Factors affecting safe and healthy diet in older adults in Italy: results of a preliminary study performed in a community-dwelling sample.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate, through a questionnaire, older adults' demographic and socio-economic characteristics, knowledge, attitudes and practices in terms of food safety and healthy diet; and to develop dietary and hygiene indices able to represent participants' nutritional and food safety behaviour, exploring their association with demographic and socio-economic factors. DESIGN: One-year cross-sectional study. SETTING: Gemelli Teaching Hospital (Rome, Italy). PARTICIPANTS: People aged ≥65 years, Italian speaking, accessing the Centre of Ageing Medicine. RESULTS: Mean age of the sample was 74 (sd 7·7) years. Subjective perception of a safe diet was high: 64·2 % of respondents believed they have a balanced diet. Interviewees got informed about proper nutrition mainly from television, magazines, newspapers, Internet (29·9 %) and from health professionals (34·8 %) such as dietitians, whereas 15·4 % from general practitioners. Regarding food safety, 33·8 % of participants reported to consume expired food, even more than once per month; between 80 and 90 % of participants reported to follow food safety practices during preparation and cooking, even though 49·3 % defrosted food at room temperature. Calculated dietary and hygiene indices showed that the elderly participants were far from having optimal nutritional and food safety behaviours. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest it is necessary to increase the awareness of older adults in the matter of healthy diet and food safety. Specific and targeted educational interventions for the elderly and their caregivers could improve the adoption of recommended food safety practices and safe nutritional behaviours among older adults.

Knowledge, attitudes and behaviors of the Italian population towards Neisseria meningitidis, Streptococcus pneumoniae and HPV diseases and vaccinations: A cross-sectional multicentre study.

OBJECTIVES: This study addressed knowledge of Streptococcus pneumoniae, Neisseria meningitidis and human papillomavirus (HPV), and attitudes and behaviours towards vaccines against them. STUDY DESIGN: This is a cross-sectional, multicentre study. METHODS: Data were collected through a questionnaire administered to 530 adults who accessed four Departments of Prevention of the Italian National Health Service in 2013. RESULTS: Less than 50% of people gave the right answer to all the questions concerning the three diseases, but 96.2%, 94% and 92.7% agreed with the importance of vaccination against N. meningitidis, S. pneumoniae and HPV, respectively, and 58.4% expressed own willingness to have their children vaccinated with N. meningitidis B vaccine. The attitude towards vaccination was more positive in women for N. meningitidis and in people having children for HPV. Furthermore, individuals giving correct answers to all knowledge items were more in favour of both HPV and S. pneumoniae vaccination. A total of 68.8%, 82.6% and 84.5% of respondents vaccinated their own children against N. meningitidis C, S. pneumoniae and HPV, respectively. About 50% of the respondents reported paediatricians' or other health professionals' recommendations as the main reason for vaccination. CONCLUSIONS: Vaccinations may be promoted through actions aimed at increasing citizens' knowledge. Health professionals should be educated to actively provide information on vaccinations in a clear, comprehensive and effective way.