ABSTRACTÇitozi R, Bozo D, Pano G. An assessment of the perception of physical activity, eating habits, self-efficacy and the knowledge about healthy food in Albanian adolescents. J. Hum. Sport Exerc. Vol.8, No. Proc2, pp. S192-S203, 2013. Objective: The present study evaluates eating habits and behaviors, and nutritional and food safety knowledge of a group of Albanian adolescents. Design: A dietary questionnaire previously constructed and tested was self-administered during school time. Each section was evaluated using a separate score. Setting: The study was carried out as a part of a nutritional surveillance project in the capital of Albania, Tirana. Subjects: Three hundred and forty (340) adolescent subjects (180 males, 160 females), aged 15.2 ± 0.5 years, attending the 8-9 years of secondary schools participated in the study. Measures: We evaluated eating habits, physical activity, meaning of healthy and unhealthy dietary habits and food, self-efficacy, barriers affecting healthy food choices, nutritional and food safety, weight, height, Body Mass Index (BMI). Results: Only 33.1% of the samples have satisfactory eating habits; 16.8% have a very active lifestyle; only 7.9% have quite good nutritional knowledge. Conclusions: The results point out unhealthy behaviors influencing adolescents' eating habits and suggest which of these must be considered in order to develop tailored nutrition interventions, improving adolescents' consciousness aimed at adopting a healthy lifestyle.

Pano G, Markola L. 14-18 Years old children attitudes, perception and motivation towards extra curricular physical activity and sport. J. Hum. Sport Exerc. Vol. 7, No. Proc1, pp. S51-S66, 2012. Factors affecting children's attitudes towards physical activity (PA) and physical education are complex and mediated by a range of variables such as social class, gender and race; body image and physical identity. 1062 highschool students (465 B and 597 G) 14-18 years old from 6 different Public high schools of Albania have fulfilled a questionnaire (EC DG EA), during January-June 2011 (only 6 questions were considered relevant). The aim was to reveal the 14.18 years old students attitudes and perception towards PA and Sport. Results show that: 14.21% e the subject's engage with PA and sport regularly despite their PA school program. 39% engage with one kind of PA or sport during the week and also 36% are active rarely. B have a higher activation indicator (19.78%) compared with G (9.88%). They are active mostly "for fun" with 35.87% and for "improving their physical image" with 33.08%. Lack of free time (53.57%) and the lack of sport facilities (20.43%) are the main reasons why they don't engage with PA and sport despite their sport school program. There is a lack of information regarding the benefits of participation in PA and sport for this age. It is very necessary that the local or governmental authorities to create extracurricular PA programs and to offer more sport facilities and opportunities for this group-age. More studies focused on this group age are necessary in order to evaluate which is the most proper PA program for this group-age.

Bozo D, Pano G, Çitozi R. Assessment of physical activity level in office employees groups in Albania. J. Hum. Sport Exerc. Vol.8, No. Proc2, pp. S152-S164, 2013. Insufficient PA is very common in office employees and due to this they are at higher risk for metabolic, cardiovascular and many more other health related risk factor diseases. There is a lack of data regarding the PA level of office employees groups in Albania. Thus the aim of this paper was to identify the PA level in typical representative groups of this category. A total of 164 randomly selected office employees, out of which 97 (52 females and 45 males) from one mobile company and 67 (37 females and 30 males) from a bank, participated in this study. An Albanian modified and adapted version of the an International Physical Activity Questionnaire was used to assess some indicators dealing with all kinds of PA jobs, everyday life and leisure and time expenditure on PAs of different intensity. The weekly activity level was measured through time, frequency and intensity, expressed in MET*minute/week. The subjects were classified in 3 main PA categories: HIGH (1500-3000 MET*min), MODERATE (600-1300 MET*min) and LOW (<600 MET*min). The results show that both groups declared an average PA Level classified under the LOW category. The values of the mobile company group was around 950 MET*min with a difference between the genders of 280 MET*min (1070 in males and 790 in females); while the bank group revealed lower values, i.e. 890 MET*min as average and a difference of 220 MET*min between the two genders (980 in males against 760 of females). The differences between the two groups under investigation can be explained through various factors such as the general PA gender differences, type of sedentary work, type of different work position/role and working spaces. These results may be also a consequence of improper individual activity habits, low information and awareness of health benefits of PA and lack of proper promotion for a healthy and active lifestyle.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), there are at least 70 million thalassemia carriers in the world and in each year 42,000 homozygote children are born. The bone abnormalities such as rickets, spinal deformities, severe osteoporosis, and pathological fractures are important morbidity causes (Rodda CP et al., 1995). Patients with well treated transfusion-dependent thalassemia are generally shorter, have reduced truncal height (Fung EB et al., 2010), and healthy body weight (Vichinsky EP., 1998) compared to the general population. The main objective of this study was to evaluate postural and balance problems in beta thalassemia patients. 28 subjects (7 males 21 females) 18-30 years old from 3 different epidemiologic cities in Albania have participated in this study. Postural screening, which included digital photography in 4 plans (TanEC). Pearson Correlation was used to asses' associations between head lateral translations and angulations. Based on the results we can say that in beta thalassemia patients the postural problems are a major health related problem. More studies focused on this category are necessary in order to evaluate the most effective PA program. As a very specific group population it is recommended that the postural evaluation need to be part of their health routine check-up in order to prevent degenerative major postural deviations.

Postural control (or balance) can be defined statically as the ability to maintain a base of support with minimal movement, and dynamically as the ability to perform a task while maintaining a stable position (C. J. Winstein, E. R). The development of equilibrium capacities is known to be critical for both the acquisition and the control of motor skills (Massion. J., 1992). Since balance control is an essential component for the optimal functioning of any locomotors system (Winter DA et al., 1990), gait and balance control together needs to be investigated in order to correct inappropriate performance and prevent injury. This study focus was to investigate the correlation between posture and balance changes in normal and healthy adolescent's (boys and girls). A total of 61 subjects (21 females and 40 males) aged 19-20-year-old students, participated on this study. We have conducted a postural screening, which included digital photography in 4 plans (anterior view, right lateral view, posterior view, left lateral view) and postural evaluation with Posture Screen Mobile program were done, was also performed a set of 4 balance tests BT (Balance Test) a) (Rom EO); b) (Rom EC); c) (SemTanEO); d) (SemTanEC); e) (TanEO); f) (TanEC), on Leonardo Mechanography Platform. Statistical analyses were performed using IBM SPSS Statistics version 2.0. Results shows that generally all subjects have a good balance and orientation level in all tests (with open and closed eyes). Also based on the results we can say that the correlation between posture and balance changes in ages 19-20 it's really relevant. The posture screening and the analysis of balance are of great importance in studies trying to understand the ageing process. Also differences between genders are of great interest especially if a proper exercise program focused in postural improvement can be implemented.