Use of ancient grains for the management of diabetes mellitus: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

AIMS: A systematic review and meta-analysis of published randomized controlled trials was conducted to collate evidence from studies implementing ancient grains and investigate the impact of ancient grain consumption on health outcomes of patients with Diabetes Mellitus (DM). DATA SYNTHESIS: Twenty-nine randomized controlled trials were included, and 13 were meta-analyzed. Interventions ranged from 1 day to 24 weeks; most samples were affected by DM type 2 (n = 28 studies) and the ancient grains used were oats (n = 10 studies), brown rice (n = 6 studies), buckwheat (n = 4 studies), chia (n = 3 studies), Job's Tears (n = 2 studies), and barley, Khorasan and millet (n = 1 study). Thirteen studies that used oats, brown rice, and chia provided data for a quantitative synthesis. Four studies using oats showed a small to moderate beneficial effect on health outcomes including LDL-c (n = 717, MD: 0.30 mmol/l, 95% CI: 0.42 to -0.17, Z = 4.61, p < 0.05, I2 = 0%), and TC (n = 717, MD: 0.44 mmol/l, 95% CI: 0.63 to -0.24, Z = 4.40, p < 0.05, I2 = 0%). Pooled analyses of studies using chia and millet did not show significant effects on selected outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: For adults affected by DM type 2, the use of oats may improve lipidic profile. Further experimental designs are needed in interventional research to better understand the effects of ancient grains on diabetes health outcomes. PROSPERO REGISTRATION: CRD42023422386.

Enhancing Primary Health Care through Interprofessional education: Insights from a Training Workshop.

Introduction: Strengthening primary care services with a focus on comprehensive Primary Health Care principles necessitates collaborative work practices within interprofessional teams. In Italy, the Local Health District of Florence embodies a comprehensive Primary Health Care -inspired model of primary care, prominently featuring the House of Community concept. This work presents findings and insights from a multidisciplinary, interprofessional education activity tailored for healthcare professionals, researchers, and students actively participating in the primary care reorganization. Methods: The activity was structured using a four-phase learning model (imaginative, analytical, common sense, and dynamic), aligning with four distinct activities (brainstorming, lecture, case study, and group project). Results: Key themes that emerged encompassed the significance of nurturing relationships among team members, the aspiration for an inclusive work environment, the vital role of community engagement and collaboration across various services, disciplines, and sectors beyond healthcare. Discussion: These themes highlight the essential attributes of successful primary care practices built on the principles of comprehensive comprehensive Primary Health Care. Throughout the innovation process of primary care services, interprofessional education training events emerged as indispensable components for bolstering implementation and ensuring sustainability. This study underscores the crucial role of interprofessional education in bridging the gap between theoretical constructs and practical application, emphasizing that comprehensive Primary Healthcare principles find tangible manifestation in real-world scenarios.

Vaccination as a social practice: towards a definition of personal, community, population, and organizational vaccine literacy.

BACKGROUND: A comprehensive and agreed-upon definition of vaccine literacy (VL) could support the understanding of vaccination and help policy-makers and individuals make informed decisions about vaccines. METHODS: To shed some light on this debate and provide clarity, a scoping review was conducted to collect, summarize, and analyse available definitions of VL. Based on the findings of the scoping review, a new and comprehensive definition was proposed by a panel of experts. RESULTS: Fifty-three articles were included, and two of them appeared to be the milestones around which the other definitions were grouped. The new definition proposed by the panel of experts included not only the personal perspective, but also the community, population, and organizational perspectives. Moreover, due to the increasing complexity of the social context with respect to the ability to navigate, understand, and use information and services, the definition of organizational vaccine literacy and the attributes of a vaccine literate healthcare organization have been proposed. CONCLUSION: The new definition can contribute to the overall paradigm of health literacy and its distinct component of vaccine literacy, possibly improving the implementation of public health strategies to allow vaccination to be understood as a social practice by the entire community. This study describes the conceptual foundations, the competencies, and the civic orientation to be considered when developing measurement tools devoted to assessing VL at the different levels and in different contexts.

Health literacy of informal caregivers of older adults with dementia: results from a cross-sectional study conducted in Florence (Italy).

AIM: The aim of this study was to measure the prevalence of inadequate health literacy (HL) in a sample of family caregivers of older adults with dementia, and to assess the relationship of HL with characteristics of caregiver and persons with dementia. METHODS: The study followed a cross-sectional design. Persons with dementia and their family caregivers were enrolled in an outpatients' geriatric memory clinic. For the caregivers, the following information was collected: socio-demographic data, level of HL, cognitive impairment (using the Mini-Cog). For persons with dementia, the following data were collected: socio-demographic data, functional status (using the Basic and Instrumental Activities of Daily Living), cognitive impairment (using the Mini Mental State Evaluation, and the Global Deterioration Scale) behavioral and psychological symptoms associated with dementia (assessed using the Neuropsychiatric Inventory). RESULTS: A total of 174 person with dementia/caregiver dyads were enrolled. About 45% of the caregivers presented a possibility or a high likelihood of inadequate HL. The percentage of caregivers with inadequate HL was higher among spousal caregivers than in offspring. Female gender, higher age and lower education were independent predictors of low HL. On multiple logistic regression analysis, persons with dementia assisted by caregivers with a high likelihood of limited HL presented higher risk of a more severe disease. CONCLUSION: The results of this study suggest that the HL of dementia caregivers has to be included in the comprehensive geriatric assessment, to develop an appropriate individualized care plan. Moreover, public health interventions are needed to increase the HL of dementia caregivers.

Impact of SARS-CoV2 infection on mortality and hospitalization in nursing home residents during the "Omicron era".

BACKGROUND: Widespread vaccination and emergence of less aggressive SARS-CoV2 variants may have blunted the unfavourable outcomes of COVID-19 in nursing home (NH) residents. We analysed the course of COVID-19 epidemic in NHs of Florence, Italy, during the "Omicron era" and investigated the independent effect of SARS-CoV2 infection on death and hospitalization risk. METHODS: Weekly SARS-CoV2 infection rates between November 2021 and March 2022 were calculated. Detailed clinical data were collected in a sample of NHs. RESULTS: Among 2044 residents, 667 SARS-CoV2 cases were confirmed. SARS-CoV2 incidence sharply increased during the Omicron era. Mortality rates did not differ between SARS-CoV2-positive (6.9%) and SARS-CoV2-negative residents (7.3%, p = 0.71). Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and poor functional status, but not SARS-CoV2 infection independently predicted death and hospitalization. CONCLUSIONS: Despite that SARS-CoV2 incidence increased during the Omicron era, SARS-CoV2 infection was not a significant predictor of hospitalization and death in the NH setting.

Use of digital technologies to support cancer screening in community health promotion interventions: scoping review.

The scoping review investigated how digital technologies have helped to increase cancer screening uptake in communities including adolescents, adults and elderly people during the COVID-19 outbreak between January 2020 and June 2021. Thirteen studies were identified as being relevant, mostly addressing underserved or minority communities with the purpose to increase screening uptake, delivering health education or investigating social and cultural barriers to cancer screening. The interventions effectively used digital technologies such as mobile apps and messengers mobile apps, messaging and Web platforms. The limitations imposed by COVID-19 on social interaction can be supported with digital solutions to ensure the continuity of cancer screening programs. However, more research is needed to clarify the exact nature of effectiveness, especially in large-scale interventions.

Health literacy and breast cancer screening adherence: results from the population of Tuscany, Italy.

Mammographic screening can reduce breast cancer (BC) mortality in women. In Italy, although attendance rates increased recently, they are still far from the recommended levels internationally. Inadequate health literacy (HL) may be a reason for poor awareness and/or knowledge about the importance of completing cancer screening. This study examined the relationship between HL, other sociodemographic determinants, and their influence on participation in both opportunistic and organized BC screenings among women aged 50-69 in Tuscany. The study analyzed 2017-2019 data from the Tuscan population subsample in the Italian Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System PASSI (Progressi delle Aziende Sanitarie per la Salute in Italia). HL was assessed using the Italian version of the six-item European Health Literacy Survey Questionnaire (HLS-EU-Q6). Among the 2250 interviewees, 75.3% underwent the organized BC screening and 9.4% on voluntary basis. Although to a different extent, HL was significantly associated to compliance rates with both opportunistic and organized screenings. Among sociodemographic factors, only occupational status was associated with opportunistic screening attendance rates. As expected, being invited by letter resulted to be strongly associated with participation to organized screening programs and the medical advice predicts for participating to both opportunistic and organized screening. This study highlights the relevant role that HL plays in BC, opportunistic and organized, screening adherence in a universal healthcare system. To increase BC screening participation rates, healthcare systems would benefit by implementing interventions for improved HL at population level or within healthcare organizations.

Health literacy in female patients affected by anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa: a cross-sectional study with pair-matched controls.

PURPOSE: Health Literacy (HL) consists in all the skills and knowledges used by people to understand and seek health-related information. Inadequate levels of HL substantially affect many different aspects of health. The primary aim of the present study was to assess levels of HL in female patients with anorexia nervosa (AN) and bulimia nervosa (BN), compared with matched control subjects. METHODS: A consecutive series of 64 female patients with AN and BN (mean age 23.1 ± 7.0) was enrolled, matched with 64 female control subjects (mean age 23.7 ± 7.1). Both groups completed the Health Literacy Survey Questionnaire (HLS-EU-Q16) and the Newest Vital Sign (NVS), which evaluate subjective and objective HL level respectively. RESULTS: Patients with AN and BN showed lower levels of subjective HL (10.0 ± 3.5 vs. 11.3 ± 3.0) and higher levels of objective HL (5.0 ± 1.3 vs. 3.6 ± 1.6) when compared with controls. No difference between AN and BN was found. No correlation between HLS-EU-Q16 Total Score and duration of illness was found. A negative correlation was found between EDE-Q Eating Concerns and subjective HL levels. HLS-EU-Q16 Total Score was predicted by educational level in control subjects only, while NVS Total Score was not predicted by educational level in control subjects nor in patients. CONCLUSION: Patients with AN and BN had lower levels of subjective HL. NVS scores could overestimate objective HL in female patients with AN and BN. The promotion of HL in areas differing from those that concern nutritional characteristics of food, could be a therapeutic target for these patients. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: III: Evidence obtained from well-designed cohort or case-control analytic studies.

The role of neutralizing antibodies by sVNT after two doses of BNT162b2 mRNA vaccine in a cohort of Italian healthcare workers.

OBJECTIVES: Evaluating anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibody levels is a current priority to drive immunization, as well as to predict when a vaccine booster dose may be required and for which priority groups. The aim of our study was to investigate the kinetics of anti-SARS-CoV-2 Spike S1 protein IgG (anti-S1 IgG) antibodies and neutralizing antibodies (NAbs) in an Italian cohort of healthcare workers (HCWs), following the Pfizer/BNT162b2 mRNA vaccine, over a period of up to six months after the second dose. METHODS: We enrolled 57 HCWs, without clinical history of COVID-19 infection. Fluoroenzyme-immunoassay was used for the quantitative anti-S1 IgG antibodies at different time points T1 (one month), T3 (three months) and T6 (six months) following the second vaccine shot. Simultaneously, a commercial surrogate virus neutralization test (sVNT) was used for the determination of NAbs, expressed as inhibition percentage (% IH). RESULTS: Median values of anti-S1 IgG antibodies decreased from T1 (1,452 BAU/mL) to T6 (104 BAU/mL) with a percent variation of 92.8% while the sVNT showed a percent variation of 34.3% for the same time frame. The decline in anti-S1 IgG antibodies from T1 to T6 was not accompanied by a loss of the neutralizing capacity of antibodies. In fact at T6 a neutralization percentage <20% IH was observed only in 3.51% of HCWs. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings reveal that the decrease of anti-S1 IgG levels do not correspond in parallel to a decrease of NAbs over time, which highlights the necessity of using both assays to assess vaccination effectiveness.

Careggi Re-Engineered Discharge project: standardize discharge and improve care coordination between healthcare professionals.

BACKGROUND: The hospital discharge process plays a key role in patient care. Careggi Re-Engineered Discharge (CaRED) aimed at establishing a meaningful relationship among general practitioners (GPs) and patients, throughout the discharge process. OBJECTIVE: The aim is to describe the activities and results in the period 2014-17 of the CaRED. METHODS: CaRED is a restructured discharge protocol, which foresees a different, more direct form of communication between hospital and GPs, enabled by an ad hoc electronic medical record. The 30-day hospital readmission rate and/or accesses to the emergency department were evaluated as proxy for effective communication. A pre-post survey was launched to assess the GPs' perceived quality, and patient and family satisfaction. RESULTS: A total of 1549 hospitalizations were included, respectively, 717 in the pre and 832 in the post-intervention period. The 30-day hospital readmission rate decreased significantly in the post-intervention period (14.4% vs. 19.4%, χ2(1) = 8.03, P < 0.05).Eighty-two and 52 GPs participated, respectively, in the pre- and post-survey. In the post-phase the percentage of GPs declaring the discharge letter facilitated the communication on the admission causes (χ2(1) = 0.56, P = 0.03) and on what to do if conditions change (χ2(31) = 19.0, P < 0.01) significantly increased, as well as the perception of an easier contact with the hospitalist (χ2(3) = 19.6, P < 0.01).Two-hundred-eighty and 282 patients were enrolled in the pre- and post-survey. The level of understanding of key parts of the discharge letter (reason for hospitalization, post-discharge therapy, follow-up examinations and how to contact the hospital ward) improved significantly (P < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: CaRED significantly improved the discharge process and became a benchmark for local improvements in communication patterns with GPs.

Potentially inappropriate prescribing before and after nursing home admission: a retrospective observational study in a sample of Italian nursing homes.

OBJECTIVES: to assess the occurrence of potentially inappropriate prescribing (PIP) in residents of Tuscany nursing homes (NHs) and its variation before and after NH entry. DESIGN: retrospective observational study using data from the Regional Administrative Database of Tuscany. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: the study involved residents of 67 Tuscan NHs identified between 2011 and 2012. To estimate PIP prevalence before and after NH, a subset of 10 indicators of the Screening Tool of Older Person's Prescriptions (STOPP) criteria were selected. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: prevalence of PIP. RESULTS: considering 2,801 NH residents, the proportion of PIP ranged from 0.0% to 55.2% and from 0.0% to 33.9% before and after the NH admission, respectively. Overall, this study showed a decrease in the occurrence of PIP after the NH admission for most of the indicators, reaching statistical significance for indicator 3 (tricyclic antidepressants in combination with an opiate or calcium channel blockers), 7 (prescription of NSAIDs in heart failure patients), and 9 (warfarin in combination with NSAIDs). CONCLUSIONS: although the reduction of PIP after NH admission may suggest greater awareness about the appropriateness of drug use, more efforts still need to be made.

[Mortality study in a cohort of entertainment workers]. / Studio di mortalità su una coorte di addetti al settore dello spettacolo.

SUMMARY: Introduction. Malignant mesotheliomas have been observed in entertainment workers in the last decades. They have been evaluated as occupationally exposed to asbestos contained in tools used for fireproof and sound-absorbing purposes. Aim of the study. To evaluate the mortality of workers engaged in a Florentine theatre where a large quantity of asbestos was found in the '80s, put in place 20 years earlier. Methods. It is a cohort study on entertainment workers with follow-up period ranged from 1-1-1970 till 31-12-2018. Standardized Mortality Ratios (SMRs) and their 95% Confidence Intervals (95% IC) were calculated by gender and job ("manual workers" and "all other jobs"), using age and sex specific mortality rates of Tuscan population. Results. The cohort includes 826 workers (389 manual workers and 437 engaged in other jobs) engaged by the Florentine theatre between 01/01/1937 and 31/12/1990. Excesses of mortality for all causes are observed in manual workers, either males (301 cases; SMR 304,0; 95% IC 271,5-340,3) or females (86 cases; SMR 429,8; 95% IC 348,0-531,0). The group of the other workers presents deficits of mortality by all causes, cancers and cardiovascular diseases in both genders. One death for pleural cancer is observed in a manual worker. Discussion. The results are in line with previous observations in similar occupations. In the examined Florentine theatre the asbestos exposures were important only for the manual workers who worked in the technical rooms characterized by the presence of friable asbestos sprinkled and in a bad state of maintenance.

Caring for nursing home residents with COVID-19: a "hospital-at-nursing home" intermediate care intervention.

BACKGROUND: Nursing home (NH) residents have been dramatically affected by COVID-19, with extremely high rates of hospitalization and mortality. AIMS: To describe the features and impact of an assistance model involving an intermediate care mobile medical specialist team (GIROT, Gruppo Intervento Rapido Ospedale Territorio) aimed at delivering "hospital-at-nursing home" care to NH residents with COVID-19 in Florence, Italy. METHODS: The GIROT activity was set-up during the first wave of the pandemic (W1, March-April 2020) and became a structured healthcare model during the second (W2, October 2020-January 2021). The activity involved (1) infection transmission control among NHs residents and staff, (2) comprehensive geriatric assessment including prognostication and geriatric syndromes management, (3) on-site diagnostic assessment and protocol-based treatment of COVID-19, (4) supply of nursing personnel to understaffed NHs. To estimate the impact of the GIROT intervention, we reported hospitalization and infection lethality rates recorded in SARS-CoV-2-positive NH residents during W1 and W2. RESULTS: The GIROT activity involved 21 NHs (1159 residents) and 43 NHs (2448 residents) during W1 and W2, respectively. The percentage of infected residents was higher in W2 than in W1 (64.5% vs. 38.8%), while both hospitalization and lethality rates significantly decreased in W2 compared to W1 (10.1% vs 58.2% and 23.4% vs 31.1%, respectively). DISCUSSION: Potentiating on-site care in the NHs paralleled a decrease of hospital admissions with no increase of lethality. CONCLUSIONS: An innovative "hospital-at-nursing home" patient-centred care model based on comprehensive geriatric assessment may provide a valuable contribution in fighting COVID-19 in NH residents.

Biodanza as a Nonpharmacological Dance Movement-Based Treatment in Older People With Alzheimer's Disease: An Italian Pilot Study in 2 Tuscan Nursing Homes.

The aim of this pilot, feasibility study was to assess health improvements in 16 institutionalized older people with Alzheimer's disease, after the Biodanza intervention, a nonpharmacological dance movement-based treatment. Biodanza significantly decreased agitated and neuropsychiatric behaviors. Effectiveness studies will be performed in order to assess the implication of such interventions.

How radiology can help pulmonary tuberculosis diagnosis: analysis of 49 patients.

PURPOSE: To identify the most frequent radiological findings of pulmonary tuberculosis using CT of the chest, to determine those with the highest degree of correlation, and, if possible, to identify the most suggestive radiological findings for acid-fast bacilli (AFB) positive disease. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The radiological and clinical data of 49 patients submitted to CT during diagnosis were retrospectively analysed. The association between findings was assessed using Fisher's exact test, while correlation at CT scan was evaluated with the Spearman analysis. RESULTS: Bronchiectasis/bronchioloectasis (89.8%), nodule(s) (81.6%), tree-in-bud (TIB), and consolidation (79.6% each) figured among the most common parenchymal findings. Lymphadenopathy (26.5%) was the most common nodal finding. TIB and cavity showed the highest correlation (r = 0.577), followed by TIB and bronchi(olo)ectasis (r = 0.498), TIB and consolidation (r = 0.497), nodule(s), and ground glass opacity (r = 0.488). High correlation was found in only the seven most frequent parenchymal findings. Consolidation, TIB, and cavity were useful to predict the AFB stain positivity. CONCLUSIONS: Our series confirms the extreme heterogeneity of pulmonary tuberculosis. It also proves there are couple of findings which can drive us to the right diagnosis. While a triad of findings predicts AFB positivity, we have not found any predictive sign of AFB negativity; consequently, all patients with suspected imaging and clinical findings for TB should be isolated.

Immunoglobulin M indirect-fluorescent antibody test for the diagnosis of acute toxoplasmosis during pregnancy in the avidity era: A 14-year experience at the Tuscany Reference Center for Infectious Diseases in Pregnancy, Florence, Italy.

AIM: The aim of this study was to evaluate immunoglobulin M indirect-fluorescent antibody test (IgM IFAT) for the diagnosis of acute or chronic Toxoplasma infection in pregnancy. METHODS: Pregnant women with suspected acute toxoplasmosis referred to the Tuscany Reference Center for Infectious Diseases in Pregnancy during the period 1998-2012 were retrospectively enrolled. All women were tested with a panel of serological tests, including enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for IgG avidity and IgM IFAT. On the basis of anamnestic, clinical, and serological criteria, pregnant women were classified into three groups: recently infected (RI), latently infected (LI), and doubtful latently infected (DLI). Patients classified as DLI were excluded from the analysis. The association between IgM IFAT (positive or negative) and the diagnosis of infection (acute or chronic) was assessed. Positive predictive value and negative predictive value of the IgM IFAT were calculated. RESULTS: A total of 810 pregnant women were enrolled in the study: 302 in the RI group and 508 in the LI group. Fifty-two women classified as DLI were excluded. IgM IFAT was positive in 172 out of 302 (56.9%) pregnant women in the RI group and in 29 out of 508 (5.7%) in the LI group. The positive predictive value and negative predictive value of IgM IFAT in predicting RI was 85.6% and 78.6%, respectively. CONCLUSION: IgM IFAT has reasonable sensitivity and specificity in diagnosing recent infection and, mostly in case of borderline avidity test, could be considered as a further aid for an accurate diagnosis of acute toxoplasmosis in pregnancy.

A cross-sectional survey to investigate the quality of care in Tuscan (Italy) nursing homes: the structural, process and outcome indicators of nutritional care.

BACKGROUND: Previous studies have investigated process and structure indicators of nutritional care as well as their use in nursing homes (NHs), but the relative weight of these indicators in predicting the risk of malnutrition remains unclear. Aims of the present study are to describe the quality indicators of nutritional care in older residents in a sample of NHs in Tuscany, Italy, and to evaluate the predictors of protein-energy malnutrition risk. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey was conducted in 67 NHs. Information was collected to evaluate quality indicators of nutritional care and the individual risk factors for malnutrition, which was assessed using the Malnutrition Universal Screening Tool. A multilevel model was used to analyse the association between risk and predictors. RESULTS: Out of 2395 participants, 23.7 % were at high, 11 % at medium, and 65.3 % at low risk for malnutrition. Forty-two percent of the NHs had only a personal scale to weigh residents; 88 % did not routinely use a screening test/tool for malnutrition; 60 % used some standardized approach for weight measurement; 43 % did not assess the severity of dysphagia; 12 % were not staffed with dietitians. Patients living in NHs where a chair or platform scale was available had a significantly lower risk of malnutrition (OR = 0.73; 95 % CI = 0.56-0.94). None of the other structural or process quality indicators showed a statistically significant association with malnutrition risk. CONCLUSIONS: Of all the process and structural indicators considered, only the absence of an adequate scale to weigh residents predicted the risk of malnutrition, after adjusting for case mix. These findings prompt the conduction of further investigations on the effectiveness of structural and process indicators that are used to describe quality of nutritional care in NHs.

The first italian validation of the most widespread health literacy assessment tool: the Newest Vital Sign.

OBJECTIVE: This work represents the first attempt to validate, for the Italian population, the most widespread health literacy assessment tool: the Newest Vital Sign (NVS). DESIGN: The UK version of this tool was adapted for Italy using a translation/back-translation process. A web-based survey was then administered to a multidisciplinary panel of experts to assess its face validity. Finally, a preliminary study of construct validity was conducted, focusing on efficiency, comprehensibility, reliability, and sensitivity of the items of the test. For the evaluation of these dimensions we adopted Pearson's r correlation and calculated the average scores obtained for the subscales. RESULTS: Data analysis shows that the NVS-IT can be considered, under every aspect, an adequate tool for the assessment of individual health literacy grade level, given the optimal correlation among the experts' judgments and the average scores above the acceptability threshold. CONCLUSION: Our study aims to encourage use of the NVS for the Italian population and, furthermore, introduce a scientific approach to health literacy, an issue that is gaining interest even in our country, though, to date, this has mainly resulted in the production of theoretical works.

[The state of the art on nutrition, food safety and food security]. / Stato della ricerca scientifica in materia di alimentazione e nutrizione.

In Italy, public health is experiencing a phase of crisis. A contraction of services and a staff reallocation have affected in particular Food Hygiene services. We explored Pubmed and Google Ngram Viewer© to define the state of the art of research in food and nutritional field from a quantitative point of view and we focused on some areas of interest in terms of improvement of professional practice. The Italian contribution to food and nutritional research is still limited. Our findings seem to demonstrate the need of an alliance between the world of research and Public Health services, so as to develop a sustainable and effective health system.