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Biomedical subjects

A Kokkevi

Publications and source records attributed to A Kokkevi.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2004

Nutrition-related habits of Greek adolescents.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate nutrition-related habits of Greek school-aged adolescents. DESIGN: Epidemiological survey. SETTING AND SUBJECTS: The study was part of the Health Behavior in School Aged Children (HBSC) survey. A representative sample of school-aged adolescents aged 11.5, 13.5, and 15.5 y was obtained. The final sample consisted of 4211 students (51.6% girls and 48.4% boys). They were asked to complete a translated form of the international HBSC questionnaire, including several thematic entities. The Unhealthy Food Choices Score (UFCS) was devised in order to evaluate the overall quality of reported eating habits of respondents; the higher the score, the lower the diet quality. RESULTS: Among all students surveyed, 14.7% were reported to be on a diet to lose weight (girls: 19.5%; boys: 9.7%; P<0.001), and 22.9% were dissatisfied with their body weight but not on a diet. Girls were found to have lower UFCS values compared to boys (24.7 +/- 4.6 vs 24.1 +/- 4.5, P<0.001). Girls dissatisfied with their weight, but not on a diet, showed the highest UFCS values compared to both those on a diet and those not on a diet. TV viewing was positively associated with the consumption of sodas, crisps, cakes and pastries, and sweets and chocolates. CONCLUSIONS: Dieting is becoming a major problem, especially among older girls. The findings of this study suggest that eating habits of Greek school-aged adolescents are in the process of changing from more traditional to more Westernized ones.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2003

Prevalence of overweight and obesity in Greek school-aged children and adolescents.

The aim of the present study, which was part of the Health Behavior in School Aged Children (HBSC) study, was to provide national estimates for overweight and obesity in Greek school-aged children and adolescents. A nationwide multistage procedure was followed to obtain a representative sample of children and adolescents aged 11.5, 13.5 and 15.5 y. The resultant sample consisted of 4299 students, 51.3% girls and 48.7% boys. Self-reported weight and height data were used. According to the body mass index cutoff points adopted by the International Obesity Task Force (IOTF), 9.1% of girls and 21.7% of boys were classified as overweight, and 1.2% of girls and 2.5% of boys as obese. Corresponding values using CDC growth charts were 8.1% of girls and 18.8% of boys for overweight, and 1.7% of girls and 5.8% of boys for obese. Compared to most other western countries, the prevalence of obesity is lower in Greek children aged 11-16 y.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2000

Substance use among high school students in Greece: outburst of illicit drug use in a society under change.

Trends in self-reported substance use in surveys of Greek adolescent students show that regular tobacco smoking increased in 1998 (20.8%) after having fallen between 1984 (22%) and 1993 (14.6%). Frequent alcohol consumption decreased in 1998 to 12.1%, from around 15% in both previous surveys. A sharp increase was observed in illicit drug use from 6% in 1993 to 13.7% in 1998. Unprescribed use of psychoactive medicines continued to decrease steadily from 53.8% in 1984 to 31.8% in 1998. Perceived availability and risks of cannabis parallel trends in use. Policy measures and recent sociocultural changes seem to influence illicit use.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2000

Sharp increase in illicit drug use in Greece: trends from a general population survey on licit and illicit drug use.

The study aims to follow trends in the prevalence of licit and illicit substance use between 1984 and 1998 in the Greek general population. Data are drawn from two nationwide cross-sectional household surveys. Probability samples consisted of 4,297 (1984) and 3,759 (1998) 12- to 64-year-old respondents. Regular tobacco smoking in the total sample increased in women and decreased in men while alcohol consumption remained at similar levels. The use of illicit drugs showed a 3-fold increase since 1984 reaching a lifetime prevalence of 19% in males and 6% in females. In contrast, a significant decrease was noted in the unprescribed use of psychoactive medicines, especially among women. Trends in licit and illicit substance use can be explained by sociocultural and policy changes in Greece in the last 15 years.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1999

The Pompidou Group treatment demand protocol: the first pan-European standard in the field.

There have been many efforts to collect drug treatment demand data in the last decades, but only few organisations worked on international comparable instruments. This paper describes such an attempt organised under the auspices of the Council of Europe in the late 80s, beginning of the 90s. Both the developed protocol as well as its implementation in various European cities are presented. Between 1993 and 1999, a comparative research project to annually compile data and trends on European level was carried out. Data quality issues and methodological problems are highlighted. The paper notes the value and success of the treatment demand indicator, but claims for further improvements and a combined use with other indicators and qualitative information. Some spin-off and follow-up projects are summarised.

Clinical Protocols↗
PubMed1999

The EMCDDA/Pompidou Group treatment demand indicator protocol: a European core item set for treatment monitoring and reporting.

Over the last decades inside and outside of Europe, treatment-based data have been used in epidemiological research on drugs and drug abuse. They offer information on hidden populations and allow to follow socially stigmatised behaviour. As this type of research can be done on rather low budgets, there are long-term projects run in many countries. Experts from the national systems in several EU member states have been working together to develop a common standard on the basis of the Pompidou Group (PG) Definitive Protocol. The items and basic definitions of the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA)/PG Treatment Demand Indicator Protocol are described, which plays an important role in the process of harmonisation of data collection for the EMCDDA. Implementation strategies are described, and future steps are discussed.

Europe↗
PubMed1997

Reliability of drug dependents' self-reports.

Among 936 demands for treatment by drug users in Greece in 7 months in 1994, 78 subjects making at least two demands were identified by code numbers. The median time between demands was 50 days (range 2-219). The data obtained by interview at the first two demands were compared to estimate the reliability of the interview schedule of the First Treatment Demand protocol of the Pompidou Group of the Council of Europe. Subjects were 84.6% male, with a median age of 27 years (range 14-43) and median duration of use 11 years (range 2-27). The primary substance of use was mainly heroin (88.5%). The percentage of agreement between interviews was highest for lifetime history of injecting (100%), urban residence (98.7%) and mode of use of heroin (94.3%). Percentages of agreement were close to 90% for most other items of socio-demographic data and drug use history, whether or not the correct response to the item could logically change between interviews. It is concluded that reliability of the data is around 90% and short-term behaviour in this population is rather stable. Only employment status (52.9% agreement) and secondary substance of abuse (25.5%) appeared to be exceptions. It is noteworthy that HIV and hepatitis serostatuses were reported less reliably than most other items.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1994

Suicide and violence risk. I. Relationship to coping styles.

Thirty suicidal psychiatric inpatients were compared with 30 nonsuicidal psychiatric inpatients. A battery of self-report tests was administered measuring suicide risk, violence risk and coping styles. The suicidal patients scored higher on both the suicide risk and violence risk. They also used almost all coping styles less frequently than the nonsuicidal patients. Among suicidal patients, suicide risk was negatively correlated with the coping styles of minimization, replacement and blame. Further, suicide risk and violence risk in suicidal patients were shown to be predicted by coping styles. These data indicate that suicidal patients have inadequate mental resources to deal with life problems. Besides their significance for assessing suicide risk, the findings may have possible clinical implications for case detection and early intervention with potential preventive value.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed1993

Criminality in a sample of drug abusers in Greece.

Criminality as expressed by self-reported arrests and convictions was studied in a sample of 294 drug--mainly heroin--abusing subjects, 77.6% of whom had been arrested and 57.1% convicted. The majority had more than one arrest or conviction for a variety of crimes. Arrests and convictions for other than drug offences outnumbered the drug offences. Only a minority of the subjects were responsible for the majority of criminal acts. In half of the subjects, involvement in criminality predated initiation to heroin use. Gender, polydrug use, unemployment, low education level--not injecting heroin as main mode of use--were found to be among the main factors significantly predicting criminality.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

AIDS-related behavior and attitudes among i.v. drug users in Greece.

Risk-taking behavior was investigated in 140 intravenous drug users to identify possible factors accounting for the low HIV seroprevalence rate in Greek intravenous drug users (IVDUs). High-risk drug using and sexual practices were reported by the majority. Awareness of the risk of HIV infection was low. One-third claimed to have changed risk behaviors in both drug use and sexual practices after the appearance of AIDS. Several drug use, mental health, criminal behavior, and sociodemographic factors were correlated with high risk behavior and reported change. Low HIV seroprevalence appears to be due to delayed invasion of the virus and not to the behavior of IVDUs.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗
PubMed1991

Neuropsychological assessment of HIV-seropositive haemophiliacs.

Neuropsychological findings from investigation of 46 HIV-seropositive asymptomatic and 14 HIV-seropositive symptomatic haemophiliacs without AIDS-related complex (ARC) or AIDS, with known duration of HIV seropositivity were compared with 29 seronegative controls. Subjects were assessed blindly using a battery of sensitive computerized neuropsychological tests. They underwent a thorough neurological examination, were assessed for mood and screened for psychopathology. Symptomatic HIV-positive haemophiliacs without ARC or AIDS showed statistically significant decreased performances compared with HIV-negatives in choice reaction, visuomotor coordination and global attentional performance (P = 0.018, 0.039 and 0.044, respectively). HIV-positive asymptomatic subjects gave lower performances than HIV-negative subjects in all tests, although these differences were not statistically significant. However, there was a statistically significant trend for these findings between seronegative, asymptomatic and symptomatic groups. Impairment was not associated with mood factors. Duration of seropositivity was found to be a more important factor than Centers for Disease Control stage in the choice reaction test (P less than 0.01). These findings indicate that mild cognitive impairment observed during the natural history of HIV infection in haemophiliacs without ARC or AIDS may be a progressive phenomenon not necessarily associated with the clinical expression of HIV infection.

Anxiety Disorders↗
PubMed1991

The epidemiology of licit and illicit substance use among high school students in Greece.

Findings on self-reported adolescent licit and illicit substance use are presented based on a nationwide 1984 probability sample of 11,058 Greek adolescent students ages 14-18 years old. Regular smoking and use of alcohol in the 30 days prior to the survey were reported by 22.3 percent and 82.8 percent, respectively. Nearly one-third of the students (30.3 percent) reported lifetime use of psychotropic drugs without prescription, without ever having used any illicit drug. Illicit drug use is less common in Greece than in other European and North American countries with a lifetime prevalence rate of 6 percent. Regular use of tobacco, alcohol, and illicit drugs was more common in males, while unprescribed use of licit psychotropic drugs prevailed in females. Regular smoking, drinking, and illicit drug use were associated with urbanization but not socioeconomic status. Between 1984 and 1988 in an Athenian subsample of schools there was a 20 percent increase in illicit drug use among males. Use of psychotropic drugs without prescription decreased much more than use of tobacco and alcohol.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1988

Parental rearing patterns and drug abuse. Preliminary report.

Results from a controlled study on a sample of 91 imprisoned drug dependents on perceived parental rearing practices using the EMBU and on parental family characteristics are presented. While few differences were observed between drug dependents and imprisoned controls-father less warm and mother more permissive in drug dependent group--comparisons of drug dependents with a general population sample revealed more differences between the two populations: drug dependents perceive both parents compared to the general population group as less rejective, very permissive, their mother as warmer and more overprotective and their father more inconsistent and less favouring them than siblings. Supportive evidence on the dependents' family psychopathology is provided by studying family characteristics. While our findings seem to support the prevailing view in the literature on the role of the mother of the drug dependent characterised by strong emotional bonds and overprotection as well as of the rather emotionally distant father, the question is raised on the contribution of other factors, such as psychopathic personality, on the above findings.

Adult↗
PubMed1987

Intelligence and personality profile of battering parents in Greece: a comparative study.

Studies on parental intelligence and personality characteristics of battering parents are often contradictory. This research is part of a large project on child abuse and neglect in Athens aiming at identifying abusing families and studying the characteristics of parents, children, siblings, as well as welfare and legal issues. Thirty-three battering parents (17 mothers and 16 fathers) and 33 matched controls were investigated with the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale and Cattell's 16 Personality Factor Questionnaire (16 PF). The mean age of fathers was 39.9 and of mothers 29.1 years. They belonged primarily to the low socioeconomic class. No difference was found in the I.Q.s of battering fathers compared to controls while battering mothers' general, verbal and performance I.Q.s were significantly lower than those of the control group as well as of battering fathers' I.Q.s. Battering mothers were found significantly more shy, restrained, timid and threat-sensitive (Factor H of the 16 PF), and undisciplined, self-conflicted, following own urges (Factor Q3 of the 16 PF) than the control mothers. Factor H also was found to differentiate significantly between battering and control fathers but in the opposite direction than that of mothers. The above results are discussed and interpreted within the context of Greek cultural characteristics and intercultural comparisons.

Adult↗
PubMed1986

Depression and drug use.

In this paper findings from a nationwide study on adolescent student population focusing on the association of depressive disorders and drug use are presented. A progressive increase of depressive mood levels is found as we proceed from the non-users to the users of elicit (tobacco, alcohol, psychotropics used without prescription) and illicit substances. The same pattern is also observed with rates of elevated depression scores and self-reported suicide attempts. These findings are discussed in connection with the issue of possible causal relationship between depressive mood and substance dependence.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Drug abuse and psychiatric comorbidity.

Psychiatric morbidity was studied in a sample of 176 opioid-dependent men recruited from prison and treatment services. The Diagnostic Interview Schedule (DIS) was used for psychiatric assessment. Lifetime and current prevalence of any mental disorder, excluding substance use disorders, reached 90.3% and 66.1%, respectively. The most prominent lifetime DSM-III axis I disorders were anxiety (31.8% lifetime and 16.5% last month) and affective (25% lifetime and 19.9% last month) disorders. Antisocial personality disorder (ASP) had a lifetime prevalence of 69.3%. Higher rates of affective and anxiety disorders were diagnosed in the treatment sample than in the imprisoned sample, whereas the inverse was observed for ASP. Results from the psychiatric interview showing a strong association between drug--opiate--dependence and DSM-III mental disorders are further supported by findings of high levels of depressive symptoms on the Center for Epidemiological Studies-Depression (CES-D) scale (71.5%) and increased rates of self-reported suicide attempts (27.4%) and psychiatric hospitalizations (26.8%). Psychiatric disorders seem to precede drug dependence in the majority of cases. Results from this study are compared and discussed with those from similar North American Studies.

Adult↗