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.