Comparing the effects of combined numerical and visuospatial psychoeducational trainings conducted by curricular teachers and external trainers. Preliminary evidence across kindergarteners

The aim of this study was to verify the efficacy of two pencil-and-paper trainings empowering numerical and visuo-spatial abilities in Italian five-year-old kindergarteners. Specifically, the trainings were respectively carried out by the curricular teacher or by an external trainer. The former received a specific training in order to use the psychoeducational programmes with her pupils, whereas the latter received a specific education about the role of numerical and visuo-spatial abilities for school achievement and she was also trained to use psychoeducational trainings in kindergarten schools. At pre-test and post-test nonverbal functions and numeracy knowledge were assessed through a battery of standardized tests. The results show that both the numerical psychoeducational programme and the visuo-spatial one are useful tools to enhance mathematical achievements in kindergarteners. However, when the trainings were proposed by the external trainer, the efficacy of the psychoeducational programmes was more significant. These outcomes seem to be related both to the expertise and the novelty effect of the external trainer on the classroom

Health communication in covid-19 era: Experiences from the italian vaccinarsì network websites

In 2013, in a bid to combat Vaccine Hesitancy (VH) and provide information on vaccines by communicating with the general public and the health community (e.g., healthcare workers and public health operators), the Italian Society of Hygiene and Preventive Medicine (S.It.I.) published the national website “VaccinarSì”. The project was subsequently extended to ten Italian Regions. This led to the creation of the VaccinarSì Network, whose websites are publicly owned. The aim of this work was to present the framework of the websites of the VaccinarSì Network and to analyse user behaviour in the pre-COVID-19-era (dating from each website’s publication until 31 January 2020) and in the COVID-19-era (from 1 February 2020 to 31 January 2021). Some metrics such as the number of visits to the site (sessions, number of users and average session duration), user behaviour (pages viewed, bounce rate and organic search) and the session acquisition path (direct traffic, referrals and social traffic) were searched, extrapolated and processed with Google Analytics. Qualitative and normally distributed quantitative variables were summarised with their absolute (relative) frequencies and means. Statistical differences between the means of the two periods were evaluated through paired t-test. A two-tailed p-value less than 0.05 was considered to be statistically significant. When the total values recorded over the period were compared, an overall increase in metrics was observed—the number of individual users, visits and individual pageviews rose in a statistically significant way. Our study aimed to highlight how combining disciplines such as health education and digital communication via Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) represents the best strategy to support citizens. This approach gives them the tools to become independent and responsible players that are capable of voluntarily and consciously choosing to adhere to vaccination programs. The VaccinarSì Network’s goal for the future is to reach an even wider audience. By building each user’s critical knowledge, this network enables users to be active components of a wider, more empowered community

Vaccinazioni: stato dell\u2019arte, falsi miti e prospettive. Il ruolo chiave della prevenzione.

La pratica vaccinale in Italia \ue8 organizzativamente incardinata all\u2019interno del Servizio Sanitario Nazionale (SSN) e nei Servizi Sanitari Regionali (SSR). I luoghi \u201cclassici\u201d in cui viene effettuata la procedura/prestazione vaccinale sono i servizi di vaccinazione della Aziende Sanitarie Locali (ASL) o Provinciali (ASP) delle varie Regioni

Gravi danni da Ditylenchus dispaci su loiessa (Lolium multiflorum) in Sardegna

Atti VI Congresso Nazionale di Nematologi

Improved temporal trends of vaccination coverage rates in childhood after the mandatory vaccination act, italy 2014–2019

Maintaining high vaccine coverage (VC) for pediatric vaccinations is crucial to ensure herd immunity, reducing the risk of vaccine-preventable diseases (VPD). The Italian vaccination Law (n. 119/2017) reinforced mandates for polio, diphtheria, tetanus, and hepatitis B, extending the mandate to pertussis, Haemophilus influenzae type b, chickenpox, measles, mumps, and rubella, for children up to 16 years of age. We analyzed the national temporal trends of childhood immunization rates from 2014 to 2019 to evaluate the impact of the mandatory reinforcement law set in 2017 as a sustainable public health strategy in Italy. In a 3-year period, 9 of the 10 compulsory vaccinations reached the threshold of 95% and VC for chicken pox increased up to 90.5%, significantly. During the same period, the recommended vaccinations (against meningococcus B and C, pneumococcus, and rotavirus) also recorded a significant increase in VC trends. In conclusion, although the reinforcement of compulsory vaccination generated a wide public debate that was amplified by traditional and social media, the 3-year evaluation highlights positive results

Epidemiological impact of Italian mandatory vaccination against hepatitis B in young adults

Background: Viral hepatitis caused by hepatitis B virus (HBV) is a leading cause of acute and chronic liver diseases worldwide. Objectives: In Italy, a mandatory vaccination policy was introduced in 1991 and was established for all newborns and 12-year-old individuals. In 2004, vaccination of 12-yearold adolescents was discontinued, and that of infants was maintained. Patients and Methods: We evaluated the seroprevalence of HBV markers in 806 individuals, who were vaccinated at birth or at 12 years of age, to assess the effectiveness of the national policy against HBV. Results: The overall prevalence of anti-HBs antibodies was 90.32% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 88.28-92.36%); 2.23% (95% CI: 1.21-3.25%) of the subjects were positive for both antibodies to HBsAg (anti-HBs) and antibodies to hepatitis B core antigen (anti-HBc), whereas 5.83% (95% CI 4.21-7.45) of the subjects were negative for all markers tested. Further, 1.61% (95% CI: 0.74-2.48%) of the subjects were positive for hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg). Conclusions: Our data provide additional evidence that HBV vaccination can confer long-term immunity when performed at birth and when performed for healthy adolescents; moreover, the results show the effectiveness of the application of a national vaccination strategy