Daniela Anastasi

Background: Prisoners spend most of their time in restricted environments, with strong limitations on freedom and social relationships. Inmates that committed sex crimes (sex-offenders) are subject to limitations more restrictive than other inmates. Physical inactivity is very common in these populations, with negative effects on both physical and mental health. Interventions that contrast physical inactivity are strongly encouraged in this context. Methods: A health promotion intervention was carried out in the prison of Cassino (central Italy) in 2019. This intervention aimed to promote prisoners' health and physical activity, and increase their life skills. Intervention sessions, which included body awareness and proprioceptive exercises, were carried out two times a week for about 9 months. Focus group interviews were carried out with 9 sex-offenders and, separately, with 20 other inmates, exploring the topics of self-perceived health, and impact of the health promotion intervention. Results: Both groups reported feelings of psychological stress and anxiety, leading to increases in cigarette smoking and excessive food consumption. Several focus group participants felt the need to do physical activity on a regular basis and they asked for sport facilities and programs. Sex-offenders reported that the health promotion intervention helped them fill the time, enjoy and relax, while non sex-offenders reported an increase in physical fitness and viewed this intervention as an opportunity of social rehabilitation. Conclusions: Imprisonment leads to negative health behaviours, such as physical inactivity, cigarette smoking, and excessive food consumption, particularly among sex-offenders that are subject to stronger limitations than other inmates. Interventions that promote physical activity among prisoners may have positive effects on prisoners' physical fitness and mental health.

The Coronavirus pandemic has affected the lives of people all over the world. The perception of risk and people’s consequent behaviour during a pandemic are very complex and are affected by multiple cultural and psychological factors. The aim of this study was to investigate the change in risk perception, perceived self-efficacy and the perceived trust in the behaviour of others, the decisions of health authorities and government provisions, as well as the variation of self-restraint behaviours during the spread of the Covid-19 epidemic in Italy. We used a convenience sample of 707 university students (M_age = 22.99; SD = 4.01) from a central area of Italy. Participants freely joined the research by answering an online questionnaire between February and March 2020. Three time intervals defined by the progressive containment measures implemented by the Italian Government were considered. Main outcome measures were the Generalized Self-Efficacy Scale, the Risk Perception Index, the Index of Self-restraint Behaviours, and Institutional and Interpersonal Trust Measures. Results confirmed that significant changes in the time progression have occurred in the perception of risk, in the perception of individual self-efficacy, in the value attributed to social responsibility, in interpersonal trust and in trust in health authorities. The study also identified the participants’ personality traits and locus of control as predictors (positive and negative) of perceived self-efficacy and tested a mediation model of trust on the effect of risk perception on self-restraint intentions.

Background: Water coolers are popular in office buildings and commercial stores and the quality of this source of drinking water has the potential to cause waterborne outbreaks, especially in sensitive and immunocompromised subjects. The aim of this study was to determine the quality of water plumbed in coolers from commercial stores in comparison with tap water in Italy. Methods: For each sample, microbial parameters and chemical indicators of contamination were evaluated and information about the date of installation, time since last ordinary and extraordinary maintenance of water coolers was collected. Results: In all samples the chemical parameters (nitrite, ammonium, free active chlorine residual) did not exceed the reference values of the drinking water regulation; the pH value in 86.8% samples of the carbonated waters was lower than the reference limit. The microbiological results indicated that the bacteria count at 22°C and 37°C was higher than the required values in 71% and 81% for the non-carbonated water and in 86% and 88% for the carbonated one, respectively. Enterococcus spp. and Escherichia coli were not detected in any of the water samples. Pseudomonas aeruginosa was found in only one sample of the tap water and in 28.9% and 23.7% of the non-carbonated and carbonated water samples, respectively. No statistically significant differences in bacterial counts at 22°C and 37°C have been found between the non-carbonated and carbonated water from the sampled coolers in relation with the time since the last filter was substituted. The bacteriological quality of tap water was superior to that of non-carbonated and carbonated water from coolers. Conclusion: The results emphasize the importance of adopting appropriate routinely monitoring system in order to prevent or to diminish the chances of contamination of this water source.

Background: The purpose of this study was to investigate whether paediatricians have appropriate knowledge, attitudes, and behaviours regarding vaccinations for infants in Italy.Methods: A random sample of 500 paediatricians received a self-administered anonymous questionnaire covering demographic and professional characteristics; knowledge about the mandatory, recommended, and not indicated vaccinations for infants; attitudes about vaccinations for infants; behaviour regarding current administration or willingness to administer mandatory or recommended vaccinations for infants and immunization education programs of the parents.Results: Only 42.3% paediatricians knew all recommended vaccinations for infants and this knowledge was significantly higher in females, in those who worked a higher number of hours for week, and in those who use guidelines for immunization practice. Only 10.3% had a very favourable attitude towards the utility of the recommended vaccinations for infants and this was significantly higher in those who administered recommended vaccinations for infants. A large proportion (82.7%) of paediatricians routinely informed the parents about the recommended vaccinations for infants and this appropriate behaviour was significantly higher among younger, in those with a higher number of years in practice, and in those who administered the recommended vaccinations for infants.Conclusion: Training and educational interventions are needed in order to improve knowledge, attitudes, and behaviours regarding vaccinations for infants among paediatricians.

A prevalence study was conducted to evaluate Staphylococcus aureus nasal colonization in two groups of injection drug users recruited at two drug addiction treatment centres in Rome and Frosinone (Italy). Prevalence of Staphylococcus aureus nasal colonization in the 181 subjects included in the study was 8.83%. Significantly increased carriage rates were found among drug users in Frosinone with respect to those in Rome. No other significant determinants of colonization were identified through multiple logistic regression analysis. Only 2 of 16 Staphylococcus aureus strains (12.5%) were found to be methicillin resistant. Genomic DNA restriction pattern analysis, through SmaI digestion and pulsed field gel electrophoresis, demonstrated wide genetic heterogeneity among the isolates. Although the great majority of PFGE patterns were found in single isolates, in some cases common patterns were identified in isolates obtained from different drug users, clearly indicating the possibility of interhuman transmission of Staphylococcus aureus in this population.