Objective: To investigate dietary habits, sleep and psychological well-being of adolescents and medical students during COVID-19 lockdown in Split, Croatia. Methods: We surveyed 1326 students during 2018 and 2019, and compared their responses with 531 students enrolled in May 2020. Perceived stress, quality of life (QoL), happiness, anxiety, and optimism were assessed as proxies of psychological well-being, using general linear modelling. Results: We found no substantial differences in dietary pattern between pre-lockdown and lockdown periods, including the overall Mediterranean diet (MD) adherence. However, the MD pattern changed, showing increased adherence to the MD pyramid for fruit, legumes, fish, and sweets, while cereals, nuts, and dairy intake decreased during COVID-19 lockdown. A third of students reported weight loss during lockdown, 19% reported weight gain, while physical activity remained rather stable. The most prominent change was feeling refreshed after a night’s sleep, reported by 31.5% of students during lockdown vs. 8.5% before; median length of sleep duration increased by 1.5 h. Lockdown significantly affected QoL, happiness, optimism (all p < 0.001), and perceived stress in students (p = 0.005). MD adherence was positively correlated with QoL and study time, and negatively with TV and mobile phone use in pre-lockdown period (all p < 0.001). Interestingly, higher MD adherence was correlated with less perceived hardship and greater happiness and QoL during lockdown. Conclusion: These insights provide valuable information for tailored interventions aimed at maintaining healthy lifestyle in young population. Given the numerous beneficial effects associated with MD adherence, modification of lifestyle through application of lifestyle medicine deserves a priority approach.

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Mediterranean diet (MD) is among the most commonly investigated diets and recognized as one of the healthiest dietary patterns. Due to its complexity, geographical and cultural variations, it also represents a challenge for quantification. The aim of this cross-sectional study was to assess reliability and validity of the Croatian version of the 14-item Mediterranean Diet Serving Score (MDSS), using the Mediterranean Diet Adherence Screener (MEDAS) as the referent test. We included the exploratory sample of 360 medical students, and a confirmatory sample of 299 health studies students from the University of Split, Croatia. Test-retest reliability and validity of the MDSS were tested using intra-class correlation coefficients (ICC), while Cohen’s kappa statistic was used to test correct classification of subjects into MD adherent/non-adherent category. A very good reliability was shown for the overall MDSS score (ICC = 0.881 [95% CI 0.843–0.909]), and a moderate reliability for the binary adherence (κ = 0.584). Concurrent validity of the MDSS was also better when expressed as a total score (ICC = 0.544 [0.439–0.629]) as opposed to the adherence (κ = 0.223), with similar result in the confirmatory sample (ICC = 0.510 [0.384–0.610]; κ = 0.216). Disappointingly, only 13.6% of medical students were adherent to the MD according to MDSS, and 19.7% according to the MEDAS questionnaire. Nevertheless, MDSS score was positively correlated with age (ρ = 0.179: P = 0.003), self-assessed health perception (ρ = 0.123; P = 0.047), and mental well-being (ρ = 0.139: P = 0.022). MDSS questionnaire is a short, reliable and reasonably valid instrument, and thus useful for assessing the MD adherence, with better results when used as a numeric score, even in the population with low MD adherence.

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Introduction:Scientific guidelines recommend the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) for ischemic stroke (IS) assessment. In Clinical Department of Neurology of Split University Hospital Center nurses use the categorization of patients (COP) according to individual needs for health care.Aim:The aim of this study was to demonstrate that there is a positive correlation between the COP and the NIHSS in IS patients.Methods:We analyzed NIHSS scores and COP findings in 325 participants (median age 77 years, min-max: 37-95 years) with acute ISs.Results:There is a statistically significant correlation between the NIHSS score at admission and COP at admission (ρ=0.717; P<0.001). There is a statistically significant correlation between the NIHSS score at discharge and COP at discharge (ρ=0.762; P<0.001). Median of NIHSS scores at admission is higher in females than in males for 2 (Z=4.45, P<0.001) and at discharge is higher for 2 (Z = 4.1, P<0.001). Median of COP at admission is higher in females than in males for 1 (Z=4.7, P<0.001) and at discharge is the same (Z=4.7, P<0.001).Conclusion:There is a significant association of NIHSS scores and COP in IS patients. This association exists at admission and at discharge from the hospital.