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Chronic non-communicable diseases are a significant public health problem and imbalanced nutrition is one of the most significant risk factor for them. The objective of this study was to examine Croatia’s general practitioners’ nutrition counselling practice and determine the factors that influence such practice. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 444 (17.0%) randomly selected general practitioners (GPs) in Croatia from May to July 2013 via a 32-item anonymous questionnaire. Study showed that 77.0% of participants had provided nutrition counselling exclusively to patients with specific health risks; 18.7% participants had provided nutrition counselling for all patients, regardless of their individual risks, while 4.3% had not provide nutrition counselling. As the most significant stimulating factor for implementing nutrition counselling in their daily work with patients, 55.6% of the participants identified personal interest regarding nutrition and the effects it has on health. The latter factor was more frequently emphasized among female general practitioners (p < 0.001) and general practitioners without chronic diseases (p < 0.001). The most significant barrier for nutrition counselling was lack of time (81.6%). It is necessary to make additional efforts to increase the frequency of nutrition counselling provided by general practitioners in Croatia. The majority of Croatian general practitioners could increase their nutrition counselling practice in order to promote balanced nutrition and improve the overall health status of their patients.

A b s t r a c t In honey, the content of proteins, including the enzymes, is relatively low and has a minor nutritive significance. On the other hand, the proteins, including the enzymes, are usually used as honey quality evaluation parameters. This is because protein content and enzyme activities vary regarding the botanical origin of the honey. Since the results of protein content, glucose-oxidase, and acid phosphatase, for honeys produced in Croatia, are not available, four of the most abundant honey types produced in Croatia (black locust, sage, chestnut, and honeydew honey) are characterised according to the protein and proline content and enzyme activities. The characterisation was done to determine specificities and contribute to the characterisation of unifloral honeys. Dark honey types (honeydew and chestnut honey) had a higher proline content, and diastase, invertase, and glucose-oxidase activity than lighter sage and black locust honey. Black locust honey has a naturally low enzyme activity and showed the highest acid phosphatase activity among the analysed honey types, while honeydew honey, otherwise known to possess high proline content and enzyme activity, had a low protein content comparable to black locust honey. Statistically significant correlations were obtained between all analysed parameters, with the exception of acid phosphatase activity.

Nutrition care should be an integral part of general practitioners’ (GPs’) daily work with patients. The aim of this study was to assess the attitudes of Croatian GPs toward nutrition and nutrition care, and to evaluate the interconnection between their attitudes and implementation of nutrition care in GPs offices. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 17.0% of randomly selected GPs, from May to July of 2013, via a specially designed anonymous questionnaire. The study showed that 36.0% of the Croatian GPs had satisfactory number of positive attitudes (5 or more) toward nutrition and nutrition care. There was statistically significant difference in the median number of positive attitudes based on the additional education of GPs in nutrition and their ailment from chronic diseases (p < 0.001 and p = 0.022, respectively). The Spearman rank correlation between GPs’ attitudes toward nutrition and nutrition care and their practice, i.e., the implementation of nutrition care in GPs’ everyday work with patients was rs = −0.235 (p < 0.001). In order to provide nutrition care in GPs’ offices in Croatia, strategies for changing GPs’ attitudes toward nutrition and nutrition care are needed.

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Primorac Lj., Flanjak I., Kenjerić D., Bubalo D., Topolnjak Z. (2011): Specific rotation and carbohydrate profile of Croatian unifloral honeys. Czech J. Food Sci., 29: 515-519.Specific rotation and carbohydrate profile of Croatian black locust (robinia pseudoacacia L.), sage (Salvia officinalis L.) and chestnut (Castanea sativa Mill.) honeys were determined. Fructose, glucose, sucrose, maltose (with cellobiose and trehalose), melezitose (with erlose), raffinose, and xylose were evaluated and quantified by HPLC, while specific rotation was determined by using a polarimeter. The differences in the carbohydrate profile, especially in disaccharide and trisaccharide contents, reflected different specific rotation values of the honey types selected. Weak positive correlations between specific rotation and sucrose, melezitose with erlose, and raffinose contents were found.

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