The Association of Tobacco Smoking, Second-hand Smoke, and Novel Tobacco Products With COVID-19 Severity and Mortality in Italy: Results From the COSMO-IT Study.

BACKGROUND: Despite the robust evidence of an excess risk of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) severity and mortality in ever smokers, the debate on the role of current and ex-smokers on COVID-19 progression remains open. Limited or no data are available on the link between electronic cigarette (e-cigarette), heated tobacco product (HTP) and second-hand smoke (SHS) exposure and COVID-19 progression. To fill this knowledge gap, we undertook the COvid19 and SMOking in ITaly (COSMO-IT) study. METHODS: A multi-centre longitudinal study was conducted in 2020-2021 in 24 Italian hospitals on a total of 1,820 laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 patients. We estimated multivariable odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) to quantify the association between smoking-related behaviours (ie, smoking status, e-cigarette and HTP use, and SHS exposure) and COVID-19 severity (composite outcome: intubation, intensive care unit admission and death) and mortality. RESULTS: Compared to never smokers, current smokers had an increased risk of COVID-19 mortality (OR 2.17; 95% CI, 1.06-4.41). E-cigarette use was non-significantly associated to an increased risk of COVID-19 severity (OR 1.60; 95% CI, 0.96-2.67). An increased risk of mortality was observed for exposure to SHS among non-smokers (OR 1.67; 95% CI, 1.04-2.68), the risk being particularly evident for exposures of ≥6 hours/day (OR 1.99; 95% CI, 1.15-3.44). CONCLUSION: This multicentric study from Italy shows a dismal COVID-19 progression in current smokers and, for the first time, in SHS exposed non-smokers. These data represent an additional reason to strengthen and enforce effective tobacco control measures and to support smokers in quitting.

Electronic Cigarette Use in 12 European Countries: Results From the TackSHS Survey.

BACKGROUND: Limited data on electronic cigarette prevalence, patterns, and settings of use are available from several European countries. METHODS: Within the TackSHS project, a face-to-face survey was conducted in 2017-2018 in 12 European countries (Bulgaria, England, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Poland, Portugal, Romania and Spain). Overall, 11,876 participants, representative of the population aged ⩾15 years in each country, provided information on electronic cigarette. RESULTS: 2.4% (95% confidence interval [CI], 2.2-2.7%) of the subjects (2.5% among men and 2.4% among women; 0.4% among never, 4.4% among current- and 6.5% among ex-smokers) reported current use of electronic cigarette, ranging from 0.6% in Spain to 7.2% in England. Of the 272 electronic cigarette users, 52.6% were dual users (ie, users of both electronic and conventional cigarettes) and 58.8% used liquids with nicotine. In all, 65.1% reported using electronic cigarette in at least one indoor setting where smoking is forbidden; in particular, at workplaces (34.9%) and bars and restaurants (41.5%). Multivariable logistic regression analysis showed that electronic cigarette use was lower among older individuals (P for trend <0.001) and higher among individuals with high level of education (P for trend = 0.040). Participants from countries with higher tobacco cigarette prices more frequently reported electronic cigarette use (odds ratio 3.62; 95% CI, 1.80-7.30). CONCLUSION: Considering the whole adult population of these 12 European countries, more than 8.3 million people use electronic cigarettes. The majority of users also smoked conventional cigarettes, used electronic cigarettes with nicotine, and consumed electronic cigarettes in smoke-free indoor areas.

Who are the superheroes? A cross-sectional study on the determinants of good health among Italian older adults.

BACKGROUND: People who reach old age enjoying good physical and mental health can be defined as (health) "superheroes", given their relatively low impact on healthcare expenditure and the desirable model they represent. AIM: To evaluate prevalence and possible determinants of being "physical superheroes" (i.e., free from the ten major chronic conditions, plus obesity), "mental superheroes" (i.e., free from major mental symptoms), and "superheroes" (i.e., both mental and physical superheroes). METHODS: A telephone-based cross-sectional study (LOST in Lombardia) was conducted in November 2020 (i.e., during the COVID-19 pandemic) on a representative sample of 4,400 adults aged ≥ 65 years from Lombardy region, northern Italy. All participants provided both current data and data referring to one year before. RESULTS: Mental and physical superheroes were 59.0% and 17.6%, respectively. Superheroes were 12.8% overall, 15.1% among men, and 11.1% among women; 20.2% among individuals aged 65-69 years, 11.3% among 70-74, 10.0% among 75-79, and 8.3% among ≥ 80 years. Multivariable analysis showed that female sex, higher age, disadvantaged socio-economic status, and physical inactivity (p for trend < 0.001) were inversely related to being superheroes. People not smoking (adjusted odds ratio, aOR = 1.40), alcohol abstainers (aOR = 1.30), and those free from feelings of hopelessness (aOR = 5.92) more frequently met the definition of superheroes. During COVID-19 pandemic, the proportion of superheroes decreased by 16.3%. CONCLUSIONS: Differences in the older adults' health status are largely attributable to their lifestyles but are also likely due to gender, educational, and socio-economic disparities, which should be properly addressed by public health policies.

Impact of COVID-19 lockdown on smoking consumption in a large representative sample of Italian adults.

OBJECTIVES: Italy is one of the first countries that imposed a nationwide stay-at-home order during the COVID-19 outbreak, inevitably resulting in changes in lifestyles and addictive behaviours. The aim of this work is to investigate the impact of lockdown restrictions on smoking habits using data collected within the Lost in Italy project. METHODS: A web-based cross-sectional study was conducted on a representative sample of 6003 Italian adults aged 18-74 years. Study subjects were recruited from 27 April to 3 May 2020 and were asked to report changes in smoking habits before the lockdown and at the time of interview. RESULTS: During the lockdown, 5.5% of the overall sample quit or reduced smoking, but 9.0% of the sample started, relapsed smoking or increased their smoking intensity. In total, the lockdown increased cigarette consumption by 9.1%. An improvement in smoking habits was associated with younger age, occasional smoking and unemployment, whereas a worsening was mainly associated with mental distress. In particular, an increase in cigarette consumption during lockdown was more frequently reported among those with worsening quality of life (OR: 2.05; 95% CI: 1.49 to 2.80), reduction in sleep quantity (OR: 2.29; 95% CI: 1.71 to 3.07) and increased anxiety (OR: 1.83; 95% CI: 1.38 to 2.43) and depressive symptoms (OR: 2.04; 95% CI: 1.54 to 2.71). CONCLUSIONS: COVID-19 lockdown had a huge impact on smoking consumption of the Italian general population. The main concern is for smokers who increase their cigarette consumption due to an increased mental distress. Providing greater resources for cessation services capable of reducing mental health symptoms in smokers is urgently needed.

Impact of electronic cigarette and heated tobacco product on conventional smoking: an Italian prospective cohort study conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic.

OBJECTIVE: Debate continues about whether electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) and heated tobacco products (HTP) reduce or increase the probability of smoking, with many studies compromised by stated or unstated conflicts of interest. We undertook a longitudinal study in Italy. METHODS: 3185 Italian participants aged 18-74 years provided baseline (April-May) and follow-up (November-December) responses in 2020, reporting smoking status and use of e-cigarettes and HTP. We tracked transitions over that period and reported risk ratios (RR) and corresponding 95% CIs for changes in smoking in relation to baseline use of e-cigarettes and HTPs. RESULTS: Never cigarette smokers who used e-cigarettes at baseline were much more likely to start smoking (compared with never users, RR 8.78; 95% CI: 5.65 to 13.65) and current HTP users (RR 5.80; 95% CI: 3.65 to 9.20). Among ex-smokers, relapse (17.2%) at follow-up was more likely among e-cigarette (RR 4.25; 95% CI: 2.40 to 7.52) and HTP users (RR 3.32; 95% CI: 2.05 to 5.37). Among current smokers at baseline, those who had continued smoking at follow-up were 85.4% overall. These were more frequently current novel product users (compared with non-users, RR 1.10; 95% CI: 1.02 to 1.19 for e-cigarette users; RR 1.17; 95% CI: 1.10 to 1.23 for HTP users). CONCLUSIONS: Both e-cigarette and HTP use predict starting smoking and relapse, and appear to reduce smoking cessation. Due to the limited sample size within specific strata, the association with quitting smoking should be confirmed by larger prospective studies. These findings do not support the use of e-cigarettes and HTPs in tobacco control as a consumer product, at least in Italy.

Factors associated with a change in smoking habit during the first COVID-19 lockdown: an Italian cross-sectional study among ever-smokers.

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic and the lockdown period lasted from March to May 2020, resulted in a highly stressful situation yielding different negative health consequences, including the worsening of smoking habit. METHODS: A web-based cross-sectional study on a convenient sample of 1013 Italian ever smokers aged 18 years or more was conducted. Data were derived from surveys compiled by three different groups of people: subjects belonging to Smoking Cessation Services, Healthcare Providers and Nursing Sciences' students. All institutions were from Northern Italy. The primary outcome self-reported worsening (relapse or increase) or improvement (quit or reduce) of smoking habit during lockdown period. Multiple unconditional (for worsening) and multinomial (for improving) logistic regressions were carried out. RESULTS: Among 962 participants, 56.0% were ex-smokers. Overall, 13.2% of ex-smokers before lockdown reported relapsing and 32.7% of current smokers increasing cigarette intake. Among current smokers before lockdown, 10.1% quit smoking and 13.5% decreased cigarette intake. Out of 7 selected stressors related to COVID-19, four were significantly related to relapse (OR for the highest vs. the lowest tertile ranging between 2.24 and 3.62): fear of being infected and getting sick; fear of dying due to the virus; anxiety in listening to news of the epidemic; sense of powerlessness in protecting oneself from contagion. In addition to these stressors, even the other 3 stressors were related with increasing cigarette intensity (OR ranging between 1.90 and 4.18): sense of powerlessness in protecting loved ones from contagion; fear of losing loved ones due to virus; fear of infecting other. CONCLUSION: The lockdown during the COVID-19 pandemic was associated with both self-reported relapse or increase smoking habit and also quitting or reduction of it.

COVID-19 lockdown impact on familial relationships and mental health in a large representative sample of Italian adults.

PURPOSE: Benefits of national-level stay-at-home order imposed in Italy to prevent SARS-CoV-2 transmission need to be carefully weighed against its impact on citizens' health. In a country with a strong familial culture and where welfare relies on households, confinement drastically decreased support provided by elder relatives, which may have resulted in mental health worsening. METHODS: A web-based cross-sectional study (LOST in Italy) was conducted on a representative sample of Italian adults during lockdown (27th of April-3rd of May 2020). We asked 3156 subjects to report on reduced help in housework and childcare from retired parents to assess the impact of confinement on mental health, through validated scales before and during lockdown. RESULTS: Overall, 1484 (47.0%) subjects reported reduced housework help from parents, and 769 (64.0%, of the 1202 subjects with children) diminished babysitting support. Subjects reporting reduced housework help had worsened sleep quality (multivariate odds ratio, OR = 1.74, 95% confidence interval, CI 1.49-2.03) and quantity (OR = 1.50, 95% CI 1.28-1.76), depressive (OR = 1.32, 95% CI 1.14-1.53) and anxiety symptoms (OR = 1.53, 95% CI 1.32-1.78), compared to those reporting unreduced help. Worsening in sleep quality (OR = 2.32, 95% CI 1.76-3.05), and quantity (OR = 1.80, 95% CI 1.36-2.37), depressive (OR = 1.79, 95% CI 1.39-2.31) and anxiety symptoms (OR = 1.90, 95% CI 1.48-2.46) was also associated with reduced babysitting help. Mental health outcomes were worse in subjects with poorer housing and teleworking during lockdown. CONCLUSION: Confinement came along with reduced familial support from parents, negatively impacting household members' mental health. Our findings might inform evidence-based family and welfare policies to promote population health within and beyond pandemic times.

Changes in a Mediterranean lifestyle during the COVID-19 pandemic among elderly Italians: an analysis of gender and socioeconomic inequalities in the "LOST in Lombardia" study.

Little is known on potential socioeconomic and gender disparities in dietary changes during the COVID-19 pandemic. We conducted a telephone-based survey during fall 2020 on 4400 participants representative of the population aged 65-99 years living in Lombardy, Italy. Changes in a Mediterranean lifestyle were assessed retrospectively by scoring modifications in the consumption of nine food groups and five diet-related behaviours compared to 2019. A Mediterranean COVID-19 Pandemic Score (MedCovid-19 Score) was computed, reflecting changes during pandemic, with increasing values indicating improvements in line with a Mediterranean lifestyle. Predictors of favourable dietary changes (MedCovid-19 Score ≥ 1) were education (odds ratio [OR] = 1.52; 95% confidence interval 1.19-1.95 for postgraduate vs. lower), wealth (OR = 1.52; 1.14-2.02 for high vs. low) and skilled manual occupations (OR = 1.57; 1.28-1.92 vs. white collars). Women were more likely than men to move away from a Mediterranean lifestyle (OR = 1.86; 1.58-2.21). In conclusions, changes towards a Mediterranean lifestyle were disproportionately distributed across gender and socioeconomic strata.

Food advertising during children's television programmes in Italy.

OBJECTIVE: Previous studies from European countries noted that food products promoted on TV for children did not comply with international guidelines, including the World Health Organization European Nutrient Profile Model (WHO-ENPM) and the EU Pledge Nutrition Criteria (EU-PNC, an initiative developed by leading food companies). We aim to provide new data from Italy. DESIGN: Evaluation of Italian TV advertisements. Data on nutritional values for food product advertised were compared with nutritional standards issued by the WHO-ENPM and the EU-PNC. SETTING: In total, 180 h of TV programmes from six Italian channels, 2016-2017. PARTICIPANTS: Eight hundred and ten consecutive advertisements during children's programmes. RESULTS: Out of 810 advertisements, 90 (11·1 %) referred to food products. Among these, 84·5 % of the foods promoted did not meet the WHO-ENPM and 55·6 % the EU-PNC guidelines. Advertisements promoting sweet and salty snacks (i.e. ≥ 70 % of all foods) v. other food products showed higher non-compliance with both the WHO-ENPM (OR: 73·8; 95 % CI: 4·09, 1330) and the EU-PNC (OR: 9·21; 95 % CI: 2·82, 30·1). CONCLUSIONS: In Italy, most food advertisements during children's programmes are not compliant with European nutritional standards. Almost all the advertisements for snacks do not meet international guidelines. As the WHO-ENPM guidelines do not propose standards for all the food products, including meals, there is an urgent need to define independent and easy-to-read guidelines for food advertisements targeting children. As a first step towards the complete ban of food advertisements targeting children recommended by other researchers, these guidelines should be enforced by all the TV broadcasts.

Consequences of COVID-19 pandemic on weight gain and physical activity: a prospective cohort study from Italy.

INTRODUCTION: It is crucial to monitor changes in body weight and physical activity (PA) to understand if short-term effects of COVID-19 pandemic have had implications over time. METHODS: This longitudinal study is based on data from 4,831 Italians aged 18-74 years interviewed during the first phase of COVID-19 pandemic (April-May 2020) and two years later (February-March 2022). Changes in body weight and PA were assessed through multivariable analyses in association with socio-demographic and psychological characteristics. RESULTS: Over the two years, 17.4% reported a weight gain of at least 5 kg and 32.8% a decreased PA by at least 4 hours per week. Weight gain and decreased PA were more frequent in participants from the less wealthy areas, with lower educational level and those who reported a worsening in mental health. CONCLUSIONS: After two years from the start of the pandemic, in Italy we observed a trend toward a renormalization of body weight and PA. The segments of the population mostly affected by the pandemic are subjects with more disadvantaged socio-economic status and with an impaired mental health.

Cannabis use in repeated representative cross-sectional studies on Italian adults after the COVID-19 pandemic.

Lockdown measures in response to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 yielded dramatic changes in drug consumption. A cross-sectional study was conducted on a representative sample of 6003 Italian adults (18-74 years) in April-May 2020 - reporting information before lockdown and at the time of interview - and two years later (i.e., in February-March 2022). Italian adults using cannabis decreased from 7.0% in pre-pandemic to 5.9% during lockdown (percent change -15.7%) and to 6.7% in 2022 (-4.3%). The reduction was particularly evident among adults aged 55-74 years, whereas cannabis use strongly increased among those aged 18-34 years. In the last period considered (2022), cannabis use was significantly more frequent in men (adjusted odds ratio, OR = 1.43), adults aged 18-34 years (p-trend <0.001), individuals with a low or high level of education (OR = 1.42 and 1.46, respectively), those from Central or Southern Italy/islands (OR = 1.50 and 1.38, respectively), and those with an economic status above the average (OR = 3.07). In 2022, cannabis use was also more frequently reported in current smokers (OR = 3.52), current e-cigarette and heated tobacco product users (OR = 6.09 and 2.94, respectively), individuals with a risky alcohol consumption (OR = 4.60), gamblers (OR = 3.76), those with anxiety and depression (OR = 2.50 and 2.80, respectively), those using psychotropic drugs (OR = 8.96), those with a low quality of life (OR = 1.91), and those sleeping less (OR = 1.42). After the COVID-19 pandemic, cannabis use was more frequent in individuals with other addictive behaviours, and with anxiety and depressive symptoms.

COVID-19 pandemic impact on mental health in a large representative sample of older adults from the Lombardy region, Italy.

BACKGROUND: We aimed to assess the prevalence of depressive and anxiety symptoms, hopelessness and insomnia in the older adults before and during the COVID-19 pandemic identifying subgroups at higher risk of mental distress. METHODS: Within the Lost in Lombardy project, a web-based cross-sectional study was conducted on a representative sample of 4400 older adults aged 65 years or more from the Lombardy region recruited between November 17th and 30th 2020. RESULTS: The prevalence of depressive symptoms increased by +112 % during the pandemic, anxiety symptoms by +136 %, insufficient sleep by +12 %, unsatisfactory sleep by +15 %. Feelings of hopelessness were more frequent among women compared to men and increased with increasing age. A worsening in each of the four specific mental health outcomes was more frequently observed in women (OR = 1.50, depression; OR = 1.31, anxiety; OR = 1.57, sleep quality; OR = 1.38, sleep quantity), in subjects who decreased their physical activity during the pandemic (OR = 1.64, depression; OR = 1.48, anxiety; OR = 2.05, sleep quality; OR = 1.28, sleep quantity), and with increasing number of pre-existing chronic diseases. The use of at least one psychotropic drug - mostly antidepressants/anxiolytics - increased by +26 % compared to pre-pandemic. LIMITATIONS: Pre-pandemic symptoms were retrospectively reported during the Covid pandemic. Potential information and recall bias should not be ruled out. CONCLUSIONS: If confirmed by future longitudinal studies, our findings could support evidence-based health and welfare policies on responding to this pandemic and on how to promote mental health and wellbeing, should future waves of infection emerge.

Smoking intensity changes during the COVID-19 pandemic waves in a cohort of smokers in Italy.

INTRODUCTION: COVID-19 lockdown in Italy resulted in increased smoking consumption, mainly associated with mental distress. This study aims to update previous findings investigating changes in smoking intensity during the whole COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: This analysis was carried out within the "LOST IN ITALY" ("LOckdown and lifeSTyle IN ITALY") and "LOST IN TOSCANA" studies on 880 smokers with information collected during main pandemic peaks. Changes in cigarettes/day were investigated in association with survey-periods, socio-demographic and psychological characteristics through a linear mixed-model. RESULTS: Net of psychological distress and socio-demographic variables, in comparison to pre-pandemic period cigarettes/day increased by 1.16 during lockdown, and remained over half higher subsequently. In the overall period, an increase of >1 cigarette/day was also associated to lower education, older age, male gender and psychotropics drugs use. CONCLUSIONS: After 2 years of pandemic, cigarettes/day have not yet returned to the pre-pandemic levels, mainly due to socio-demographic factors, but also to nicotine addiction, that tends to stabilize consumption.

Prevalence and Correlates of Overweight, Obesity and Physical Activity in Italian Children and Adolescents from Lombardy, Italy.

Investigating pediatric overweight and physical activity correlates is essential to design effective preventive programs. We used regional data (Lombardy, northern Italy) from the 2019 survey "OKKio alla Salute" (3093 children aged 8-9 years with measured anthropometric data), and from the 2018 wave of the "Health Behaviour in School-aged Children" survey (2916 adolescents aged 11-15 years with self-reported anthropometric data). In both the surveys, a cluster sampling methodology was used. Unconditional multiple logistic regression models were applied to estimate the odds ratios (OR) and corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CI) of overweight, obesity and poor physical activity. The prevalence of overweight (including obesity) was 22.4% for children aged 8-9 years and 14.4% for adolescents aged 11-15 years. A higher prevalence of overweight was observed among males, children with greater birth weight and those with obese parents. Scant physical activity was higher among females and older adolescents. There was a direct relationship between obesity and increased psychological distress (OR = 2.44; 95% CI: 1.12-5.27) or being victims of bullying (OR = 2.25; 95% CI: 1.17-4.34). Increasing physical activity significantly decreased the frequency of mental health outcomes. Prevention campaigns should be promoted to safeguard childhood physical and psychological wellbeing.

COVID-19 lockdown: The relationship between trait impulsivity and addictive behaviors in a large representative sample of Italian adults.

BACKGROUND: The importance of trait impulsivity in development, continuation and escalation of addictive behaviors has long been recognized. METHODS: A cross-sectional population-based survey was conducted during the COVID-19 lockdown on 6003 Italian adults aged 18-74 years, representative of the Italian general population, to investigate the relationship between impulsivity (Barratt Impulsiveness Scale - BIS) and selected addictive behaviors (gambling habits, smoking status, cannabis use, average alcohol daily use). RESULTS: A statistically significant relationship was found between motor impulsivity and starting/increasing drinking and increasing gambling (high vs. low motor impulsivity: multivariate odds ratio, OR=3.12; 95% confidence interval, CI: 1.45-6.74; p for trend=0.004 for start and OR=1.53; 95% CI: 1.26-1.86; p for trend<0.001 for increase drinking, respectively; OR=2.09; 95% CI: 1.41-3.12; p for trend<0.001 for increasing gambling). LIMITATIONS: Potential information and recall bias. The necessity to limit the length of the questionnaire not to reduce the quality of the answers of study participants. CONCLUSIONS: The multifaceted nature of impulsivity, potentially either cause or effect, hampers the understanding of its proper role in addictive behaviors. If confirmed by future longitudinal studies, our findings might support the planning, implementation and monitoring of evidence-based preventive interventions, to reduce addictive behaviors during public health emergencies.

Use of electronic cigarettes and heated tobacco products during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Only a few studies investigated changes in electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) and heated tobacco product (HTP) use during pandemic restrictions. We conducted a web-based cross-sectional study of a representative sample of 6,003 Italian adults during the strictest phase of the Covid-19 lockdown (April-May 2020). Participants were asked to report changes in e-cigarette and HTP use compared to before the pandemic. E-cigarette users increased from 8.1% to 9.1% and HTP users from 4.0% to 4.5%. Among e-cigarette non-users before lockdown, 1.8% started using e-cigarettes during lockdown. New users were more frequently younger (p for trend 0.001), men (odds ratio, OR 1.56; 95% confidence interval, CI: 1.03-2.34), cannabis users (OR 2.35; 95% CI: 1.33-4.13), gamblers (OR 3.34; 95% CI: 2.18-5.11) and individuals with anxiety symptoms (OR 1.58; 95% CI: 1.00-2.52). 1.0% of HTP non-users started using it during lockdown. New users were less frequently current than never cigarette smokers (OR 0.19; 95% CI: 0.06-0.61) and more frequently gamblers (OR 2.23; 95% CI: 1.22-4.07). E-cigarettes and HTPs played little role as smoking cessation tools for hardcore smokers but rather provided opportunities for young never smokers to engage in socially acceptable activities, perhaps reflecting the obstacles they faced in obtaining other addictive substances during confinement.

The Impact of COVID-19 Confinement on Tinnitus and Hearing Loss in Older Adults: Data From the LOST in Lombardia Study.

Background: Although a direct relationship between tinnitus or hearing difficulties and COVID-19 has been suggested, current literature provides inconsistent results, and no research has been undertaken in older adults. Methods: In November 2020, we conducted the LOST in Lombardia survey, a telephone-based cross-sectional study on a sample of 4,400 individuals representative of the general population aged ≥65 years from Lombardy region, Northern Italy. Individuals with diagnosed tinnitus and/or hearing loss were asked whether their conditions had improved or deteriorated in 2020 compared to 2019. Results: Overall, 8.1% of older adults reported a diagnosis of tinnitus and 10.5% of hearing loss. In 2020 compared to 2019, among individuals with tinnitus, those with increasing severity (5.0%) were similar to those decreasing it (5.3%). Among individuals with hearing loss, more people reported an increase (13.6%) than a decrease (3.2%) in their disease severity. No individual with a diagnosis in 2020 of tinnitus (n = 6) or hearing loss (n = 13) had COVID-19. The incidence of tinnitus was lower in 2020 (rate: 14.8 per 10,000 person-years) than in previous years (rate in 1990-2019: 36.0 per 10,000 person-years; p = 0.026). There was no change in the incidence of hearing loss (p = 0.134). Conclusions: In this large representative sample of older adults, on average neither COVID-19 confinement nor SARS-CoV-2 infection appeared to increase the severity or incidence of tinnitus. The increased severity of hearing difficulties may totally or partially be explained by physiologic deterioration of the condition, or by a misperception due to the use of face-masks.

COVID-19 confinement impact on weight gain and physical activity in the older adult population: Data from the LOST in Lombardia study.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: COVID-19 containment measures significantly impacted lifestyle of the general population, including physical activity. Although the older adults are particularly susceptible to the potential consequences of sedentary lifestyle and inactivity, few studies investigated pandemic effects in this segment of the population. We aimed to evaluate COVID-19 pandemic effects on weight gain and physical activity in the Italian older adults, and assess the impact of possible changes in physical activity on mental health wellbeing. METHODS: In November 2020, a cross-sectional survey was conducted on a representative sample of 4400 older adults (aged 65 or more) from the Lombardy region, Northern Italy. Changes in body mass index (BMI) and physical activity were assessed, compared to the previous year. Using unconditional multiple logistic models, we estimated the odds ratios (OR) and the corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CI) of a decrease in physical activity during COVID-19 pandemic and we evaluated if decreased physical activity was a determinant of a worsening in psychological wellbeing. RESULTS: Neither weight gain nor increase in obesity prevalence occurred during the pandemic. Mean time spent in physical activity significantly decreased, with 43.8% of participants reporting a decrease of 1 h/week or more during COVID-19 pandemic. A decreased physical activity was determinant of a worsening of selected mental health outcomes, such as: sleep quality (OR = 2.45; 95% CI: 1.91-3.15) and quantity (OR = 1.54; 95% CI: 1.18-2.02), anxiety (OR = 1.31; 95% CI: 1.14-1.52) and depressive symptoms (OR = 1.61; 95% CI: 1.38-1.88). CONCLUSION: During the COVID-19 pandemic, while no major changes in BMI were observed, physical activity significantly declined in the older adults. In this population, the lack of physical activity might have contributed to the observed worsening in mental health. During emergency periods, encouraging physical activity might be effective also to preserve psychological wellbeing.

Prevalence and Correlates of Overweight and Obesity in 12 European Countries in 2017-2018.

INTRODUCTION: Using data from the TackSHS survey, we aim to provide updated estimates on the prevalence and determinants of overweight and obesity in Europe. METHODS: A face-to-face survey was conducted in 2017-2018 in 12 European countries (Bulgaria, England, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Poland, Portugal, Romania, and Spain). Overall, 10,810 participants, representative in each country of the general adult population, provided information on self-reported height and weight. RESULTS: Almost half of participants (48.1%; 95% confidence interval, CI: 47.2-49.1) reported to be overweight or obese (54.1% in men and 42.5% in women) and 12.6% (95% CI: 12.0-13.2) obese (11.3% in men and 13.8% in women). Obesity prevalence was lowest in Italy (7.5%) and France (8.8%) and highest in Greece (19.7%) and Romania (21.1%). Multilevel logistic random-effects analyses showed that prevalence of obesity was related with higher age and lower level of education and socioeconomic status. As compared to northern European countries, Western and Southern European ones showed a significantly lower obesity prevalence. When compared to a companion study conducted in 2010, Eastern and Northern European countries showed an increased trend in obesity prevalence. Conversely, countries with the lowest obesity prevalence (less than 10%), such as Italy and France, showed a decreased trend. CONCLUSIONS: Despite a large heterogeneity across countries, overweight and obesity prevalence estimates in Europe are alarming, with most of the countries reporting obesity prevalence approaching 20% or more, particularly in Eastern and Northern Europe. Since 2010, obesity prevalence increased in most of these countries.