Knowledge, attitude and behaviours towards recommended vaccinations among healthcare workers

Healthcare workers (HCWs) are an important group of professionals exposed to biological risk during their work activities. So, the aim of this study is to perform a survey on the knowledge, attitude and behaviour of Italian HCWs towards the vaccinations recommended by the Ministry of Health. A cross-sectional study was carried out during the period September 2014-August 2015 in the Lazio region. The study was conducted by recruiting HCWs and biomedical students. The sample was comprised of 571 responders, of whom 12.4% were physicians, 18.9% were nurses, 34.3% were other HCW, and 34.3% were biomedical students (medical and nurses students). Hepatitis B virus (HBV) is perceived as a risk for personal health by 457 (80%) participants; TB is also worrying (434; 76%). Moreover, HBV (70.9%) and tuberculosis (TB) (79.2%) are perceived as a risk for health, while influenza is not considered so by most participants (46.2%). There is an underestimation of the role of influenza, perceived as a risk for 137 respondents (24%). The vaccination rate among these HCWs is highest for Hepatitis B virus (HBV) (82%), and lowest for influenza (28.5%) and varicella (40.3%). The vast majority of responders are in favour of HBV (77.8%) and TB (64.8%) vaccines. For other vaccinations there is less interest (between 33% and 40% for measles, mumps, rubella, pertussis and influenza). This study shows that knowledge of recommended occupational vaccinations is insufficient in HCWs, with few exceptions represented by HBV and TB. There is a need for novel approaches in this field, with the aim of enhancing vaccine coverage among HCW

Reliability and use of Copenhagen Burnout Inventory in italian sample of university professors

Academics often have to face with burnout syndrome at work. This cross-sectional study evaluates the reliability of the Italian version of the Copenhagen Burnout Inventory (CBI) in a sample of Academics of Sapienza University of Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, through an online questionnaire composed of the CBI, SF12 Health Survey, and Positivity Scale. Univariate, bivariate, multivariate analyses, and Cronbach α coefficients of CBI were performed. Ninety-five participants completed the questionnaire (response rate 85%). Cronbach’s α of the three domains were high (0.892, 0.868, and 0.836). Women, younger and part time professors reported higher score in personal (p = 0.025; 0.060) and work burnout. In multivariate analysis decreasing age (β = −0.263; p = 0.001); being a professor in environmental technicians (β = −0.120; p = 0.098); and low mental (β = −0.263; p = 0.020), physical (β = −0.319; p ≤ 0.001) and positivity scores (β = −0.237; p = 0.031) predict significantly higher personal burnout. Low physical (β = −0.346; p < 0.001) and mental (β = − 0.249; p = 0.013) positivity (β = −0.345; p = 0.001) scores; fewer years of work (β = −0.269; p ≤ 0.001); and being a medical or nursing professor (β = 0.169; p = 0.016) predicts high work burnout. Low MCS predicts a high level of student burnout. Results suggest that the Italian version of the CBI is a reliable instrument. Further research should focus on the prevalence of burnout in academics

A Walkable Urban Environment to Prevent Chronic Diseases and Improve Wellbeing, an Experience of Urban Health in the Local Health Unit Roma 1

Cities play a vital role in promoting health, as most of the world’s population lives in urban areas. Urbanization and city planning are both factors that must be considered to improve the health of communities. Walkability is a measure of how friendly an area is to walk. The Walking Suitability Index of the Territory (T-WSI) measures the pedestrian viability of the streets of a environmental islands. It includes 12 indicators, distributed into four categories: practicability, safety, urbanity, pleasantness. The goal of this study is to establish a model of connection between universities, local authorities, and health institutions to improve the walkability of urban areas. Five Environmental Islands were identified in the Municipality of Roma Capitale. First step concerned multidisciplinary training, sharing the goal between professionals in both the health and non-health fields. The theoretical acquisition, for Public Health personnel, on the use of the “walkability” assessment tool T-WSI was concretized by applying the assessment in training inspections. The on-site measurements showed that the main critical issues in terms of unfavorable factors for walking are the obstacles on the sidewalks, concerning the safety of pedestrian crossings and protection from vehicular speed. Measurement was associated with a characterization based on census data, obtained from satellite imagery. It is important to develop tools that are easy to apply and that can be easily used, also by health personnel. This is necessary in the light of recent developments in the Italian regulatory framework, and international guidelines, toward a growing integration of professional skills with the common objective of Urban Health. © 2023, The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG