Annali di igiene : medicina preventiva e di comunita最新文献

{"title":"Gender dynamics in hand hygiene practices: A survey in a specialized dermatological Scientific Institute for Research, Hospitalization and Health Care.","authors":"Gerardo Altamura, Patrizia Laurenti, Aurora Heidar Alizadeh, Gian Marco Raspolini, Antonio Facchiano, Rosamaria Virgili, Mario Cesare Nurchis, Matteo Raponi, Marco Cavarra, Annarita Panebianco, Gianfranco Damiani","doi":"10.7416/ai.2025.2714","DOIUrl":"10.7416/ai.2025.2714","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>A high adherence to hand hygiene procedures is regarded as cost-effective for preventing healthcare-associated infections. How important it is perceived by healthcare workers may determine the level of adherence to recommendations. This survey aimed at investigating perceptions, practices, and gender dynamics surrounding hand hygiene among healthcare professionals.</p><p><strong>Study design: </strong>This study followed a cross-sectional design, involving a questionnaire administered only once to each participant.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>The study was set in a dermatological Scientific Institute for Research, Hospitalization and Healthcare (SIRHHC) in Italy. An internet-based survey was made available to every SIRHHC's healthcare worker for two months of 2024. Surveyed population consisted of healthcare professionals involved in patient care within the SIRHHC, including physicians, nurses, and other healthcare staff. The questionnaire was based on the World Health Organization Hand Hygiene Self-Assessment Framework 2010 and involved both open-ended questions and Likert-scale items. Descriptive statistics and qualitative analyses were used to identify themes and quotes related to hand hygiene. To examine the relationship between the percentage of inpatients who will suffer from a healthcare-associated infection and predictor variables, a generalized linear model was fit. Tests were conducted to assess the robustness of results.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Answers from 172 respondents, predominantly nurses (66.86%) and female workers (69.6%), were analyzed. Training emerged as a critical determinant of awareness, with participants reporting higher perceived compliance (86.98%) than general compliance rates (77.52%). However, workload pressures and perceived effort required for adherence (rated 5.70/7) were identified as barriers to consistent practice. Institutional support for hand hygiene, reflected in training initiatives and leadership prioritization (rated 3.87/4), was strong, yet patient involvement remained underutilized (rated 4.55/7). While gender differences in beliefs about healthcare-associated infections (HCAIs) were not statistically significant, the high representation of women highlighted their pivotal role in infection prevention and the potential for leadership in hygiene promotion.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>This study provides actionable insights into improving hand hygiene practices and fostering a culture of safety within healthcare settings.</p>","PeriodicalId":520881,"journal":{"name":"Annali di igiene : medicina preventiva e di comunita","volume":"37 6","pages":"691-704"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145067634","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Research on how entrepreneurial capacity and opportunity factors influence the intention of medical staff in the Mekong Delta to start a business in the healthcare sector.","authors":"Nguyen Phuc Hung, Vo Thi My Huong, Nguyen Thi Tuyet Minh, Phan Anh Tu, Nguyen Van Anh, Huynh Thi Thuy Quynh, Nguyen Nhu Quynh, Nguyen Phu Vinh","doi":"10.7416/ai.2025.2697","DOIUrl":"10.7416/ai.2025.2697","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Entrepreneurship is increasingly being recognized as a solution to the challenges of the market economy, especially in the medical field.</p><p><strong>Study design: </strong>The study used a cross-sectional descriptive method with convenience sampling for data collection.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>The study employed random sampling for convenience based on output questions and in accordance with sampling cri-teria for the Mekong Delta provinces. The data was analyzed with SPSS version 20.0. This is done by calculating the Cronbach's Alpha coefficient and applying the Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) method to identify the main factors, thereby determining the official set of questions for the study. EFA is used to find the relationship between independent and dependent variables, as these variables can affect the final results.</p><p><strong>Result: </strong>Gender: Females constitute 70.7% of the participants, while males make up 29.3%. Occupation: The majority of participants are pharmacists, accounting for 74.7% in the medical field. Business orientation: Among the businesses targeted by the partici-pants, trading businesses account for 48.6%. The CFA results indicated good model fit: Tucker-Lewis Index = 0.945; Compara-tive Fit Index = 0.950, Goodness-of-Fit Index = 0.817 (> 0.8), Root Mean Square Error of Approximation = 0.069 (< 0.08), and Chi-Square Minimum Discrepancy divided by Degrees of Freedom = 4.980 (< 5), indicating a good fit with the actual data. The Structural Equation Modeling results include the following fit indexes: Chi-Square Minimum Discrepancy = 4.590; Comparative Fit Index = 0.955; Tucker-Lewis Index = 0.950; Goodness-of-Fit Index = 0.837; Root Mean Square Error of Approximation Root Mean Square Error of Approximation = 0.066; and Adjusted Goodness-of-Fit Index = 0.809. Entrepreneurial capacity factor and opportunities have a statistically significant impact on start-up intention, with significance levels <0.05.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Based on the research results, it is evident that the majority of medical staff surveyed recognize the importance of starting a business and have equipped themselves with relevant knowledge. According to the analysed data, the study indicates that entrepreneurial capacity and opportunity factors influence startup intentions. Therefore, developing these factors for each medical staff member is crucial for successful startups. Measures should be implemented to support and foster the entrepreneurial spirit among healthcare professionals in the Mekong Delta and throughout Vietnam.</p>","PeriodicalId":520881,"journal":{"name":"Annali di igiene : medicina preventiva e di comunita","volume":"37 6","pages":"737-749"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145067661","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The added value of Web Listening Analysis to understand communication needs regarding HIV, AIDS, and STDs in Italy.","authors":"Rudi Valli, Anna Colucci, Pietro Gallo, Giulia Santolini, Emanuele Fanales Belasio, Matteo Schwarz, Rosa Dalla Torre, Anna D'Agostini, Andrea Bongiovanni, Alfredo d'Ari, Francesca Furiozzi, Marco Mirabile, Emilio Fedele, Tommaso Bertani, Luigi Bertinato, Sandro Bilucaglia, Guendalina Fiorillo, Margherita Brambilla, Sergio Iavicoli","doi":"10.7416/ai.2025.2713","DOIUrl":"10.7416/ai.2025.2713","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Institutional communication on human immunodeficiency virus, acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, and sexually transmitted diseases requires the knowledge of people's information needs and tools mainly used for information on health issues. To this goal, a web listening analysis was conducted by Istituto Superiore di Sanità jointly with the Ministry of Health and experts in the field.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Spontaneous listening on the web and on social channels, in relation to conversations referring to human immunodeficiency virus, acquired immunodeficiency syndrome or sexually transmitted diseases was recorded through an integrated Social Listening platform. A database of over 2 billion indexed documents was scanned and analyzed to extract documents containing at least one selected keyword on human immunodeficiency virus, acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, sexually transmitted diseases, published between October 1st 2021 and September 30th 2022.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Web conversations on sexually transmitted diseases took place mainly on Facebook, which is the source of almost half of overall mentions and of the 66% of total messages. However, Instagram and TikTok were the sources where most users interacted. In the sexually transmitted infections corpus of documents, the mostly used terms on the web were human immunodeficiency virus and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. People living with the human immunodeficiency virus expose themselves very scarcely on the public web places. In the public sphere, human immunodeficiency virus and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome are faced impersonally, with opinion based on theoretical knowledge.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Data analysis shows how the perception and discussions on human immunodeficiency virus and acquired immu-nodeficiency syndrome are different among the general population compared to what occurs among people living with human immunodeficiency virus disease. For the general population, the recurring elements of the analysis are seasonality, attention to news events, knowledge of human immunodeficiency virus and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome linked to the past. People living with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome do not expose themselves publicly on thr web, using more protected web places; consequently, stigma is certainly present.</p>","PeriodicalId":520881,"journal":{"name":"Annali di igiene : medicina preventiva e di comunita","volume":" ","pages":"816-826"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145031702","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Outpatient \"Specialist Practitioners\" in Italy in the years before and after the COVID-19 pandemic. The case of the Piedmont Region.","authors":"Giorgio Visca, Lorenzo Angelone, Renato Obrizzo, Antonio Magi","doi":"10.7416/ai.2025.2711","DOIUrl":"10.7416/ai.2025.2711","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Aim: &lt;/strong&gt;Outpatient Contracted Specialist care represents in Italy, together with Family Medicine and Paediatrics, one of the three fundamental pillars of primary and community healthcare. Like General Practitioners of the National Health Service in England and Italy, these \"Specialist Practitioners\", mostly medical doctors but also Psychologists and other professionals, play a key role in the management of chronic patients in community settings, as in a \"barefoot specialists\" model. Few data are however available to precisely define their workforce \"input\" in community and hospital settings. To partially overcome this issue, the Regional Joint Committee for Outpatient Contracted Specialists of the Piedmont Region has conducted since 2017 an annual survey to monitor the amount of healthcare hours delivered for each specialty. The present study describes the results of the data analysis from 2017 to 2023, also as compared to the visits provided before and after the COVID-19 pandemic.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Subject and methods: &lt;/strong&gt;Data were gathered through electronic spreadsheets submitted annually by each regional Local Health Authority to the Committee. Regional totals were compared to the available national totals for the year 2023. Finally an analysis was performed on the available data on first visits provided by Local Health Authorities and Hospital Trusts and on booked first visits per inhabitants in 2023.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Results: &lt;/strong&gt;From 2017 to 2023, the weekly hours of Outpatient Contracted Specialist medical care regionally provided declined from 20,535 to 17,264 (-15.93%). The greatest reductions were recorded for Dentistry, Dermatology and Ophthalmology. In contrast, the hours delivered by contracted psychologists increased from 8,136 to 9,532 (+17.16%). In 2023 the provision of Outpatient Contracted Specialist medical care per inhabitants in Piedmont was 34.66% lower than the national average, whereas Psycho-logists' hours were 199.12% higher. Vacant medical weekly hours increased from 856 to 2,940 (+243.46%) reaching 14.74% of the total hours of Outpatient Contracted Specialist medical care demanded by Local Health Authorities in 2023. Local Health Authorities' demand for Outpatient Contracted Specialist Medical Care in the years 2017-2023 went down by 5.05%. The lowering was recorded mainly for Dentistry, Obstetrics & Gynaecology, Psychiatry and Child Neuropsychiatry. The number of first visits provided by Local Health Authorities in the first semester of 2023 was 27.34% lower than that of 2018. In contrast, an increase of 4.18% was observed in the number of first visits provided by Hospital Trusts. The number of Local Health Authorities' booked first visits every 1,000 inhabitants in 2023 was 34.48% lower than the average national number and more than two-thirds lower than that of a neighbouring region.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Conclusions: &lt;/strong&gt;This study highlights a progressive decline in the public provision of Outpa","PeriodicalId":520881,"journal":{"name":"Annali di igiene : medicina preventiva e di comunita","volume":"37 6","pages":"750-764"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145067586","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Validation of the Italian version of the Pregnancy Physical Activity Questionnaire.","authors":"Alessandro Bianconi, Rossella Messina, Matteo Ricci, Vincenza Leccese, Dila Parma, Virginia Bertini, Paola Rucci, Sofia Marini, Laura Dallolio, Alice Masini","doi":"10.7416/ai.2025.2696","DOIUrl":"10.7416/ai.2025.2696","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>A growing body of evidence suggests that physical activity during pregnancy may have significant health benefits. Self-reported questionnaires may represent an important instrument for gathering information and quantifying the amount of physical activity that women engage during pregnancy. In this study we analyzed the reliability and validity of the Italian version of the Pregnancy Physical Activity Questionnaire.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>The reliability and construct validity of the Italian Version of the Pregnancy Physical Activity Questionnaire was analyzed in a sample of pregnant women. Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) were calculated to investigate the test-retest reliability of the Italian Version of the Pregnancy Physical Activity Questionnaire scores at baseline and after 1 week. Intraclass correlation coefficients >0.70 were considered to denote an adequate reliability. Validity was assessed using Spearman's rank order correlation coefficients between the Italian Version of the Pregnancy Physical Activity Questionnaire scores and the equivalent measures obtained by accelerometers. Coefficients (ρ) >0.50 were considered adequate for construct validity.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The test-retest analysis revealed an adequate reliability for sedentary (Intraclass correlation coefficient = 0.785), moderate (Intraclass correlation coefficient = 0.751), and vigorous physical activity (Intraclass correlation coefficient = 0.931), while lower reliability was found for total (Intraclass correlation coefficients = 0.689) and light physical activity (Intraclass correlation coefficients = 0.632). All Spearman's rank correlation coefficients between the Italian Version of the Pregnancy Physical Activity Questionnaire and the accelerometers measures were <0.50 and non-statistically significant.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>The results of this study showed that the Italian Version of the Pregnancy Physical Activity Questionnaire has almost adequate reliability, while construct validity, based on correlation between Italian Version of the Pregnancy Physical Activity Questionnaire scores and accelerometer data, is very low. Still, the Pregnancy Physical Activity Questionnaire may represent a useful tool to capture daily life activities of pregnant women.</p>","PeriodicalId":520881,"journal":{"name":"Annali di igiene : medicina preventiva e di comunita","volume":"37 6","pages":"807-815"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145067573","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Psychometric properties of the Pediatric Nurses' Knowledge and Attitudes Survey Regarding Pain (PNKAS). An Italian multisite cross-sectional validation study.","authors":"Ismaela Bonfrate, Arianna Loia, Andrea Ferri, Giuseppe Demoro, Luca Cossalter, Liana Murano, Antonella D'Alessandro, Lara Fermi, Margherita Milani, Giuseppe Russello, Giusy Cataldi, Viola Margosio, Giada Valdati, Bnihy Fatima Sahra, Daniela Colombo, Vincenzo Damico, Erica Adrario","doi":"10.7416/ai.2025.2694","DOIUrl":"10.7416/ai.2025.2694","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background and aim: </strong>Several studies have highlighted a lack of nursing knowledge regarding the assessment and management of pediatric pain. Because there is currently no specific tool for the assessment of pain knowledge in pediatric nursing professionals in Italy, the aim of the study was to translate into Italian, adapt, and validate the questionnaire \"Pediatric Nurses' Knowledge and Attitudes Survey Regarding Pain, in order to analyze its psychometric properties, providing a suitable tool for the assessment of pain.</p><p><strong>Study design: </strong>A multisite cross-sectional validation study was conducted and a convenience sample of italian nurses was enrolled.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>A total of 233 nurses responded. Analyses demonstrated the \"Pediatric Nurses' Knowledge and Attitudes Survey Regarding Pain\" factorial validity and internal consistency. The overall Cronbach's alpha coefficient of the scale was 0.728. Pearson's correlation coefficient was calculated between the test and retest phase, obtaining a value of r = 0.712 (p < .001). The intraclass correlation coefficient was 0.801 (95% confidence interval = 0.428-0.806). The Infit and Outfit statistical analysis fell within acceptable ranges from 0.85 to 2.50. The item difficulty ranged from -2.64 to 2.51. Out of total of 9,553 questions, 5,717 were answered correctly (correct answer rate 59.8%). No questionnaire had 80% or less of the correct answers.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>The scale designed in this study is valid and reliable for use in the Italian context and is applicable where one wants to evaluate nursing knowledge on the subject of pediatric pain.</p>","PeriodicalId":520881,"journal":{"name":"Annali di igiene : medicina preventiva e di comunita","volume":"37 6","pages":"705-717"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145067613","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The Development of Adolescent Empowerment for Health Promotion: A Scoping Review.","authors":"Virginia Iacobini, Eduardo Mazza, Marilena Rinaldi, Caterina Galletti","doi":"10.7416/ai.2025.2705","DOIUrl":"10.7416/ai.2025.2705","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Empowering adolescents has emerged as a critical strategy in health promotion, with significant implications for their well-being and development.</p><p><strong>Aim: </strong>This study aims to map the existing literature related to adolescent empowerment and identify the fundamental elements that need to be considered in the process of health promotion to improve the lifestyle and well-being of adolescents.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A scoping review was conducted following the methodology outlined by Arksey and O'Malley. The reporting process was guided by the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Extension for Scoping Reviews checklist. The literature research was performed in the PubMed, CINAHL, and Scopus databases. Additionally, grey literature sources were manually searched. The keywords \"adolescent,\" \"empowerment,\" \"development model\", and \"health promotion\" were used, combined with the Boolean operators \"AND\" and \"OR\" to refine the search strategy.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The present study reviewed nine studies that highlight the multifaceted nature of empowerment in health promotion, with cultural, contextual and systemic factors influencing its effectiveness. Programs integrating participatory methodologies and aligning with adolescents' lived experiences show the greatest promise.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Adolescent empowerment is a powerful mechanism for advancing health promotion goals. By equipping young indi-viduals with the tools and autonomy to make informed decisions, health interventions can achieve lasting impact. Future research should prioritize culturally adaptable frameworks and metrics to assess the sustainability of empowerment outcomes in diverse settings.</p>","PeriodicalId":520881,"journal":{"name":"Annali di igiene : medicina preventiva e di comunita","volume":"37 6","pages":"765-775"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145067656","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A Survey on Italian General Practitioners' Perspectives Regarding the Reorganization of Primary Care Services.","authors":"Francesco Andrea Causio, Andrea Gentili, Flavia Beccia, Lucia De Maio, Andriy Melnyk, Gianluigi Quaranta, Luigi Russo, Cosimo Savoia, Fidelia Cascini","doi":"10.7416/ai.2025.2695","DOIUrl":"10.7416/ai.2025.2695","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>This study investigates the perspectives of primary care doctors in Italy regarding recent healthcare reforms, including the introduction of Community Hospitals and Community Homes.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>An online survey was conducted with 43 General Practitioners from various regions of Italy.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The results reveal diverse opinions on the potential benefits of Community Hospitals and Community Homes in enhancing primary care and reducing inappropriate emergency room visits. While some GPs expressed optimism, a substantial portion raised concerns about inadequate dissemination of information and lack of clarity regarding admission criteria and functions. The study also highlights disparities in digital literacy and utilization of electronic health records and telemedicine platforms among GPs.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>These findings suggest the need for improved communication, training, and support to ensure successful implementation of healthcare reforms and digital transformation in Italy's primary care system.</p><p><strong>Highlights: </strong>Italian GPs express diverse opinions on the potential benefits of Community Hospitals and Community Health Houses in enhancing primary care. The study findings highlight the different perspectives and challenges faced by General Practitioners in Italy, regarding the reorganization of Primary Care Services and, in particular, the implementation of community hospitals, community health homes and digital healthcare initiatives. Disparities in digital literacy and utilization of electronic health records and telemedicine platforms among GPs highlight the need for targeted training and support programs.</p>","PeriodicalId":520881,"journal":{"name":"Annali di igiene : medicina preventiva e di comunita","volume":"37 6","pages":"730-736"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145067596","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Designing hospital services: findings from a prevalence study on clinical and care complexity in the Internal Medicine Units of Bologna's Local Health Authority.","authors":"Sofia Mazzoli, Matteo Ricci, Chiara Golfieri, Federica Canto, Monica Paciotti, Primiano Iannone, Vincenzo Carnuccio, Claudio Lazzari, Davide Gori, Flavia Rallo","doi":"10.7416/ai.2025.2707","DOIUrl":"10.7416/ai.2025.2707","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Hospital services face significant challenges: responding to patients' increasingly complex care and assistance needs and optimizing the scarce resources available. In this context, the following study aims to map and analyze the clinical and care complexity required by patients admitted to the Internal Medicine Units of the Local Health Authority of Bologna through a variant of the Triage in Corridor tool.</p><p><strong>Study design: </strong>Prevalence Study.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Two measurements were carried out at six Internal Medicine Units of the Ospedale Maggiore (Main Hospital with the role of Hub hospital) and six Internal Medicine Units of six Spoke hospitals of the Local Health Authority of Bologna. The National Early Warning Score and the Assistance Dependency Index scores were measured and then combined in a variant of the Triage in Corridor tool to evaluate the intensity of care required by patients.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Data were collected from 342 patients at the first and 319 at the second measurements. In the Hub hospital, 33.1% of patients had low levels of modified Triage in Corridor at first and 29.3% at the second measurements, while in the Spoke hospitals, it was 37.2% and 39.0%, respectively. Intermediate levels included most patients: in the Hub hospital, 49.7% at the first measurement and 47.6% at the second, while in the Spoke, it was 46.1% and 47.1%, respectively. High levels affected 17.2% of patients at the first measurement in the Hub hospital and 23.1% at the second measurement, compared with 16.8% and 14.0% in the Spoke hospitals.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>The results of this study indicate that almost half of the patients admitted to the Internal Medicine Units included in the study had a modified Triage in Corridor medium level regarding the intensity of care required. Patients with a low level represented approximately one-third of the total, opening the doors to alternative scenarios to the traditional acute hospital where this type of patient can be assisted.</p>","PeriodicalId":520881,"journal":{"name":"Annali di igiene : medicina preventiva e di comunita","volume":"37 5","pages":"574-583"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144710569","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Chemsex: Emerging Threats Facing the MSM Experience - A Cross-Sectional Study.","authors":"Anh Huy Ly, Minh Truc Huynh, Thanh Giang Dap, Cong Thuc Dinh, Bao Chau Huynh Luu, Phuong Oanh Ngoc Bui, Quang Thu Le, Van Nghia Khuu, Tan Dat Nguyen, Tuyen Thi Hong Nguyen","doi":"10.7416/ai.2025.2691","DOIUrl":"10.7416/ai.2025.2691","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>The trend of male homosexuality is progressively rising. The preference for chemsex (use of recreational drugs during sexual encounters) is also becoming more prevalent among the men who have sex with men (MSM), which increases sexual excitement during intercourse. This, in turn, heightens the risk of transmission of sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV/AIDS.</p><p><strong>Objective: </strong>To assess the prevalence of chemsex in same-sex relationships and related behaviors among MSM.</p><p><strong>Subjects and methods: </strong>A cross-sectional study was conducted on 227 MSM in the community of Can Tho city, Vietnam, from March to October 2023.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>42.3% of MSM engage in chemsex. The most commonly used substance in chemsex is popper (94.8%). Six factors are associated with chemsex: (a) MSM working in office jobs (OR = 2.1, 95% CI 1.1 - 4.3, p = 0.030); (b) Having more than 5 sexual partners (OR = 7.2, 95% CI 2.6 - 20.1, p < 0.0001); (c) Engaging in sex work or exchanged sex for money (OR = 5.0, 95% CI 1.3 - 18.6, p = 0.017); (d) Participating in group sex (OR = 5.2, 95% CI 2.4 - 11.4, p < 0.0001); (e) Never using condoms during sex (OR = 1.5, 95% CI 1.2 - 2.0, p = 0.003); and (f) Using recreational drugs (OR = 1.9, 95% CI 1.1 - 3.5, p = 0.024). Factors influencing chemsex behavior include easy access to stimulants, lack of understanding about the harms of chemsex, trust in sexual partners, desire to enhance sexual pleasure, and pain reduction during intercourse.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Chemsex among the MSM group is on the rise, and this likely leads to increased rates of HIV and STI transmission, as well as long-term health consequences. Healthcare workers and the community need to reduce stigma, discrimination, and narrow-minded attitudes towards individuals who use substances during sexual activity, as these barriers can prevent them from seeking harm reduction information and professional assistance for the issues they face.</p>","PeriodicalId":520881,"journal":{"name":"Annali di igiene : medicina preventiva e di comunita","volume":"37 5","pages":"657-665"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144710568","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}