ABSTRACT
Introduction: Despite global immunization efforts, rubella remains a public health concern, particularly in high- and middle-income countries. This study focused on rubella seroprevalence in the province of Florence, Italy, aiming to identify susceptibility clusters, especially among women in their childbearing age. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted between April 2018 and December 2019, enrolling 430 adult subjects (age over 18 years). Serum samples were collected, and anti-rubella antibodies were quantified using the ELISA test. Data were analyzed descriptively and compared by sex, nationality, and age groups using statistical tests. Results: The overall rubella seroprevalence was high (92.3%), with no significant differences between genders or nationalities. Among childbearing-age females (18-49 years), the highest seroprevalence was observed in the 30-39 age group (94.1%). However, susceptibility clusters exceeding the 5% threshold set by WHO were identified, especially in females aged 40-49 years (7.0%). Conclusions: Despite high overall seroprevalence, the study identified pockets of susceptibility, even in childbearing age women. Continuous monitoring, targeted immunization strategies, and public health interventions are recommended to maintain rubella elimination, emphasizing the importance of sustained vaccination efforts to protect vulnerable populations.
ABSTRACT
The premises, questions and methodological problems of a multicentre study aimed at describing the epidemiology of patients' problems that require a nursing intervention are described. The main points and methodological challenges are presented and discussed: (a.) the choice of focusing on patients cared for in Nursing homes and districts because a. they are complex, originate very high nursing workload, b. few studies and data from the nursing point of view are produced; c. information on everyday care and problems are lacking, d. they are marginal populations both in research and organization of care; (b.) the need of involving nurses in a surveillance exercise, to increase the attention on problems, their causes and potential avoidability, focusing the attention on problems related to drugs and devices; (c.) the importance-and challenge- of describing what happens in everyday' care, taking in account the variability related to contexts and people. The recognition of a problem is, in fact, related to factors such as the knowledge of the patient and his/her story, the level of knowledge and expertise of the nurse, the attention paid, the context and the organization. The main lessons learned are summarised.
