Awareness of health risks related to body art practices among youth in Naples, Italy: a descriptive convenience sample study

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Body art practices have emerged as common activities among youth, yet few studies have investigated awareness in different age groups of possible health complications associated with piercing and tattooing.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>We investigated perceptions of and knowledge about health risks. To highlight differences among age groups, we gathered data from students at high schools and universities in the province of Naples.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Of 9,322 adolescents, 31.3% were pierced and 11.3% were tattooed. Of 3,610 undergraduates, 33% were pierced and 24.5% were tattooed (p < 0.05). A higher number of females were pierced in both samples, but there were no gender differences among tattooed students. Among high school students, 79.4% knew about infectious risks and 46% about non-infectious risks; the respective numbers among university students were 87.2% and 59.1%. Only 3.5% of students in high school and 15% of university undergraduates acknowledged the risk of viral disease transmission; 2% and 3% knew about allergic risks. Among adolescents and young adults, 6.9% and 15.3%, respectively, provided signed informed consent; the former were less knowledgeable about health risks (24.7% vs. 57.1%) (p < 0.05). Seventy-three percent of the high school students and 33.5% of the university students had body art done at unauthorized facilities. Approximately 7% of both samples reported complications from their purchased body art.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Results indicate a need for adequate information on health risks associated with body art among students in Naples, mainly among high school students. Therefore, adolescents should be targeted for public health education programs.</p

Comparison of blood viscosity using a torsional oscillation viscometer and a rheometer

The absence of a simple and clinically practical method to determine whole blood viscosity can partly justify why the medical community has been slow in realizing the significance of whole blood viscosity. For this reason, the availability of a technique able to evaluate blood viscosity in a rapid and direct manner is welcome. To evaluate the feasibility in hemorheological laboratory of a new torsional oscillation viscometer, it was compared with a conventional cone–plate system. The viscosity comparison has been related to hematocrit value both on whole blood and suspended blood in a saline solution. The results showed a good repeatability and reproducibility of the new equipment, with a best-fitting data of the hematocrit 0–100% range characterized by coefficient of determinations, r2 > 0.95. Furthermore, a comparison of whole blood viscosity as measured by the two instruments was done on blood samples collected from hospitalized patients. Reasonable agreement for the viscosity values was found between the two methods with linear determination coefficients between the two measurement methods comprised between r2 = 0.7329 and 0.9263, depending on shear stress phase and the corresponding shear rate

Effects of physical fitness on waist circumference in a group of school children living in Southern Italy

Abstract Purpose Physical fitness (PF) is considered an important health marker already in youth with positive influence on adult health. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of overweight/obesity on most relevant healthrelated physical fitness (HRPF) components in a group of school-age children. Methods One hundred and thirteen children (49 male; 64 female; 11–13 years) living in Naples were recruited for the study. Height, weight, waist circumference (WC) and Body Mass Index (BMI) were measured. Physical activity (PA) level and sedentary time were determined by a standard 7-day recall questionnaire. HRPF components were evaluated using EUROFIT-test battery and other validated tests. Results Overweight/obesity accounted for 32 % in our sample. PA level was significantly higher in boys than in girls and was associated with better performance in several PF tests in boys. Further, boys had a significant higher performance than girls in almost all HRPF evaluated (p\0.05) except for sit-and-reach test, independently from PA level. Overweight/obesity specifically impaired performance in bent arm hang and one-half mile run–walk in boys. In addition, boys with higher WC values had poorer performance in 4 9 10 m shuttle run, flamingo balance and standing broad jump tests (p\0.05). One-half mile run–walk test resulted significantly associated with higher WC values in a multiple linear regression analysis in boys (p\0.05). Conclusions This study confirms an inverse relationship between overweight/obesity and PF. In particular, high WC values appeared to be strongly associated with poor aerobic performance in boys. Our results also suggest that the mile run–walk test represents a useful test to identify children with a higher cardio-metabolic risk as represented by high abdominal adiposity

Improving physical fitness and health status perception in community-dwelling older adults through a structured program for physical activity promotion in the city of Naples, Italy: A randomized controlled trial

Aim: To evaluate the efficacy and feasibility of a physical activity promotion intervention in community-dwelling older adults based on a free program of exercise adapted for older adults aged ≥60years managed by trainees from the Movement Sciences degree course. Methods: A total of 160 adults aged 60-82 years were randomly allocated into the intervention and control group. The exercise program consisted of 1-h sessions carried out twice a week for a year. Control participants received recommendations about an active lifestyle from their physicians. Senior Fitness Tests and the 12-item Short Form Health Survey were used to assess six functional fitness domains of participants and perception of their health status, respectively. Body mass index was also evaluated. Results: A total of 62 participants completed the exercise path. At the end of the intervention, they showed a significant body mass index decrease (from 27.9±1.6 to 25.1±1.8kg/m2, P0.05). A high acceptance of the intervention was registered among participants (>88.7%); staff competence and gratuitousness were the most appreciated features (>85.5%). Conclusions: The structured program represented a useful opportunity to promote physical activity among participants, and it was effective in improving their physical fitness and health status perception. Similar interventions are required to sensitize the whole older population, and experts in Movement Sciences might represent a key figure in this context. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2016; ••: ••-••