A 5-year (1989-1993) prospective study of the incidence of IDDM in Rome and the Lazio region in the age-group 0-14 years.

OBJECTIVE: To provide data on the incidence of IDDM in Rome and the Lazio region evaluated prospectively from 1989 to 1993 for a total of > 5 million subjects younger than 15 years. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: All patients with newly discovered IDDM diagnosed between 1 January 1989 and 31 December 1993 among residents in Rome and its region were recorded. Primary ascertainment was based in diabetes clinics and specialized hospitals in the region, whereas the secondary independent source was taken from the archives of the region where patients are registered to obtain exemption from paying for medications. RESULTS: We identified 330 new patients with a degree of ascertainment of 85%. Overall the incidence rate of the disease was 7.9 per 100,000 per year (95% CI 7.1-8.8). The incidence was higher in the 5- to 9-year-old age-group (10.4 per 100,000) and in winter (36.2%). The cumulative risk for the disease is on the order of 1.18 per 1,000 subjects < 15 years of age. No significant differences in incidence were observed between boys and girls. There were 14 instances of coma at diagnosis (4.3%), but hyperglycemia without ketonuria was diagnosed in 35% of patients, suggesting an early diagnosis. DISCUSSION: Compared with the other continental Italian regions for which data are available for a single year, the IDDM incidence rate in Rome is similar. We conclude that the IDDM incidence rate in Rome and its region is comparable to that in other Southern European countries and remained stable over the 5-year observation period.

[Health promotion and education in the secondary schools]. / Educazione sanitaria nelle scuole medie: conoscenze e informazioni in tema di AIDS.

To prevent the risks of HIV infection, some meetings have been carried with the students of secondary school; actually the school is the best and the most appropriate place to conduct these health promotion and education meetings. Two questionnaires have been given to the students, a pre-test before the interview, to evaluate their knowledge about drugs, and a re-test after the interview to evaluate whether the knowledge objectives suggested had been reached. After the meeting the students appear to be more informed; differences were statistically significant between the percentages of the correct answers of the pre-test and the re-test.

Serological survey of toxoplasmosis in Somalia.

Of 356 samples of human sera collected from native patients in two distinct zones of Somalia, 53% were positive (greater than or equal to 1:8) to the dye-test for Toxoplasma gondii antibodies. A significantly lower incidence (P less than 0.01) of infection was found in patients living in the arid Mogadishu area, compared to that in patients from villages on the river borders, situated in humid soil zones. Furthermore, in 4.2% of the river area cases the titres were over 300 I.U., indicating that acute T. gondii infection exists among the Somalian population. These differences were regarded as being due to climatic and geographical conditions rather than to diet or socio-economic conditions.

[Prevalence of obesity in school age: preliminary study on students from 2 Roman schools]. / Studio sulla prevalenza dell'obesità nell'età scolare: indagine preliminare sugli alunni di due scuole romane.

The present study, aimed at the prevention of infantile obesity was carried out in two schools of Roma and regarded also the alimentary education. 295 students 101 males and 194 females was considered; the result pointed out that 114 (38.6%) were found obese, 57 (19.3%) overweight and 124 (42.0%) normal weight. The alimentary behaviour was the same of other students: usually three meals and often snacks use during the day, a lot of the student use to eat watching the television and the physical activity is done not so much. The results of these paper are related to the literature data.

[Prevalence of Toxoplasma gondii infections in groups of individuals in Rome and its environment]. / Prevalenza delle infezioni da Toxoplasma gondii in gruppi di individui di Roma e provincia.

This study was aimed out to point out the prevalence of Toxoplasma gondii infections in Roma and in the province. The results pointed out that the percentage of antibodies positivity has been 45% this prevalence was the same of the prevalence reported by other authors in Italy. The presence of a lot of women without anti-Toxoplasma gondii antibodies shows that is necessary to continue the control of the young women especially at the beginning of the pregnancy.

[A seroepidemiological study of brucellosis infection in the province of Campobasso]. / Studio sieroepidemiologico dell'infezione brucellare nella provincia di Campobasso.

These research regarded a seroepidemiological study of brucellosis in the Campobasso province. The results related to 204 subjects (96 males and 108 females) pointed out the 17.15% of subjects were positive for antibodies anti-Brucella, 28.6% of these were positive for Br. melitensis. The results agree with the data of the literature.

[Lysteria monocytogenes in samples of swines sent to the human alimentary chain]. / Listeria monocytogenes in campioni di suini avviati alla catena alimentare umana.

Animal food-stuffs are known to be potential vehicles of Listeria monocytogenes. The contamination can be caused from processing or enviromental sources and from infected animals. This hypothesis has been checked in the present work. The authors found that 13.2% of 189 swines were carriers of Listeria monocytogenes, the microrganism was isolated from salivary glands, mesenterial gangles and tonsils. The authors suggest some preventive intervention to reduce both the environmental circulation of Listeria monocytogenes and the human risk of infection.

[Health promotion and education in secondary schools: knowledge on drugs abuse]. / Educazione sanitaria nelle scuole medie: conoscenze e informazioni sulle sostanze da abuso.

To prevent behaviours at risk for the use of substances that induce dependence, some meetings have been planned with children primary school, age in which it's still possible to prevent the contact with drugs and children are more receptive. Two questionnaires have been given to the students, a pre-test before the interview, to value their knowledge about drugs, and a re-test after the interview, to value if the knowledge objectives suggested had been reached. After meeting the students seemed to be more informed because there were statistically significative differences between the percentages of the correct answers of the pre-test and the re-test.