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BACKGROUND: Studies comparing the frequency of different mental health conditions across different settings and evaluating their association with parental participation in newborn care are lacking. We aimed at evaluating the frequency of parental stress, anxiety and depression, along with the level of participation in newborn care, among parents of newborns in Italy, Brazil and Tanzania. METHODS: Parental stress, anxiety, depression and participation in care were assessed prospectively in parents of newborns in eight neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) utilising: the Parental Stressor Scale in NICU (PSS:NICU); the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) and EPDS-Anxiety subscale (EPDS-A); the Index of Parental Participation in NICU (IPP-NICU). Univariate and multivariate analyses were conducted. RESULTS: Study outcomes were assessed on 742 parents (Brazil=327, Italy=191, Tanzania=224). Observed scores suggested a very high frequency of stress, anxiety and depression, with an overall estimated frequency of any of the mental health condition of 65.1%, 52.9% and 58.0% in Brazil, Italy, Tanzania, respectively (p<0.001). EPDS scores indicating depression (cut-off: ≥13 for Brazil and Tanzania, ≥12 for Italy) were significantly more frequent in Tanzania (52.3%) when compared with either Brazil (35.8%) and Italy (33.3%) (p<0.001). Parental participation in care was also significantly higher in Tanzania (median IPP-NICU=24) than in the other two countries (median=21 for Brazil, 18 for Italy, p<0.001). Severe stress (PSS:NICU ≥4) was significantly more frequently reported in Brazil (22.6%), compared with Italy (4.7%) and Tanzania (0%, p<0.001). Factors independently associated with either parental stress, anxiety or depression varied by country, and a significant association with parental participation in care was lacking. CONCLUSIONS: Study findings suggest that parental stress, anxiety and depression are extremely frequent in NICUs in all countries despite diversity in the setting, and requiring immediate action. Further studies should explore the appropriate level of parental participation in care in different settings.
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Ansiedad , Depresión , Unidades de Cuidado Intensivo Neonatal , Padres , Estrés Psicológico , Humanos , Unidades de Cuidado Intensivo Neonatal/estadística & datos numéricos , Estudios Prospectivos , Femenino , Masculino , Estrés Psicológico/epidemiología , Ansiedad/epidemiología , Ansiedad/psicología , Recién Nacido , Depresión/epidemiología , Depresión/psicología , Italia/epidemiología , Adulto , Padres/psicología , Tanzanía/epidemiología , Brasil/epidemiología , Escalas de Valoración PsiquiátricaRESUMEN
The study aimed to compare the adherence of Brazilian and Italian pediatric dentists to the biosafety measures and operative protocols recommended by the health authorities during COVID-19 pandemic and to classify the participants according to their risk of infection. An online questionnaire with 34 questions about sociodemographic and occupational data, dental practice organization, biological risk management, and clinical operative protocols was sent to Brazilian and Italian pediatric dentists using a convenience sampling strategy. Chi-square test and multivariate analysis (two-step cluster) were performed (α = 5%). Of 641 respondents (377 Brazilians and 264 Italians), most were female (94% and 70%, respectively), aged 20-39 years (63%), with over 10 years of professional experience (58% and 49%, respectively). Based on adherence to recommended biosafety measures, participants were classified as "safer" (n = 219) or "less safe" (n = 422). Adherence to recommended protocols by the majority of participants resulted in low contagion rates (Brazilians = 5%; Italians = 12.5%). Participants with extensive professional experience in the dental setting exhibited a greater tendency to implement multiple adaptations (three or more) in their practice. Most participants (Brazilians = 92%; Italians = 80.7%) adopted the recommended minimal intervention dentistry approaches, with the use of fissure sealants and the use of non-rotary instruments for caries removal the most frequently techniques used among Brazilians (36%) and Italians (66%), respectively. Two different profiles of pediatric dentists were identified based on the biosafety protocols adopted during the pandemic. In addition, changes were implemented in the dental care provided to children, with focus on the minimal intervention dentistry.
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COVID-19 , Atención Dental para Niños , Pautas de la Práctica en Odontología , Humanos , Brasil/epidemiología , COVID-19/epidemiología , COVID-19/prevención & control , Femenino , Masculino , Adulto , Adulto Joven , Italia/epidemiología , Atención Dental para Niños/estadística & datos numéricos , Pautas de la Práctica en Odontología/estadística & datos numéricos , Encuestas y Cuestionarios , Adhesión a Directriz/estadística & datos numéricos , Pandemias , Niño , Odontología Pediátrica/estadística & datos numéricos , SARS-CoV-2 , Persona de Mediana EdadRESUMEN
Oropouche fever is caused by Oropouche virus (OROV), transmitted primarily through the bite of infected midges, particularly of the genus Culicoides. The virus is mainly circulating in Central and South America where several countries reported an ongoing outbreak. We report here two imported cases of OROV infection identified in Italy, late May-early June 2024. These cases indicate that in the shadow of a massive dengue outbreak in the Americas, the Oropouche outbreak might be more widespread than previously estimated.
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Viaje , Animales , Humanos , Infecciones por Bunyaviridae/diagnóstico , Infecciones por Bunyaviridae/epidemiología , Cuba/epidemiología , Brotes de Enfermedades , Italia/epidemiología , Orthobunyavirus/aislamiento & purificaciónRESUMEN
This multicenter study in Italian hospitals highlights the epidemiologic disruptions in the circulation of the 5 main respiratory viruses from 2019 to 2023. Our data reveal a resurgence of respiratory syncytial virus and influenza during the 2022-2023 winter season, with an earlier peak in cases for both viruses, emphasizing the importance of timely monitoring.
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Hospitalización , Infecciones por Virus Sincitial Respiratorio , Infecciones del Sistema Respiratorio , Estaciones del Año , Humanos , Italia/epidemiología , Estudios Retrospectivos , Hospitalización/estadística & datos numéricos , Lactante , Preescolar , Niño , Infecciones del Sistema Respiratorio/epidemiología , Infecciones del Sistema Respiratorio/virología , Infecciones por Virus Sincitial Respiratorio/epidemiología , Gripe Humana/epidemiología , Masculino , Femenino , Adolescente , Recién NacidoRESUMEN
ParSCo (Parasitology Summer Course) is an intense, 1-week-long summer course organized by the Parasitology Unit of the Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Bari, Italy, with the support of the World Association for the Advancement of Veterinary Parasitology (WAAVP), the European Veterinary Parasitology College (EVPC) and Parasites and Vectors. The course, which is conducted in southern Italy, is planned for parasitologists and post-graduate students working in the field of parasitology. The course consists of theoretical and practical lessons, which include the collection, identification and diagnosis of parasites of pets, livestock and wildlife. The participants in ParSCo are afforded the opportunity to be involved in clinical examination and sample collection for the diagnosis of parasitic diseases (e.g. leishmaniosis, thelaziosis and many tick-borne diseases) present in the Mediterranean Basin. The course is conducted at Casa di Caccia, a hunting lodge situated in the Gallipoli Cognato Forest near the Basento River in the Basilicata region in southern Italy. In addition to the training purpose, ParSCo is a great opportunity for sharing knowledge and expertise while becoming part of the parasitology community in a pleasant environment. In this editorial, we share some information and celebrate 10 years of ParSCo, looking forward to forthcoming sessions of this unique parasitology summer course.
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Enfermedades Parasitarias en Animales , Animales , Humanos , Enfermedades Parasitarias en Animales/parasitología , Estudiantes , Ganado , Animales Salvajes , Italia/epidemiología , ParasitologíaRESUMEN
OBJECTIVE: Restrictive measures consequent to the COVID-19 pandemic have had a significant psychological impact on everyday life in the general population, even though differences between countries remain poorly investigated. The present study sought to examine the different psychological impacts and resilience of the pandemic among three of the most heavily hit countries: Brazil, Italy, and the United States. METHODS: This cross-sectional study separately involved three national community populations, namely the Brazilian, the Italian, and the American population. Participants aged 18 years or older were recruited through a shared online survey. Participants self-completed the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC-10) and the Center for Epidemiological Studies-Depression Scale (CES-D); post-traumatic stress was additionally assessed using the Impact of Event Scale-Revised (IES-R). Three separate Analyses of Covariance (ANCOVA) were performed in order to investigate differences in the levels of resilience, post-traumatic stress, and depression among the three populations. RESULTS: The study included in total 734 participants (mean age = 27.60 ± 11.69 years; 77% of females). Results of ANCOVA comparisons showed significant differences between the three groups in the variable measuring resilience, post-traumatic stress symptoms, and depression. As for resilience, results of post-hoc tests showed significant differences between the groups from Brazil and Italy and between the groups from Brazil and USA. As for the post-traumatic stress symptoms, results showed significant differences between the USA and Brazil groups and between the USA and Italy groups. As for the depression symptoms, results showed significant differences between the USA and Brazil groups. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, these findings may help to increase understanding of the psychological impact of COVID-19 in Brazil, Italy, and the USA. Interventions to prevent mental disorders among general populations should take into account these findings.
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COVID-19 , Resiliencia Psicológica , Trastornos por Estrés Postraumático , Femenino , Humanos , Estados Unidos/epidemiología , Adolescente , Adulto Joven , Adulto , COVID-19/epidemiología , Pandemias , Brasil/epidemiología , Estudios Transversales , Comparación Transcultural , Trastornos por Estrés Postraumático/epidemiología , Trastornos por Estrés Postraumático/psicología , Encuestas y Cuestionarios , Italia/epidemiología , Depresión/epidemiología , Ansiedad/epidemiologíaRESUMEN
Several studies on the fight against COVID-19 have been developed in various countries. However, there are few studies that compare cases corresponding to the first wave of the epidemic in a close period and with different responses and outcomes. Therefore, an integrative review was conducted to analyze the experiences of Italy and Vietnam in dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic during the first wave of the disease, seeking to identify the contributions of the health and surveillance systems as well as the specificities of the measures adopted in each country. Common databases were used and the empirical material related to publications was supplemented with documents from the official websites of both countries. The results of this study show that Vietnam and Italy adopted different strategies to deal with COVID-19, containment and mitigation, respectively, with specific measures that made a difference in the number of cases and deaths in each country.
Diversos estudos sobre o enfrentamento da COVID-19 vêm sendo desenvolvidos em vários países. Contudo, são escassos aqueles que comparam casos correspondentes à primeira onda da epidemia em período próximo com respostas e desfechos distintos. Assim, realizou-se uma revisão integrativa para analisar as experiências da Itália e do Vietnã no enfrentamento da pandemia de COVID-19 durante a primeira onda da doença, buscando identificar as contribuições dos sistemas de saúde e de vigilância, bem como as especificidades das medidas adotadas em cada país. Foram utilizadas bases de dados comuns, complementando-se o material empírico referente às publicações com documentos oriundos de sites oficiais dos dois países. Os resultados da presente pesquisa permitem identificar que Vietnã e Itália adotaram estratégias distintas de enfretamento da pandemia, com focos na contenção e mitigação, respectivamente, com medidas específicas que fizeram a diferença no número de casos e óbitos de cada país.
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COVID-19 , Humanos , Vietnam/epidemiología , Pandemias/prevención & control , Bases de Datos Factuales , Italia/epidemiologíaRESUMEN
The COVID-19 pandemic forced governments to implement measures that disrupted the daily routines of many families worldwide. We studied how the COVID-19 lockdown affected children's routines in Portugal (PT), Brazil (BR), and Italy (IT) to determine if children's age and country impacted their physical activity (PA) and sedentary time. We launched an anonymous online survey to assess how 3-12 years old children adjusted their daily routines to this situation. Parents reported the times each child was engaged in different activities throughout the day, and we used these data to calculate separately overall sedentary and physical activity time. We conducted separate analyses of variance for age and country on the percentage of time spent in the different activities. Results, based on the data from 3045 children in these three countries (PT n = 2044; BR n = 836; IT n = 165), showed that, during lockdown, most children spent most of their awake daily hours in sedentary activities. There was a clear age effect on the way their routines were organized. Percentages of time spent in intellectual activity, playful screen activity, and overall sedentary time were greater in the older age groups, whereas percentages of time spent in play (with and without PA) and in overall PA were greater in the younger groups. We found a main effect of country for all variables except play without PA. The country effect was mainly due to the difference between the routines in BR when compared to PT and IT. Values of playful screen time and overall sedentary activity were higher in BR than in the two European countries. Conversely, values for play with PA, PA, and overall PA (except in the older group) were lower in BR. Patterns of time spent in these activities were similar in IT and PT, but PA and overall PA times were higher in the two younger age groups in IT. In summary, percentage of PA time of confined children was low and decreased with age across all three countries and was particularly low for children in BR relative to those in PT and IT.
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COVID-19 , Humanos , Niño , Anciano , Preescolar , COVID-19/epidemiología , Brasil , Comparación Transcultural , Pandemias , Portugal , Control de Enfermedades Transmisibles , Ejercicio Físico , Italia/epidemiologíaRESUMEN
Contrasting effects have been identified in association of weather (temperature and humidity) and pollutant gases with COVID-19 infection, which could be derived from the influence of lockdowns and season change. The influence of pollutant gases and climate during the initial phases of the pandemic, before the closures and the change of season in the northern hemisphere, is unknown. Here, we used a spatial-temporal Bayesian zero-inflated-Poisson model to test for short-term associations of weather and pollutant gases with the relative risk of COVID-19 disease in China (first outbreak) and the countries with more cases during the initial pandemic (the United States, Spain and Italy), considering also the effects of season and lockdown. We found contrasting association between pollutant gases and COVID-19 risk in the United States, Italy, and Spain, while in China it was negatively associated (except for SO2 ). COVID-19 risk was positively associated with specific humidity in all countries, while temperature presented a negative effect. Our findings showed that short-term associations of air pollutants with COVID-19 infection vary strongly between countries, while generalized effects of temperature (negative) and humidity (positive) with COVID-19 was found. Our results show novel information about the influence of pollution and weather on the initial outbreaks, which contribute to unravel the mechanisms during the beginning of the pandemic.
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Contaminantes Atmosféricos , Contaminación del Aire , COVID-19 , Contaminantes Ambientales , Humanos , Estados Unidos/epidemiología , COVID-19/epidemiología , España/epidemiología , Teorema de Bayes , Control de Enfermedades Transmisibles , Contaminación del Aire/análisis , Tiempo (Meteorología) , Contaminantes Atmosféricos/toxicidad , Contaminantes Atmosféricos/análisis , Italia/epidemiología , China/epidemiología , Brotes de Enfermedades , Gases , Material Particulado/análisisRESUMEN
BACKGROUND: Prostate MRI is an essential tool in the diagnostic pathway of prostate cancer and its accurate reading helps decision to biopsy. The aim of this study was to assess the Urology residents' level of confidence in reading and interpreting prostate MRI, their interest in new learning opportunities and whether prostate MRI training should be part of the urology core curriculum during residency. METHODS: A 23-item survey has been created and distributed via Web to an international cohort of Urology residents over a 3-month period. Surveys obtained from Countries representing >10% total distribution of responses were analyzed. RESULTS: A total of 304 complete surveys were obtained from Urology residents, with a geographical prevalence from Europe (59.54%, 181/304) and South America (29.28%, 89/304). Only 17-20% of residents reported having received formal prostate MRI training during residency. Overall, <20% residents expressed to feel confident in reading and interpreting prostate MRI. As a result, >90% Urology trainees stated they would be willing to receive a formal training and would be interested in new learning opportunities in MRI reading and interpretation during residency, independently of their year of training. Despite UK Urology trainees showed to have a higher availability of MRI resources and MRI-based biopsies compared to the other countries, they still expressed concerns in regard to not feeling confident with MRI reading and interpretation and requested a formal training. CONCLUSIONS: This survey highlights the need for major learning opportunities and a formal training in prostate MRI reading and interpretation during urology residency.
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Urología , Masculino , Humanos , Urología/educación , Próstata , Brasil , Lectura , Italia/epidemiología , Imagen por Resonancia Magnética , Reino UnidoRESUMEN
The classical SEIR model, being an autonomous system of differential equations, has important limitations when representing a pandemic situation. Particularly, the geometric unimodal shape of the epidemic curve is not what is generally observed. This work introduces the ßSEIR model, which adds to the classical SEIR model a differential law to model the variation in the transmission rate. It considers two opposite thrives generally found in a population: first, reaction to disease presence that may be linked to mitigation strategies, which tends to decrease transmission, and second, the urge to return to normal conditions that pulls to restore the initial value of the transmission rate. Our results open a wide spectrum of dynamic variabilities in the curve of new infected, which are justified by reaction and restoration thrives that affect disease transmission over time. Some of these dynamics have been observed in the existing COVID-19 disease data. In particular and to further exemplify the potential of the model proposed in this article, we show its capability of capturing the evolution of the number of new confirmed cases of Chile and Italy for several months after epidemic onset, while incorporating a reaction to disease presence with decreasing adherence to mitigation strategies, as well as a seasonal effect on the restoration of the initial transmissibility conditions.
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COVID-19 , COVID-19/epidemiología , Chile/epidemiología , Humanos , Italia/epidemiología , Pandemias , SARS-CoV-2RESUMEN
BACKGROUND: Chagas disease (CD) or American trypanosomiasis is a neglected anthropozoonosis caused by Trypanosoma cruzi that affects 6-8 million people worldwide (mainly in Latin America), 30-40% of whom develop cardiac or digestive complications. Once confined to endemic areas of Latin America, CD has more recently become a global disease as a result of migration flows from endemic to non-endemic regions, particularly in northern America and Europe. Congenital transmission is a particular challenge as it may be sustained for multiple generations and perpetuate the infection even in non-endemic countries. METHODS: Subjects were identified during a cross-sectional survey of CD among Latin American people living in Milan, Italy. Serology was carried out using tests based on either a lysate and a recombinant antigen of Trypanosoma cruzi. They were also tested by a conventional Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) targeting the 330 bp variable region of the T. cruzi kinetoplast minicircle genome and a commercial real-time PCR. RESULTS: We here describe a Bolivian family cluster with seven affected people with at least two autochthonous congenital T. cruzi infection which was identified during the course of a CD screening programme. We also review the epidemiology, diagnosis and control of congenital CD, with particular emphasis on the challenges facing the control and management of such a complex and still largely hidden disease. CONCLUSIONS: Our experience confirms the need to screen for CD all family members once a case is diagnosed and shows the possible high rate of congenital CD also in non-endemic areas.
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Enfermedad de Chagas , Emigrantes e Inmigrantes , Trypanosoma cruzi , Bolivia/epidemiología , Enfermedad de Chagas/epidemiología , Estudios Transversales , Humanos , Italia/epidemiología , Trypanosoma cruzi/genéticaRESUMEN
The global impact of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is unprecedented, and many control and prevention measures have been implemented to test for and trace COVID-19. However, invisible-spreaders, who are associated with nucleic acid detection and asymptomatic infections, have received insufficient attention in the current COVID-19 control efforts. In this paper, we analyze the time series infection data for Italy, Germany, Brazil, India and Sweden since the first wave outbreak to address the following issues through a series of experiments. We conclude that: 1) As of June 1, 2020, the proportion of invisible-spreaders is close to 0.4% in Sweden, 0.8% in early Italy and Germany, and 0.4% in the middle and late stages. However, in Brazil and India, the proportion still shows a gradual upward trend; 2) During the spread of this pandemic, even a slight increase in the proportion of invisible-spreaders could have large implications for the health of the community; and 3) On resuming work, the pandemic intervention measures will be relaxed, and invisible-spreaders will cause a new round of outbreaks.
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Infecciones Asintomáticas/epidemiología , COVID-19/transmisión , Brasil/epidemiología , COVID-19/diagnóstico , COVID-19/epidemiología , COVID-19/virología , Alemania/epidemiología , Humanos , India/epidemiología , Italia/epidemiología , Modelos Teóricos , Pandemias , SARS-CoV-2/aislamiento & purificación , Suecia/epidemiologíaRESUMEN
OBJECTIVE: The aim of this research was to compare the prevalence of temporomandibular disorders (TMDs) among Venezuelan and Italian adolescents. METHODS: One hundred-seventeen Venezuelan and 138 Italian adolescents aged 11-18 years were examined according to the Diagnostic Criteria for TMDs (DC/TMD). Signs and symptoms were registered. RESULTS: TMD prevalence among Venezuelan adolescents (17.9%) was lower than that among Italian adolescents (29.7%) and was higher in females and in the 15-18 age group. Intra-articular disorders were the most frequent in Venezuelan (8.5%) and Italian adolescents (13.0%). Pain-associated disorders were more frequent in the 11-14 age group, while intra-articular disorders were more frequent in the 15-18 age group in both samples. Italian adolescents presented greater muscle pain and joint noise than Venezuelan adolescents. CONCLUSION: TMD prevalence in Venezuelan adolescents was lower than that in Italian adolescents. This suggests the involvement of cultural and/or genetic factors in the etiology of these disorders.
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Trastornos de la Articulación Temporomandibular , Femenino , Adolescente , Humanos , Niño , Trastornos de la Articulación Temporomandibular/epidemiología , Trastornos de la Articulación Temporomandibular/etiología , Trastornos de la Articulación Temporomandibular/diagnóstico , Prevalencia , Mialgia , Italia/epidemiologíaRESUMEN
OBJECTIVE: Rural locations have been associated with suicidal risk; low population density may be a relevant factor. Accordingly, we investigated hypothesized associations between suicidal ideation and behavior with selected geographic and population-related measures and other factors. METHODS: Consenting adult patients at a mood disorder center in Cagliari, Sardinia, were assessed for the presence of suicidal ideation and acts and their association with selected demographic and clinical factors as well as indicators of urbanicity and rurality, including distance from the region's main metropolitan area, population density, altitude, and population growth trends. RESULTS: Of 5,668 subjects, 27% had an indication of lifetime suicidal behavior or ideation; 8.6% had at least one suicidal act. Low population density, higher altitude and their interaction, distance from the metropolitan center of the main city (Cagliari), and population decline were associated with greater risk of suicidal ideation or behavior. In addition, and as expected, alcohol or substance abuse, diagnosis of mood disorders, higher depression ratings at intake, being younger at illness-onset, family history of suicide or other psychiatric disorder, being female, unmarried, separated or divorced, currently smoking cigarettes, being unemployed, and having experienced sexual abuse all were more likely in subjects with suicidal ideation or behavior. CONCLUSION: Suicidal ideation and behavior were associated with indicators of social isolation as well as with previously reported clinical and demographic risk factors.
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Ideación Suicida , Suicidio , Adulto , Animales , Femenino , Humanos , Italia/epidemiología , Factores de Riesgo , Intento de Suicidio , Población UrbanaRESUMEN
In December 2019, a new infectious respiratory disease called COVID-19 was identified in Wuhan, Hubei province, in China and quickly reached pandemic status in March 2020, in uncertain and frightening situation. The objective of this study was to analyze the epidemiological curves from the fight against COVID-19 in China and Italy, establishing parameters that can assist with the decisions of health-planning managers. This study was conducted using the principles of the grounded theory methodology and a practical method of comparison between the real and ideal curves, based on the contamination and death data by SARS-CoV-2 in China and Italy. For this purpose, we built graphs, including parameters, such as, among others, amplitude, height, saturation point, acceleration, lethality, event, risk, and efficiency. The results of our study showed that China exhibited amplitude and height of the active contamination and death curve 2 times smaller than those of Italy which exhibited several saturations. It was investigated that Italy presented a qualitative risk of 5-6, whereas for China it was 4. According to the parameters, China and Italy presented health management that was able to reduce the impact caused by the virus. The implementation of adequate health management with these practical tools can guide perception of the crisis critical levels, avoiding major disasters. We intend to continue to validate the method in the analysis of data from Brazil and the USA.
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COVID-19 , China/epidemiología , Toma de Decisiones , Humanos , Italia/epidemiología , SARS-CoV-2RESUMEN
A debate is ongoing on the significance and appropriateness of the NOVA classification as a tool for categorizing foods based on their degree of processing. As such, the role of ultra-processed food (UPF) on human health is still not completely understood. With this review, we aimed to investigate the actual level of consumption of UPF across countries and target populations to determine the impact in real contexts. Suitable articles published up to March 2021 were sourced through the PubMed and SCOPUS databases. Overall, 99 studies providing data on the level of UPF consumption expressed as the percentage of total energy intake were identified, for a total of 1,378,454 participants. Most of them were published in Brazil (n = 38) and the United States (n = 15), and the 24 h recall was the most-used tool (n = 63). Analysis of the results revealed that the United States and the United Kingdom were the countries with the highest percent energy intake from UPF (generally >50%), whereas Italy had the lowest levels (about 10%); the latter was inversely associated with adherence to the Mediterranean diet. High variability was also observed based on sex, age, and body mass index, with men, young people, and overweight/obese subjects generally having higher levels of consumption compared to older subjects. Overall, our findings underline the large differences in UPF intake. Since most of the observations derived from studies conducted with food questionnaires are not specifically validated for UPF, further efforts are essential to confirm the results previously obtained and to investigate further the association between UPF consumption and health status, also considering the actual contribution within different dietary patterns, which has been less investigated to date.
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Dieta/estadística & datos numéricos , Ingestión de Energía , Comida Rápida/estadística & datos numéricos , Conducta Alimentaria , Manipulación de Alimentos/métodos , Adolescente , Adulto , Factores de Edad , Anciano , Índice de Masa Corporal , Brasil/epidemiología , Niño , Preescolar , Dieta Mediterránea/estadística & datos numéricos , Femenino , Estado de Salud , Humanos , Lactante , Italia/epidemiología , Masculino , Persona de Mediana Edad , Obesidad/epidemiología , Sobrepeso/epidemiología , Factores Sexuales , Reino Unido/epidemiología , Estados Unidos/epidemiología , Adulto JovenRESUMEN
The behavioral immune system posits that disgust functions to protect animals from pathogen exposure. Therefore, cues of pathogen risk should be a primary driver influencing variation in disgust. Yet, to our knowledge, neither the relationship between current pathogen risk and disgust, nor the correlation between objective and perceived pathogen risk have been addressed using ecologically valid measures in a global sample. The current article reports two studies addressing these gaps. In Study 1, we include a global sample (n = 361) and tested the influence of both perceived pathogen exposure and an objective measure of pathogen risk-local communicable infectious disease mortality rates-on individual differences in pathogen and sexual disgust sensitivities. In Study 2, we first replicate Study 1's analyses in another large sample (n = 821), targeting four countries (US, Italy, Brazil, and India); we then replaced objective and perceived pathogen risk with variables specific to the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. In Study 1, both local infection mortality rates and perceived infection exposure predicted unique variance in pathogen and sexual disgust. In Study 2, we found that perceived infection exposure positively predicted sexual disgust, as predicted. When substituting perceived and objective SARS-CoV-2 risk in our models, perceived risk of contracting SARS-CoV-2 positively predicted pathogen and sexual disgust, and state case rates negatively predicted pathogen disgust. Further, in both studies, objective measures of risk (i.e., local infection mortality and SARS-CoV-2 rates) positively correlated with subjective measures of risk (i.e., perceived infection exposure and perceived SARS-CoV-2 risk). Ultimately, these results provide two pieces of foundational evidence for the behavioral immune system: 1) perceptions of pathogen risk accurately assay local, objective mortality risk across countries, and 2) both perceived and objective pathogen risk explain variance in disgust levels.
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Reacción de Prevención , Asco , Conductas Relacionadas con la Salud , Adolescente , Adulto , Anciano , Brasil/epidemiología , COVID-19/epidemiología , COVID-19/mortalidad , COVID-19/patología , COVID-19/virología , Femenino , Humanos , India/epidemiología , Italia/epidemiología , Modelos Lineales , Masculino , Persona de Mediana Edad , Riesgo , SARS-CoV-2/aislamiento & purificación , Caracteres Sexuales , Estados Unidos/epidemiología , Adulto JovenRESUMEN
Psychological Control (PC) interferes with autonomy-related processes in adolescence and has a negative impact on adolescents' development related to internalizing and externalizing problems. Several scholars suggested that PC can be used differently by mothers and fathers. However, these differences are still understudied and mainly grounded on maternal and/or adolescents' perspectives, leading to potentially incomplete inferences on the effects of PC. The present study extends previous research on PC in two directions. First, we tested the dyadic and cumulative effects of maternal and paternal PC on adolescents' antisocial behaviors and anxious-depressive symptoms. Secondly, we explored the cross-cultural generalizability of these associations in three countries: Italy, Colombia, and USA. Participants included 376 families with data from three consecutive years (T1, adolescents' age = 13.70). Mothers' and fathers' reports of PC and youth's reports of antisocial and internalizing behaviors were assessed. Using the Actor-Partner Interdependence Model (APIM) we found that maternal PC predicted adolescents' reported antisocial behaviors whereas paternal PC predicted lower anxious-depressed symptoms. Comparisons across countries evidenced the cross-cultural invariance of the longitudinal APIM across Italy, Colombia, and USA. The practical implications of these results are discussed.
Asunto(s)
Conducta del Adolescente , Responsabilidad Parental , Adolescente , Trastorno de Personalidad Antisocial/epidemiología , Ansiedad/epidemiología , Colombia/epidemiología , Depresión/epidemiología , Padre , Femenino , Humanos , Italia/epidemiología , Estudios Longitudinales , Masculino , Madres , Relaciones Padres-Hijo , Estados Unidos/epidemiologíaRESUMEN
Fasciola hepatica is a trematode infecting ruminants worldwide, occasionally reported in a wide range of animal species, including humans. According to the WHO, fasciolosis is recognized as a re-emerging neglected tropical disease, responsible for endemic and epidemic outbreaks in humans. Although the main hosts of the parasite are represented by cattle, sheep and goats, wildlife may be involved in its circulation. Here we firstly report F. hepatica in a wild boar from Italy (southern area) and characterize it both morphologically and molecularly. The nad1 gene analysis of specimens analyzed, revealed a high genetic similarity with those of humans from Iran and Peru, as well as a close phylogenetic relationship to those in ruminants from Brazil, Ecuador and Egypt. Considering the increase in the wild boar populations in urban and peri-urban areas, a potential role of this ungulate in the circulation of this zoonotic trematode is suggested.