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Postoji niz čimbenika koji pridonose kvaliteti života pojedinca. Cilj istraživanja bio je ispitati kvalitetu življenja građana grada Varaždina odnosno procjenu općeg životnog zadovoljstva kao i pojedinih domena životnog zadovoljstva te sreće građana grada Varaždina i zatim napraviti usporedbu s procjenama kvalitete života građana Hrvatske, susjednih zemalja i općenito građana Europske unije. Istraživanje je provedeno u jesen 2011. na reprezentativnom, stratificiranom uzorku punoljetnog stanovništva Grada Varaždina, sa slučajnim izborom jedinica unutar svakog stratuma. Uzorkom je ukupno obuhvaćeno 500 ispitanika. Korištene su subjektivne procjene kvalitete življenja građana Varaždina ispitane skalama samoprocjena o kvaliteti života, životnom zadovoljstvu i sreći, te pojedinim domenama životnog zadovoljstva. Rezultati provedenog istraživanja pokazali su kako stanovnici grada Varaždina općenito procjenjuju da su sretni i zadovoljni svojim životom u cijelosti. Kod procjene zadovoljstva pojedinim segmentima u svom životu, odnosno uvjetima života u gradu Varaždinu, građani su najzadovoljniji odnosima s bližnjima, pripadnošću okolini u kojoj žive, kvalitetom stanovanja, zatim duhovnošću, osjećajem vlastite sigurnosti i sigurnosti u gradu. Ujedno, to su područja koja građani procjenjuju pozitivnije nego što su procijenili zadovoljstvo svojim životom u cijelosti. Građani svoje pozitivne procjene zadovoljstva životom upravo baziraju na procjenama osobnog zadovoljstva, interpersonalnim odnosima i osjećaju sigurnosti kao socijalnim domenama život, a što bi bili i glavni razlozi zbog kojih bi se stanovnici grada odselili iz Varaždina. Za zadovoljstvo životom građana grada Varaždina najznačajniji su zadovoljstvo životnim standardom i zadovoljstvo pripadnosti okolini u kojoj žive. Procjene životnog zadovoljstva, sreće te pojedinih domena životnog zadovoljstva građana Varaždina bliže su prosječnim procjenama stanovnika EU-a 2011. godine nego prosječnim procjenama stanovnika Hrvatske. Zadovoljstvo svojim zdravljem građani Varaždina, Hrvatske i EU-a procjenjuju podjednako, dok su procjene životnog standarda građana Varaždina bliže procjenama stanovnika EU-a nego stanovnika Hrvatske. Procjene životnog zadovoljstva i sreće građana Varaždina u odnosu na ostale zemlje EU-a u okruženju najbliže su procjenama stanovnika Austrije. ; There are a number of factors that contribute to the quality of life of an individual. The aim of this study was to examine the quality of life of citizens in the city of Varaždin and to assess their general life satisfaction as well as individual domains of life satisfaction and happiness. Another aim was to compare this with the evaluated quality of life of citizens in Croatia, neighbouring countries and generally in the European Union. The survey was conducted in the fall of 2011 on a representative, stratified sample of the adult population in the city of Varaždin with a random selection of units within each stratum. The sample included a total of 500 respondents. Subjective assessments of quality of life by citizens of Varaždin were tested by scales of self-assessment of quality of life, life satisfaction and happiness, and individual domains of life satisfaction. Results of the study showed that people in the city of Varaždin evaluate that they are happy and satisfied with their life in general. When assessing satisfaction of certain life segments and living conditions in the city of Varaždin, citizens are most satisfied with their family relationships, belonging to the environment in which they live, the quality of housing, followed by spirituality, a sense of personal safety and security in the city. At the same time, these are the areas that citizens assessed more positively than they assess satisfaction with their lives as a whole. Citizens' positive assessment of life satisfaction is based on evaluations of personal satisfaction, interpersonal relationships and a sense of security as well as the social domains of life which would be the main reasons why residents move away from Varaždin. For life satisfaction of citizens in the city of Varaždin, standard of living and the pleasure of belonging to the environment in which they live were the most important. Life satisfaction, happiness and individual domains of life satisfaction of citizens of Varaždin were closer to the average evaluations in the EU in 2011, than the average evaluations of the Croatian population. In relation to satisfaction with health, citizens of Varazdin, Croatia and the EU are alike, while the standard of living assessment among citizens of Varaždin is closer to the evaluations of the EU population than the overall population of Croatia. Evaluations of life satisfaction and happiness of citizens in Varaždin were closest to evaluations of population in Austria in comparison to other EU countries in the region.

Sreća, životno zadovoljstvo i druge subjektivne procjene građana o vlastitom životu i percepciji društvenih pojava danas sve više postaju nezaobilazne komponente pri praćenju društvenog razvoja, ravnopravne različitim ekonomskim pokazateljima. Cilj ovog istraživanja bio je prikazati usporedne analize nekih od parametara koji određuju kvalitetu življenja, sreću i životno zadovoljstvo u različitim zemljama Europske Unije te na temelju hrvatskih istraživanja usporediti Sjeverozapadni dio u odnosu na ostale dijelove Hrvatske. Podaci koji su korišteni za usporedne analize u EU preuzeti su iz istraživanja Eurobarometar iz 2015. godine u kojem su provedena istraživanja u 28 zemalja članica EU i nekoliko zemalja kandidata. Za usporedbe unutar Hrvatske korišteni su podaci istraživanja Pilarov barometar hrvatskog društva, koje je provedeno u proljeće 2015. godine na reprezentativnom uzorku hrvatskih građana (N=1000). Za usporedbe Sjeverozapadne u odnosu na ostale dijelove Hrvatske uzorak je podijeljen na dva dijela: (1) stanovnike Krapinsko-zagorske, Zagrebačke, Varaždinske, Međimurske i Koprivničko-križevačke županije (N=196) i (2) stanovnike ostalih dijelova Hrvatske (N=804). Statistička značajnost razlika u pojedinim parametrima računala se t-testom. Usporedbe kvalitete življenja u Hrvatskoj i zemljama članicama EU (EU28) pokazale su da građani Hrvatske procjenjuju niže od europskog prosjeka svoje životno zadovoljstvo, financijsko stanje kućanstava, općenitu kvalitetu življenja te iskazuju niže razine povjerenje u državne institucije (vlada, parlament, pravosuđe, regionalne/lokalne vlasti). Osobito su niske bile razine povjerenja u regionalne i/ili lokalne vlasti gdje je Hrvatska zauzela zadnje mjesto unutar zemalja EU28. Jedini parametar koji je bio procijenjen iznad europskog prosjeka bila su očekivanja o financijskoj situaciji u idućih godinu dana, gdje su hrvatski građani iskazali iznadprosječni optimizam. Rezultati usporedbe različitih parametara kvalitete življenja između stanovnika sjeverozapadne i ostalih dijelova Hrvatske pokazali su da su stanovnici Sjeverozapadne Hrvatske zadovoljniji svojim životom, zadovoljniji odnosima u obitelji i među prijateljima, osjećajem pripadnosti svojoj okolini i osjećajem sigurnosti u budućnosti. Također, u odnosu na ostale dijelove Hrvatske iskazali su više razine povjerenja u pravosuđe, policiju, školstvo, crkvu, zdravstvo i EU parlament. Ovakvi rezultati upućuju na zaključak da je općenita razina kvalitete življenja u nekim aspektima viša u Sjeverozapadnoj, nego u ostalim dijelovima Hrvatske. ; Together with economic indices, happiness, life satisfaction and other subjective perceptions about quality of life and various societal processes in contemporary world became unavoidable in monitoring nation's social progress. The aim of this study was to compare several parameters that determine quality of life and life satisfaction between citizens of Croatia and other countries in the European Union (EU28). The second aim was to compare within Croatia the same parameters between citizens of North-West region and the rest of Croatia. The data for comparisons between Croatia and EU28 were based on the Eurobarometer survey conducted in 2015 in all countries of EU and several candidate countries. The data for comparisons within Croatia were based on the survey Pilar's barometer of Croatian society, which was conducted in spring of 2015 on the representative sample of Croatian citizens (N=1000). For the purposes of these analyses the sample was devided into: (1) citizens of Krapina-Zagorje, Zagreb, Varaždin, Međimurje and Koprivnica-Križevci counties (N=196) and (2) citizens of the other regions of Croatia (N=804). Statistical differences were determined by t-test analyses. The comparisons of quality of liofe indices between Croatia and EU28 showed that citizens of Croatia rated their life satisfaction, financial situation in households, general quality of life and trust in various institutions (government, parliament, justice, regional/local authorities) lower than EU28 averages. Especially low citizens rated their trust in local/regional authorities, where Croatia was at the last position within EU28. The only parameter which was rated above EU28 average were expectations about financial situation in one year, where Croatian citizens showed higher optimism than EU28 average. Comparisons within Croatia showed that citizens of North-West region of Croatia expressed higher levels of life satisfaction, satisfaction with family and friends, satisfaction with their feelings of acceptance by the community and feelings of safety in the future. Besides that, citizens of North-West region of Croatia showed higher levels of trust in justice, police, education system, church, health care and EU parliament than the citizens in other regions of Croatia. These results indicate that quality of life in North-West region of Croatia is somewhat higher in several components than in other parts of Croatia.

Purpose
Social distancing and school closures have changed the lives of many parents around the globe. In addition to these problems, parents of children with developmental difficulties (DD) have faced additional stressors that make them even more susceptible to higher stress levels and the onset or worsening of anxiety or depression. Consequentially, these stressors may have an indirect effect on parental functioning and children with DD owing to the spillover effect.


Design/methodology/approach
The purpose of this paper is to draw attention to parents of children with DD through an overview of possible additional stressors that have appeared during the coronavirus pandemic in Croatia. In writing this viewpoint paper, three sources were consulted: official state documents, communication with professionals (e.g. speech therapists) and online support groups for parents of children with DD.


Findings
Restrictive measures during the lockdown led to a lack of both formal and informal support for parents of children with DD. Moreover, the possibility of infection led to higher levels of fear among these parents; children with DD also encountered problems coping with both the restrictive measures and the demands of distance learning.


Practical implications
This paper may present a good starting point for both governments and NGOs when discussing and planning further advancement in the quality of response to the COVID-19 pandemic and a "recovery" response after the crisis. This overview may provide better insight into COVID-19–related consequences among parents of children with DD, which is vital to increasing the effectiveness of future measures and actions.


Originality/value
Although some negative effects of the pandemic on children have already been discussed by several authors, little attention has been paid to parents, and even less so to parents of children with DD. This paper may even represent a pioneering work in exploring the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic on this population group.

AbstractObjectiveThis research aims to investigate metric characteristics of the digital technology preoccupation scale and the possibility of predicting life satisfaction in children from 8 to 13 years, based on time spent using digital technology and preoccupation with digital technology.MethodParticipants are 1072 children aged 8 to 13 years and their parents who agreed to participate in the study. Using pen and paper questionnaires, children provided data on their life satisfaction and preoccupation with digital technology (DT), and their parents assessed the average time children used DT during a typical day in a week or during the weekend.ResultsDigital technology preoccupation scale showed good metric characteristics with all five items loading on one factor and good reliability. Boys and older children show more preoccupation with digital technology and lower life satisfaction. Also, boys use DT during the weekend longer than girls. After controlling for the effect of age and gender, and duration of DT use, preoccupation with digital technology explained 3% of the variance of life satisfaction. The total model explained 9% of variance.ConclusionFindings from this study show that preoccupation with digital technology is an important factor to be considered concerning children's life satisfaction, beyond the contribution of time spent using DT.

Cilj projekta Razvoja kohortnog longitudinalnog istraživanja (ECDP), financiranog u okviru OBZOR2020 programa Europske Komisije je razviti konkretne modele nove europske istraživačke infrastrukture za koordinaciju budućeg velikog europskog kohortnog 25 godišnjeg longitudinalnog istraživanja o dobrobiti djece i mladih. ECDP projekt usmjeren je na uspostavljanje uspješne istraživačke infrastrukture i budućeg EuroCohort istraživanja kroz: (a) razvijanje podrške među ključnim donositeljima politika te nacionalnim agencijama zaduženima za financiranje istraživačkih infrastruktura i anketnih prikupljanja podataka; (b) razvijanje znanstveno izvrsnog nacrta budućeg longitudinalnog anketnog istraživanja ; te (c) uspostavljanje stabilnog operativnog okvira koji jamči logističku opstojnost budućeg EuroCohort istraživanja. Cilj jedne dionice projekta je oformiti savjetodavnu grupu djece (CYPAG) te kroz fokusne grupe utvrditi dječju perspektivu o dobrobiti, što im znači riječ "dobrobit", što pod tim pojmom podrazumijevaju, kao i njihovo razumijevanje etičkih pitanja u longitudinalnim istraživanjima dobrobiti djece. S dvadesetak djece, starosti od 10 do 15 godina, predstavnicima različitih posebno angažiranih skupina djece u različitim područjima od tehničkih, sportskih do prirodoslovnih i društvenih, odnosno djece uključene u nacionalne i lokalne relevantne organizacije, djece iz vijeća učenika, djece iz dječjeg gradskog vijeća, djece iz relevantnih nevladinih organizacija, te djece uključene u sportske organizacije, održane su tri fokusne grupe. Dio djece pripada skupinama kao što su: djeca iz manjinskih skupina, djeca rastavljenih roditelja, djeca iz jednoroditeljskih obitelji, djeca iz udomiteljskih obitelji, djeca s poteškoćama, djeca s kroničnim bolestima, te djeca koja žive u siromaštvu. Prikazani su rezultati kvalitativnog istraživanja o tome kako djeca doživljavaju različite aspekte dobrobiti i što smatraju najvažnijim čimbenicima koji utječu na njihovu dobrobit, kako bi se prema njihovom mišljenju trebala izvoditi longitudinalna istraživanja dobrobiti djece te kako uključiti djecu u longitudinalna istraživanja dobrobiti, koja ih etička pitanja u provođenju longitudinalnih istraživanja s djecom najviše brinu i kako bi ih oni riješili. Dobiveni rezultati pokazuju da djeca i mladi svojim razumijevanjem dobrobiti te načinom naglašavanja važnosti vođenja računa o privatnosti i pravima djece i mladih kao sudionika znanstvenih istraživanja mogu značajno doprinijeti kvaliteti istraživanja dobrobiti, stoga ih je iznimno važno i korisno uključiti aktivno u planiranje i provođenje longitudinalnog istraživanja dobrobiti djece i mladih. ; The European Cohort Development Project (ECDP) is financed from the European Union's Horizon 2020 programme to create specific models for a European Research Infrastructure that will provide, over the next 25 years, comparative longitudinal survey data on child and young adult well-being. The infrastructure developed by ECDP will subsequently coordinate the first Europe wide cohort survey, named EuroCohort. This will be achieved through the following three objectives: (a) building support from key political policymakers with a brief which covers child well-being as well as national funding agencies tasked with infrastructural spending on science and survey data collection; (b) developing a scientifically excellent research design; (c) establishing a robust operation al framework that will ensure the logistic integrity of EuroCohort. The aim of one section of the project is to set up a Children and Young People's Advisory Groups (CYPAG) and to identify, through focus groups, a children's perspective on well-being, examine the meaning of the word 'well-being', as well as gather information of their understanding of ethical issues in longitudinal research on child well-being. Three focus group were conducted with about 20 children, in the age between 10 and 15, representatives from various fields of specially engaged groups of children, including technical, sports, science and social field, children involved in national and local relevant organizations, children from student councils, children from children's city council, children from relevant nongovernmental organizations and also children involved in sports organizations. Some of the children belong to groups such as minorities, children of divorced parents, children from single-parent families, children from foster families, children with disabilities, children with chronic illnesses, and children living in poverty. The results of a qualitative study are presented on how children experience different aspects of well-being, what they consider to be the most important factors affecting their well-being, how in their opinion longitudinal studies of child well-being should be conducted, how to include children in longitudinal studies of well-being, what ethical issues are they most concerned with within longitudinal research with children and how they can be addressed. The results show that children and young people, through their understanding of well-being and by emphasizing the importance of taking into account the privacy and rights of children and young people as participants in scientific research, can significantly contribute to the quality of well-being research, so it is extremely important and useful to involve them actively in planning and conducting a longitudinal study of the well-being of children and young people.