The use of Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) among Italian children: A cross-sectional survey.

OBJECTIVE: To examine prevalence and modalities of CAM use in children living in Novara, a northern Italian city, and to estimate the prescription rate from paediatricians. METHOD: We administered a phone questionnaire to the parents of a sample of 147 children, asking questions about CAM use, children's health profile, parental socio-economic status, use modalities, effectiveness perceptions, and motivations. A parallel survey was conducted by e-mail by investigating family paediatricians attitudes about CAM. RESULTS: Among 147 children whose families responded to our survey 48.3% was treated with CAM at least once in life and 38,1% during the previous year. Children treated with CAM were on average younger than those who were not. The types of CAM used were herbal medicine and homeopathy. Parents who choose CAM for their children were more skeptical about vaccinations. CAM were most frequently used to treat pathologies of ear, nose and throat. 85.9% of parents was willing to use CAM in future, 78.9% would pass to conventional medicine if CAM failed. Among paediatricians 81.5% prescribed CAM at least once, but only 13.6% received specific CAM training. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of children using CAM in Novara is high, in line with investigations conducted in Northern European countries. The distribution of pathologies treated with CAM, parental socio-economic status and general scepticism towards vaccination are consistent with the literature. Physicians should keep themselves up-to-date also about evidence-based CAM therapies and, most importantly, should have an open dialogue about CAM with their patients

Menopausal Hormone Therapy, an Ever-Present Topic: A Pilot Survey about Women’s Experience and Medical Doctors’ Approach

Background and Objective: Menopause can be associated with many clinical manifestations: vasomotor symptoms, urogenital problems, and additional psychological disturbances, such as anxiety, mood changes, and sleep alterations. The prolonged lack of hormones also increases the risk of long-term consequences. Hormone Replacement Treatment (HRT) in menopause consists of the administration of estrogen, alone or associated to progesterone, to relieve these uncomfortable disturbances and to prevent the onset of other pathologic conditions. The aim of this study is to examine the prevalence of HRT use in a sample of menopausal women and their experience with menopause and HRT. This study also investigates the knowledge of general practitioners (GPs) and gynecologists about HRT and its prescription. Materials and Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional population survey on 126 women of 50-59 years in an industrial city in the North of Italy, Vercelli (Novara), in Eastern Piedmont. We also presented a questionnaire on the topic to 54 medical doctors (GPs and gynecologists) of the same area. Results: The prevalence of HRT use in our sample was 11.9%. In total, a good percentage of the users affirmed to be satisfied with HRT. Additionally, a minority of women reported being ideally against the use of replacement hormones, were advised against using HRT by doctors, and did not use it because of the fear of side effects. We found a positive association between patient education, health care attitude, and HRT usage. A significant number of women knew about HRT from the media, and most of them were not informed by a health professional. Despite this, the interviewed doctors considered their knowledge about HRT as 'good' and would recommend HRT: only 5.6% would not prescribe it. Conclusions: Our results highlight the need for information about HRT among patients and health professionals, along with the need for more effective communication, evaluation, and suggestion of treatment

The perception of Italian pregnant women and new mothers about their psychological wellbeing, lifestyle, delivery, and neonatal management experience during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown: a web-based survey

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, drastic measures for social distancing have been introduced also in Italy, likely with a substantial impact in delicate conditions like pregnancy and puerperium. The study aimed to investigate the changes in lifestyle, access to health services, and mental wellbeing during the first Italian lockdown in a sample of Italian pregnant women and new mothers

Effectiveness and feasibility of smoking counselling: a randomized controlled trial in an Italian emergency department

5A's counselling is recommended for screening and treating patients with smoking addiction. The emergency department (ED) setting might be a suitable environment for conducting interventions for smoking cessation. The present study aims to determine the feasibility and effectiveness on smoking cessation of 5A's counselling administered to ED patients by nurses

Kombuchas from Green and Black Tea Modulate the Gut Microbiota and Improve the Intestinal Health of Wistar Rats Fed a High-Fat High-Fructose Diet

The Western diet can negatively affect the gut microbiota and is associated with metabolic disorders. Kombucha, a tea fermented by a symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast (SCOBY), is known for its bioactive properties and has become popular in the last years. In this study, we evaluated the effects of regular kombucha consumption on the gut microbiota and on outcomes related to the intestinal health of Wistar rats fed a high-fat high-fructose diet. After eight weeks receiving a standard diet (AIN-93M) (n = 10) or a high-fat and high-fructose diet (HFHF) (n = 30) to induce metabolic disorders, the animals were subdivided into four groups: AIN-93M (n = 10); HFHF (n = 10); GTK (HFHF + green tea kombucha (n = 10); and BTK (HFHF + black tea kombucha; n = 10) for 10 weeks. Although body composition did not differ among the groups, the HFHF diet was associated with metabolic alterations, and stimulated the growth of gram-negative bacteria such as Proteobacteria and Bacteroides. Kombucha ingestion could somewhat modulate the gut microbiota, attenuating the effects of a Western diet by increasing propionate production and favoring the growth of beneficial bacteria, such as Adlercreutzia in the GTK group. Our results suggest that regular kombucha consumption may be beneficial to intestinal health, which can be mostly attributed to its high content and diversity of phenolic compounds