OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to assess caries prevalence and severity in preschool children in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina. In addition, the relationship between the frequency and clinical types of early childhood caries and behavioral factors, oral hygiene and eating habits were assessed. SUBJECTS AND METHODS An oral health survey was performed in line with the World Health Organization methodology and criteria. The research consisted of clinical examinations of children to determine dentition status, oral hygiene and severity of caries distribution according to Wyne's classification. Information about behavioral factors was collected by means of a questionnaire administered to parents/guardians. RESULTS The sample consisted of a total of 165 preschool children aged 3-5 years. Mean dmft (decay, missing, filled teeth index for primary dentition) was 6.79. The percentage of caries-free children was 17.0%. The results showed a statistically significant correlation between oral hygiene and eating habits, and also the frequency and types of early childhood caries. CONCLUSION The present study demonstrates high caries prevalence in preschool children in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Community based preventive programs should be developed and urgently implemented, in order to achieve the WHO goals, improve oral and general health, thus improving the quality of life of these populations.

On a global scale, it was found that the surface of the vulnerable land and land affected by degradation has been increasing in the last decades and that unsustainable land management is one of the key drivers of land degrad­ation. In order to assess the effect that these changes have on biodiversity and ecosystem services, and to realize appropriate planning and management act­ions for the conservation of the environment, it is essential to identify and quantify changes caused by land degradation. The aim of this study was to determine the impact of the geological setting, i.e ., the type of bedrock, and land use on the physicochemical properties of soil in the vulnerable moun­tainous areas of Fruska Gora. For the purpose of this study, 30 soil samples were collected from a depth of 0–20 cm at four locations on the Fruska Gora Mt. The geological setting was serpentinite and marl and land cover was forest and meadow. The following soil properties were determined: pH, redox poten­tial ( Eh ), electrical conductivity ( EC ), total dissolved solids ( TDS ), concen­tra­tions of available cations Ca, Mg, K, Na, contents of organic carbon ( C org) and nitrogen ( N ). The correlation between the obtained parameters was tested with two-way ANOVA and principal component analyses (PCA). All of the obtained results indicated that the soil physicochemical properties depended on the geological setting and that rock composition has to be taken into consider­ation during land management.