The role of weight status, gender and self-esteem in following a diet among middle-school children in Sicily (Italy).

Background: Weight-related issues such as obesity, dieting and eating disorders in adolescents are major public health problems. Moreover, undertaking a diet tends to be common among school children and the reasons for doing so are not always related to weight status. The objectives of the study were to evaluate the role of body mass index (BMI), gender and self-esteem in the adoption of a diet in middle-school Sicilian children.

[Alcohol habits and acute alcohol intoxication among middle school students].

The objective of this study was to evaluate the age at which alcohol consumption begins and assess alcohol habits among young adolescents, in order to implement and evaluate specific preventive measures aimed at reducing the impact of alcohol related conditions. Students of a middle school in the province of Catania (Italy) were interviewed anonymously, through a self-administered semi-structured questionnaire. Overall, 432 students aged 10-14 years (47% male and 53% female) participated in the study.

[Use of tobacco smoke: approach and risk perception by middle-school students in Catania (Italy)].

The aim of this study was to investigate the approach and behaviour of middle school students in Catania, towards the risks associated with tobacco smoke. This study is part of a multicentric project evaluating the lifestyles of middle school students (grades 6-8), carried out by the Research and Health Education Group (GRES) and was performed during the 2006/2007 school year. In total 432 students participated in the study by completing a self-administered questionnaire.

[Alcohol consumption in schoolchildren. Results of a questionnaire study].

Background And Methods: Alcohol is the leading cause of acute poisoning in Trieste teenagers and one of the main public health problems in general population. Planning of effective prevention is limited by lack of information on alcohol drinking habits and notions of young people.

Materials And Methods: A questionnaire study has been carried out on 769 school teen-agers in Trieste and Gorizia provinces.

[Long-term observations on the etiology and antibiotic resistance in urinary infections (1971-1987)].

The activity "in vitro" of six antibiotics (co-trimoxazole, cephaloridine, nitrofurantoin, carbenicillin, nalidixic acid, gentamicin) was tested against four Gram negative: E. coli, Pseudomonas sp., Klebsiella sp.