Underage drinking on saturday nights, sociodemographic and environmental risk factors: a cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND: Excessive alcohol consumption in underage people is a rising phenomenon. A major proportion of the disease burden and deaths of young people in developed nations is attributable to alcohol abuse. The aim of this study was to investigate social, demographic and environmental factors that may raise the risk of Saturday night drinking and binge drinking among Italian school students. METHODS: The study was conducted on a sample of 845 Italian underage school students, by means of an anonymous, self-test questionnaire. Multivariate logistic regression was applied to identify independent risk factors for alcohol drinking and binge drinking. Ordered logistic regression was used to identify independent risk factors for harmful drinking patterns. RESULTS: The independent variables that confer a higher risk of drinking in underage students are older age classes, male sex, returning home after midnight, belonging to a group with little respect for the rules, or to a group where young people are not seen as leaders. The higher the perception of alcohol consumption by the group, the higher the risk. Spending time in bars or discos coincides with a two-fold or four-fold increase, respectively, in the risk of alcohol consumption. CONCLUSION: Our findings show that certain environmental and social risk factors are associated with underage drinking. The most important role for preventing young people's exposure to these factors lies with the family, because only parents can exert the necessary control and provide a barrier against potentially harmful situations

Cosmic ray oriented performance studies for the JEM-EUSO first level trigger

JEM-EUSO is a space mission designed to investigate Ultra-High Energy Cosmic Rays and Neutrinos (E > 5 ⋅ 1019 eV) from the International Space Station (ISS). Looking down from above its wide angle telescope is able to observe their air showers and collect such data from a very wide area. Highly specific trigger algorithms are needed to drastically reduce the data load in the presence of both atmospheric and human activity related background light, yet retain the rare cosmic ray events recorded in the telescope. We report the performance in offline testing of the first level trigger algorithm on data from JEM-EUSO prototypes and laboratory measurements observing different light sources: data taken during a high altitude balloon flight over Canada, laser pulses observed from the ground traversing the real atmosphere, and model landscapes reproducing realistic aspect ratios and light conditions as would be seen from the ISS itself. The first level trigger logic successfully kept the trigger rate within the permissible bounds when challenged with artificially produced as well as naturally encountered night sky background fluctuations and while retaining events with general air-shower characteristics

Smoking in Early and Mid-Adolescence

Objective: Smoking among young people is declining in many European countries, although in some (particularly Central and Eastern Europe), the rates among young females are increasing. We compared the risk factors and variables for smoking in early- versus mid-adolescence with a view to helping policy makers identify age-specific prevention strategies. Methods: An anonymous questionnaire on smoking habits was administered to 1383 underage students in the Veneto Region (northeast Italy) in 2010, consisting of multiple-choice questions using words, numbers, and graphical illustrations designed to make it appeal to the adolescent age group. Results: Among 611 sixth-grade students, 93.5% of the boys and 95.3% of the girls had never smoked, although this was true of 53.2% of the boys and only 38.8% of the girls among 772 ninth-grade students. The first cigarette was smoked in different social settings and places, depending on the adolescents\u2019 age group. Age also influenced how much adolescents approved of smoking and their perception of how much their parents approved of them smoking. Adherence to the rules of their group of friends was the only variable found associated with smoking in both the age groups considered. Conclusion: We found experimental or habitual cigarette smoking rare among sixth graders, but much more common among ninth graders. Focused preventive measures are therefore needed in the intervening years. The transition from middle school to higher education coincides with a sharp drop in the perceived regulation of smoking at school, emphasizing the need for action to establish high schools as smoke-free environments

Chi non beve in compagnia \u2026 adolescenti padovani e guida dopo aver bevuto: dati da un questionario di storie simulate.

OBIETTIVI: Studiare il comportamento di un campione di adolescenti padovani circa guida e il consumo di alcolici. MATERIALI: Questionario autosomministrato ad un gruppo di studenti delle scuole medie e superiori di Padova e provincia. I ragazzi sono stati intervistati prima dei corsi di educazione stradale, alcuni finalizzati al patentino. Sono stati somministrati: questionario QASS sul consumo di alcolici nel sabato sera precedente e QAM, che proponeva alcune storie su guida e alcolici. Nella prima storia si era invitati a salire sul motorino da un amico che aveva appena bevuto: si chiedeva di dare una valutazione (0-4) su alcuni comportamenti, di cui uno \u201cprosociale\u201d (non salgo) (alfa di Cronbach=0,81) ed uno \u201cantisociale\u201d (salgo sul motorino) (alfa di Cronbach=0,85). Erano proposti quattro scenari: 1) il ragazzo solo con l\u2019amico; 2) con un compagno che lo incitava a salire; 3) con un compagno che lo sconsiglia;4) con tutto il gruppo. I risultati sono stati analizzati attraverso t-test e ANOVA a due vie, distinguendo 1) ragazzi bevitori e non; 2) appartenenti a gruppi prosociali rispetto ad antisociali. RIASSUNTO: Sono stati intervistati 897 studenti: 63% maschi. 165 delle scuole medie e 732 delle superiori. Il 19,8% aveva 12-13 anni, il 31,2% 14- 16 anni, il 48,9% pi\uf9 di 17 anni. Il 62,9% definisce il proprio gruppo prosociale, il rimanente 37,1% antisociale. Hanno riferito una unit\ue0 alcolica o pi\uf9 nell\u2019ultimo sabato sera il 47,8%. Il bere \ue8 correlato al sesso maschile (54% vs 36,4%, p<0,001); all\u2019et\ue0 (26% a 12-13 anni, 40,15 a 14-16 anni, 61,1% pi\uf9 di 17 anni, p<0,001); alla caratteristica antisociale del gruppo (64,6% vs 38,2%, p<0,001); ai soldi a disposizione alla settimana (31,6+28,7 vs 20,2+22,9 euro; p< 0,001). Alla frequenza di contesti a rischio (bar o discoteche, 62,3% vs 27,3%, p<0,001); al rientro a casa dopo mezzanotte (72,4% vs 34,9%, p<0,001). L\u2019analisi della storia proposta evidenzia un alto grado di adesione al comportamento prosociale che \ue8 in media 3,08+1,28 in presenza del solo amico che aveva bevuto, 2,8+1,36 con amico che incita a salire in moto, 3,43+1,07 con amico che sconsiglia; l\u2019adesione decresce in presenza del gruppo (2,59+1,42). Il comportamento prosociale \ue8 meno presente nei ragazzi che bevono ed in quelli che frequentano un gruppo antisociale. L\u2019ANOVA a 2 vie evidenzia che entrambe le variabili sono indipendentemente significative rispetto al comportamento. CONCLUSIONI: Anche se \ue8 adeguata la consapevolezza del pericolo di bere e guidare il motorino, la pressione di un amico, ed ancora di pi\uf9 quella gruppale pu\uf2 aumentare la propensione al rischio, in particolare in ragazzi gi\ue0 bevitori e frequentanti gruppi antisociali

Cigarette Smoking as a Predictor of Male DUI Recidivism

This study aimed to investigate the predictors of recidivism in first-time driving under the influence (DUI) offenders, analyzing variables derived from medico-legal and toxicological examinations. The research was structured as a comparative study for the period 2012–2019. DUI offenders with a blood alcohol concentration &gt;0.5 were included in the study. The case group consisted of recidivist offenders, while the comparison group consisted of first-time offenders. Personal data, socioeconomics, and parameters linked to the DUI were compared between the two groups. Significance was determined by chi-square and Mann–Whitney tests. To prevent confounding effects, multivariate binary logistic regression analysis was performed. Our sample encompassed 1678 subjects (196 in the case group, 1482 in the comparison group). Gender, driving license category, education, and tobacco use resulted in significant differences between the groups. In a model including age at DUI, education, and smoking habit as independent variables, higher educational levels (high school, bachelor’s) and older age protected against recidivism, whereas smoking &gt;20 cigarettes/day was an independent risk factor for recidivism. Recidivist offenders have specific characteristics indicating different therapeutic programs and carefulness in driving license regranting. A higher tobacco consumption in recidivists suggests that the use of this substance could influence the risk of DUI for reasons that will need to be explored

Relazione tra consumo di alcolici il sabato sera e fattori comportamentali e ambientali tra gli adolescenti nella provincia di Padova

OBIETTIVI: Gli obiettivi del presente lavoro sono quelli di descrivere il consumo alcolico del sabato sera negli adolescenti e di individuare fattori comportamentali e ambientali associati a tale consumo. MATERIALI: Sono stati reclutati 1122 alunni appartenenti a 15 Istituti Scolastici della Provincia di Padova che hanno aderito, su base volontaria, ad un intervento di prevenzione del consumo di alcolici nell\u2019anno scolastico 2008- 2009. Nel corso del progetto \ue8 stato distribuito il Questionario Alcol Sabato Sera (QASS) composto da 43 domande a risposta multipla volto a valutare i comportamenti agiti e la quantit\ue0 di alcol ed altre bibite non alcoliche assunte durante l\u2019ultimo sabati sera, inoltre rileva l\u2019intenzione di consumare in futuro bevande alcoliche e la valutazione da parte del ragazzo del consumo di sostanze alcoliche delle persone di riferimento. RIASSUNTO: Il campione \ue8 costituto da 697 maschi (64.8% ) e da 379 femmine (35,2%). L\u2019 et\ue0 media \ue8 15.5 anni (\ub1 2.2). Il 92.4% degli adolescenti \ue8 di nazionalit\ue0 italiana. Il consumo dichiarato dai maschi, espresso in unit\ue0 alcoliche, nell\u2019ultimo fine settimana nella fascia di et\ue0 dai 12-13 anni \ue8 di 1.0 (\ub1 2.1), tra i 14-16 anni di 1.2 (\ub1 2.5) e tra e\u201d17 anni di 2.5 (\ub1 2.7), mentre nelle femmine nella fascia di et\ue0 dai 12-13 anni \ue8 di 0.8 (\ub1 2.5), tra i 14-16 anni di 0.7 (\ub1 1.6) e tra e\u201d17 anni di 1.1 (\ub1 1.9). \uc8 emerso che il consumo di alcol si associa in modo diretto alla disponibilit\ue0 economica del ragazzo, all\u2019orario di rientro, al frequentare luoghi a rischio ed inversamente alla dichiarazione del ragazzo di essere a favore delle regole. \uc8 stato inoltre dimostrato che gli adolescenti consumatori di alcolici percepiscono un maggiore consumo di alcol nei genitori, nei coetanei e nel gruppo di amici rispetto agli adolescenti che non bevono sostanze alcoliche. CONCLUSIONI: \uc8 stato verificato come alcuni fattori controllabili dalle figure genitoriali come ad esempio la paga, l\u2019orario di rientro, il proprio consumo di alcol sono significativamente associati al consumo di alcol nei giovani. Altri fattori sono da collegarsi al gruppo di amici e ai locali che il ragazzo frequenta

Severe acute alcoholic hepatitis: can we offer early liver transplantation?

Alcohol-related liver disease is one of the most prevalent liver disease worldwide and is the second most common indication for liver transplantation. The majority of transplant programs require 6 months of abstinence prior to transplantation; commonly referred to as the "six-month rule". According to this rule, the patients admitted for severe acute alcoholic hepatitis are not eligible for liver transplantation in most transplant centers. However, there is increasing evidence that if liver transplantation is performed in selected patients after the first episode of severe decompensation with no response to steroid therapy, it represents an effective treatment. In such selected patients, the post-transplant outcomes are good with survival rates that are significantly higher when compared with patients not responding to medical therapy and not transplanted. A multidisciplinary assessment, involving several stakeholders such as a transplant hepatologist, transplant surgeon, psychologist and psychiatrist is becoming mandatory to properly evaluate the candidate to liver transplantation for alcoholic liver diseases and severe acute alcoholic hepatitis. In the clinical setting of severe acute alcoholic hepatitis, further studies are needed for the identification of accepted selection clinical and psychosocial criteria that can provide the best longterm results. The early liver transplantation option should therefore be explored within strict criteria for this setting