Epidemiologia e Prevenzione

Our medical research library holds 7 studies published in Epidemiologia e Prevenzione (2004–2021). Each entry links to the study's record on PubMed and, where there is one, to the publisher's page and a free full text. 5 have an abstract, the authors' own summary as PubMed records it: open "Abstract" to read it.

About the journal

• Publisher: Inferenze Coop. Società Benefit
• Published: 1976 to the present, Italy
• Language: Italian
• ISSN: 1120-9763 (print)
• Its record in the NLM Catalog

2020s

• COVID-19-like symptoms and their relation to the SARS-CoV-2 epidemic in children and adults of an Italian birth cohort. M. Popovic, C. Moccia, E. Isaevska, et al. 2021;45(6):486-495. PubMed · Publisher

  Abstract

  Objectives: to estimate the population prevalence of COVID-19-like symptoms in children and adults during the first SARS-CoV-2 epidemic wave hitting Italy in the spring 2020; to assess their geographical correlation with the cumulative number of COVID-19 cases by province; to analyse their clustering within families; to estimate their sensitivity, positive predictive value (PPV) and negative predictive value (NPV) for COVID-19 diagnosis in individuals tested for SARS-CoV-2.

  Design: cross-sectional study nested within a birth cohort.

  Setting And Participants: mothers participating in an Italian birth cohort (NINFEA) were invited to complete an online questionnaire on COVID-19-like symptoms in their household.

  Main Outcome Measures: population prevalence of COVID-19-like symptoms in children and adults, geographical correlation of COVID-19-like symptoms with the cumulative number of COVID-19 cases by province, clustering of COVID-19-like symptoms within families, and sensitivity, PPV and NPV of COVID-19-like symptoms for COVID-19 diagnosis in individuals tested for SARS-CoV-2.

  Results: information was collected on 3,184 households, 6,133 adults, and 5,751 children. In the period March-April 2020, 55.4% of the NINFEA families had at least one member with at least one COVID-19-like symptom. There was a strong geographical correlation between the population cumulative incidence of COVID-19 and the prevalence of muscle pain, fatigue, low-grade fever, and breathing difficulties in adults (Spearman's rho >=0.70). Having at least one family member with a COVID-19 diagnosis, compared with none tested for SARS-CoV-2, was associated with an increased prevalence ratio (PR) of almost all COVID-19-like symptoms in adults, and only of low-grade fever (37-37.5°C; PR 4.54; 95%CI 2.20-9.40) and anosmia/dysgeusia in children. Among adults with COVID-19 diagnosis, fatigue, muscle pain, and fever had a sensitivity >=70%. In individuals tested for SARS-CoV-2, with a 16.6% prevalence of COVID-19, breathing difficulties and nausea/vomiting had the highest PPVs, with point estimates close to 60%, and with NPVs close to 90%.

  Conclusions: the geographical prevalence of COVID-19-like symptoms in adults may inform on local disease clusters, while certain symptoms in family members of confirmed COVID-19 cases could help identify the intra-familial spread of the virus and its further propagation in the community. Low-grade fever is frequent in children with at least one household member with COVID-19 and possibly indicates child infection.

• Occupational cohort study of asbestos-cement workers in a contaminated site in Sicily (Italy). L. Fazzo, A. Cernigliaro, M. De Santis, et al. 2020;44(2-3):137-144. PubMed · Publisher

  Abstract

  Objectives: to analyse the asbestos-related diseases risk among the former workers of Sacelit asbestos-cement plant, operating in San Filippo del Mela (Sicily: 1958- 1993).

  Design: cohort study.

  Setting And Participants: 228 subjects were employed in Sacelit from 1958 to 1993. Due to the available observation periods, the analyses of the different outcomes were performed for the subjects alive at the beginning of the respective follow up periods: mortality (1986-2018) was analysed for 204 subjects (177 men, 27 women), hospitalization (2001-2016) for 164 workers (139 men, 25 women) and the incidence of mesothelioma (1998-2016) was estimated for 178 subjects (153 men, 25 women).

  Main Outcomes Measures: mortality (Standardized Mortality Ratio: SMR) and hospitalization (Standardized Hospitalization Ratio: SHR) from specific diseases were analysed. Incidence (Standardized Incidence Ratio: SIR) of mesothelioma cases was detected, also. SMR (1986-2014), SHR (2001-2016) and SIR (1998-2016), with 95% Confidence Intervals, were computed with respect to the regional rates, with STATA11.

  Results: in the men cohort, mortality from lung (17 cases, SMR 2.83) and pleural cancers (5 cases, SMR 30) and from asbestosis (15 cases, SMR 1,930) was in excess. The risk of hospitalization was in excess, in both genders, from lung cancer (men: 6 cases, SHR 4.1; women: 2 cases, SHR 8.6) and asbestosis (men: 17 cases, SHR 1,304; women: 6 cases, SHR 2,455). The incidence of mesothelioma was in excess in men (5 cases, SIR 23.9); no female cases of mesothelioma were observed.

  Conclusions: a high occurrence of asbestos-related diseases in the cohort, particularly among men, was observed. The excess of hospitalization from asbestosis and lung cancer was highlighted also in women. The prosecution of the on-going health surveillance plan is particularly appropriated.

2010s

• Health inequalities in former asbestos workers. F. Chirico, N. Magnavita. 2019;43(1):5. Letter PubMed · Publisher

• Helsinki Criteria update 2014: asbestos continues to be a challenge for disease prevention and attribution. H. Vainio, P. Oksa, T. Tuomi, et al. 2016;40(1 Suppl 1):15-9. PubMed · Publisher

• Scientific journal publishes second eratum regarding false information by scientists funded by asbestos interests. K. Ruff, D. Mirabelli, C. Magnani. 2016;40(2):138-9. PubMed · Publisher

  Abstract

  In a paper published on Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Public Health, Ilgren et al. claimed that cases of mesothelioma among workers of the Balangero (a municipality of the province of Turin, Northern Italy) chrysotile mine and nearby residents were not caused by chrysotile, but by other forms of asbestos. In support, they cited a reference where no pertaining evidence can be found. One year after the paper, an erratum was published by the journal editors in chief, warning that an erroneous citation was present. The erratum is weak and misleading, concealing the fact that a false statement was supported by such error and that it may serve the interests of the chrysotile industry, by dismissing evidence of chrysotile carcinogenicity. Some of the article authors, of the editors in chief and members of the journal editorial board had financial ties to asbestos interests.

• Post-retirement surveillance of workers exposed to asbestos or wood dust: first results of the French national SPIRALE Program. M. Carton, S. Bonnaud, M. Nachtigal, et al. 2011;35(5-6):315-23. PubMed · Free full text

  Abstract

  Objectives: In France, 15 000-20 000 cancers attributable to occupational exposure occur each year. These cancers appear most often after the worker has retired. Since 1995, a system of post-retirement medical surveillance (PRMS) has been set up for former workers, but it remains largely underused.

  Design: The SPIRALE program is a public health intervention aimed at identifying the former workers having been exposed to asbestos or wood dust during their working life and to propose them a PRMS. Additionally, it is also an epidemiologic research on the longterm effects of occupational exposure.We report the results of first years of the program conducted in 2006-2008, in 13 districts.

  Setting And Participants: a self-administered questionnaire was sent to 50 000 newly retired men, to identify potential past occupational carcinogen exposure. For respondents detected as possibly exposed, exposure was assessed in Health Screening Centres and a PRMS was recommended if necessary.

  Main Outcome Measures: Participation rate, rate of confirmed exposure, increased rate of PRMS, satisfaction about the program.

  Results: The participation rate was 24%. From 12 002 questionnaires analysed, 72% of respondents were identified as possibly exposed: 3%to wood dust, 50%to asbestos and 19%to both exposures. Exposure to asbestos was confirmed for 73.4%, and according to the level of exposure, PRMS was recommended for 47.1%. Wood dust exposure was confirmed for 56.7%. In these districts, PRMS for asbestos increased by 45% and for wood dust by 600%. Additional surveys showed that participants showed a high degree of satisfaction about the program.

  Conclusions: The results are positive in terms of detection, information and medical surveillance of exposed workers.

2000s

• Respiratory tract cancers: lung and mesothelioma. P. Crosignani, S. Piffer. 2004;28(2 Suppl):48-56. In English, Italian. PubMed

  Abstract

  The trend analysis of lung cancer in the database of the Italian Network of Cancer Registries (pool AIRT), showed, among males (52,267 incident cases and 46, 726 deaths included in the study) a statistically significant decrease of incidence and mortality in the period 1986-1997; incidence rates decreased by about 1.4%/year and mortality rates by about 1.6%/year. Among females, lung cancer trends are rather different from that of males, according to diverging trends in tobacco smoking exposures; in fact, both incidence (+1.2%/year) and mortality (+0.9%/year) are increasing. Incidence of mesothelioma (1594 cases), showed for the period 1986-1997, a statistically significant increase among both males and females; standardised rates increased, more than 4% every year. As regards to deaths due to pleural malignant cancers (1393 among males and 664 among females) their trend was stable in the analysed period.

Browse every journal in the library or the library by type of article, or return to medical research.