Adherence to Mediterranean diet in a sample of Tuscan adolescents.

Objective: The aim of this study was to estimate the level of adherence to the Mediterranean diet in a group of Italian high school students, in relation to their lifestyles and social and family contexts, and to compare the nutrition habits of the sample with other similar groups.

Methods: The KIDMED index and an ad hoc questionnaire were administered to 1127 students (mean age 16.8 ± 1.

[Tuberculosis in Tuscany: epidemiology and drug resistance].

The aim of this study, conducted in collaboration with the Regional Mycobacteriology Centre at "Careggi" Hospital in Florence, was to describe the epidemiology of tuberculosis (TB) in Tuscany in the years 2007 to 2009. Epidemiological data and mycobacteriology results related to all subjects with confirmed TB in the three years considered were evaluated.Two hundred eighty-five patients were evaluated for the year 2007, 289 for 2008 and 240 for 2009 (data for three provinces are missing for 2009).

Quantification of drugs of abuse and some stimulants in hair samples by liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization ion trap mass spectrometry.

A qualitative and quantitative method for the analysis of drugs of abuse (cocaine and benzoylecgonine, opiates) and some stimulants in human hair was developed and validated. Hair samples were incubated with phosphate buffer (pH 5.0), chosen as the extraction medium, extracted with Bond Elut Certify cartridges and analyzed by LC-MS-MS and LC-MS(3) as confirmation for positive results.

The role of environmental factors and distance from Emergency Medical Services on the severity of road accidents.

Aim of this work is to assess the effect of some environmental factors on road accident severity in Tuscany (Italy). ISTAT data on road accidents occurred in Tuscany in 1991-2003 (228,833 accidents) have been analysed, considering the following variables: road type and characteristics, population density in the municipality where the accident occurred, presence of Emergency Medical Services (EMSs) in the municipality, distance between the municipality and the nearest EMS, according to 3 different criteria. The effect of each variable in accident severity (fatal vs not fatal) was assessed through logistic regression analysis.

Body composition assessment in a sample of eight-year-old children.

Objective: We assessed the body composition of 8-y-old children living in Livorno through the integration of bioelectrical and anthropometric evaluations.

Methods: The study, conducted during December 2005, involved 8-y-old third graders of Livorno, Italy. We collected for each subject (449 children, 210 female and 239 male) anthropometric parameters and carried out bioelectrical impedance test with a STA/BIA Soft Tissue Analyzer.

[Assessment of nutritional status in institutionalized elderly individuals through body impedance analysis].

The aim of this study was to describe changes in body composition and determine the prevalence of malnutrition or of risk of malnutrition in long institutionalized elderly patients. Four hundred five patients aged over 64 years were included in the study. Nutritional status was evaluated by means of questionnaire, height and weight measurements and bioelectrical Impedance Vector Analysis (BIVA).

The prevalence of latent tuberculosis infection in social marginal groups. An experience conducted in Tuscany.

Tuberculosis is encountering a renewal attention due to emergent causes, linked primarily to migration from high-endemic countries of many subjects who present important risk factors as poverty, homelessness, drug abuse, HIV infection. The purpose of the present study is to evaluate the spread of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in social groups traditionally at higher risk of developing the disease and often difficult to detect. Tuberculin screening with Mantoux intradermal reaction has been carried out on 2014 subjects with one or more risk conditions.

[Injury-related Emergency Department visits in Tuscany (Italy)].

The frequency of injuries underscores the need for planning and implementing efficient injury surveillance systems. Emergency Departments represent the preferred source of data on injuries but information regarding emergency department visits is not always available. We examined the feasibility of utilizing emergency department data to monitor the occurrence of injuries in Tuscany.