Key factors in complex public health interventions to address vaccine hesitancy using a multidisciplinary approach: the VAX-TRUST project.

The VAX-TRUST project addresses vaccine hesitancy in seven European countries with a systematic and evidence-based approach. Interventions, targeting healthcare professionals, draw from behavioural and social theories. A checklist, inspired by the TIDieR (Template for Intervention Description and Replication), ensures a detailed description of actions, transparency and replicability.

Trust matters: The Addressing Vaccine Hesitancy in Europe Study.

This article presents the design of a seven-country study focusing on childhood vaccines, Addressing Vaccine Hesitancy in Europe (VAX-TRUST), developed during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study consists of (a) situation analysis of vaccine hesitancy (examination of individual, socio-demographic and macro-level factors of vaccine hesitancy and analysis of media coverage on vaccines and vaccination and (b) participant observation and in-depth interviews of healthcare professionals and vaccine-hesitant parents. These analyses were used to design interventions aimed at increasing awareness on the complexity of vaccine hesitancy among healthcare professionals involved in discussing childhood vaccines with parents.

Risk perception, knowledge about SARS-CoV-2, and perception towards preventive measures in Italy: a nationwide cross-sectional study.

Introduction: After COVID-19 outbreak, governments adopted several containment measures. Risk perception and knowledge may play a crucial role since they can affect compliance with preventive measures. This study aimed to explore the extent and the associated factors of risk perception, knowledge regarding SARS-CoV2, and perception towards preventive measures among the Italian population.

Exploring Knowledge and Awareness of HCV Infection and Screening Test: A Cross-Sectional Survey Among an Italian Sample.

Addressing HCV represents a public health priority, especially in Italy, which has the highest HCV prevalence in Europe. This study primarily aimed to explore knowledge about the HCV infection and awareness of the existence of the HCV screening test in Italy, before the implementation of awareness campaigns in 2022. An online cross-sectional survey was conducted (December 2021-January 2022).

Changes in Physical Activity Levels and Eating Behaviours during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Sociodemographic Analysis in University Students.

The COVID-19 pandemic has forced schools and universities to shift their activities online, influencing the adoption of health-related behaviours such as physical activity and healthy dietary habits. The present study investigates the changes in adherence to a healthy diet and regular physical activity in university students in Italy before and during the COVID-19 pandemic and understands the role of sociodemographic variables in creating the changes above. We conducted a repeated cross-sectional survey performing the same sampling strategy at the first data collection (T0) and second data collection (T1) with a combination of convenience and snowball sampling approaches.

Quality of Life and Psychosocial Impacts of the Different Restrictive Measures during One Year into the COVID-19 Pandemic on Patients with Cancer in Italy: An Ecological Study.

Background: The aim of the study was to assess the perceived quality of life and the psychosocial impact of the various restrictive measures due to COVID-19 pandemic on cancer patients in Italy, as well as their perception of the relationship with doctors and caregivers.

Methods: This study compares three population-based observational studies of patients with cancer carried out in three consecutive time periods characterized by different restrictive measures using a self-administered online questionnaire.

Results: Among the basic needs, psychological and medical support appeared to be prevalent; so did the need for safe transportation to reach the treatment facilities.

The impact of pictorial health warnings on tobacco products in smokers behaviours and knowledge: the first quasi-experimental field trial after the implementation of the tobacco law in Italy.

Background: The aim of the study was to evaluate in the Italian smokers, the effects of implementation of the law about Pictorial Health Warnings (PHWs) on tobacco products.

Methods: A quasi-experimental longitudinal design was conducted between 2016 and 2017. The data were collected before (pre-PHW/Wave 1) and after (post-PHW/Wave 2) the implementation of the law.

Health-related quality of life and its associated factors: results of a multi-center cross-sectional study among university students.

Background: The decline of health among university students represents an important and growing public health concern. Health problems and unhealthy lifestyle habits are common among many students, but factors influencing students' health are not fully understood.

Methods: Italian university students from different study programs and curriculum years were asked to fill out a self-administered questionnaire, collecting data about age, gender, curriculum year, study program and health-related quality of life (QOL).

[The progressive patient care program as a model of field training of public health practitioners: the experience of the Roman Public Health Academy].

The management of healthcare facilities has become increasingly complex in recent years, leading to a greater demand for public health physicians in Italy. Public Health physicians are responsible for evaluating community needs, with particular attention to health determinants and, at the same time, to final user feedback. During their training, they must acquire the competencies to manage a wide range of problems.

[Training on vaccination for health care professionals].

Vaccinations in Italy show a downward trend since 2013 due to an evergrowing mistrust of the population with regard to vaccination that has resulted in lesser adherence to vaccination programs. The main cause of the reduction is due to a tendency observed in recent years, even at the international level, known as 'vaccine hesitancy'. A growing number of studies on vaccine hesitancy show that causes vary by country, population, vaccine, and context influences, but in all cases emerges the importance of health care professionals in patients decision about vaccine.

Knowledge and attitudes towards the use of antibiotics in the paediatric age group: a multicenter survey in Italy.

: The misuse of antibiotics is one of the leading causes of antibiotic resistance. Paediatric patients are highly involved in this issue, as they are those who receive the largest amount of prescriptions of these drugs. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the general knowledge regarding the use of antibiotics, as well as the attitudes related to the administration of these drugs to children, amongst parents of children in the paediatric age-group.

Are undocumented migrants' entitlements and barriers to healthcare a public health challenge for the European Union?

Undocumented migrants (UMs) are at higher risk for health problems because of their irregular status and the consequences of economic and social marginalization. Moreover, the emergent reality of undocumented migration in Europe calls for action in the field of management of UM's health demands as their access to health services has become a sensitive political and social issue. In this light, this paper aims to address UMs' entitlement and barriers to healthcare and related policies citing evidence from peer-reviewed and grey literature concerning people living in a country within the European Union without the legal right to be/remain in the destination country.

[What are the competencies that public health physician should have today? A proposal for a shared training program at three Hygiene and Preventive Medicine residency training schools in Rome (Italy)].

To acquire essential knowledge and skills for Public Health practice, residents in Hygiene and Preventive Medicine programs should be provided with excellent training. On behalf of the Roman Public Health Academy (ARSP), the authors, representing the three Hygiene and Preventive Medicine residency training programs in Rome (Italy) aimed to propose a training program to be shared by the above three schools. Firstly, they performed a scientific literature review to identify the core competencies that a public health specialist should have acquired at the end of training.

From directive to practice: are pictorial warnings and plain packaging effective to reduce the tobacco addiction?

Objectives: Tobacco packaging represents an important form of promotion of tobacco products and for this reason plain packaging (PP) can be considered an additional tobacco control measure. In Italy the current tobacco packaging is branded with textual warnings. The study investigated the perception of PP with textual warnings (PPTWs) and pictorial warnings (PPPWs) in Italy.

[Quality of life and level of satisfaction of elderly persons receiving home health care: a cross-sectional study].

This study evaluated quality of life and level of satisfaction of elderly persons receiving home health care. Data was collected through a questionnaire and by examining medical records of 500 elderly patients. The mean age of study participants was 81 years.

Knowledge, opinions and attitudes of Italian mothers towards HPV vaccination and Pap test.

Aim: This study evaluated the knowledge and attitudes of Italian mothers - whose daughters had been vaccinated in 2012 - towards primary (anti-HPV vaccination) and secondary (Pap test screening) cervical cancer prevention, as well as sources of information and mother-daughter communication on health issues.

Methods: The survey - part of a multicenter study carried out in 4 Italian cities (Ferrara, Rome, Cassino and Palermo) - was conducted through self-administered questionnaires. The first univariate analysis evaluated differences between mothers of under-18s and over-18s relative to knowledge and attitudes on HPV vaccination and Pap test.

Pregnancy e-health: a multicenter Italian cross-sectional study on Internet use and decision-making among pregnant women.

Background: Our study aimed to estimate the prevalence of pregnancy e-health seekers in a large Italian sample; to explore the factors influencing the choices of the childbearing women regarding their lifestyles after internet consultation; and finally to investigate potential differences between primiparous and multiparous women in internet use to find information about pregnancy.

Methods: A multicentre survey was carried out in seven Italian cities. Data were collected through a validated questionnaire administered in waiting rooms of outpatient departments by medical doctors.

Food safety at home: knowledge and practices of consumers.

AIM: To define food safety and risk perception of foodborne diseases in the private home setting and identify specific behaviours during food purchase, storage and preparation in a large survey study. SUBJECT AND METHODS: A large sample of individuals (n = 1,000) living in the area of Cassino, Italy, volunteered to participate in the study. All participants were randomly recruited and underwent a questionnaire-based interview at their home regarding food-safety measures.

Surfing the internet for health information: an italian survey on use and population choices.

Background: Recent international sources have described how the rapid expansion of the Internet has precipitated an increase in its use by the general population to search for medical information. Most studies on e-health use investigated either through the prevalence of such use and the social and income patterns of users in selected populations, or the psychological consequences and satisfaction experienced by patients with particular diseases. Few studies have been carried out in Europe that have tried to identify the behavioral consequences of Internet use for health-related purposes in the general population.

[Nutritional status of elderly institutionalized subjects in a health district in Frosinone (Italy)].

In recent years there has been a constant increase in the number of elderly people being admitted to nursing homes. Elderly nursing home residents seem to have a higher risk of malnutrition with respect to the community dwelling elderly population. A study was therefore performed to evaluate the nutritional status of elderly subjects living in 8 nursing homes in the "D" health district in Frosinone (Italy).