysis was used to determine the extent to which five scores of the subscales (household preparedness, community preparedness, disaster preparation, earthquake risk awareness, and reinforced house) were associated with seventh demographic and socio-economic variables. In addition to the mentioned analysis, other statistical analyses such as t-test, one-way ANOVA analysis, and Pearson correlation were also utilized. The results indicate that age emerges as a predictor in various aspects of earthquake-induced disaster preparedness and awareness in most models, followed by education and gender. These findings confirm the significance of respondents’ age in determining levels of preparedness and earthquake awareness. Overall, in North Macedonia, respondents recorded the highest ratings (M = 3.52) for household preparedness for earthquakes, compared to Serbia (M = 3.26) and Montenegro (M = 2.98), where the lower ratings were recorded. Research findings, taking into account cultural characteristics, can serve as a basis for the development of targeted interventions, strategies, policies, and programs aimed at improving the level of societal preparedness for earthquake-induced disasters.

Unravelling open innovation determinants and firm performance relationships in CEE and SEE countries

Purpose Open innovation (OI), by now one of the major concepts for the analysis of innovation, is seen as a methodology for collaboratively designing and implementing solutions by engaging stakeholders in an iterative and inclusive service design process. This paper aims to empirically investigate OI capacities, defined as a cooperative, knowledge-sharing innovation ecosystem, and to explore how it can lead to improved performance of firms in Central and Eastern European (CEE) and Southeastern European (SEE) countries.Design/methodology/approach The study builds on the World Bank/European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD’s) Business Environment Enterprise Performance Survey (BEEPS) dataset for 2009, 2013 and 2019. Primarily, the research model was estimated using log-transformed ordinary least squares (OLS). Taking into consideration that this method might produce substantial bias, yielding misleading inferences, this study is fitting Poisson pseudo maximum likelihood estimators with robust standard errors and instrumental variable/generalized method of moments estimation (IV/GMM) approach for comparative results. Secondarily, the research model was tested using structural equation modelling (SEM) to investigate the relationship between five OI capacities and firm performance.Findings The findings indicate that there is a significant positive relationship between most OI capacities and firm performance, except for innovation, which did not show a statistically significant relationship with firm performance. Specifically, research and development (R&D), knowledge and coopetition are statistically significant and positively associated with firm performance, whereas transformation is statistically significant but negatively associated with firm performance. The IV/GMM estimations’ findings support the view that the firm performance is significantly affected by OI capacities, together with some control variables such as size, age, foreign ownership and year dummy to have a significant impact on firm performance.Originality/value This paper fills an identified gap in the literature by investigating the impact of OI on firm performance executed in the specific CEE and SEE country context.

The economic burden of obesity in 4 south-eastern European countries associated with obesity-related co-morbidities

ObjectiveTo provide an assessment of the cost burden of obesity across a spectrum of obesity-related comorbidities (ORCs) for four countries in South-Eastern Europe (SEE).MethodsA micro-costing analysis from the public payer perspective was conducted to estimate direct healthcare costs associated with ten obesity-related comorbidities (ORCs) in Czech Republic, Greece, Hungary, and Romania. A survey was administered to obtain healthcare resource use and unit cost data. Cost estimates were validated by local steering committees which comprised at least one public sector clinician and a panel of independent industry experts.ResultsChronic kidney disease and cardiovascular diseases were the costliest ORCs across all 4 countries, where annual cost burden per ORC exceeded 1,500 USD per patient per year. In general, costs were driven by the tertiary care resources allocated to address treatment-related adverse events, disease complications, and associated inpatient procedures.ConclusionsOur findings confirm that the high prevalence of obesity and its comorbidities result in substantial financial burden to all 4 SEE public payers. By quantifying the burden of obesity from a public healthcare perspective, our study aims to support policy efforts that promote health education and promotion in combating obesity in the region.

Trust in the central bank, financial literacy, and personal beliefs

This paper examines trust in the central bank across ten Central, Eastern and Southeastern European countries, using survey data collected from 61,398 individuals. Our results show that financially literate individuals are more likely to trust central banks. The association is stronger in countries with inflation targeting and flexible exchange rates regimes. Distrust in the central bank is associated with higher inflation expectations, savings in foreign currency or a preference for cash. Even when the sample is restricted to individuals with high inflation expectations, financial literacy remains associated with greater trust in the central bank. We find that trust in the central bank corelates negatively with financial inclusion but positively with wealth. Financially literate citizens express less trust in the government, which highlights that trust in the central bank is not entirely indicative of trust in the government. However, individuals who think that prices will rise and the local currency will depreciate distrust both the central bank and the government.

Imported viremic dengue case in a southeastern European country: Established Aedes mosquitoes warrant urgent surveillance.

Imported viremic dengue case in a southeastern European country: Established Aedes mosquitoes warrant urgent surveillance.

The utilization of psychopharmacological treatments for individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in a middle-income European country

BackgroundStudies examining the utilization of psychopharmacological treatments (psychotropic medications) for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have primarily been carried out in affluent nations. Nonetheless, there is an evident dearth of data originating from low- and middle-income countries. Our study sought to comprehensively evaluate the usage of psychopharmacological treatments and the effectiveness of those treatments as perceived by the parents of individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in Macedonia, a middle-income country in South-Eastern Europe. MethodsWe conducted a survey involving 103 parents of individuals with ASD and analyzed the questionnaire responses using descriptive statistics and non-parametric tests. ResultsOur research uncovered that 62% of individuals diagnosed with ASD were prescribed psychopharmacological treatments, yet only 48% actually utilized them. Among the medications prescribed, antipsychotics (55%) and antiepileptics (44%) were the most common, with risperidone and valproate being the preferred options. Psychopharmacological treatments were found to be more commonly used among individuals aged 15 years and above, with children under 8 years closely following suit at a rate of 56%. Furthermore, we discovered a noteworthy association between the severity of ASD symptoms and the utilization of these interventions. Intriguingly, the majority of parents (73%) regarded the effectiveness of psychopharmacological treatments as only partially effective. ConclusionOur study emphasizes the prevalent utilization of psychotropic medication, especially among young individuals, and underscores the necessity for enhanced dissemination of information to parents regarding prescribed medications. By integrating our research findings, medical professionals and policymakers can enhance the strategies and initiatives used to improve the quality of care and support for individuals on the autism spectrum.

Monitoring of species’ genetic diversity in Europe varies greatly and overlooks potential climate change impacts

Genetic monitoring of populations currently attracts interest in the context of the Convention on Biological Diversity but needs long-term planning and investments. However, genetic diversity has been largely neglected in biodiversity monitoring, and when addressed, it is treated separately, detached from other conservation issues, such as habitat alteration due to climate change. We report an accounting of efforts to monitor population genetic diversity in Europe (genetic monitoring effort, GME), the evaluation of which can help guide future capacity building and collaboration towards areas most in need of expanded monitoring. Overlaying GME with areas where the ranges of selected species of conservation interest approach current and future climate niche limits helps identify whether GME coincides with anticipated climate change effects on biodiversity. Our analysis suggests that country area, financial resources and conservation policy influence GME, high values of which only partially match species’ joint patterns of limits to suitable climatic conditions. Populations at trailing climatic niche margins probably hold genetic diversity that is important for adaptation to changing climate. Our results illuminate the need in Europe for expanded investment in genetic monitoring across climate gradients occupied by focal species, a need arguably greatest in southeastern European countries. This need could be met in part by expanding the European Union’s Birds and Habitats Directives to fully address the conservation and monitoring of genetic diversity.

Assessment of cost efficiency in the banking sector of selected countries in Southeastern Europe

This study examines the assessment of cost efficiency in the banking sector of selected countries in Southeastern Europe. In Southeastern Europe (SEE), where over 100 commercial banks operate, these institutions form the backbone of the financial sector, supporting between 80% and 90% of the financial system in five Balkan Peninsula nations. Kosovo stands out for having a lower participation rate (65%), with 80% to 90% of its banks under foreign government control. A study conducted from 2010 to 2021 employed Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA), a non-parametric technique, to scrutinize the cost-effectiveness and profitability of SEE's banking industry. DEA evaluated SEE's commercial banks in terms of cost efficiency, considering total costs as the dependent variable and inputs including deposits, workforce, and fixed assets. Interest expenses, personnel expenses, and capital-related expenses were compared concerning total deposits and assets, while securities and loans served as outputs. The findings unveiled commendable cost efficiency within SEE's banks. Subsequently, a panel regression analysis utilizing fixed and random effects was performed. Factors like Cost Efficiency, Asset Quality, Market Participation, Debt Ratio, Bank Size, Inflation, Ownership, and Gross Domestic Product were assessed against Return on Equity (ROE) and Return on Assets (ROA). The results underscored robust cost control measures within SEE's banks and highlighted significant factors—Cost Efficiency, Asset Quality, Market Participation, Debt Ratio, Bank Size, Inflation, and Ownership—exerting substantial influence on ROA and ROE. These insights offer valuable information for strategic decision-making, aiding stakeholders in developing targeted actions to enhance the financial sustainability and stability of Southeastern Europe's banking sector.

Invasive meningococcal disease in South-Eastern European countries: Do we need to revise vaccination strategies?

ABSTRACT Invasive meningococcal disease (IMD) is an acute life-threatening infection caused by the gram-negative bacterium, Neisseria meningitidis. Globally, there are approximately half a million cases of IMD each year, with incidence varying across geographical regions. Vaccination has proven to be successful against IMD, as part of controlling outbreaks, and when incorporated into national immunization programs. The South-Eastern Europe Meningococcal Advocacy Group (including representatives from Croatia, the Czech Republic, Greece, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia and Ukraine) was formed in order to discuss the potential challenges of IMD faced in the region. The incidence of IMD across Europe has been relatively low over the past decade; of the countries that came together for the South-Eastern Meningococcal Advocacy Group, the notification rates were lower than the European average for some country. The age distribution of IMD cases was highest in infants and children, and most countries also had a further peak in adolescents and young adults. Across the nine included countries between 2010 and 2020, the largest contributors to IMD were serogroups B and C; however, each individual country had distinct patterns for serogroup distribution. Along with the variations in epidemiology of IMD between the included countries, vaccination policies also differ.

Traditional risk factors and premature acute coronary syndromes in South Eastern Europe: a multinational cohort study

The age-standardized death rates under 65 years from ischemic heart disease in South Eastern Europe are approximately twice as high than the Western Europe average, but the reasons are not completely recognized. The aim of the present study was to address this issue by collecting and analyzing data from a large, multinational cohort. We enrolled 70,953 Caucasian patients with first acute coronary syndrome, from 36 urban hospital in 7 South Eastern European countries and assessed their life expectancy free of acute coronary syndrome and mortality within 30 days after hospital admission from acute coronary syndrome as estimated in relation to dichotomous categories of traditional risk factors (current smoking, hypertension, diabetes and hypercholesterolemia) stratified according to sex. Compared with patients without any baseline traditional risk factors, the presence of all four risk factors was associated with a 5-year shorter life expectancy free of acute coronary syndrome (women: from 67.1±12.0 to 61.9±10.3 years; r=-0.089; p<0.001 and men: from 62.8±12.2 to 58.9±9.9 years; r=-0.096; p<0.001). Premature acute coronary syndrome (women <67 years and men <63 years) was remarkably related to current smoking and hypercholesterolemia among women (RRs: 3.96; 95% CI: 3.72-4.20 and 1.31; 95% CI: 1.25-1.38, respectively) and men (RRs: 2.82; 95% CI: 2.71-2.93 and 1.39; 95% CI: 1.34-1.45, respectively). Diabetes was most strongly associated with death from premature acute coronary syndrome either in women (RR: 1.52; 95% CI: 1.29-1.79) or men (RR: 1.63; 95% CI: 1.41-1.89). Public health policies in South Eastern Europe should place significant emphasis on the four traditional risk factors and the associated lifestyle behaviors to reduce the epidemic of premature ischemic heart disease. None.

EE630 The Economic Burden of Obesity in 4 Selected South-Eastern European Countries: Healthcare Resource Use and Costs Associated with Obesity-Related Comorbidities

EE630 The Economic Burden of Obesity in 4 Selected South-Eastern European Countries: Healthcare Resource Use and Costs Associated with Obesity-Related Comorbidities

Analyzing the Economic Viability and Energy Requirements of Soilless Greenhouse Tomato Cultivation in the Context of Climate Change in the Mediterranean Basin

Controlling environmental conditions in agricultural production has a direct influence on the yield. In vegetative production, the most common and effective implementation of environmentally controlled production is in greenhouses. In the event that the daily average temperature drops below 12oC, greenhouses should be heated. Heating in greenhouses has a significant share in production costs. While overall production costs in high technology greenhouses depend on the size of the greenhouse and the length of the production period, the heating costs vary depending on the greenhouse equipment and external climatic conditions.&#x0D; In this study, the costs of inputs used in the production of truss tomatoes in the great majority of high technology greenhouses in the Mediterranean climate zone were determined, their share in the total cost was calculated and a comparison with the costs of truss tomato production in Southeastern European countries was made.&#x0D; The calculations show that among the production costs under Mediterranean climate conditions, cost of labor is the highest with a ratio of 37% while energy (heat + electricity) cost is the second highest. While the unit cost of truss tomatoes in Southeastern Europe is 0.51 €.kg-1, the production cost under Mediterranean climate conditions is 0.59€.kg-1.

Difficult Heritage in Southeastern Europe: Local and Transnational Entanglements in Memorializing Political Prisons after Socialism

Throughout Central and Eastern Europe, various governments supported the creation of memorial museums of political violence during state socialism. While much scholarly attention has been given to Hungary’s House of Terror and the Baltic museums of occupations, this article examines the contrasting situation in Southeastern Europe, where state actors were generally absent and which witnessed relatively belated and overwhelmingly bottom-up processes. The article analyses the particularity of political prisons as ‘difficult heritage’. It scrutinizes the commonalities and entanglements between the memorialization of political prisons in three Southeastern European countries marked by distinctive trajectories both during and after communism: Albania (Spaç), Romania (Sighet and Piteşti), and Croatia (Goli Otok). The article shows how in the absence of state-level policies to address transitional justice, activism surrounding difficult heritage memorialization has aimed to fill the gap. It also argues that the relationship between site memorialization in Southeastern Europe and the wider European models is doubly constitutive: first, the memorialization of Sighet in 1990s Romania borrowed approaches from Western European Holocaust memorialization, then shaped a European wide set of best practices; second, a wave of new memorial initiatives after 2010 in Southeastern Europe was connected to the Europeanization of memory and transnational engagements.

Infestation intensity by the invasive oak lace bug, Corythucha arcuata (Say) in mixed and pure oak stands

AbstractThere has been accumulating evidence for effects of tree species composition on herbivory with many examples of lower damage by specialist feeders in tree species rich forests. In a joint study in five Central and Southeastern European countries, we studied the effect of tree species richness on infestation intensity of the oak lace bug, Corythucha arcuata (Say) (Heteroptera, Tingidae), an invasive pest on oak trees that has spread rapidly across the Balkan Peninsula and Central Europe. Intensity of infestation by C. arcuata on oaks was assessed on three or four study plots with high (pure stands) and three or four plots with low percentage of oak (mixed stands) in each country. Ordinal regression analysis showed that intensity of infestation of trees by C. arcuata differed between countries; no significant effect of stand type (mixed or pure) on infestation levels was detected. When analysing the percentage of trees in the highest infestation class, stand type had a significant effect with more intensive infestation in pure stands. We conclude that mixed stands will not prevent severe infestation but may help mitigating the impact of established C. arcuata populations.

Ebsteins anomaly management in Central and South Eastern European (CESEE) countries: current status and improvement needed

Abstract Background Ebstein anomaly (EA) of the tricuspid valve (TV) as a rare congenital heart disease (CHD) is characterized by variable morphology, hemodynamics and clinical course, associated heart defects as well. Moreover, whether and when to intervene on TV remains a big challenge. Patients with EA should therefore be managed in expert centres equipped with all diagnostic and treatment tools according to ESC guidelines (ESC-GL), including cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) as the gold standard. Aim of the study The aim of the study was to characterize EA patient population from selected countries within Central-Southern-Eastern Europe (CESEE), evaluate the management in relation to ESC-GL and determine optimal parameters for long-term follow-up (FU) feasible in CESEE. Material and methods In retrospective cross-sectional study from 9 CESEE countries, 203 adult patients with EA were included: median age 39y, 58% women. Determined were age at diagnosis, EA complications (associated CHD, arrythmias), cardiosurgery. ECHO and CMR right ventricular (RV) characteristics, NTproBNP, 6-minute walking distance (6MWD) were analysed as follows: ECHO parameters: long-axis RV end-diastolic dimension (RVEDD,mm), long-axis end-diastolic right to left ventricle diameter ratio (RV/LV), tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion (TAPSE,mm), RV fractional area change (FAC,%), RV tissue Doppler myocardial velocity (m/s). CMR-derived analysed parameters were: ejection fraction (EF,%), indexed end-diastolic volume (EDVi,ml/m²). Results Patients were diagnosed at age &amp;lt;1y/1-18y/&amp;gt;18y in: 29,6%/31.1%/39.3%. NYHA I/II/III/IV was as follows: 41.6%/37%/22.5%/0%, median NTproBNP: 160ng/l, 6MWD: 473m. CMR-characteristics were: median RVEF: 43.2%, EDVi: 118ml/m². CMR was absent in 60% cases. Associated CHD/arrhythmias were present at 46,7%/64,4. TV surgery were indicated / underwent 30,7% patients at mean age 32y. Performed was daSilva cone-repair/other valvuloplasty/valve replacement in 36,4%/25,5%/38,2%. CMR-derived EDV correlates significantly (P&amp;lt;0.001) with ECHO-based RVEDD and RV/LV ratio. No correlations between CMR-derived EF and ECHO functional parameters were found. Conclusion Although patients with EA in CESSE region are diagnosed late, the characteristics correspond to data published so far. Despite large heterogeneity including various associated complications, patient´s care in the CESEE region does not fully meet the requirements of ESC-GL. Mainly, CMR as a golden standard for EA evaluation is not widely accessible and so not performed. Therefore, an inconsistency in management and differences in therapeutic approach is a consequence. In these conditions in view of our previously proven experience, that the RV/LV ratio correlates significantly with CMR volume parameters, ECHO could serve as a reliable and decisive imaging method in FU, however insufficient in relation to ESC-GL.

Mortality burden due to COVID-19 in 14 countries or regions in Southeastern Europe and Central Asia

Abstract Background Between 2021 and 2023, an international collaboration to estimate the burden of disease due to COVID-19 in 14 countries and regions in Southeastern Europe, the Southern Caucasus and Central Asia was funded by the German Federal Ministry of Health, under its Global Health Protection Programme. As part of the project, the indicators Years of Life Lost (YLL) and Excess Mortality (EM) were estimated in order to compare the mortality burden of COVID-19 across countries and regions. Methods Data on COVID-19 deaths, all-cause mortality and population numbers were collected by all partner institutions for the period March 2020 to December 2021. YLL were calculated using standard burden of disease methodology, disaggregated by sex, age and month. EM was calculated in Excel using exponential smoothing, taking trend and seasonality into account. The EM estimates generated were compared to existing estimates published by the WHO, in order to explore similarities or differences. Results In nearly all countries, YLL rates per 100,000 were higher among men than women, and among those aged 60 and older compared to younger age-groups. YLL rates per 100,000 were also higher in most countries in Southeastern Europe and in the Southern Caucasus as compared to Central Asia. In general, the YLL burden was considerably greater in 2021 compared to 2020. In most countries, the highest YLL rates were seen in the autumn and winter months. However in some countries, peaks were also seen in spring or summer. WHO estimated EM rates were largely in line with our own, except in Ukraine, Türkiye and Azerbaijan, where WHO estimates were substantially higher. Conclusions A significant mortality burden due to COVID-19 was observed, particularly in 2021, and among men and older individuals. The disaggregation of data over time facilitates the use of burden of disease metrics in pandemic monitoring, providing an additional tool in response efforts. Key messages • The mortality burden due to COVID-19 was significant in the regions investigated, particularly in 2021. • Data disaggregations over time facilitate the use of burden of disease indicators in pandemic monitoring and response.

Evaluation of Physical Literacy in 9- to 11-Year-Old Children: Reliability and Validity of Two Measurement Tools in Three Southeastern European Countries.

The awareness of the importance of physical literacy (PL) is globally increasing; however, knowledge of the applicability of PL measurement tools in southeastern Europe is limited. The aim of this study was to evaluate the reliability and validity of translated versions of the CAPL-2 and PLAYself questionnaires in 9- to 11-year-old elementary school children from Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Montenegro. The participants were 303 children (141 girls; all 9 to 11 years of age) from Croatia (n = 71), Bosnia and Herzegovina (n = 162), and Montenegro (n = 70), enrolled in regular elementary school. The participants were tested throughout a test-retest procedure using two PL evaluation tools, i.e., the Canadian Assessment of Physical Literacy (shorter version, CAPL-2) and the Physical Literacy Assessment of Youth (PLAYself) questionnaires. With an intraclass correlation (ICC) of 0.70-0.80 for specific questionnaire subscales and 0.84 for the total score, PLAYself was found to be reliable. With Kappa values of 0.11-0.23 and a percentage of absolute agreement of less than 62%, CAPL-2 appeared to be less reliable. Factors related to sport participation were significantly positively associated with the PLAYself score, indicating its proper validity. In conclusion, we suggest the usage of the PLAYself questionnaire in further studies examining PL in children of a similar age in the region. Future studies in other age groups and languages are also warranted.