Introduction: Fear of childbirth (FOC) is a common concern during pregnancy that can negatively affect women’s well-being and childbirth experiences. Understanding how different dimensions of FOC relate to one another before and after prenatal interventions may help optimize supportive care. The aim of this study was to examine correlations among specific domains of childbirth fear before and after participation in a prenatal childbirth preparation program. Methods: This prospective longitudinal study included 97 pregnant women with uncomplicated pregnancies who participated in a one-month prenatal childbirth preparation program between November 2024 and February 2025. The intervention consisted of theoretical education and physical exercise sessions, held twice a week. FOC was assessed before and 7 days after the intervention using the Childbirth Fear Questionnaire (CFQ). Spearman correlation coefficients were used to examine relationships among CFQ subscales. Results: Participants had a mean age of 30.5 ± 3.8 years and a mean gestational age of 32.5 ± 3.0 weeks at the time of study entry. Before the intervention, the total CFQ score was most strongly correlated with fear of medical interventions (p = 0.823). After the intervention, the strongest association shifted to fear of pain during vaginal birth (p = 0.859). Conclusion: Following participation in the prenatal childbirth preparation program, the pattern of associations among childbirth fears changed, with fear of medical interventions becoming less dominant and fear of pain during vaginal delivery emerging as a central concern. These findings suggest that prenatal interventions may influence not only the intensity but also the structure of childbirth-related fears, highlighting the importance of addressing multiple fear dimensions simultaneously.

Introduction: Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) are among the leading causes of disability worldwide, often resulting in pain, loss of function, and reduced quality of life. Kinesio Taping (KT) has been proposed as a supportive, noninvasive technique to enhance rehabilitation outcomes by improving neuromuscular activation, proprioception, and circulation. This research aims to evaluate the effect of KT on upper-limb functional improvement in patients with MSDs undergoing standard physiotherapy. Methods: This prospective interventional study included 57 participants divided into a control group receiving conventional physiotherapy and an experimental group receiving additional KT. Functional status was assessed using the Upper Extremity Functional Index (UEFI) at 3 time points: before therapy, mid-treatment, and after therapy. Statistical analyses included the Mann–Whitney U test, Kruskal–Wallis test, and multiple linear regression. Results: At baseline, the KT group had significantly lower functional scores (median 24.0, Interquartile Range [IQR] 19.0–27.0) than controls (median 35.0, IQR 25.0–47.0; p = 0.02). During treatment, both groups improved, but the KT group demonstrated faster functional recovery (p = 0.033). At completion, both groups achieved similar UEFI scores; however, the total functional gain was nearly twice as high in the KT group (21.5 vs. 12.5 points). Relative improvement reached 90% in the KT group compared with 36% in controls. Regression analysis confirmed that KT application was a significant predictor of upper-limb functional improvement (β = 0.552, p = 0.002). Conclusion: KT significantly accelerates upper-limb functional recovery and enhances rehabilitation outcomes when used as an adjunct to physiotherapy. Its simplicity, safety, and cost-effectiveness make it a valuable addition to standard musculoskeletal rehabilitation.

Introduction: Medical biochemical laboratory professionals play a critical role in diagnostics, research, and patient care, performing complex tasks that require extensive knowledge, professional attitudes, and adherence to best practices. Understanding their knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) is essential for improving laboratory performance, ensuring quality, and enhancing patient outcomes. Despite the importance of quality control systems and international standards, the existing literature reveals a lack of validated instruments to assess KAP among laboratory professionals. This study aimed to develop and validate a comprehensive questionnaire targeting key domains of laboratory practice, with the goal of identifying operational gaps and guiding future interventions. Methods: The questionnaire was developed through a four-phase process: Literature review, item construction, questionnaire distribution, and validation. Psychometric evaluation included internal consistency testing and factor analysis to ensure reliability and validity. Results: The final instrument, titled KAP of Laboratory Professionals on Standards and Work Quality Systems, comprised 73 items across six domains. The overall Cronbach’s alpha was 0.673, indicating moderate but acceptable internal consistency. The questionnaire effectively identifies gaps in KAP related to quality control in medical-biochemical laboratories. Its results can support laboratory managers in recognizing areas for improvement, ultimately enhancing service quality and patient outcomes. Conclusion: This descriptive and analytical study presents a validated and reliable tool for assessing KAP regarding standards and quality control systems in medical-biochemical laboratories. Its application can guide targeted interventions to address deficiencies and strengthen practices in laboratory medicine.

Dear editor,We would like to express our sincere gratitude for the attention given to our published scientific paper, as well as for the positive comments, valuable suggestions, and thoughtful questions in the Comment on the article by Bajpai. We consider his contribution extremely important for improving the quality of future research in this field.

Uvod: Poremećaji temporomandibularnog zgloba (TMP) obuhvaćaju niz stanja koja utječu na anatomske i funkcionalne karakteristike temporomandibularnog zgloba (TMZ). Najčešće se manifestiraju hipermobilnošću zgloba, miofascijalnom boli u žvačnim i vratnim mišićima, poremećajima zglobnog diska poput klikanja te poremećajima koordinacije mandibularnih pokreta. Liječenje TMP-a započinje konzervativnim pristupom, dok se operativno liječenje razmatra samo u određenim slučajevima.Materijali i metode: Studija je provedena u privatnoj praksi u Münchenu, Njemačka. Ispitanici su prije i nakon terapije ispunili standardizirani upitnik o poremećajima temporomandibularnog zgloba (TMJ/TMD Questionnaire). Program fizioterapije uključivao je medicinsku masažu i kineziterapiju u trajanju od 3 tjedna, s ukupno 6 tretmana.Rezultati: U istraživanju je sudjelovao 31 ispitanik stariji od 18 godina. Potpuno i snažno otvaranje usta bilo je moguće kod 87,1% ispitanika, dok je djelomično bilo moguće kod 12,9%. Promjene u zagrizu i učestalost tegoba značajno su se smanjile nakon fizioterapije, dok je amplituda pokreta kod manjeg broja ispitanika ostala nepromijenjena.Zaključci: Program fizioterapije pokazao se učinkovitim u smanjenju učestalosti problema i poboljšanju promjena zagriza kod osoba s poremećajima temporomandibularnog zgloba. Za dodatno poboljšanje opsega pokreta preporučuje se produženje terapije i uključivanje dodatnih terapijskih modaliteta.

Introduction: Physiotherapy, a non-invasive method of conservative treatment, that includes manual therapy, exercises and physical procedures, is used in the treatment of temporomandibular dysfunction and polyarticular laxity. It has been proven that physiotherapy focused on temporomandibular dysfunction is an essential element of treatment that leads to a reduction in pain, an improvement in temporomandibular joint (TMJ) function, and an improvement in quality of life. Physiotherapy treatment aims to alleviate the symptoms and try to restore the normal function of the masticatory system, for which various techniques can be used. The aim of the study was to determine the type, intensity, and frequency of TMJ dysfunction pain before and after physiotherapy. Methods: The study was conducted in a private practice in Munich, Germany. All subjects who met the criteria for inclusion in the study completed a standardized questionnaire on TMJ dysfunction (TMJ disorder [TMJ/TMD] Questionnaire). The questionnaire was used to obtain data on the type and location of pain, duration of pain, and other symptoms related to the TMJ. The anamnestic data of the respondents who came to the doctor’s office with the symptoms mentioned were examined, and the orthodontic or dental findings were analyzed.Results: The analysis showed that before treatment some of the joints were affected in 28 subjects, while after treatment the joints were affected in 19 subjects. After treatment a significant decrease in affected TMJ was observed (χ2 = 9.516, p = 0.008). Ear pain occurred in 17 (54.84%) subjects before treatment, and in 5 (16.13%) after treatment. A significant reduction was observed at the p = 0.003 level. Pain around the eyes occurred in 9 (29.03%) of the respondents before treatment, and after treatment in 2 (6.45%) of the respondents. Facial pain was reported in 16.13% of the anamnestic data before the treatment, and it was not reported in any of the respondents after treatment. There was also a significant reduction in the occurrence of tinnitus (p = 0.004). The occurrence of headaches also decreased after treatment (p < 0.001). Ear pressure was present before treatment in 45.16% of cases, and after treatment in 22.58% of cases, so there was no significant decrease. Conclusion: Physiotherapy for people with TMJ dysfunction contributed significantly in reducing pain and alleviating other TMD symptoms.

Introduction: The early adolescence period represents a phase of turbulent physical development, characterized by disproportion in the musculoskeletal system, where the muscular system's inability to maintain a normal relationship between certain body segments results in poor posture among adolescents. Back pain is an increasing health problem among children and adolescents. Postural deviations and back pain are common issues among children, caused by the long-term effects of various risk factors associated with modern lifestyles. Methods: This study is a non-experimental (qualitative) research, specifically a scientific literature review. For the purposes of this paper, a search of relevant databases including Web of Science, Scopus, PubMed, and Med-Line was conducted for articles published between 2011 and 2024. Results: A significant number of articles were published between 2011 and 2024 in relevant scientific databases. After removing duplicates and irrelevant studies, 13 studies were included in the research. The studies used in this paper were published in Poland, the Czech Republic, Portugal, Tunisia, China, Egypt, Turkey, Pakistan, Brazil, Lebanon, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Slovenia. Conclusion: Based on the review of scientific literature, it can be concluded that early identification of risk factors is essential, as it will reduce the frequency of postural deviations and back pain in children during early adolescence. Timely implementation of educational preventive programs on exercises, education about proper posture, sitting techniques, correct school bag carrying, the use of ergonomically adjusted school furniture, and promoting an active lifestyle at home and school, along with regular physical activity, is necessary.

Introduction: Patients following the acute stage of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 were shown to present with persisting symptoms including fatigue, dyspnea, joint pain, and chest pain. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of a 6-week home physiotherapy program on the psychological and physical symptoms, as well as the physical abilities to perform activities of daily living in post-COVID-19 patients. Methods: The subjects were 39 adult patients who had been diagnosed with COVID-19 and had been hospitalized at the University Clinical Center of Kosovo. Patients initially underwent a physiotherapy assessment 2-3 weeks after discharge from the hospital, including sociodemographic data, psychological and physical symptoms, and functional performance in daily activities using the Patient-Specific Functional Scale (PSFS). Based on their functional capacity, the patients received two types of brochures for a home physiotherapy program that was carried out over the next 6 weeks. Upon the completion of the physiotherapy program, 23 patients reported for the second physiotherapy assessment. The Mann–Whitney Wilcoxon test was used for comparison of the variables obtained during the first and second assessments. Results: Pre–post analysis showed that the symptoms including excessive fatigue, difficulty breathing, and insomnia were significantly less present following the home physiotherapy program (p = 0.005; p = 0.008; p = 0.034). On the PSFS scale, the mean score increased from 5.2 (2.1) to 7.8 (0.5) for stair climbing, from 5.5 (1.8) to 8.8 (1.6) for walking longer distances, and from 3.7 (3.2) to 4.0 (5.6) for running. Conclusion: Although limited by the absence of a control group, the findings from this study indicate that home physiotherapy intervention can be feasible and effective in enhancing psychological and physical symptoms, as well as activities of daily living in post-COVID-19 patients following hospitalization.

Introduction: Work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WRMSDs) are the most common work-related disorders and describe a wide range of degenerative and inflammatory states that affect blood vessels, peripheral nerves, bones, joints, ligaments, tendons, and muscles. Healthcare as a special sector has almost the highest prevalence of WRMSDs in the world, far ahead of construction, mining, and manufacturing. Studies conducted in the EU and the USA indicate that health-care professionals most often have a problem with the lower back between 50% and 57% of cases, resulting in an average loss of more than 7 working days during 1 year. Methods: This study included 177 health professionals of both genders who are actively involved in the provision of health-care services. The study was conducted in the Public Health Center of Sarajevo Canton, which provides primary and specialist consultative healthcare services. The study was designed as a prospective, longitudinal, interventional, and descriptive-analytical that included all respondents who met the inclusion criteria. The instruments used in the study are the standardized Dutch Musculoskeletal Discomfort Questionnaire, modified according to our study, the standardized work ability index, and the ergonomic intervention program (EIP). Results: The highest frequency of work-related MKDs in health-care professionals before and after implementation of the EIP was in the neck area (83.1% before, 64.9% after), in the upper back region (71.8% before, 56.5 % after) and in the lower back region (68.4% before, 55.9% after). The average score of the working ability index before the introduction of the EIP was 35.44 ± 8.59, while after the implementation of the EIP it increased statistically significantly and amounted to 38.40 ± 7.30. Conclusion: The EIP influenced the reduction of the MKDs frequency caused by work, and increased the working capacity of health-care professionals.

Introduction: The complaints that occur in the area of the lumbar spine are summarized under the term lumbar pain syndrome. These include lumbar discopathy, lumbago, lumboischialgia, sciatica, and other complaints associated with the lumbar region of the spine. The purpose of this study is to evaluate sociodemographic characteristics, assess the degree of disability patients experience due to lumbar pain syndrome, evaluate how many patients catastrophize their pain, and assess the effectiveness of the dry needling technique along with other physical therapy modalities in people with lumbar pain syndrome. Methods: The study was designed as a prospective study conducted from March 2022 to June 2022. 35 subjects of both sexes, aged 25-83, agreed to participate in the study. The subjects who enrolled were pre-dominantly suffering from chronic lumbar pain syndrome, and there were also a smaller number of subjects with acute lumbar pain syndrome. Results: The majority of respondents suffer from lumbar pain syndrome, which falls into the chronic category in 29 or 82.9% of cases. The mean score after the application of therapy on the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) scale was 22.0 ± 16.23% and was statistically significantly lower. The average score after the application of the therapy on the visual analog scale (VAS) was 3.06 ± 2.31 and is statistically significantly lower (p < 0.05) compared to the period before the therapy. Conclusion: Dry needling in combination with standard physical procedures led to statistically significant improvements. The mean score on the pain catastrophe scale, VAS, and ODI was significantly lower than in the pre-therapy period.