Annali dell'Istituto Superiore di Sanità
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Implementation level of best practice policies by Italian Government for healthier food environments: Healthy Food Environment Policy Index (Food-EPI)
Get PDFBackground. This work aims to identify policies implemented for healthy food environmentsin Italy within The Healthy Food Environment Policy Index (Food-EPI) project.Methods. Food-EPI tool, which includes two components, thirteen domains and fifty good practice indicators, was adapted for the Italian context. Evidence for implementation was gathered and summarized for all fifty indicators from data sources such as governmental websites, non-government organizations publications and websites and via direct contact with Government officials.Results. The highest level of evidence was found within five domains: food composition (2/2 indicators), labelling (3/4), promotion (4/5), provision (4/5) and leadership (5/5). The domains with less identified evidence were food prices (1/4), food in retail (0/4), trade and investment (0/2) and platforms and interaction (1/4).Conclusions. The evidence summarization and the upcoming stakeholders’ meeting to rate the level of implementation for each indicator in Italy have the potential to improve Government commitment to shape healthier food environments
Italians are still loyal to traditional cigarettes, despite novel tobacco products
Get PDFIntroduction: Over the last few decades in Italy we observed a substantial reduction in conventional tobacco cigarette consumption, the introduction of electronic cigarettes (e-cigarette) in 2010, and the launch of heated tobacco products (HTP) in 2015.
Methods: We investigated novel products, i.e., e-cigarettes and HTP, use in Italy in 2018-2020 using data from the cross-sectional annual PASSI survey conducted in representative samples of adults aged 18-69 (overall n=79,529). We compared characteristics of conventional cigarette smokers with those of novel product users.
Results: A stall in e-cigarette use at around 2.5% and a three-fold increase in HTP use from 0.5% in 2018 to 1.5% in 2020 were recorded, with around 60% of e-cigarette or HTP users who kept on smoking conventional cigarettes. Around 90% of smokers did not use novel products at all. Novel products use among former smokers was more likely in younger e-cigarette users, whereas older users of both novel products were less able to completely shift to an exclusive use.
Conclusions: After 10 years from the introduction of e-cigarettes and 5 years from that of HTP, the majority of smokers in Italy were still loyal to conventional tobacco cigarettes, and more than half of novel product users kept on smoking conventional cigarettes
Exploring global needs of migrants with disability within a community-based inclusive development perspective: Migrants with Disability in Italy
No full textIntroduction. Limited evidence exists on migrants with disability. A comprehensive assessment is mandatory required to organize specific services within the community and reception centers. The present study explores needs of refugees and asylum seeker within a community-based inclusive development framework.Methods. To interview migrants, in this study we used the Community-Based Rehabilitation Indicators (CBR-Is) developed by the World Health Organization. Results. The sample consisted of 41 people with disability and 59 without disability.Sample was homogeneous for gender and age. Our findings reveal how migrants with disability experienced poor outcomes in each domain of CBR-Is, namely health, education, livelihood, social end empowerment.Conclusion. Differences between migrants with and without disabilities have some distinctive features. However, both groups are influenced by the social determinants of health: in addition to health issues, challenges in social life, livelihood and empowerment also clearly emerge. Different stakeholders are invited to promote inclusive communities, facilitating access to social and health services
Mortality of people with AIDS in Italy: comparison of AIDS surveillance and multiple cause-of-death registries
Get PDFAims. To assess whether the use of multiple cause-of-death data could improve reporting of AIDS mortality in Italy.Method. Population-based, record-linkage study, on 3,975,431 deaths recorded in the National Registry of Causes of Death (RCoD) and 4,530 deaths recorded in the National AIDS Registry (RAIDS), during 2006-2012.Results. The record-linkage identified 3,646 AIDS-related deaths present in both registries, 884 deaths in the RAIDS without mention of HIV/AIDS in the RCoD, and 3,796 deaths in the RCoD with mention of HIV/AIDS that were not present in the RAIDS. In the latter, in-depth analysis of multiple cause-of-death allowed the identification of 1,484 deaths that were AIDS-related. On these results, we estimated 6,014 deceased people with AIDS. Of them, 14.7% (884) were not present in the RCoD and 24.7% (1,484) derived from the RCoD only.Conclusions. The integration of different nationwide registries allowed a more comprehensiveestimate of the impact of AIDS-associated mortality in Italy
The risk of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in Italian Highly Specialized Research Hospitals staff within two months of the pandemic declaration: an on-line survey
Get PDFBackground. The whole hospital system was stressed and at risk in the first phase of the pandemic. This study examined the prevalence of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in all hospital staff, medical and non-medical, within two months of the pandemic declaration. Survey concerned staff 4510 health workers of Italian Highly Specialized Research Hospitals.Method. Subjects were asked to complete an on-line self-reported questionnaire, the PTSD Checklist 5 (PCL-5) and subjective perception of safety related to personal protective equipment (PPE).Results. The sample included staff working in hospitals with or without COVID-19 patient admissions. Overall, 11.56% of the hospitals staff met the symptoms criteria for probable PTSD. The sample included 80.63% (3467) medical staff workers and 19.37% (833) non-medical staff workers. The 31.91% of participants worked in COVID-19 hospitals/wards. The prevalence of positive screening for PTSD symptoms in medical staff was 12.42% (426) and in non-medical staff, 8.59% (70). Among medical staff, anesthesiologists had a significant prevalence of PTSD (22.35%), followed by health careassistants/technicians (15.38%) and physicians (10.11%). Among non-medical staff, personnel involved in cleaning, catering, maintenance, security, and transportation, the symptoms of PTSD reached a rate of 12.24% and in administrative staff 8.47%. Risk factors associated with PTSD included working as an anesthesiologist, perceiving PPE as inadequate, and working in COVID-19 hospitals/wards.Conclusions. In the present study, as in other studies, the prevalence of PTSD symptoms among hospital workers was significatively higher than the lifetime prevalence of PTSD in the general population, showing the pandemic’s incredible impact.
Psychological care for infertile couples undergoing assisted reproductive technology: a national study on the characteristics of counselling services
Get PDFIntroduction. Infertility has an impact on the psychophysical health of individuals and couples, and its treatment through an assisted reproductive technology (ART) is a very exacting experience. The aim of this study was to explore the characteristics of psychological counselling services in Italian ART centres through a specially designed questionnaire administered to the physicians in charge of the centres.Methods. The questionnaire online was sent to 306 ART authorized centres. It consistedof 26 questions. A total of 15 were single-selection questions, 5 were multiple-choice andthe remaining 6 were open-ended.Results. 113 (37%) ART centres responded to the questionnaire. All the ART centresoffered psychological counselling, but only in 47% of them the psychologist is a permanentstaff member. In 69% of the centres, 10 to 20% of couples use the psychologicalcounselling service.Discussion. Although the Italian Guidelines under Law 40/2004 stress the need to providecouples with psychological support and counselling and the literature highlights the efficacy of such interventions, the results of our study show that psychological counselling services are not yet fully operational in Italian ART centres or integrated into their day-to-day medical practice.Conclusion. In conclusion, the results show that psychological services in Italian ART centres are not yet fully operational and integrated in the ART procedure. All of this highlights the importance of further investigations with the aim to shared information to use to establish common protocols for psychological interventions in ART centres
Monitoring cardiovascular diseases and associated risk factors in the adult population to better orient prevention strategies in Italy
Get PDFIntroduction. Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the first cause of death in Europe and over the world. This study analyses health-related behaviours in adults referring doctordiagnosed CVDs. Materials and methods. We used data from the Italian cross-sectional Behavioural Risk Factor Surveillance System PASSI gathered in 2015-2018. Complex survey design analyses included the Taylor series method for variance estimation and Poisson regression for associations between socio-demographic characteristics and CVD.
Results. Among 132,598 respondents, the prevalence of doctor-diagnosed CVD was 5%. Higher percentages are observed among: men, older individuals, socioeconomically disadvantaged people. Compared to the general population, people with CVD have greater risk and aggravating factors, and a worse health status overall. All protective behaviorsand lifestyles shall be improved.Discussion and conclusions. In Italy, adults with CVD are more likely to be exposed to aggravating modifiable risk factors: it represents a valuable information for increased preventive interventions, even more in the light of the COVID-19 pandemic scenario
Cancer screening programmes in Italy during the COVID-19 pandemic: an update of a nationwide survey on activity volumes and delayed diagnoses.
Get PDFIntroduction. In Italy, regional governments are in charge of implementing cervical, breast and colorectal cancer screening programmes. The 2020 Coronavirus pandemic led to a national lockdown and the temporary suspension of several non-urgent healthcare activities, including cancer screening. This paper aims to describe the results of a national survey carried out by the National Centre for Screening Monitoring (ONS) on cervical, breast and colorectal cancer screening activities in 2020.Materials and methods. A national survey was conducted by ONS in 2020 to assess: the number of screening invitations by Region; the volumes of screening tests and the attitude to attend the screening programme compared to 2019; the number of delayed diagnoses of malignant or pre-malignant lesions caused by the slowing down of screening programmes, based on the average Region-specific screening detection rate for cervical, breast and colorectal cancers.Results. Screening tests for breast, colorectal and cervical cancer decreased by 37.6%, 45.5% and 43.4% in 2020 compared with 2019. In 2020 the estimated numbers of undiagnosed lesions are: 3,324 breast cancers, 1,299 colorectal cancers, 7,474 colorectal advanced adenomas and 2,782 CIN2 or more severe cervical lesions. Participation in cancer screening programmes decreased by 15%, 15% and 20%, for cervical, breast and CRC screening, respectively.Discussion and conclusions. An urgent call to action is needed to prevent further delaysand to limit the impact of the pandemic on cancer diagnosis and prevention
Alcohol consumption and COVID-19 in Europe: how the pandemic hit the weak
Get PDFIntroduction. The COVID-19 pandemic came along with several health and social unprecedented emergencies, among which handling people with substance use disorderissues.Methods. In this work, data from a cross-sectional online survey conducted among morethan 40,000 adults in 21 European countries during the spring of 2020 are analyzed. Thesurvey recorded participants drinking habits during the year preceding the survey andthe changes in alcohol consumption during lockdown. The analyses focused on alcoholconsumers’ type, investigating on the behavioral change in people who already had a problematic alcohol consumption attitude.Results and conclusion. The results show how subjects with risky or hazardous use of alcohol increased both drinking quantity and frequency in most European countries, underlining the urge to establish regulations on online and home delivered alcoholic beverages availability and reinforcing and restructuring health care services