Previous studies conducted in Yugoslavia indicated that the concentration of selenium in soil, food items, and serum of the population is very low. The aim of the study was to investigate the possible relationship among environmental, health-related habits, nutrition, and selenium serum levels in cancer patients and the healthy population. The case-control study included a group of cancer patients and a matched group of healthy controls: 57 cancer patients and 41 healthy controls living in Stari Grad (an urban area of Belgrade), as well as 17 cancer patients and 13 healthy controls living in Barajevo (a rural community in the vicinity of Belgrade). The healthy controls were matched to cancer patients in sex and age; they were not blood related. The selenium serum levels were measured by atomic absorption spectrophotometry. Health-related habits and relevant dietary factors ("food frequency" method) that may influence the selenium serum levels were assessed by questionnaires. The differences in average values of selenium serum levels between the cancer patients and healthy controls were not significantly different, but both were below the lowest recorded in referential studies. A significant difference between the values obtained from urban and rural subgroups was noted. The most important factors that influenced the level of selenium included the residence place in the region with selenium deficiency (Barajevo), age, associated chronic diseases, and some dietary factors potentially related to the intake of selenium. The results obtained in this investigation pointed out that use of selenium supplementation in this area should be seriously considered.

The secular trend is biological indicator for assessing the degree of socioeconomic development of a country. The study aims to analyze the secular trend of height and weight of children 3-11 aged in the city of Novi Sad (Serbia) in the period between 1971 and 2017. An anthropometric investigation was conducted six times within the stated period. The data are presented for a total of 13037 children (6969 boys; 6068 girls) on the territory of Novi Sad.The results point to a positive secular trend, although this is not observable in all ages and decades. The mean height of preschool boys and girls increased 0.21 cm and 0.11 cm per decade respectively, while in school boys and girls an increase was 0.70 cm and 0.55 cm per decade. The mean weight of preschool boys and girls increased 0.1 kg and 0.03 cm per decade respectively, while in school boys and girls an increase was 0.69 kg and 0.57 kg per decade. The magnitude of secular changes in body height and weight was not stable. These results possibly reflect a very turbulent socioeconomic and political situation in the country, which began in the 1990s.

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Body height and weight are influenced by interaction of genetic and environmental factors but also depend upon the ethnic and socio-cultural characteristics of populations. The aim of the study is to determine the height, weight and nutritional status of adult population of Vojvodina, as well as to establish similarities and differences among various ethnic groups, i.e. the natives of Vojvodina and newcomers from different parts of former Yugoslavia. The investigation was conducted in 10 rural settlements of northwest Backa and central Banat. The investigation included 608 males (mean age 41.34 11.49) and 768 females (mean age 41.85 10.64). Data processing included standard statistical methods, while t-test was employed for testing differences among groups. In relation to ethnic group belonging, the analysis included Serbs, Hungarians and Montenegrins, while natives and newcomers from Bosnia and Herzegovina were analyzed in relation to the native land origin. The subjects of both sexes from central Banat have greater height than the subjects from northwest Backa. Hungarians of both sexes exhibit lower body height in comparison with all other groups, while Herzegovina newcomers have the greatest height values. For body weight, similar values are obtained in both of the areas. The average BMI in males equals 27.23 kg/m2 in Backa and 26.59 kg/m2 in Banat. In females, the values are lower and equal 26.12 kg/m2 in Backa and 25.29 kg/m2 in Banat. The population of this region is characterized by great height. Natives of both sexes show markedly lower height and weight values in relation to all three newcomers groups. The greatest number of male population falls in the category of overweight (46%). Females are mostly of normal weight (47.81%), while the number of overweight and obese females equals 34.67% and 14.42%, respectively.