Analysing features of home-based workout during COVID-19 pandemic: a systematic review.

OBJECTIVE: Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, a decrease in physical activity (PA) related to home confinement has been reported worldwide. However, some individuals were able to engage in physical activities at home. Thus, in a perspective of public health, it may be useful to analyse the available evidence regarding PA adopted during home restrictions, in order to identify possible strategies to help people stay active even during emergency situations. The aim of this review was to analyse how healthy individuals spontaneously exercised at home in the course of the pandemic, in order to detect possible factors associated with this behaviour. STUDY DESIGN: A systematic review was conducted according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. METHODS: The protocol was registered in PROSPERO, an international prospective register of systematic reviews, with the registration number CRD42023394673. A literature search was conducted in PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science. Cross-sectional studies published in English from the inception of each database to February 06th 2023 and focused on healthy individuals practicing spontaneous PA/exercise at home during the pandemic were considered eligible. The quality assessment was performed using the adapted Newcastle-Ottawa Quality Assessment Scale. Bibliographic information, sample size, study paricipant/population with age, gender, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, education, smart workers or not, anthropometric parameters, characteristics of at home exercises, athletic status and sedentariness, associated health-related effects, and main findings were synthetised. RESULTS: From 504 articles, 19 were included. Notwithstanding the differences in the studies examined, the majority of them reported that previous PA level was associated with exercise in such challenging conditions. Furthermore, technologies aimed at supporting exercise were shown to be a useful resource. CONCLUSIONS: Being habitually active and using digital supports may be associated with a positive attitude towards exercise at home during isolation. This suggests that in emergency situations, exercise should be promoted, also through digital media, especially among those groups who are usually less engaged in PA. Further analyses of longitudinal studies are needed to confirm these findings.

Human semen quality and environmental and occupational exposure to pollutants: A systematic review.

Background: The aim of the present systematic review was to evaluate the correlation between the exposure to environmental and/or occupational pollutants and possible alteration of semen quality, focalizing the attention on the studies performed using a biomonitoring approach. Methods: The review was conducted from inception to May 11 2023, according to the PRISMA Statement 2020 and using the following databases: Scopus, Pubmed and Web of Science. The protocol was registered on PROSPERO (CRD42023405607). Studies were considered eligible if they reported data about the association between exposure to environmental pollutants and alteration of semen quality using human biomonitoring. The quality assessment was carried out by the use of the Newcastle-Ottawa Quality Assessment Scale. Results: In total, 21 articles were included, conducted in several countries. The main matrices used for biomonitoring were urine and blood and the most sought-after contaminants were bisphenols, phthalates, pesticides, polychlorinated biphenyls, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, heavy metals and other inorganic trace elements. The results of the studies demonstrated a significant positive correlation between the increase of the pollutants' levels in the biological matrices examined and some alterations of the semen quality indicators, such as a decrease in motility, concentration and morphology of the spermatozoa. Conclusions: Male fertility can be negatively affected by the exposure to environmental and/or occupational pollutants. Human biomonitoring programs may be considered a useful tool for specific surveillance programs devoted to early highlight subjects who are more exposed to environmental pollutants in order to reduce risk exposure.

Health risks for body pierced community: a systematic review.

OBJECTIVE: Body piercing is defined as the penetration of jewellery into openings made in different body areas. In the last decades, it has become increasingly common in the general population. The aim is to analyse the available literature about complications from body piercing for contributing to raise the awareness towards this issue and to plan and perform appropriate prevention interventions. STUDY DESIGN: This is a systematic review. METHODS: The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines were used to perform this systematic review; the protocol was registered with PROSPERO [CRD42020177972]. PubMed, Scopus and Web of Science were searched from database inception to April 2020, and articles in English language reporting a proven association between piercings and health risks were included, and their quality were assessed by adequate quality assessment tools. RESULTS: A total of 4748 studies were found, and after duplicates removal and screening, 84 articles were included. Studies dealing with microbiological effects reported these complications both locally and at distant sites as a result of the spreading of the primary site infection: mastitis, endocarditis, glomerulonephritis, cephalic tetanus, viral hepatitis, HIV, cerebellar brain abscess and toxic shock syndrome. In addition, bleeding, gingival recession, dental injuries, contact dermatitis, granulomatous dermatitis, keloid, fibroma and basal cell carcinoma were reported. CONCLUSIONS: Health authorities should promote educational campaigns to spread the knowledge on health risks related to piercings. Besides, piercers are often not adequately aware of all the possible adverse effects due to piercings because their professional training differs among countries. It is therefore advisable to provide periodical upgrade of their education in this field.

A survey on knowledge and awareness on the issue "microplastics": a pilot study on a sample of future public health professionals.

BACKGROUND: Microplastics pollution represents a global public health concern. Since the greatest amount of microplastics are of anthropogenic origin, one of the most relevant strategies to reduce microplastics pollution is to raise awareness among the population and this is even more important for all those involved in public health prevention interventions. The aim of this study was to assess the level of knowledge and awareness on microplastics of a samples of future healthcare workers. STUDY DESIGN: A cross-sectional study was performed on 151 university students in the field of Public Health, both pre- and post-graduate, attending the Sapienza University of Rome courses. METHODS: A questionnaire consisting of three sections was administered to the participants. The first section assessed knowledge and awareness on microplastics, the second consisted of an informative brochure on microplastics, the third evaluated the awareness after reading the brochure, and interventions considered useful to manage microplastics pollution. RESULTS: About 25% of participants had never heard of microplastics. The scores on knowledge about microplastics were low, and differences between the investigated courses were not statistically significant (p-Value=0.134). Internet was the main source of information on microplastics, while the scores describing concern about the investigated issue resulted always higher after reading the informative brochure respect to before reading. CONCLUSIONS: The lack of knowledge about microplastics pollution highlights that future public health workers should be better informed and, therefore, able to transfer essential information to the population. Increasing general population's knowledge and awareness would increase risk perception and make all individuals more active actors for reducing microplastics pollution.

Hospital environment as a reservoir for cross transmission: cleaning and disinfection procedures.

BACKGROUND: Healthcare associated infections (HAIs) represent a serious problem for public health, as they increase the morbidity and mortality rates, present a relevant financial burden, and significantly contribute to the antimicrobial resistance. METHODS: The aim of this review was to investigate the literature about HAIs, with particular reference to hospital environments and the role of cleaning and disinfection procedures. Hospital environments are an essential reservoir for HAIs cross transmission, and the application of appropriate procedures related to hand hygiene and disinfection/sterilization of surfaces and instruments remain key strategies for controlling HAIs. RESULTS: Different procedures, based on the risk associated with the healthcare procedure, are recommended for hand hygiene: washing with soap and water, antiseptic rubbing with alcohol-based disinfectants, antiseptic and surgical hand washing. Environmental surfaces can be treated with different products, and the mostly used are chlorine-based and polyphenolic disinfectant. The reprocessing of instruments is related to their use according to the Spaulding's classification. In addition, scientific evidence demonstrated the great relevance of the "bundles" (small set of practices performed together) in controlling HAIs. CONCLUSIONS: Research agenda should include the improvement of well-known effective preventive procedures and the development of new bundles devoted to high-risk procedures and specific microorganisms.

Potential antimicrobial effects of photocatalytic nanothecnologies in hospital settings.

BACKGROUND: Recently, several advanced technologies have been considered to reduce the microbial load in hospital environments and control Healthcare Associated Infections (HAIs) incidence. New strategies for preventing HAIs have continuously evolved, including enforcement of hygiene procedures by novel liquid biocides or no-touch technologies, self-disinfecting surfaces coated by heavy metals or light-activated photosensitizers such as Titanium Dioxide (TiO2) nanoparticles. STUDY DESIGN: Review publications concerning the use of photocatalytic systems in hospital setting, focusing on products based on TiO2. METHODS: Specific keywords combinations were analitically searched in PubMed and Scopus databases. RESULTS: Starting 80s-90s, over 2000 papers report "in vitro" studies on antimicrobial activity of TiO2 photocatalysis on several microorganisms including bacteria, viruses, fungi, yeasts, and antibiotic resistant strains. Besides, at least 4 selected papers addressed the potentials of this approach by "in field" studies, showing a widespread pool of applications in hospital and healthcare settings. However, the low number of available experiences and their heterogeneity represent major limitations to achieve a comprehensive final overview on effectiveness and feasibility of these technologies. CONCLUSIONS: Photocatalytic systems based on TiO2 represent a promising strategy for hospital hygiene and HAI prevention. Additional "in field" studies are desirable in a next future to further evaluate and exploit this novel and interesting health technology.

Procedures in endoscope reprocessing and monitoring: an Italian survey.

BACKGROUND: The high diffusion of endoscopes worldwide and the need for effective reprocessing methods requested the development of guidelines and implementation of surveillance procedures at local level. STUDY DESIGN: In order to collect data on everyday's practice and adherence to available guidelines, endoscopy units from different public institutions were surveyed using a dedicated questionnaire. METHODS: Between July and November 2015 a survey was carried in 12 main hospitals from 10 different Italian regions, involving 22 endoscopy units. The state of the art of national and international guidelines was investigated to compare the protocols adopted at local level. RESULTS: In all the surveyed hospitals, the reprocessing activity is based on pre-established protocols in adherence with principal guidelines. Enzymatic detergents, which are recommended by the international guidelines, are used in 55.6% of units and peracetic acid is currently the most widely used chemical disinfectant. Discrepancies were observed in the application of periodic quality controls. CONCLUSION: Updated guidelines are generally applied in reprocessing practice. Quality controls may represent a critical issue to improve effectiveness and surveillance. The whole of acquired data can promote a positive trend towards the application of best practices.

Development of the laboratory prototype "CavyPool" for assessing treatments and materials for swimming pools.

BACKGROUND: Hygiene and surveillance in swimming pools are established by WHO Guidelines and national laws. Progress in water management and pool construction is revolutionizing the field, introducing new materials, systems, disinfection procedures or monitoring markers. Innovation advances challenge the upgrading of safety and quality in pools and the appropriate implementation of guidelines. STUDY DESIGN: In order to provide a device for laboratory test, a prototype was realized and applied to study and compare swimming pool materials and treatments. METHODS: A pool scale-model was engineered and evaluated by computational fluid dynamics algorithms. An automated real time monitoring assured steady state. Critical control points along the water circuit were made accessible to allow the placing of different biocides or water sampling. Simulations were safely performed in a standard hood. Materials for pool surfaces and pipelines were evaluated for biofilm formation under different disinfection conditions. Adherent microorganisms were assayed by mfDNA analysis using real time PCR. RESULTS: The prototype reached the steady state within 5-25 hours under different conditions, showing chemical, physical and fluid-dynamic stability. A method was optimized for testing materials showing their different response to biofilm induction. Several innovative PVC samples displayed highest resistance to bacterial adhesion. CONCLUSIONS: A device and method was developed for testing swimming pool hygienic parameters in laboratory. It allowed to test materials for pools hygiene and maintenance, including biofilm formation. It can be applied to simulate contaminations under different water treatments or disinfection strategies. It may support technical decisions and help policymakers in acquiring evidences for comparing or validating innovative solutions.

Cancer mortality in Rieti province (Latium Region, Italy) for the years 2006-2010: evaluation of temporal and spatial trends and comparison with the other Latium provinces.

BACKGROUND: The present research aims to obtain information on cancer deaths in the five Latium provinces in the years 2006-2010 and to highlight similarities and differences between them. METHODS: The survey was carried through statistical elaboration of cancer mortality data for the years 2006-2010 obtained from the National Institute of Statistics. RESULTS: The mortality due to oncological diseases in Rieti province showed a decreasing temporal trend for the years investigated. Among all the Latium provinces, Rieti presented the lowest standardized mortality rates. This phenomenon could be related to specific environmental conditions and low levels of air, water and soil pollution affecting the Rieti province. CONCLUSION: The results of the present study show that the "healthy" environment of Rieti province could be considered as a benchmark for studies in oncological diseases.

Exposure to individual and multiple carcinogenic metals during paediatric age: an experience from an Italian urban scenario.

BACKGROUND: Exposure to single and multiple carcinogenic metals and/or semimetals represents a major environmental risk factor for public health. In particular, children are more susceptible to environmental pollutants than adults, but specific studies are still limited. The aims of the present study were: 1) to trace the exposure and co-exposure profiles to eight known or suspected carcinogenic metals and semimetals (As, Be, Cd, Co, Cr, Ni, Pb, and Sb); and: 2) to evaluate the influence of some possible interfering/confounding factors on the exposure to these elements during childhood. STUDY DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. METHODS: We recruited 159 healthy Italian children attending a primary school of the urban area of Rome, Italy. Selected metals were determined by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry on urinary samples collected at the end of a "typical" day (one sample for each child), while information about possible confounding/interfering factors were collected via questionnaires. RESULTS: The great part of the studied children resulted co-exposed to the monitored metals: 83.2%, 69.2%, 51.0% and 29.3% of the participants were concurrently exposed to at least two, three, four and five trace elements, respectively. Gender was the only one among the investigated variable that significantly influenced the co-exposure, with females resulting at lower risk (OR = 0.392; 95 IC = 0.156 - 0.989; p < 0.047). CONCLUSIONS: Given the importance of protecting child's health and the risks related to the exposure to carcinogenic metals, especially when they occur simultaneously, other researches in this field are strongly recommended.

Second-hand smoke exposure generated by new electronic devices (IQOS® and e-cigs) and traditional cigarettes: submicron particle behaviour in human respiratory system.

Passive exposure profiles to submicronic particles (SMPs, 5.6-560 nm) of traditional cigarettes and new electronic commercial devices (e-cig and IQOS®, a new heat-not-burn smoking device) were compared. During smoking, SMPs released by traditional cigarettes resulted four-times higher than those released by electronic and heat-not-burn devices and remained high for at least one hour, while SMPs values returned immediately similar to background for electronic and heat-not-burn devices. In all experiments, approximately half of SMPs resulted so small to reach the alveolar region.

Gender perspective in occupational medicine and workplace risk assessment: state of the art and research agenda.

The aim of this study was to investigate the current situation and the research agenda in the field of gender differences, both generically in the occupational settings and in the specific activity of risk assessment. Gender is a key determinant of health; the evaluation of documents and scientific literature shows increasing attention to a gender oriented approach, as demonstrated by the development of Gender Medicine, actually cross-oriented in all medical specialties, the publication of books dedicated to this topic and the birth of "ad hoc" new scientific societies and journals. Even today, however, the gender differences are not considered as they should in the context of health disciplines, including occupational medicine. In this respect, in fact, the critical issues to be overcome are numerous, such as the phenomena of "segregation", the exposure to risk factors and their effects, related also to non-professional, socio-cultural features that differentiate male and female workers. All these factors can lead to situations of inequality in health. In fact, the European directives on safety at work repeatedly highlight the attention to gender differences in prevention, assessment and management of risks. In this regard, the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work advocates an approach "more sensitive" to gender in all the processes of assessment and risk management, from the research of all potential sources of risk to the decision-making processes, in order to address the prevention of risks in a holistic manner.

Urinary biomarkers of exposure and of oxidative damage in children exposed to low airborne concentrations of benzene.

The aim of this work was to evaluate the oxidative damage to nucleic acids in children (5-11 years) associated with exposure to environmental pollutants and tobacco smoke (ETS). For each subject, urinary sampling was done twice (evening and next morning) to measure by tandem LC-MS-MS such oxidated products of nucleic acids as 8-oxo-7,8-dihydro-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-oxodGuo), 8-oxo-7,8-dihydroguanosine (8-oxoGuo), and 8-oxo-7,8-dihydroguanine (8-oxoGua). Methyl tert-butyl ether (U-MTBE), benzene (U-Benz), and its metabolites (t,t-muconic and S-phenylmercapturic acids, t,t-MA and S-PMA, respectively) were determined as biomarkers of exposure to air pollution, and cotinine as a biomarker of exposure to ETS. Biomarkers of exposure (S-PMA and U-MTBE) and of DNA oxidation (8-oxodGuo) were dependent on the urbanization and industrialization levels and increased in the evening sample as compared to next morning (p<0.05). In both evening and next morning samples, 8-oxodGuo and 8-oxoGuo correlated with each other (r=0.596 and r=0.537, respectively, p<0.01) and with biomarkers of benzene exposure, particularly S-PMA (r=0.59 and r=0.45 for 8-oxodGuo and r=0.411 and r=0.383 for 8-oxoGuo, p<0.01). No such correlations were observed for U-MTBE and cotinine. Multiple linear regression analyses showed that 8-oxodGuo was positively associated with S-PMA at both sampling times (ß=0.18 and ß=0.14 for evening and next morning sampling, respectively; p<0.02) and weakly with U-MTBE (ß=0.07, p=0.020) only in the evening urines. These results suggest that the selected biomarkers of exposure to benzene, particularly S-PMA, are good tracers of exposure to complex mixtures of oxidative pollutants and that the associated oxidative damage to nucleic acids is detectable even at very low levels of exposure.

Epidemiological profile of cancer mortality in a province of central Italy for the years 2008 and 2009: preliminary analysis.

BACKGROUND: The aim of the study was to perform a preliminary analysis of the mortality data for cancer as widely as possible, in order to obtain useful information for planning specific public health interventions. For this purpose, data on cancer mortality in the province of Rieti (Latium, central Italy) have been collected and analysed. To date, in the Rieti province a Cancer Registry record is not available. METHODS: The study was conducted through statistical analysis of cancer mortality data related to the years 2008 and 2009, obtained from the National Institute of Statistics. Data were cumulative for the province of Rieti and specific for the five districts in which the province is divided. RESULTS: The standardized mortality rates obtained for Rieti province resulted lower than those reported for the other provinces of the Latium region, for Italy and for the European Community, both for 2008 and 2009. In these years, the anatomical areas more affected in terms of mortality were "trachea, bronchus and lung", "colorectal" and "stomach", but gender differences were evidenced. CONCLUSIONS: The present study, also considering the limitation of two years studied only, leads to some basic insights about the importance of updating mortality data to trace an epidemiological profile, to evaluate the presence of risk and protective factors, to program strategically health interventions, and to assess the effectiveness of these interventions.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and metals in transplanted lichen (Pseudovernia furfuracea) at sites adjacent to a solid-waste landfill in central Italy.

The aim of the study was to evaluate the airborne contamination by polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and some heavy metals (arsenic [As], cadmium [Cd], chromium [Cr], copper [Cu], nickel [Ni], lead [Pb], and zinc [Zn]) of different pollution scenarios around a solid-waste landfill in central Italy using the lichen Pseudovernia furfuracea as a monitoring tool. For this purpose, eight stations around a landfill characterized by different air pollution sources (industrial, agricultural, residential areas, and roads with different traffic intensities), together with three stations far from the landfill (control areas), were monitored using a set of 22 lichen samples (11 samples analysed for PAHs and metals after 4 months, and 11 samples analysed for metals after 8 months). After 4 months of exposure, the lichen content of all of the analysed elements was greater than that in the pre-exposed lichens. In addition, the Cu and Pb concentration after 8 months was greater than the level after 4 months. The order of metal concentration was Zn > Pb > Cu (or Cu > Pb) > Cr > Ni > As > Cd in all cases. The range of ∑11PAHs concentration was 634-1,371 ng/g dw (three to seven times greater than the amount in the pre-exposed lichens). The ∑11PAHs were dominated (>70 %) by compounds with three aromatic rings. The comparison of the levels of air pollutants among the monitored stations shows nonrelevant spatial patterns between the landfill stations and the control areas; the levels of PAHs and metals found in the lichen samples around the landfill seemed to be more related to the general diffusion of these pollutants in that area.

Indoor particulate matter and secondhand smoke: simulation of an exposure scenario.

BACKGROUND: To evaluate secondhand smoke (SHS) contribution on indoor Particulate Matter (PM) concentrations due to a single smoked cigarette in a real exposure scenario. METHODS: Total Suspended Particles (TSP) and sizes ≤10 (PM(10)), ≤4 (PM(4)), ≤2.5 (PM(2.5)), and ≤1 µm (PM(1)) levels were measured before, during and after smoking in an enclosed smoke-free environment. The measurement was stopped 30 minutes after extinguishing the cigarette, to focus the monitoring just on SHS. RESULTS: PM(1) concentrations dramatically increased during and 30 minutes after smoking (mean values: 21.1, 1544.0 and 279.0 µg/m3 before, during and after, respectively), while the other PM fractions remained almost unchanged. CONCLUSIONS: This experiment implies that smoking even one cigarette produces important indoor air pollution which may considerably increase individual exposure to ultrafine particles, and, consequently, pose a serious threat to health.

The municipal waste management: a comparison between Germany and Italy.

BACKGROUND: In the European scenario Municipal Waste Management (MWM) is very heterogeneous, and many countries did not achieve yet the decoupling between economic growth and MW production. The objectives of the study were to evaluate temporal trends of MWM and economic indicators to evidence differences between Germany and Italy, and to assess the relationship between economic indicators and MW production, to highlight whenever decoupling was achieved. METHODS: Time series analyses (1995-2010) of data related to MWM and income/consumption indicators were performed, and simple regression analyses were run to evaluate the relationship between economic drivers and MW production. RESULTS: Income/consumption indicators show a constant increment in both countries, while different trends appear for MWM. German MW production was reduced, and, over the years, the main disposal method rose from landfill towards recycling. On the contrary, Italian MW production increased, and landfilling has been always the most common method for disposal waste. Besides, the percentage of MW collected separately and packaging recovered was higher in Germany than in Italy for all the investigated period. Moreover, Germany appears to have decoupled MW production from economic growth, while Italian MW production is significant positively associated to it. CONCLUSIONS: Germany emerges as a virtuous country, while Italy appears as the "example not to follow". Differences could be determined by the contribution of several factors, such as educational levels, urbanization, population characteristics, employment/unemployment rates, expenditure in research and health issues, that should be studied indeed.

A systematic review of benzene exposure during pregnancy and adverse outcomes on intrauterine development and birth: still far from scientific evidence.

BACKGROUND: The effect of exposure to some air pollutants during pregnancy on embryonic and fetal development has been evaluated by several studies, but it has not been well defined. The main objective of this study was to use a systematic review to evaluate the relationship between air benzene exposure in pregnant women and possible negative effects on intrauterine development and negative outcomes at birth. METHODS: After a systematic literature search, we identified five peer-reviewed studies with quantitative results regarding the association between benzene exposure during pregnancy and adverse outcomes on intrauterine development and at birth. The characteristics of the study design and population of each selected article were summarised. RESULTS: There was evidence for the association between an increase in preterm birth or a decrease in biparietal diameter growth with maternal exposure to benzene or early exposure to aromatic solvents, while the evaluation of the relationship between benzene exposure during pregnancy and other parameters (i.e., birthweight, fetal weight, birth length, head circumference growth, fetal femur length, and abdominal circumference) returned no clear conclusions. CONCLUSIONS: Further studies are required to confirm and clarify the possible adverse outcomes of benzene exposure during pregnancy. Recommendations for future studies are related to the most appropriate strategies for outcomes and exposure assessment and the evaluation of "individual genetic susceptibility", which is a possible confounding factor in this kind of studies.

Electronic cigarettes: an evaluation of exposure to chemicals and fine particulate matter (PM).

The "electronic (e-)cigarette" generates intense scientific debate about its use. Its popularity is increasing worldwide as a method to reduce/quit smoking, and to smoke indoors when restrictions on smoking tobacco are present. WHO recommends caution, until its effectiveness in helping smokers is clarified, and the possible harm evaluated. The aim of this study was to assess the content of the aromatic liquid mixture and its vapour and the Particulate Matter (PM) emissions of an Italian brand of e-cigarette and to compare its PM emissions with a conventional cigarette. Propylene glycol (66%) and glycerine (24%) were main components in the liquid, while the flavouring substances were less than 0.1%. The same substances were detected in the vapour in similar proportions. Fine and ultrafine PM emissions were higher for the conventional versus the e-cigarette (e.g.: PM10=922 vs 52 microg/m3; PM1=80 vs 14 microg/m3). The e-cigarette seems to give some advantages when used instead of the conventional cigarette, but studies are still scanty: it could help smokers to cope with some of the rituals associated with smoking gestures and to reduce or eliminate tobacco consumption avoiding passive smoking. However, the e-cigarette causes exposure to different chemicals compared with conventional cigarettes and thus there is a need for risk evaluation for both e-cigarettes and passive steam exposure in smokers and non smokers.

Pharmacists' mental health during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic in Italy.

OBJECTIVE: The year 2020 was characterized by the outbreak of a new pandemic caused by a novel coronavirus named SARS-CoV-2. To face the pandemic, many countries worldwide imposed general lockdowns, closing all non-essential businesses. As primary care services, pharmacies had to remain open, thus putting pharmacy staff at significant risk of viral infection and overwork. This study aimed to assess the mental health of Italian Pharmacists, considering demographic and occupational characteristics, lifestyle, and habits, during the SARS-CoV-2 outbreak and the subsequent lockdown period (March-May 2020). MATERIALS AND METHODS: A web-based survey was created using Google® Forms to collect data from March 30, 2020, to June 1, 2020. The questionnaire consisted of three sections investigating: (1) demographic and occupational variables, (2) lifestyle and habits variables, (3) psychological distress and perceived well-being. RESULTS: A total of 401 participants completed the questionnaire. Older workers and those with more work experience reported more psychological stress. Older and female workers, who felt lonely at home and reported psychological stress, perceived poor well-being. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings demonstrate that the Sars-CoV-2 outbreak and subsequent lockdown rules affected pharmacists' mental health and that it is important to put in place preventive measures against the occurrence of mental disorders among them.