PURPOSE AND AIM OF THE CONFERENCE
The purpose of the UP Faculty of Health Sciences' 6th annual international conference, which will be held on 16 September 2022, is to highlight the health problems of children and youth, and present the latest studies on this topic as well as the related new approaches from practice.
In addition to plenary lectures and paper presentations by active participants within individual thematic sections, a POSTER section will also be held.
The conference will host researchers, experts from practice, university professors, students, and other interested people who are directly or indirectly engaged in the field of public health and related disciplines.
SCIENTIFIC AND ORGANISING COMMITTEE
Head of the Scientific Committee
Assist. Prof. Matej Plevnik, PhD
UP Faculty of Health Sciences
tel: +386 5 66 26 474
e-mail: matej.plevnik@fvz.upr.si
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Head of the Organising Committee
Assoc. Prof. Boštjan Žvanut, PhD
UP Faculty of Health Sciences
tel: +386 5 66 26 483
e-mail: bostjan.zvanut@fvz.upr.si
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SECTIONS OF THE CONFERENCE
 PSYCHOSOCIAL HEALTH IN CHILDHOOD AND YOUTH
The psychosocial factors that determine the health of children and youth encompass the characteristics of an individual, her or his family as well as the broader social environment. These factors may either protect or hinder the child's physical and mental health and his or her social functioning. Children and youth are a vulnerable group that is particularly exposed to external factors in case of long-term illness. In such cases, the affected person needs to adapt their functioning to the process and nature of the disease, while their family and educational institution are also asked to make the necessary adaptations. The purpose of this section is to reveal the psychosocial risks for the health of children and youth as well as the complexity of interventions for their management. |
 NUTRITION OF CHILDREN AND YOUTH
Nutrition is considered a health-related behaviour. It is a significant risk factor in the development of chronic diseases in later life. especially in the case of children and youth. The latter tend to be curious, which makes it is easy for them to learn new habits. The eating patterns of children and youth are affected by their family, friends and the wider community. Additionally, institutional catering in kindergartens and schools also plays a vital role as a source of adopting healthful dietary habits, although it is simultaneously a source of conflict between youth and especially their parents/caregivers and the institutions. What the public conceives as healthy nutrition today encompasses many beliefs that can be contradictory at times, and different media seem to play a crucial role in this. The conference will highlight various aspects of promoting and assuring adequate nutrition amoung youth, and present evidence-based professional recommendations for improving nutrition of children and youth. |
 ICT SOLUTIONS AND SERVICES FOR THE HEALTH OF CHILDREN AND YOUTH
Information and communication technologies (ICT) have become a large part of everyday life for today's childen and youth. The latter use ICT for a range of activities and areas of life, from entertainment, communication with peers and (virtual) learning about the environment, to school-related and extracurricular activities. This section will present research focusing on ICT solutions and services aimed at improving the health of children and youth, outlining an approach that is highly relevant to the contemporary conceptualisation and understanding of health. |
THE CHILD AND YOUTH – THE ENVIRONMENT
The environment exerts an indubitable influence on the physical and mental development of the child and youth. Environmental factors that seem to be highlighted the most are the quality of housing, access to the natural and healthy environment, exposure to toxic factors and vaccination/non-vaccination, and access to transport and healthcare services or institutions (including hospitalisation). Children and youth's healthy activities need to be promoted already in early childhood, as this influences the later development in adolescence as well as adulthood. The environment has to enable the child to adequately develop her or his potentials; the agents in the child's environment are responsible for relieving the negative environmental influences.
PHYSICAL (IN)ACTIVITY OF CHILDREN AND YOUTH
Physical or sports activity is an important contributor to the development of children and youth, as shown in better movement competency and overall health of children and youth, while it also has a crucial positive educational and social impact. Despite numerous projects for the promotion of children and youth's physical activity that have been implemented, studies indicate that the general physical and sports activity of this population is still declining and being replaced by sedentary leisure activities. The key purpose of this section is to present the current state of physical activity in children and youth, and the latter's effect on the developmental component as well as the integrated appproach to children and youth's health. At the same time, this conference section aims to present measures that may be taken for raising the level of physical activity as well as the factors determining the latter.
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IMPORTANT DATES
15 April 2022
| Abstract submission deadline |
10 August 2022
| Full article submission deadline (optional)
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1 July 2022
| Registration deadline for active participants
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10 September 2022
| Registration deadline for all participants
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16 September 2022
| CONFERENCE DATE
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