[Investigation and comparison of behaviours of adults and children in swimming pools]. / Indagine conoscitiva e confronto dei comportamenti degli utenti adulti e bambini delle piscine.

The swimmers health's protection must be achieved through the implementation of structures that respect safety standards, the best management of the structures and the users'compliance with rules that minimize the potential risks to health, now clearly identified by the World Health Organization in specific guidelines and by the national and regional legislation. An anonymous questionnaire has been used in order to detect the level of knowledge of hygienic risks and the behaviour of costumers (adults and children) of swimming pool. Comparing the answers, statistically significant differences in the behaviours of adults and children were found in order to protect their own and others' health. In particular children do shower and go through footbath before entering the swimming pool more than adults (respectively 89.2% versus 77.4% and 89.2% versus 79.4%). No differences in the behaviours of the two groups were found in the use of dedicated footwear and caps. Children are predisposed to follow the rules because they are more loyal to duty, while adults comply with the rules only when it is clear the advantage to protect their health. This paper underline the importance of health education programs that can help people to understand the importance of adopting certain behaviours in order to prevent risks and promote health for the benefit of all.

[Mortality from malignant tumors in the industrial region of the province of Milan, 1980-1987]. / Mortalità per tumori maligni in area industriale della provincia di Milano periodo 1980-1987.

For the period 1980-87 mortality data relating to residents of a densely populated area in the province of Milan was collected and elaborated. The area is heavily industrialised and had a particularly high immigration level in the 1960's and 70's. Malignant neoplasms represented the cause of death in 35.59% of male cases and 26.59% of female, with greater incidence in the former of tumours in respiratory organs and in the latter in the digestive tract. High mortality rates were noted for cancer of the lung in males over 35 years and for neoplasms of the digestive tract in those over 75 years but in females high mortality from breast cancer prevailed between 25-74 years and cancer of the stomach and intestine in those over 75 years. S.P.M.R. were elaborated with proportional mortality analysis showing an overall tendency to an increased death rate from malignant tumours that was statically significant in females, particularly at an advanced age. Increasing trends in tumours of the stomach and of the lympho-hematopoietic tissues were evident in females, in urinary organs in males, notably in elderly men, and in intestinal cancer in both sexes. The trend in mortality from breast cancer was however on the decline. As a whole, mortality was stationary in cases of cancer of the lung (although it was on the increase in females over 65 years), in cancer of the prostate (showing a decrease however in older subjects) and in cancer of the uterus and ovaries (but increasing in the latter case in elderly women). By means of S.M.R. elaboration the data was compared with that in Lombardy. In the area being taken into consideration a picture emerged of cancer mortality in general which was virtually the same as that found in Lombardy. However, the result of the comparison differs when considering sex and age groups. In fact in the 35-64 age group an inferior mortality rate to the Lombardian one was noted in the total population and in women, whilst for the age group 65 and over, a higher mortality rate emerged in men and in the total population. In males mortality was lower stomach tumours and higher for lung cancer, especially in more elderly subjects. Cancer of the colon-rectum, uterus and breast did not show statistically significant differences. The comparison with Italian data effected with direct age-standardisation has shown higher mortality from stomach, intestinal and lung cancer in the area being studied.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

[Mortality from malignant tumors of the digestive system in an area of the province of Milan from 1980 to 1987]. / Mortalità per tumori maligni dell'apparato digerente in un'area della provincia di Milano nel periodo 1980-1987.

In a highly populated and industrialised zone of the province of Milan (Health Area 68, Rho) a study was made of mortality due to malignant neoplasms of the digestive organs in the years 1980-1987. The highest mortality percentage in both sexes is caused by stomach cancer, followed by neoplasms of the large bowel, particularly of the colon, malignant neoplasms of the pancreas, primary liver cancer and, in males, of the oesophagus. On the whole mortality from malignant neoplasms of the digestive organs is high in subjects over 75 years and in males a little earlier. Age standardised mortality rates of malignant neoplasms of the stomach and intestine are higher in the area being studied than in Italy. However in males mortality from cancer of the large bowel is lower than in Lombardy, especially in middle-aged subjects. The years 1980-87 have shown a statistically significant increasing trend in males of death from cancer of the colon, rectum and liver. There is an identical trend in females as regards cancer of the colon and liver with the addition of stomach cancer but mortality from cancer of the rectum is stationary. In both sexes mortality from malignant neoplasms of the digestive organs is on the increase but in females this coincides with a general increase in cancer mortality as a whole. Differences have emerged, however, between the sexes depending on age: in males the increasing trend refers mainly to the 35-64 year age group and in females to the over 65 age group. This is particularly true in the case of tumours of the large bowel. In the area being examined the middle-aged population was particularly affected by immigration caused by the rapid industrial development of the area in the 1960's and 70's. It is reasonable to assume that the increasing trend in tumours of the digestive organs, and in particular of the large bowel can also be explained by the fact that people coming on the whole from regions with a lower specific risk factor have had to adapt to different life styles and dietary habits that are typical of a highly industrialised metropolitan area. This assumption can be verified with case-control studies or with statistical techniques (e.g. the logistic regression model for the analysis of proportionate mortality data) that are more typical of occupational epidemiology. In this way it would be possible to understand better the effects of living in the area being studied, as well as of more specific risk factors.