IntroductionDuring the last two decades, obesity has proved to be one of the most important problems of public health, and it is considerably more frequent in developed countries, not only in adults, but in children, too. The aim of the current study is to evaluate the prevalence of overweight and obesity in children.Material and methodsTwo thousand three hundred and seventy-four pupils in primary education were considered for the study (1206 boys and 1168 girls).ResultsIn the population-based study, the proportion of overweight children was 23.9%, of obese children 7.3%, and of those with central obesity 35.5%. The boys were obese in a higher percentage than the girls (9.2% vs. 5.3%, p < 0.05). The obesity rates were gradually reduced as the children were growing older. The nutritional habits which were identified to have a positive association with obesity were the following: skipping breakfast, not consuming fruits and vegetables, and consuming bread and soft drinks. Children's healthy nutrition in school was related to lower rates of generalised and central obesity, while the hours spent watching TV were positively associated with all types of obesity.ConclusionsResults from the study suggest that a high proportion of children are overweight or obese. Therefore, it is important to adhere to a healthy lifestyle which emphasizes healthy food choices and habits, regular physical activity, and limiting screen time.

SummarySelective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are a class of drug widely used for treatment of mood disorders, including depression and cardiovascular disease. A search for related articles in the PubMed database was attempted. It covered studies, reports, reviews and editorials of the last 5 years.Pro-inflammatory cytokines, such as TNF-α, IL-1 and IL-6, stimulate central serotonin (5-HT) neurotransmission and are over-expressed in depression, which has been linked with hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA) hyperactivity. They have also been implicated in the pathogenesis and progression of other stress-induced disorders, like myocardial infarction (MI) and coronary heart disease (CHD), as they seem to modulate cardiovascular function by a variety of mechanisms. Biological mechanisms like these may explain the link between depression and CHD. There are a variety of environmental factors as well as genetic factors that might influence the pharmacogenetics of antidepressant drugs. New generation selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor antidepressants (SSRIs) causing a reduced cardiovascular morbidity and mortality may be related to serotonin platelet abnormalities in depressed patients that are effectively treated by SSRIs. SSRIs such as fluoxetine, paroxetine, sertraline and citalopram are not only considered to be free from the cardiotoxicity of their predecessors but also to function as safe and efficacious agents against depression, platelet activation, atherosclerosis and development and prognosis of coronary heart disease. However, there is a need for more studies in order to establish the exact biochemical mechanisms that are responsible for these diseases and the immunoregulatory effects of chronic use of SSRI medications.

Leptin and ghrelin are two hormones associated with multiple physiological functions, especially energy balance. Leptin is an adipocyte-secreted hormone discovered in 1950 and ghrelin which was found in 1999, is a peptide hormone produced and secreted in the stomach. A number of previous studies showed that these hormones could be associated with different types of mood disorders. The results of previous studies, nevertheless, are confounded by diverse sample selection and different methodologies. A search for related articles in the PubMed database was attempted. The search covered studies, reports, reviews and editorials published in the last ten years. Older references served as auxiliary sources for comparison purposes. However, due to the different results of the studies, there is a need for more investigation in order to establish the exact biochemical mechanisms that are responsible for these diseases and ghrelin's and leptin's effects on mood. Core tip: Mood disorders are affecting a major amount of the world population. Considering the multiple factors that are contributing in the development of mood disorders, this review emphasizes on the role of leptin and ghrelin hormones. These two hormones have a key role in energy balance but they also have an effect on other physiological functions too, therefore we emphasize on the recent findings which raise a potential link between the hormones and the disorders of mood.

Aim. The aim of the present study was to record habits and attitudes of primary school students in Greece regarding sun-protection measures. Materials and Methods. 2,163 students with an average age of 9.9 (±1.1) years, studying in 14 schools of a Greek region, constituted our sample. The SPSS 17.0 software was used for the statistical analysis and significance level was set to P ≤ 0.05. Results. Our sample had an equal gender distribution. 16% of the students belonged to the high-risk group, 70.2% of the participants lived 0–5 km away from the sea (urban area), 84.2% of the students were Greek, and 15.8% had non-Greek nationality. Half of the participants said they wear a hat when under the sun and 72% of them said they use sunscreen. 33.1% of the students said they had a sunburn last summer. Greek students as well as those who lived near the sea had better behaviour patterns regarding sun protection. Finally, children who did not use a sunscreen systematically had suffered sunburns more often than the rest. Conclusions. Health education programmes are necessary for students and parents/teachers alike, in order to raise awareness about everyday sun protection.

Medication non-adherence (MNA) constitutes a complex health problem contributing to increased economic burden and poor health outcomes. The Medication Adherence Model (MAM) supports that numerous processes are involved in medication adherence (MA). Based on the MAM and guidelines of the World Health Organization (WHO), this scoping review aimed to identify the barriers and facilitators associated with MA, and the behavioral health interventions and techniques among chronic conditions presenting with high non-adherence rates (asthma, cancer, diabetes, epilepsy, HIV/AIDS, and hypertension). PubMed, PsycINFO, and Scopus databases were screened, and 243 studies were included. A mixed methods approach was used to collate the evidence and interpret findings. The most commonly reported barriers to MA across conditions were younger age, low education, low income, high medication cost, side effects, patient beliefs/perceptions, comorbidities, and poor patient–provider communication. Additionally, digitally delivered interventions including components such as medication and condition education, motivational interviewing (MI), and reinforcement and motivational messages led to improvements in MA. This review highlights the importance of administrating multicomponent interventions digitally and personalized to the patients’ individual needs and characteristics, responding to the adherence barriers faced. This is the first review examining and synthesizing evidence on barriers and facilitators to MA and behavioral health interventions used for improving MA across chronic conditions with the highest non-adherence rates and providing recommendations to researchers and clinicians. Stakeholders are called to explore methods overcoming barriers identified and developing effective multicomponent interventions that can reduce the high rates of MNA.