Epidemiologia E Prevenzione[JOURNAL]
Sun
200 papers
Sexual violence in conflicts: the shadow pandemic. A review of controversial issues.
Colombo S, Colombo Lahoz SN
Epidemiol Prev · 2024 · PMID 38482787 · Publisher ↗
This article explores the persistent and deeply troubling issue of conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV) throughout history and in contemporary conflicts. It examines the roots of wartime sexual violence in wartime, th...
This article explores the persistent and deeply troubling issue of conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV) throughout history and in contemporary conflicts. It examines the roots of wartime sexual violence in wartime, the evolving international legal framework for the protection of civilians, and the emergence of concerns about the protection of women and girls from such violence. The article delves into controversial aspects, including competing theories to explain CRSV, the challenges in obtaining accurate data on its prevalence, and the often-overlooked issue of CRSV against men and boys. It also addresses the cultural and societal factors that perpetuate CRSV and the long-lasting consequences on survivors. The article concludes by underscoring the importance of comprehensive care for survivors and the need to tackle the deep-seated causes of this violence, including gender inequality.
[Endometriosis, a participatory study in the Serchio Valley (Tuscany Region, Central Italy): state of the art and perspectives].
Stoppa G, Doccioli C, Turelli B … +5 more , Danieli G, Landi A, Catelan D, Ronfani L, Biggeri A
Epidemiol Prev · 2024 · PMID 38482786 · Publisher ↗
BACKGROUND: endometriosis is a chronic condition with a significant impact on women's health, featured by endometrial tissue outside the uterine cavity. A limited number of studies have been conducted in the general popu...
BACKGROUND: endometriosis is a chronic condition with a significant impact on women's health, featured by endometrial tissue outside the uterine cavity. A limited number of studies have been conducted in the general population, and the true prevalence of endometriosis is unknown for many areas of the country. OBJECTIVES: to better estimate the prevalence of endometriosis in three Italian regions (Friuli Venezia Giulia, Tuscany, Apulia) and to assess the relationship between endometriosis and environmental factors in three participating areas (Trieste, Barga, and Taranto), with a focus on Tuscany Region. DESIGN: implementing a specific epidemiological registry for endometriosis, aimed at estimating the incidence and prevalence data. The registry collected information from hospital discharge records and anatomopathological reports of women residing in the three considered regions, aged 15 years or older. Additionally, the analysis includes the assessment of the spatial distribution of endometriosis at both regional and municipal levels in the three study areas. Further research investigations in these areas involve a multilevel screening of a sample of women of childbearing age. Women who test positive in the initial screening (through a self-administered questionnaire) will have the opportunity to undergo a second level of screening, consisting of a gynecological examination, transvaginal ultrasound, a swab for vaginal microbiome analysis, and the collection of blood and urine samples to assess the presence of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) or heavy metals. The adopted scientific approach is based on post-normal science (PNS) concerning the extended peer community. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: women aged 15 years or older residing in the three regions. MAIN OUTCOMES MEASURES: estimating the incidence and prevalence of endometriosis based on data collected from the epidemiological registry. The analysis extends to assessing the spatial distribution of endometriosis at municipal levels in the three areas of interest. RESULTS: the preliminary results of the study allowed for the estimation of the spatial distribution of endometriosis incidence in Tuscany. In particular, it was found that there is variability within the region, with some coastal and North-Western areas showing values 20% higher than the regional average. Cities such as Pisa, Lucca, Livorno, Grosseto, Orbetello, and the Serchio Valley with Barga had a probability of excess risk of more than 90% compared to the regional average. CONCLUSIONS: the study is ongoing and requires the active participation of women living in the region to ensure the completeness and accuracy of the collected data. This research effort represents an important contribution to understanding endometriosis in Tuscany and its possible environmental causes.
Estimates of antibiotic resistance in Italy and Western Europe in 2019: a MICROBE-based comparative analysis.
Zamagni G, Forni S, Iavicoli I … +11 more , Guicciardi S, Buonsenso D, Ferrara P, De Luca M, Golinelli D, Sanmarchi F, Collatuzzo G, Gemmi F, Naghavi M, Sabbatucci M, Monasta L
Epidemiol Prev · 2024 · PMID 38482785 · Publisher ↗
BACKGROUND: antimicrobial resistance (AMR) will cause 10 million deaths per year worldwide by 2050, with economic costs of up to 100 trillion dollars. Antibiotic resistance (ABR) constitutes the majority of this health t...
BACKGROUND: antimicrobial resistance (AMR) will cause 10 million deaths per year worldwide by 2050, with economic costs of up to 100 trillion dollars. Antibiotic resistance (ABR) constitutes the majority of this health threat. Globally, 1.27 million people died in 2019 as a direct result of ABR. One in 5 deaths occurred in children under five, and 6 bacterial pathogens accounted for more than 70% of ABR-associated deaths. OBJECTIVES: to compare ABR estimates in terms of death and disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) in 2019 in Italy and in Western Europe (WE) by grading the infectious syndromes and the bacterial pathogens involved, with the aim to identify the most urgent healthcare needs in Italy. DESIGN: the estimates of the burden of ABR in 2019 in WE and Italy, extracted from the Measuring Infectious Causes and Resistance Outcomes for Burden Estimation (MICROBE) tool by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME; Seattle, USA), reported deaths and DALYs associated with 33 bacterial pathogens across 12 infectious syndromes, as well as deaths and DALYs associated with and attributable to ABR for 23 bacteria and 86 pathogen-drug combinations. The comparison between WE and Italy was performed in steps. First, among the 12 groups of infectious syndromes from the Global Burden of Diseases (GBD) study 2019, the most impacting in terms of deaths and DALYs were ranked based on the magnitude of rates, and the corresponding ABR-associated burden was reported. Then, the burden of the leading pathogens (bacteria, viruses, fungi, and polymicrobial infections) for all infectious syndromes was compared between the two areas. Death and DALY rates associated with ABR were reported for each bacterium, together with the percentage of ABR-attributable burden. Although it is known that Italy is one of the WE countries with the largest share of elderly, crude rates were reported instead of age-standardized rates, in order to quantify the actual burden of ABR in the two areas. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: Italy and Western Europe. MAIN OUTCOMES MEASURES: death and DALYs rates per 100,000 inhabitants. RESULTS: the largest difference between ABR-associated death rates in the two areas was found for bloodstream infections (25.2 and 18.8 per 100,000 in Italy and WE, respectively), followed by peritoneal and abdominal infections (15.1 and 12.2 in Italy and WE, respectively). However, the percentages of deaths and DALYs attributable to ABR were always higher in Italy for all the infections considered. Regarding pathogens, Escherichia coli accounted for the greatest burden associated to ABR, in terms of both deaths and DALYs, in both areas. The highest ABR-attributable percentage of deaths was found for Acinetobacter baumannii (28.4% in WE and 31.9% in Italy), accounting also for the highest percentage of ABR-attributable DALYs (28.4% in WE and 31.7% in Italy). The pathogen-drug combination with the highest burden associated with AMR was Escherichia coli-Aminopenicillin, while the greatest AMR-attributable burden was found for Staphylococcus aureus-Methicillin (MRSA). On average, 55.4% of Escherichia coli was resistant to Aminopenicillin in WE, with Italy ranking third (67.6%). Nordic countries showed smaller values, with Sweden in last place (32.8%). The average percentage of MRSA in WE was 16%, with Italy exceeding it by more than 13 pointsConclusions: despite similar sepsis mortality rates in Italy and other WE countries, the proportion of ABR-associated and attributable deaths was higher in Italy. Targeted strategies aimed at reducing the circulation of bacteria and resistant microorganisms together with other interventions could lead to an overall reduction in deaths associated with ABR.
How sizeable are the knowledge, attitude and perception of food risks among young adults? An Italian survey.
Venuto R, D'Amato S, Genovese C … +5 more , Squeri R, Trimarchi G, Mazzitelli F, Pappalardo R, La Fauci V
Epidemiol Prev · 2024 · PMID 38482784 · Publisher ↗
BACKGROUND: in recent years, food safety has become increasingly important and a public health priority, especially in developed and rich countries. OBJECTIVES: to investigate knowledge and perception of food risk among...
BACKGROUND: in recent years, food safety has become increasingly important and a public health priority, especially in developed and rich countries. OBJECTIVES: to investigate knowledge and perception of food risk among young adults and the related behaviours. DESIGN: observational study conducted from March to October 2022 through the administration of an anonymous questionnaire based on multiple-choice questions spread online through social networks. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: 317 men and women with a mean age of 23.6 ± 6.7 (71% F, 29% M), mainly students, who filled the questionnaire and gave their consent to the use of personal data for the purpose of scientific research. MAIN OUTCOMES MEASURES: knowledge, attitudes, and perception of food risk in the target population. RESULTS: the majority think that food safety is very important to their health. The most perceived food risks are the presence of pesticides, bacterial and viral contamination, residuals of antibiotics and/or hormones, and microplastics. More than half believes to be poorly informed about the risk associated with food consumption. There is a high level of trust in data from scientific evidence and physicians and a low level of trust in data from European institutions and the Italian government. Almost everyone thinks that public authorities should provide more information. CONCLUSIONS: these data show a good knowledge of the importance of food safety for health; nevertheless, the majority does not feel well informed. The evaluation of the risk perception and of the factors influencing it is important for the success of the information/communication about food safety and for the consumer empowerment.
[Cancer figures in Italy: an overview].
Rashid I, Cozza V, Bisceglia L
Epidemiol Prev · 2024 · PMID 38482783 · Publisher ↗
BACKGROUND: the description of the geographical distribution and temporal trends of cancer is relevant for prevention and improving the quality of care. This is primarily achieved through the incidence measures derived f...
BACKGROUND: the description of the geographical distribution and temporal trends of cancer is relevant for prevention and improving the quality of care. This is primarily achieved through the incidence measures derived from population cancer registries (CRs). In recent years, in Italy there has been a prevalence of 'real-time' estimates and projections, although based on rather dated data. Given the significant increase in registration activity and still in absence of a national cancer registry network, the recent publication of Volume 12 of Cancer Incidence in Five Continents (CI5) provides a valuable opportunity to update cancer incidence estimates in Italy and to provide national and macroarea reference estimates. OBJECTIVES: to explore the pattern of cancer in Italy by reviewing and reorganizing the most recent data from cancer registries. MATERIALS AND METHODS: data from Italian cancer registries included in CI5 for the years 2013-2017 were obtained. Populations were verified, corrected for errors, and normalized to Italian National census reconstruction. The completeness of CR data was assessed using the mortality/incidence ratio applied to potential outlier data. Age-specific rates, Age standardized rates (ASRs), and truncated rates for adults (35-64 years) were calculated for 79 different neoplasms. Analyses were performed for individual CRs and macroareas. Temporal comparisons were made for 23 CRs with data from 2008-2012. RESULTS: the observed incidence rates show extreme heterogeneity. Among males, the overall ASR ranges from 584 per 100,000 in the province of Reggio Calabria to 809.9 per 100,000 in the province of Sondrio. Among women, ASR is highest in Emilia-Romagna (540.5) and lowest in the province of Avellino (409.9). The gradient with decreasing rates from North to South is clearly visible only for female breast cancer. Higher rates of lung cancer are observed for the city of Naples in both genders. In adult males (35-64 years), ASRs of lung cancer are maximum in the provinces of Caserta and Naples, where they are more than double the ASRs observed in the Veneto Region. In general, a significant decline in male ASRs is observed in Northern Italy compared to the previous five-year period. A significant part of this trend is influenced by lung cancer that is significantly decreasing throughout the Centre-North among men and substantially increasing among women. The database and tables with details of all calculated indicators are provided as supplementary material. CONCLUSIONS: the analysis has shown the importance of a review of real CR data and, in general, working with real data to not only develop specific estimates of cancers in Italy, but also to share reference rates and basic data for further analysis. The present review has also revealed critical issues with data submitted to the IARC. The comparison and verification of data quality through control and audit processes must represent a concrete operational perspective of the national cancer registry network. From the perspective of cancer epidemiology, important indications emerge regarding the distribution of cancers that can fuel aetiological research, as well as the planning of prevention and care activities. The data also show that it is advisable to separate the provinces of Caserta and Naples from the South in estimation and projection models. The comparison and verification of data quality through control and audit processes must represent a concrete operational perspective of the national cancer registry network.
Estimated number of deaths attributable to NO2, PM10, and PM2.5 pollution in the Municipality of Milan in 2019.
Tunesi S, Bergamaschi W, Russo AG
Epidemiol Prev · 2024 · PMID 38482782 · Publisher ↗
BACKGROUND: there is growing evidence that exposure to environmental pollutants affects health, including mortality, chronic diseases, and acute diseases. The World Health Organisation has recently revised downwards the...
BACKGROUND: there is growing evidence that exposure to environmental pollutants affects health, including mortality, chronic diseases, and acute diseases. The World Health Organisation has recently revised downwards the safety thresholds for exposure to environmental pollutants. The City of Milan (CoM) has particularly high levels of pollution; this is due both to the presence of various emission sources and to climatic and orographic conditions. OBJECTIVES: to describe the health effects of exposure to pollutants, measured by deaths due to environmental exposure to NO2, PM10, and PM2.5 in 2019. DESIGN: observational study. Using a pollutant concentration estimation model, annual mean values of NO2, PM10, and PM2.5 were estimated for the CoM in 2019. The number of deaths attributable to each exposure was estimated using risk functions available in the literature; the values recommended by the new World Health Organisation guidelines were used as counterfactual exposure limits. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: the population assisted by the Agency for Health Protection of Milan and resident in the CoM on 01.01.2019, aged 30 years or older. The place of residence was georeferenced and the population was followed up until 31.12.2019. Deaths and their causes were obtained from the Causes of Death Registry. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: deaths attributable to exposure from non-accidental causes, cardiovascular diseases, respiratory diseases, and lung cancer were estimated. RESULTS: in 2019, the estimated annual average level of NO2 was 36.6 µg/m3, that of PM10 was 24.9 µg/m3, and that of PM2.5 was 22.4 µg/m3, with levels varying across the city area. Concerning exposure to NO2, in 2019 10% of deaths for natural causes were estimated to be attributable to annual mean levels of NO2 above 10 µg/m3. As regard PM2.5, 13% of deaths for natural causes and 18% of deaths from lung cancer were attributable to an annual mean level above 5 µg/m3. The impact of exposure to particulate matter on mortality does not seem to be the same in all the areas of the CoM. CONCLUSIONS: the health impact of exposure to airborne particulate matter in the CoM population is high. It is important that citizens, policy-makers, and stakeholders address this issue, because of its impact on both health and healthcare costs.
[The importance of details in cancer epidemiology].
di Epidemiologia Prevenzione DS
Epidemiol Prev · 2024 · PMID 38482781 · Publisher ↗
Abstract loading — click title to view on PubMed.
[How do we measure the weight of the NHS crisis on the health of Italian citizens?].
di Epidemiologia Prevenzione DS
Epidemiol Prev · 2024 · PMID 38482780 · Publisher ↗
Abstract loading — click title to view on PubMed.
CEDRIC-HIV: la checklist per gli studi sulla resistenza ai farmaci anti-HIV.
Blasioli E, Mbuagbaw L, Fokam J … +1 more , Santoro MM
Epidemiol Prev · 2024 · PMID 38482779 · Publisher ↗
Abstract loading — click title to view on PubMed.
Applying competing risks analysis to recurrences of primary breast cancer.
Mancini S, Biggeri A, Giuliani O … +6 more , Vattiato R, Baldacchini F, Ravaioli A, Zamagni F, Falcini F, Bucchi L
Epidemiol Prev · 2023 · PMID 38318787 · Publisher ↗
INTRODUCTION: in time-to-event analysis, competing risks are observed when a subject is at risk of multiple types of events. A competing risk is an event that prevents the event of interest from happening or modifies its...
INTRODUCTION: in time-to-event analysis, competing risks are observed when a subject is at risk of multiple types of events. A competing risk is an event that prevents the event of interest from happening or modifies its chance to occur. OBJECTIVES: the purposes of this article are to provide an overview of competing risks analysis and to illustrate its application to the follow-up of breast cancer patients in order to estimate the risk of disease recurrence. DESIGN: cohort study. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: population-based random sample of patients with stage I-III primary female breast cancer diagnosed in 2000-2013, aged 15 years or older, resident in the Forlì health care district (northern Italy), treated surgically and with available information regarding disease laterality. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: subhazard ratio, hazard ratio and cumulative incidence function for loco-regional recurrences and distant metastasis during 10 years of follow-up. METHODS: breast cancer recurrences were evaluated taking into account death from any cause and occurrence of a second primary breast cancer as competing risks. Recent developments in competing risks methodology were used. The results obtained were compared with those from the Cox regression model, in which the competing risks were not accounted for. CONCLUSIONS: estimating the risk of recurrence without accounting for the competing risks resulted in a divergence of the hazard/subhazard functions. Competing risks analysis is preferable when the statistical assumption of independence of end-points may be violated.
An occupational health risk index: definition, description and mapping at municipality level.
Gariazzo C, Taiano L, Scarselli A … +2 more , Caranci N, Marinaccio A
Epidemiol Prev · 2023 · PMID 38318786 · Publisher ↗
OBJECTIVES: to develop an occupational health risk index that can help to introduce the occupational risk component into epidemiological studies and assess the level of occupational risk in Italian municipalities useful...
OBJECTIVES: to develop an occupational health risk index that can help to introduce the occupational risk component into epidemiological studies and assess the level of occupational risk in Italian municipalities useful for supporting prevention measures. DESIGN: defi nition of a municipal index as a combination of occupational and territorial indicators derived from national registers of occupational data and environmental archives. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: the index composition is based on data on work injuries, occupational diseases and workers exposed to carcinogens in the years 2015-2019 available at the municipal level, as well as data on municipalities hosting sites of national interest for environmental remediation (SIN) and those in which big industrial facilities (GIE), registered as pollutant emitters, are located. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: standardized rates of occupational injuries and occupational diseases occurred in Italian municipalities were calculated from data collected by the Italian National Institute for Insurance against Accidents at Work (Inail) in relation to the working-age population (15-69 and 15+ for injuries and occupational diseases, respectively), estimated by the Italian National Statistical Institute (Istat) in 2018. In addition, data from the National Information System on Occupational Exposure to carcinogens (SIREP) were included, from which raw rates were calculated at municipal level. Finally, two other indicators were included, describing the presence/absence of a SIN and the number of GIEs industrial facilities in each municipality. The index of occupational health risk (INDORS) is calculated by summing standardised values of the above fi ve indicators as a continuous variable and it was also classifi ed by quintiles of population as a categorical variable. The association between cause-specific mortality and INDORS levels was evaluated using data on mortality occurring in 2015. RESULTS: during the observation period 2,011,457, 131,353 and 140,183 events were recorded for injuries, occupational diseases and workers exposed to carcinogens, mainly among male workers. A municipal map of INDORS levels (1-5) shows a strong South-North gradient, in line with the Italian industrial geographical context. The contributions of the SIN and GIE indicators are higher in the hot spot municipalities located in the Southern regions and islands. Among the municipalities analysed 1,099 were classifi ed in the lowest risk level, 1,331 in the low-medium level, 1,619 in the medium level, 2,621 in the medium-high level and 1,284 in the highest risk level. The index shows a direct correlation with accidental mortality and an inverse correlation with all-cause and malignant neoplasm mortality. CONCLUSIONS: the proposed index can be useful to introduce the occupational risk dimension in ecological studies and results as a flexible tool to rank Italian municipalities in terms of occupational risk.
[How to optimize Audit&Feedback: experience from the EASY-NET programme].
Acampora A, Angioletti C, D'Agostino M … +14 more , Deroma L, Tullio A, Pagano E, Ciccone G, Marchesini G, Grilli R, Bonomi A, Marenzi G, Giusti A, Venturella R, Ciurleo R, Bramanti P, Davoli M, Agabiti N
Epidemiol Prev · 2023 · PMID 38314546 · Publisher ↗
This is the second of a series of papers dedicated to the EASY-NET research programme (NET-2016-02364191). The rationale, structure and methodologies are described in the previous contribution. Scientific literature demo...
This is the second of a series of papers dedicated to the EASY-NET research programme (NET-2016-02364191). The rationale, structure and methodologies are described in the previous contribution. Scientific literature demonstrated that Audit & Feedback (A&F) is an effective strategy for continuous quality improvement and its effectiveness varies considerably according to factors that are currently little known. Some recent publication pointed out, with the contribution of an international group of experts, 15 suggestions to optimize A&F and developed a tool to evaluate their application. This tool, called REFLECT-52, includes 52 items related to the 15 suggestions and organized into four categories relating to the "Nature of the desired action", to the "Nature of the data available for feedback", to the "Feedback Display" and to the "Intervention delivery". Then, the aim of this work was to evaluate the level of adherence of A&F interventions tested in EASY-NET to suggestions from the literature by using a slightly adapted version of the REFLECT-52 tool, in its original language. In EASY-NET, 14 A&F interventions with different characteristics and in different clinical and organizational contexts were tested in seven Italian regions, each of these was evaluated by the respective research groups. Overall, the level of adherence was high in three of the four categories analysed, with some difficulties reported regarding the nature of the data available for feedback. In fact, contrary to what the literature suggests, it was not possible to send repeated feedback for some interventions and, in some cases, the data available for feedback presented a delay longer than one year. In summary, this analysis has confirmed a high level of compliance of the interventions tested with the suggestions from the literature, but it has also allowed researchers to identify critical aspects that need to be addressed for the future development of these strategies.
COVID-19 vaccination and all-cause and non-COVID-19 mortality. A revaluation of a study carried out in an Italian Province.
Berrino F, Donzelli A, Bellavite P … +1 more , Malatesta G
Epidemiol Prev · 2023 · PMID 38314545 · Publisher ↗
The COVID-19 vaccination prevents COVID-19 specific mortality. Well planned population-based studies, however, are necessary to evaluate the overall effectiveness of vaccination programmes. A study carried out in the pro...
The COVID-19 vaccination prevents COVID-19 specific mortality. Well planned population-based studies, however, are necessary to evaluate the overall effectiveness of vaccination programmes. A study carried out in the province of Pescara is used to illustrate the potential biases that may affect such studies. The Pescara study analysed total and non-COVID-19 mortality and the occurrence of Potentially Vaccine-Related Serious Adverse Events (PVR-SAEs) in vaccinated and unvaccinated people, from January 2021, when vaccines became available, to July 2022. The study reported a lower probability of both total and non-COVID-19 death in vaccinated people. However, the authors did not include in the denominator of the unvaccinated cohort the population experience of the vaccinated cohort before vaccination (immortal time bias). Correcting the denominator of the unvaccinated cohort, the crude death rate of vaccinated and unvaccinated persons becomes the same. For the same reason, the unvaccinated non-COVID-19 mortality was overestimated, as was the mortality of people receiving only one or two vaccine doses. Confounding by indication and the healthy vaccinee bias will also be discussed, as well as the bias deriving by not considering the evolution of risk over time.
The COVID-19 vaccination in 4,772 pregnant women in the province of Trento (North-East Italy). Characteristics of vaccinated women.
Pertile R, Battistella C, De Nisi M … +3 more , Zuccali MG, Mantovani W, Moretti F
Epidemiol Prev · 2023 · PMID 38314544 · Publisher ↗
OBJECTIVES: to investigate vaccine uptake among pregnant women during the 2nd and 3rd trimester of pregnancy. To describe the factors influencing vaccine uptake during pregnancy, comparing sociodemographic and clinical c...
OBJECTIVES: to investigate vaccine uptake among pregnant women during the 2nd and 3rd trimester of pregnancy. To describe the factors influencing vaccine uptake during pregnancy, comparing sociodemographic and clinical characteristics of pregnant women who were vaccinated during the 2nd or 3rd trimester with those who were not vaccinated, despite having the indication for vaccination. DESIGN: observational study with a cross-sectional approach and prevalence estimation in the population of women who gave birth in the study period, through record linkages between the ministry information flow Birth assistance certificate, the Regional vaccination register and the Italian flow for SARS-CoV-2 infections. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: the study included all the 4,772 pregnant women living in Trentino (north-east Italy), who were in the 2nd or 3rd trimester of pregnancy between the 5th May 2021 and the 28th February 2022 and who delivered in Trentino. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: vaccine uptake among pregnant women during the 2nd and 3rd trimester of pregnancy. Results: 33.3% of pregnant women got vaccinated with at least one dose of vaccine during the 2nd or 3rd trimester of pregnancy. Independent factors associated with vaccine uptake in the 2nd or 3rd trimester were the mother's citizenship, educational level, occupational status and age. CONCLUSIONS: the proportion of women who received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine during pregnancy was low. The results are important to start efficient actions to promote vaccination in pregnant women, particularly in the most vulnerable ones (unemployed, foreigners and with a low educational level), who appear to be less vaccinated frequently.
Real-world evidence on the efficacy of bivalent booster doses of SARS-CoV-2 vaccine in respect of monovalent boosters or primary cycle of vaccination: a narrative review.
Sane Schepisi M
Epidemiol Prev · 2023 · PMID 38314543 · Publisher ↗
OBJECTIVES: the objective of this review is to give an overall view of the knowledge on COVID-19 bivalent vaccines and to explore the available real-world evidence on their effectiveness in the Omicron era. Currently, bi...
OBJECTIVES: the objective of this review is to give an overall view of the knowledge on COVID-19 bivalent vaccines and to explore the available real-world evidence on their effectiveness in the Omicron era. Currently, bivalent vaccines are generally offered to all groups eligible for their next booster, as defined by the national vaccination campaigns, with varying policies between countries.The use of bivalent vaccines is supported by immunogenity studies, but these have produced contradictory conclusions and are not generally designed to measure clinical impact. DESIGN: in order to critically evaluate the available research on real-world efficacy, a systematic literature search was performed; three different web engines were used, including early-stage search platforms: PubMed, medRxiv and the Global research on coronavirus disease (COVID-19) database. SETTING: no restrictions were imposed on language, setting or publication date. The research was last updated on 20 March 2023. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: the following outcomes were considered: infection, hospitalisation due to COVID-19 disease, admission to the emergency/urgency department, death. The following were considered as additional outcomes: variant-specific vaccine effectiveness; vaccine effectiveness waning over time. RESULTS: out of 876 references reviewed, 14 studies were finally included and extracted. The results of this review show modest to moderate additional protection from vaccination with bivalent BA.4-5 or BA.1 vaccines mRNA-booster against COVID-19-associated disease - Relative VE% ranging from 8 (95% CI 0-16) to 58.7 (95% 54.6-62.5)- and hospitalisation - Relative VE% ranging from 32.2 (2.5-60.1) to 80.5 (95% CI 69.5-91.5)-, when compared with a booster with a monovalent vaccine or with having completed only the primary course, during a period when BA.5 and other Omicron sublineage viruses predominated globally. CONCLUSIONS: the additional benefit of bivalent booster vaccines - compared to one or two monovalent booster vaccinations or compared to the primary course alone - in the prevention of SARS-CoV-2 Omicron infection appears to be small, especially in persons with previous Omicron infection, whereas modest to moderate protection from vaccination with bivalent BA.4-5 or BA.1 mRNA-booster vaccines as a fourth dose against COVID-19-associated illness and hospitalisation has been reported.
[A screening for all. How to make screening programmes more inclusive].
Ferrante G, Di Stefano F, Piccinelli C … +1 more , Giordano L
Epidemiol Prev · 2023 · PMID 38314542 · Publisher ↗
Abstract loading — click title to view on PubMed.
[Raiders of the published science: predatory journals in short].
Colombi N
Epidemiol Prev · 2023 · PMID 38314541 · Publisher ↗
Abstract loading — click title to view on PubMed.
[Declaration of scientific health societies for peace].
Epidemiol Prev · 2023 · PMID 38314540 · Publisher ↗
Abstract loading — click title to view on PubMed.
[Air pollution: epidemiological studies, guidelines and decision making].
Forastiere F
Epidemiol Prev · 2023 · PMID 38314539 · Publisher ↗
Abstract loading — click title to view on PubMed.
[Vitamin D and COVID-19: a communication far from reality].
Donzelli A, Maestri E
Epidemiol Prev · 2023 · PMID 37846454 · Publisher ↗
The intake of Vitamin D against COVID-19 has theoretical bases. In the 3-year period of the pandemic, hundreds of favorable observational studies and some small randomized controlled trials (RCTs) have been produced.Howe...
The intake of Vitamin D against COVID-19 has theoretical bases. In the 3-year period of the pandemic, hundreds of favorable observational studies and some small randomized controlled trials (RCTs) have been produced.However, to date, RCTs of larger size and quality have unfavorable results and do not support its use, neither in oral form at various doses nor as injection boluses nor in prophylaxis nor in treatment of COVID-19, not even in severe or critical cases, nor to prevent deaths.The results of a recent sequential meta-analysis of a few RCTs, presented as 'definitive evidence', are biased by the weight of the improper inclusion of an observational study.Interference with correct information, both in the media and in scientific communication, risks obscuring in clinical practice the conclusions of the most valid studies available.
About
- Frequency
- Sun
- Papers found
- 200
- RSS feed
- Subscribe