The two behavioural risk factor surveillances on the adult and elderly populations as information systems for leveraging data on health-related sustainable development goals in Italy.

Introduction: Current lengthening of average life and constant increase of population ageing associated to forces that include rapid unplanned urbanisation and globalisation of unhealthy behaviours have determined the huge relevance of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs). Monitoring key modifiable behavioural risk factors has resulted to be crucial both in spatial terms and as per temporal trends in order to allow comparisons between different geographic areas or levels and over time.

Materials And Methods: In Italy, PASSI (Progressi delle Aziende Sanitarie per la Salute in Italia) and Passi d'Argento are the ongoing Behavioural Risk Factor Surveillance Systems (BRFSSs), respectively, on adults (people aged 18-69) and elderly (65 and older).

Cancer screening uptake: association with individual characteristics, geographic distribution, and time trends in Italy.

Background: In Italy, organized screening programmes invite the vast majority of the population for cervical and breast cancer, and about one half of the population for colorectal cancer. Programme activity and quality are closely monitored. Nevertheless, there is a vast spontaneous activity, both public and private, for which information on service and coverage is missing.

[The evaluation of susceptibility to rubella in women of childbearing age; the experience of the Asl Roma C].

The new Plan for Elimination of Measles and Congenital Rubella 2010-15 recommends the local health unit (ASL) to analyze the immunization coverage data available in the adult population cohorts, in order to identify susceptible people. The aim of this paper is to estimate the susceptibility to rubella in resident women of childbearing age, through integration of all ASL data sources, in order to implement the most appropriate vaccination strategy for susceptible women. In ASL Roma C, the "PASSI" surveillance system estimates a 53% prevalence of childbearing age women immune to rubella; as many as 43 % is not aware of her immune status and 4% is certainly susceptible because of reporting a negative result "rubeotest" (years 2008-10).

Surveillance of perceptions, knowledge, attitudes and behaviors of the Italian adult population (18-69 years) during the 2009-2010 A/H1N1 influenza pandemic.

Monitoring perceptions, knowledge, attitudes and behaviors of populations during pandemic flu outbreaks is important as it allows communication strategies to be adjusted to meet emerging needs and assessment to be made of the effects of recommendations for prevention. The ongoing Italian Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (PASSI) offered the setting for investigating people's opinions and behaviors regarding the A/H1N1 pandemic. PASSI surveillance is carried out in 126/148 Italian Local Health Units (LHU) through monthly telephone interviews administered by public health staff to a random sample of the resident population 18-69 years.

Failure of a reinforced triple course of hepatitis B vaccination in patients transplanted for HBV-related cirrhosis.

Long-term immunoprophylaxis with anti-HBs immunoglobulins (HBIg) is used to prevent hepatitis B (HBV) reinfection after liver transplantation for HBV-related cirrhosis. This approach is highly expensive. A recent report proposed posttransplant HBV vaccination with a reinforced schedule as an alternative strategy to allow HBIg discontinuation.