Antibiotic resistance: is knowledge the only driver for awareness and appropriate use of antibiotics?

BACKGROUND: The fight against antibiotic resistance (AR) is nowadays a world priority. Antibiotic resistance is largely associated with the overuse of antibiotics and a lack of awareness of the problem. Considering the large use of antibiotics in the paediatric age, the aim of this study was to investigate the knowledge and perception of antibiotic resistance in a sample of parents. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted on a sample of parents of children aged 0-14. Data on antibiotic use and awareness of antibiotic resistance were collected by a self-administrated questionnaire. The potential predictors of the antibiotic resistance awareness were evaluated using a multivariate logistic regression model. RESULTS: The questionnaire was completed by 610 parents of which 91% (n=553) used antibiotics for their children. Summarizing the answers related to antibiotic resistance knowledge and perception, 36% of parents gave a correct answers to at least 9 of 12 questions. Fever seemed to represent a reason of anxiety in parents. Using a 10-point scale, the perceived anxiety by parents was measured based on a situation when the child wakes up in the morning with a fever at 38°C and the doctor suggests to wait at least 48 hours before administering the antibiotic. Almost half of parents (49%) indicated a low degree of anxiety (1-4), 31% medium (5-6), and 20% high (7-10). Multivariate analysis showed that a good level of education, healthcare occupation and low grade of anxiety are associated with antibiotic resistance awareness. CONCLUSIONS: The awareness of antibiotic resistance is not strong. The study highlights the need to put effort on tailored education programs aimed to improve knowledge of antibiotic resistance and guide mainly anxious parents to appropriate management of disease of their children.

Willingness to pay for risky lifestyles: results from the Pay for Others (PAY4O) study, Italy.

OBJECTIVES: We assess the individual willingness to pay for diseases arising from risky lifestyles and investigate the personal factors that influence such willingness. STUDY DESIGN: We conducted an online survey with 821 respondents in Italy. The questionnaire was distributed via Facebook® in July and August 2016. The questionnaire covered sociodemographic characteristics, health status, behaviour and psychological attitudes, economic status, and opinion about covering the healthcare costs related to overeating, unhealthy diet, sedentary lifestyles, alcohol abuse, tobacco smoking, driving under the influence of alcohol, and illegal drug use by. METHODS: We performed the following: (1) the study of the patterns in the dependent variables by principal component analysis; (2) analysis of the determinants by Holdout Variable Importance measure obtained in Random Forest; and (3) we used ordered logit models. RESULTS: Participants agreed with the idea that public health care should be provided for problems arising from bad eating habits and sedentary lifestyle (50.4%), whereas the health care consequences of the other risky behaviours should not be publicly financed by the Italian National Health Service. CONCLUSIONS: Our study gives an overview of the willingness to pay of a population living in a country where financing of the Health Service is based on general taxation. So, these results may be generalized, with due caution, to all the countries where the Health Service offers universal coverage and is operated by the government, but of course not to scenarios related to market-based or social health insurance systems.

Does evidence support the use of mobile phone apps as a driver for promoting healthy lifestyles from a public health perspective? A systematic review of Randomized Control Trials.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this systematic review was to find a scientific evidence on the efficacy of apps in promoting healthy lifestyles. METHODS: The research was carried out according to PRISMA Statement. Pubmed, Embase and Google Scholar searches were carried out up to September 2016 focusing on randomized control trials (RCTs). RESULTS: Forty RCTs were selected. Most of the studies targeted weight management, PA and healthy eating (N=35). A few RCTs focused on apps designed to sun protection, smoking cessation and alcohol consumption (N=5). Only 10 RCTs (25%) found statistical difference between intervention and control groups for all the outcomes measured. Most of the studies had a short follow-up (65%, less than 6 months) and half of them a very small sample size (fewer than 100 subjects). CONCLUSION: Overall, the evidence so far showed a modest efficacy of apps in health promotion. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: There is a need to improve the overall quality of intervention studies focused on mobile apps in order to understand if they could became a valuable tool in support of health professionals and their efforts to promote education and health.

Are 6-8 year old Italian children moving away from the Mediterranean diet?

BACKGROUND: The Mediterranean diet (MD) is considered one of the healthiest dietary models, as it decreases the risk of chronic diseases and may modulate the organism's early response to environmental pollution. In recent decades, Mediterranean countries have been replacing their traditional diet with other less healthy eating habits, especially among children and teenagers. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the MD and the level of adherence to it in 6-8 year old Italian children, in relation to residence, lifestyle, and social and family contexts. METHODS: A questionnaire was administered to the children's parents in two seasons in 5 Italian towns. The diet section contained 116 questions investigating the frequency of consumption of different types of food. The Italian Mediterranean Index (IMI) was calculated according to the intake of 6 typical Mediterranean and 4 non-Mediterranean foods. On the basis of IMI score, MD adherence was classified as low (≤ 3 IMI score), medium (4-5) and high (≥ 6). Total energy load and diet composition in micro- and macronutrients were calculated from consumption frequency. RESULTS: Diet analysis was computed on 1164 subjects with two complete questionnaires. Body mass index, calculated for each subject, showed that 28.9% of the children were overweight, the figure varying slightly with area of residence. Our findings showed that 59.0% of the children had a low score for MD adherence. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study showed that most Italian children did not follow the MD and socio-economic characteristics appeared not to be associated with type of diet.

Feasibility and reliability of a questionnaire for evaluation of the exposure to indoor and outdoor air pollutants, diet and physical activity in 6-8-year-old children.

INTRODUCTION: The MAPEC-Life project aims to study the biological effects of early exposure to air pollutants on the oral mucosa cells of school-age children in five Italian cities. A questionnaire was created to evaluate the association between outdoor and indoor airborne pollutants, lifestyle, diet and biomarker effects. The feasibility and reliability of the questionnaire were evaluated. METHODS: A questionnaire was drawn up to be filled in by the parents of 6-8-year-old children. It consisted of 148 questions on the children's health, physical activity, environmental exposures and the frequency of food consumption at the main meals. First we conducted a questionnaire feasibility study involving 53 volunteer parents. We then performed a reliability study by administering the questionnaire to a further 156 parents and again one month later (test/retest method). The correlations between answers at the first and second administration of the questionnaire were evaluated using the Kappa statistic and Spearman's coefficient. RESULTS: After verifying the feasibility of the questionnaire, we conducted a reliability analysis on 132 completed questionnaires. The percentage of agreement between the first and the second responses given was over 70%, all K values being greater than 0.6. The analysis of calories and macronutrients also showed good agreement. CONCLUSIONS: The questionnaire drawn up for the study proved to be sufficiently reliable for gathering information about the factors of interest in our study of the relationship between air pollution and early biological effects in children.

Monitoring air pollution effects on children for supporting public health policy: the protocol of the prospective cohort MAPEC study.

INTRODUCTION: Genotoxic biomarkers have been studied largely in adult population, but few studies so far have investigated them in children exposed to air pollution. Children are a high-risk group as regards the health effects of air pollution and some studies suggest that early exposure during childhood can play an important role in the development of chronic diseases in adulthood. The objective of the project is to evaluate the associations between the concentration of urban air pollutants and biomarkers of early biological effect in children, and to propose a model for estimating the global risk of early biological effects due to air pollutants and other factors in children. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: Two biomarkers of early biological effects, DNA damage by the comet assay and the micronuclei (MN) test, will be investigated in oral mucosa cells of 6-8-year-old children. Concurrently, some toxic airborne pollutants (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) and nitro-PAH) and in vitro air mutagenicity and toxicity in ultra-fine air particulates (PM0.5) will be evaluated. Furthermore, demographic and socioeconomic variables, other sources of exposures to air pollutants and lifestyle variables will be assessed by a structured questionnaire. The associations between sociodemographic, environmental and other exposure variables and biomarkers of early biological effect using univariate and multivariate models will be analysed. A tentative model for calculating the global absolute risk of having early biological effects caused by air pollution and other variables will be proposed. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: The project has been approved by the Ethics Committees of the local Health Authorities. The results will be communicated to local Public Health Agencies, for supporting educational programmes and health policy strategies. LIFE+2012 Environment Policy and Governance. LIFE12 ENV/IT/000614.

'You've got m@il: fluoxetine coming soon!': accessibility and quality of a prescription drug sold on the web.

BACKGROUND: The increasing phenomenon of online pharmacies has potential for serious public health problems. This study aimed to evaluate the possibility of accessing a prescription drug in the absence of a prescription for an Italian purchaser. METHODS: Fluoxetine pills were ordered from several online pharmacies. The study included website analysis, and the quality of the received product including packaging, chemical and microbiological analyses. RESULTS: Orders could be placed correctly on 61 of the 98 selected websites, and a sales transaction was concluded successfully on 17 websites. Thirteen drug samples were eventually received. In one case it was necessary to fill in a questionnaire before ordering the drugs. All websites displayed aggressive marketing strategies. There was wide variation in terms of domain registration, company base (when declared) and manufacturer's location (mostly India). All pills were delivered in sealed blister packs showing the lot number and manufacturer's details. A leaflet was enclosed in one case only. In three cases we received more pills than ordered, and in one case Viagra pills as a free gift. Pharmacopoeia microbiological requirements were satisfied. Chemical analysis revealed that the active principle was always present, although many samples did not meet the Pharmacopoeia "other impurities" or "total impurities" criteria. Heavy metals and solvents regulated by the Pharmacopoeia did not exceed the set limits; some of the non-regulated ones were also assessed, in some cases with a positive result (e.g. styrene). CONCLUSION: About 20% of purchase attempts resulted in delivery of the drugs, even in the absence of a medical prescription. Traceability was poor and drug quality was generally worse compared to conventional pharmacy-purchased products. Based on all these broad-spectrum results, user safety appears not to be globally guaranteed.

[Health on front page: a content analysis of the main Italian newspapers in two months of 2009]. / La salute in prima pagina: una content analysis delle principali testate giornalistiche italiane in due mesi del 2009.

UNLABELLED: The increasing availability of health information appears to be associated with new citizen and patient behaviours and opinions, with repercussions on medicalization and the allocation of resources; consequently, the mass media's focus on health topics is greatly talked-about. THE AIMS OF OUR STUDY WERE: 1) to verify and quantify overall health news in the main Italian newspapers, 2) to quantify the presence of the same news on the front page, 3) to identify health news types, and 4) highlight the tone of the headlines. The July and November 2009 issues of the Italian newspapers with the highest circulations were taken into consideration. Most of the newspapers published at least one health item per issue; each day at least one daily paper showed some news concerning health; more than 10% of these items appeared on the front page. A negative connotation was found in more than 50% of the headlines. Health was confirmed as a leading topic, and a constant presence in everyday life in Italy. The number of health news items was higher in November probably as a result of the H1N1 flu virus.

[Alcohol consumption among high school students in Brescia, Italy]. / Indagine sui consumi, atteggiamenti e conoscenze nei confronti delle bevande alcoliche tra gli studenti delle scuole secondarie di secondo grado di Brescia.

A random sample of 1,495 high school student of 9th and 13th grade in Brescia, North Italy, were interviewed about their alcohol consumption, knowledge and attitudes using an anonymous self-administered questionnaire. The percentages of students who usually consumed alcoholic beverage, were 39.7% and 30.3% in males and females, respectively, in 9th grade students and were 51.4% and 23.8% in males and females, respectively, in 13th grade students. The frequency of drunkenness during the month previous the interview was, among 9th graders: 6.9% males and 8.7% females; among 13th graders: 20.7% males and 13.3% females. The following variables were positively associated with alcohol consumption: 1) regular smoking; 2) peer alcohol drinking (best friend and partner); 3) parents' alcohol consumption. When comparing the present survey with a previously carried out in 1989, similar results were found as regards alcohol consumption; on the contrary higher prevalence of drunkenness was found in the 2008 survey, that in the 1989 one.

[Public health professionals and the Internet: usage patterns and perception]. / I professionisti di sanità pubblica ed Internet: pattern di utilizzo e percezione del fenomeno.

The internet has deeply changed our way to communicate, transforming society, and the world of health has been consequently influenced by this communicational revolution. Aim of the study was to investigate the web utilization and perception by the Italian health professionals, using an online questionnaire. A sample of 490 health professionals responded to the questionnaire. Almost all the responders use the internet, for work and leisure, and they are aware that this communication tool influences a lot both their knowledge and opinions. Internet is perceived as a useful and positive mean for accessing and spreading information by health professionals and health institutions, even if a worried attitude is expressed regarding to access to online health information by the general population. The broaden access to health information through the web opens new scenarios to future health systems. This evolving communication change poses to public health the challenge to get the benefits that internet can potentially generate, minimising the risks that at the same time can arise.

Do mechanical doctors dream of electric sheep? Using science fiction to look into the future of public health.

At a first glance, it may seem that science fiction (SF) and public health have not much in common. To enlighten that this could be untrue, this paper starts up from their shared 'community perspective' and focuses on several implications of technological development, which can have a great impact on health and have been in some ways anticipated by SF stories. For example, SF has-more or less directly-discussed about the complex relationship between society, medicine and happiness, and it has anticipated several reflections in the field of advances in genetic technology. Beside tackling specific issues, SF has made a deep reflection about technology itself, the way it frightens and the way it could potentially change people and society. While facing these issues, SF raises questions that can be useful to public health as well, in order to rediscover its role in a world rapidly changing.

Alcohol and coffee drinking and smoking habit among subjects with HCV infection.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: The aims were to estimate among patients with hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection the prevalence of alcohol and coffee intake and smoking habit, the reliability of these self-reported data and the possible change of patients' habit after their first contact with a Viral Hepatitis Service. METHODS: 229 patients were initially interviewed personally at the Viral Hepatitis Service and after 6 months they were re-interviewed by phone in regard to their alcohol, coffee drinking and smoking habits. RESULTS: Alcohol drinkers were 55.5% of males and 35.3% of females. Most subjects drank coffee daily, both men (90.0%) and women (84.9%). The proportion of current smokers was higher in males (43.6%) than females (26.9%). We found a fair to good reliability of self-reported data regarding patients' habits, alcohol and coffee intake, and number of cigarettes smoked daily. We observed a statistically significant decrease in alcohol and coffee intake and cigarettes smoked between baseline and follow-up interviews. CONCLUSION: We found a fairly high proportion of HCV-infected patients who regularly drink alcohol and coffee beverages and smoke cigarettes, especially among males. The reliability of self-reported data on these habits seems satisfactory. More decisive action to modify these habits, especially alcohol intake, is required in these patients.

Health-related quality of life in older people using benzodiazepines: a cross-sectional study.

Aim of this study is to investigate the QoL older people making regular use of BDZ. All subjects aged 65-84 years attending their General Practitioners were invited to fill in a questionnaire about their consumption of BDZ and all the subjects consuming BDZ to fill in the Medical Outcome Measures Short Form-36 (MOS SF-36) and the Primary Care Evaluation of Mental Disorders (PRIME-MD) questionnaires. A total of 2,246 subjects used BDZ and 1,109 (49.4%) of them filled in the MOS SF-36 questionnaire. 1,005 of these participants also completed the PRIME-MD questionnaire (90.6%). The presence of sleep disorders and the characteristics of the BDZ used were not associated with any score in the MOS SF-36 questionnaire, whereas the Prime diagnosis was the most important predictor, since subjects with depression and/or anxiety had a lower mean score on each scale than subjects without disorders. Among a sample of Italian seniors taking BDZ, QoL was associated with the presence of anxiety and/or depression. Age, gender, education and the presence of cardiovascular diseases or stroke were associated with specific aspects of QoL, when anxiety and depression were controlled for.

Southern Europe as an example of interaction between various environmental factors: a systematic review of the epidemiologic evidence.

Hepatitis B virus (HBV), hepatitis C virus (HCV) and alcohol consumption are major causes of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) worldwide. We performed a systematic review of epidemiologic studies carried out on HCC aetiology in Southern Europe, an area with an intermediate-high prevalence of these agents as well as of putative risk factors such as tobacco smoking, diabetes and obesity. To retrieve the articles, we performed a Medline search for titles and abstracts of articles. After the Medline search, we reviewed the papers and reference lists to identify additional articles. A synergism between HCV infection and HBV infection, overt (hepatitis B virus antigen (HbsAg) positivity) or occult (HBsAg negativity with presence of HBV DNA in liver or serum), is suggested by the results of some studies. The pattern of the risk for HCC due to alcohol intake shows a continuous dose-effect curve without a definite threshold, although most studies found that HCC risk increased only for alcohol consumption above 40-60 g of ethanol per day. Some evidence supports a positive interaction of alcohol intake probably with HCV infection and possibly with HBV infection. A few studies found that coffee has a protective effect on HCC risk due to various risk factors. Some data also support a role of tobacco smoking, diabetes and obesity as single agents or preferably co-factors in causing HCC. In countries with a relatively high alcohol consumption and intermediate levels of HCV and HBV infections (1-3% of population infected by each virus), such as Mediterranean countries, the three main risk factors together account for about 85% of the total HCC cases, leaving little space to other known risk factors, such as haemochromatosis, and to new, still unrecognised, factors as independent causes of HCC.

A mortality cohort study among workers in a graphite electrode production plant in Italy.

BACKGROUND: Graphite electrode manufacturing workers are exposed to coal tar and its volatiles containing a variety of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH), silica and graphite dusts, and asbestos. AIMS: To investigate mortality from cancer and other diseases among workers in a graphite electrode production plant in Italy. METHODS: A total of 1291 males actively employed between 1 January 1950 and 31 December 1989 who had worked at the plant for at least one year were studied. The follow up extended from 1950 to 1997. Standardised mortality ratios (SMR) and their 95% confidence intervals (CI) were computed using mortality rates for the Italian and regional male population. RESULTS: Excess mortality was observed for all causes (SMR 1.44, CI 1.32 to 1.56), all cancers (SMR 1.27, CI 1.07 to 1.50), liver cancer (SMR 4.19, CI 2.68 to 6.23), silicosis (SMR 66.39, CI 52.56 to 82.7), and cirrhosis and other chronic diseases of the liver (SMR 1.87, CI 1.31 to 2.59) in comparison with the national male population. When regional rates were used to calculate the number of expected deaths, SMRs remained higher for silicosis (SMR 57.32, 42.11 to 76.22), and liver cancer (SMR 2.57, 1.57 to 3.97). Mortality from silicosis was increased in workers hired at young ages (<25 years, SMR 81.79; 25-34 years, SMR 82.73), and in workers aged <45 at death (SMR 333.3, CI 159.8 to 613). Mortality from liver cancer increased threefold (SMR 3.11, CI 1.78 to 5.05) in workers with more than 10 years of employment at the plant during the manufacture of Karbate products. CONCLUSIONS: Results support the association between excess mortality from silicosis and occupational exposure to siliceous sands experienced during graphite electrode manufacturing. The observed excess mortality from liver cancer is compatible, to some extent, with exposures that may have occurred during the manufacture of phenolic and furfuryl resins treated products, although a role of lifestyle factors and viral infections cannot be excluded.

[Cancer incidence and mortality in some health districts in Brescia area 1993--1995]. / Incidenza e mortalità per tumore maligno in alcuni distretti socio-sanitari dell'ASL di Brescia nel triennio 1993--1995.

Cancer Registries are an essential part of any rational programme of cancer control, for assessing the impact of cancer in the community, for health care planning and monitoring screening programmes, according to local enviromental problems. The Brescia Cancer Registry started in 1994 producing prevalence, incidence and mortality data using only manual procedures of colletting and processing data from clinical and pathological sources in Brescia in 1993--1995. Data quality indicators such as the percentages of istologically or cytologically verified cases and that of cases registered on the basis of Death Certificate Only (DCO) are similar to those from the other Northern Italian Registries. Incidence rates for all causes and for various common sites are higher in Brescia than in other areas covered by Cancer Registries in North of Italy.

Angiotensin-converting-enzyme gene polymorphism and heart failure: a case-control study.

Heart failure (HF) is the final outcome of virtually all cardiovascular diseases and is a major and increasingly serious public health problem. The renin-angiotensin system plays an important role in the pathogenesis of cardiovascular disease. Insertion/deletion (I/D) polymorphism of the angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) has attracted significant attention; it has been extensively investigated in a spectrum of cardiovascular phenotypes because of its correlation with serum ACE activity. There is controversy regarding the association of ACE I/D polymorphism with cardiovascular disease. The aim of this study was to investigate whether ACE genotype is associated with HF by comparing cases and controls. The study sample consisted of 229 cases with HF due to coronary heart disease or idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy and 230 controls recruited from the general population. The ACE I/D genotype was identified using a polymerase chain reaction assay. No evidence was found to support an association between ACE genotype and HF.

[Drinking water hardness and chronic degenerative diseases. I. Analysis of epidemiological research]. / Durezza dell'acqua potabile e malattie cronico-degenerative. Parte I. Analisi delle ricerche epidemiologiche.

For many years a causal relation between drinking water hardness and cardiovascular or other chronic degenerative diseases in humans has been hypothesized. In order to evaluate the association between the concentration of minerals (calcium and magnesium) responsible for the hardness of drinking water and human health, a review of all the articles published on the subject from 1980 up to today has been carried out. The retrieved articles have been divided into 4 categories: geographic correlation studies, cross-sectional studies, case-control and cohort studies, and clinical trials. The methods for the selection of the articles and the extraction and analysis of the data are detailed in this paper. Epidemiological studies have been reviewed critically, and some conclusions have been drawn taking into account the research in basic sciences and experimental studies. However, a formal meta-analysis has not been performed, due to the heterogeneity of measures of effect among the different studies.

[Drinking water hardness and chronic degenerative diseases. II. Cardiovascular diseases]. / Durezza dell'acqua potabile e malattie cronico-degenerative. Parte II. Malattie cardiovascolari.

Since the 1950s a causal relation between water hardness and cardiovascular diseases (CVD) in humans has been hypothesized. In order to evaluate the influence of calcium and magnesium, the minerals responsible for the hardness of drinking water, on human health, a review of all the articles published on the subject from 1980 up to today has been carried out. Many but not all geographic correlation studies showed an inverse association between water hardness and mortality for CVD. Most case-control and one cohort studies showed an inverse relation, statistically significant, between mortality from CVD and water levels of magnesium, but not calcium. Consumption of water containing high concentrations of magnesium seems to reduce of about 30-35% the mortality for CVD, but not the incidence. This inverse association is supported by clinical and experimental findings and is biologically plausible and in line with Hill's criteria for a cause-effect relationship.

[Drinking water hardness and chronic degenerative diseases. III. Tumors, urolithiasis, fetal malformations, deterioration of the cognitive function in the aged and atopic eczema]. / Durezza dell'acqua potabile e malattie cronico-degenerative. Parte III. Patologie tumorali, urolitiasi, malformazioni fetali, deterioramento delle funzioni cognitive nell'anziano, diabete mellito ed eczema atopico.

For several decades a causal relation has been hypothesised between drinking water hardness and cardiovascular and other chronic degenerative diseases in humans. Only recently some epidemiological studies also investigated the association between the concentration of the minerals responsible for the hardness of drinking water (calcium and magnesium) and other chronic diseases. Some case-control studies carried out in Taiwan using aggregated data showed a possible protective effect of water hardness toward the risk of dying from various neoplasms, though more research is needed on the issue, possibly based on individual data, to draw definitive conclusions. There is a substantial evidence that consumption of water with high levels of calcium does not increase, and maybe reduces the risk of developing urinary stones of the most common type in developed countries (calcium oxalate), on the contrary, there is no conclusive evidence on the relation between water hardness and foetal malformations, cognitive functions in old men, diabetes and eczema.