The recent increase in both childhood obesity and adolescent anorexia nervosa in developed countries has underlined the important consequences that these trends may have on public health, as there is ...an increased risk that these conditions may become chronic diseases in adulthood. Therefore, it is necessary to monitor prevalence rates and trends in thinness and overweight (including obesity) among children and adolescents at different levels: international, national and sub-national. Since 2001/2002, a nutritional surveillance system has been implemented in the Tuscany Region to estimate the nutritional status and lifestyles of children and adolescents. The main objectives were to assess the prevalence of thinness, overweight and obesity among Tuscan children and adolescents and to provide baseline information on the prevalence of thinness, for the first time calculated according to the new international definitions, for geographical comparisons and descriptions of time trends.
Independent cross-sectional sample surveys were conducted in 2002, 2004 and 2006 in Tuscany, North-Central Italy. Data were collected from stratified two-stage cluster samples of children aged 9 years (n = 3,048 in 2002 and n = 1,430 in 2006) and of adolescents aged 11-13-15 years (n = 1,066, n = 1185 and n = 1,160 in 2004 and n = 1,189, n = 1,211 and n = 1,178 in 2006, respectively). Weights and heights of primary school children were measured by means of standardized methods, while those of adolescents were self-reported. Decimal age was calculated from the date of birth to the date of measurement. Body Mass Index classes were calculated according to the International Obesity Task Force standards. Instead of the term underweight in children, we used the term thinness, which the World Health Organization uses to mean low Body Mass Index for age in adults and adolescents. According to Cole's recently published cut-offs for thinness, we divided our Body Mass Index values below 18.5 into three grades.
This study presents data on the prevalence of different grades of nutritional status (thinness, normal weight, overweight and obesity) among Tuscan school-aged children from primary to high school (9-11-13-15-y-old), assessed by means of Body Mass Index, according to international definitions. From 2002 to 2006 the prevalence of thinness among children aged 9 years decreased from 4.6% to 4.2%, and the prevalence of normal weight from 63.7% to 62.4%; the prevalence of overweight (including obesity) rose from 31.7% to 33.4%. From 2004 to 2006, among pre-adolescents aged 11 years, the prevalence of thinness declined from 11.0% to 10.1%; the prevalence of normal weight rose from 68.4% to 70.2%, and the prevalence of overweight declined from 20.7% to 19.6%. Among adolescents aged 13 years, the prevalence of thinness declined from 9.8% to 8.0%; the prevalence of normal weight rose from 73.5% to 74.0%, and the prevalence of overweight from 16.8% to 17.9%. Among adolescents aged 15 years, the prevalence of thinness declined from 9.8% to 8.7%, and the prevalence of normal weight from 77.0% to 71.6%, while the prevalence of overweight rose from 13.3% to 19.7%. The 2006 data showed that the trend in the prevalence of overweight (including obesity) tended to decrease with age for both sexes, though more markedly in girls (from 34.0% at 9-y of age to 12.2% at 15-y of age) than in boys (from 32.8% at 9-y of age to 22.8% at 13-y of age to 27.5% at 15-y of age). By contrast, the prevalence of thinness increased with age in girls (from 4.9% at 9-y of age to 14,1% at 15-y of age), while boys presented a similar low prevalence at 9 and 15-y of age (3.3% and 3.1%), doubling the values at 11 and 13-y of age (7.5% and 6.5%). The trend in the prevalence of normal weight increased with age from 62.4% at 9-y of age to 74.0% at 13-y of age and to 71.6% at 15-y of age. Boys displayed a higher prevalence than girls only at 9-y of age (63.9% vs. 61.0%).
The results of this study allow us to analyze data from the nutritional surveillance system in Tuscany using recent definitions of Body Mass Index cut-off points among children, pre-adolescents and adolescents. As a rule, the trend in the prevalence of overweight (including obesity) among girls from 9-y to 15-y-old strongly decreased, while the prevalence of thinness increased. In boys, this decrease was less marked and the prevalence of thinness displayed an irregular trend, with an increment from 9-y to 11-y-old and a decrease from 13-y to 15-y old. The trend in the prevalence of normal weight increased with age, with a higher prevalence among boys than girls.
: The monoamine neurotoxin methamphetamine (METH) is commonly used as an experimental model for Parkinson's disease (PD). In fact, METH‐induced striatal dopamine (DA) loss is accompanied by damage to ...striatal nerve endings arising from the substantia nigra. On the other hand, PD is characterized by neuronal inclusions within nigral DA neurons. These inclusions contain a‐synuclein, ubiquitin, and various components of a metabolic pathway named the ubiquitin‐proteasome (UP) system, while mutation of genes coding for various components of the UP system is responsible for inherited forms of PD. In this presentation we demonstrate for the first time the occurrence of neuronal inclusions in vivo in the nigrostriatal system of the mouse following administration of METH. We analyzed, in vivo and in vitro, the shape and the fine structure of these neuronal bodies by using transmission electron microscopy. Immunocytochemical investigation showed that these METH‐induced cytosolic inclusions stain for ubiquitin, a‐synuclein, and UP‐related molecules, thus sharing similar components with Lewy bodies occurring in PD, with an emphasis on enzymes belonging to the UP system. In line with this, blockade of this multicatalytic pathway by the selective inhibitor epoxomycin produced cell inclusions with similar features. Moreover, using a multifaceted pharmacological approach, we could demonstrate the need for endogenous DA in order to form neuronal inclusions.
IN THE PRESENT STUDY WE INVESTIGATED THE EFFECT OF TWO DIFFERENT EXERCISE PROTOCOLS ON FIBRE COMPOSITION AND METABOLISM OF TWO SPECIFIC MUSCLES OF MICE: the quadriceps and the gastrocnemius. Mice ...were run daily on a motorized treadmill, at a velocity corresponding to 60% or 90% of the maximal running velocity. Blood lactate and body weight were measured during exercise training. We found that at the end of training the body weight significantly increased in high-intensity exercise mice compared to the control group (P=0.0268), whereas it decreased in low-intensity exercise mice compared to controls (P=0.30). In contrast, the food intake was greater in both trained mice compared to controls (P < 0.0001 and P < 0.0001 for low-intensity and high-intensity exercise mice, respectively). These effects were accompanied by a progressive reduction in blood lactate levels at the end of training in both the exercised mice compared with controls (P=0.03 and P < 0.0001 for low-intensity and high-intensity exercise mice, respectively); in particular, blood lactate levels after high-intensity exercise were significantly lower than those measured in low-intensity exercise mice (P=0.0044). Immunoblotting analysis demonstrated that high-intensity exercise training produced a significant increase in the expression of mitochondrial enzymes contained within gastrocnemius and quadriceps muscles. These changes were associated with an increase in the amount of slow fibres in both these muscles of high-intensity exercise mice, as revealed by the counts of slow fibres stained with specific antibodies (P < 0.0001 for the gastrocnemius; P=0.0002 for the quadriceps). Our results demonstrate that high-intensity exercise, in addition to metabolic changes consisting of a decrease in blood lactate and body weight, induces an increase in the mitochondrial enzymes and slow fibres in different skeletal muscles of mice, which indicates an exercise-induced increase in the aerobic metabolism.
Regular physical activity (PA) has associated with various positive health aspects such as a decreased risk of chronic or generic illnesses, furthermore, a sedentary lifestyle has been associated ...with health problems such as obesity. To examine the relationship between patterns of PA, screen-based media use (SBM) and social health indicators within a specific demographic group and highlight the regional vs. national differences in these relationships.
The data is drawn from the Health Behaviour in School-Aged Children (HBSC) database, a national cross-sectional survey in a representative sample (N = 3920) of students aged 11-13-15 years and compared to those of the Tuscan region (N = 3381). Variables considered other than PA and SBM use includes positive health indicators such as physical health status, quality of family and peer relationships, fruit consumption, breakfast consumption as well as negative health indicators, such as health complaints, smoking and alcohol use.
Some positive health indicators showed a positive correlation with PA. Students adopting healthy behaviours often met the Physical Activity Guide Line (PAGL). On the contrary, negative health indicators were associated with PAGL in a negative way. In general SBM was positively related to several of the negative health indicators and vice versa. SBM was related in a positive fashion to tobacco use that represents a protective factor.
The results show that met PAGL is associated with positive health indicators and that high levels of SBM use is associated with negative health indicators. The study also emphasizes the relationship between PA, SBM use and socialfactors. Increasing PA and decreasing SBM use should be an aim in general health behaviour promotion.
This study aimed to explore how possible it would be to reduce the length of a food-frequency questionnaire (FFQ) while maintaining adequate accuracy. This FFQ was validated in women in a previous ...study by our group, whereas the validation in men was one of the aims of the present study. A 15-item FFQ was administered to 136 men and 211 women (age range 25–75 years) recruited by proportional age-stratified sampling, who agreed to fill in a 14-day diet diary. For the intermediate version of the FFQ we considered only eight items in women and 10 in men. For the very short version we considered only three items. The positive likelihood ratio was markedly lower for the very short version (men = 1.2 and women = 1.5) with respect to the intermediate version (men = 6 and women = 6.3) and the 15-item version (men = 19.6 and women = 19.9). The specificity of the very short version was low (22.2% for men and 35.2% for women). The area under ROC curve of the three-item FFQ was significantly lower with respect to the other two versions. In conclusion, our study suggests that the shortest version of the FFQ could be usefully employed only in those clinical settings where the main objective is the identification of individuals who do not have a low calcium intake. ROC analysis and posttest probability calculated by positive likelihood ratio may represent an optimal method for assessing the accuracy of FFQs.
Abstract
Background
Globally, the prevalence of obesity has increased in the last years and tends to be higher in richer countries. Overweight (including obesity) interests all the ages, including ...childhood and adolescence. Our study aimed to investigate the correlation between body mass index (BMI) and age at menarche.
Methods
We used a unique standardized national dataset on adolescent girls (21 regions) participating in the Italian Health Behaviour in School-aged Children Study (HBSC). HBSC is a European surveillance supported by WHO, conducted every 4 years. Two independent nationally representative survey datasets: one on 15-year-olds (n = 6907 year 2017/2018) and one on 11-year-olds (n = 9506 year 2013/2014) were analysed. The survey instrument was the self-report questionnaire. Median age at menarche and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated by means of Kaplan-Meier analysis. Hierarchical models were used to assess the relationship between BMI and age at menarche (months). “Region-level obesity” was measured as the prevalence of overweight/obesity (%) in each region. We evaluated the relationship with socioeconomic status (SES) through the Family Affluence Scale.
Results
Region-level median age at menarche ranged between 12 years/5 months and 13 years/4 months. Region-level prevalence of overweight among 15-year-old girls ranged between 6% and 24%. Age at menarche was inversely associated with individual BMI (unstandardized regression coefficient beta= -0.81; 95% CI, -0.92 to -0.70). Individual and class-level measures of BMI accounted for 215.2% of the region-level variance in age at menarche. The coefficient of Family Affluence differed significantly 0.25 (0.09 to 0.41).
Conclusions
Our results show that being overweighted in pre-adolescence is associated with the early puberty.
Strong social inequalities were observed, with adolescents from lower SES are likely to be overweight or obese In line with all the other European countries.
Key messages
• Weight status can influence menarche.
• Policies to reduce socioeconomic inequalities are needed to prevent health problems.
Samples from feline invasive mammary carcinomas (FMCs) were used to determine the prognostic significance of the immunohistochemical expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and ...microvessel density (MVD). Forty-eight queens bearing FMCs were included in a 2-year follow-up study. Mammary tumors were classified according to the World Health Organization system and graded on the basis of histologic criteria. Tumor sections were immunostained using anti-VEGF and anti-von Willebrand factor (vWf) antibodies. VEGF expression was quantified on the basis of the percentage of positive cells. MVD of vWf-positive microvessels was determined by both mean microvessel counts and highest microvessel counts. Normal mammary gland tissues showed an inconspicuous VEGF staining. In FMCs the proportion of VEGF-positive cells was significantly higher in papillary and solid carcinomas than in tubular and papillary cystic tumors. An increased number of cells expressing VEGF was also observed in poorly differentiated FMCS. Sixteen (33.3%) of the queens bearing invasive carcinomas were still alive at the end of the 2-year follow-up period, and 32 (66.7%) had died. The VEGF expression was significantly correlated with the clinical outcome, but no correlation was observed with the invasion of lymphatic vessels. A correlation between the higher percentage of VEGF-positive cells and the unfavorable prognosis was demonstrated by the estimation of curves for overall survival (P = 0.03). Univariate analysis showed that MVD did not correlate with the overall survival. The results of our study demonstrated that VEGF expression, although not associated with increased angiogenesis, is a prognostic indicator in feline mammary tumors. In contrast, there is no support for a role of neovascularization as an indicator of survivability.
Italy has participated in the Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) study since 2000. These surveys collect data every four years on the well-being and health behaviour of boys and girls ...aged 11, 13 and 15. Until 2007, the coordination group of the University of Turin, Siena and Padua directly sent the questionnaires to each sampled school to collect the data. The sample of about 4500 students was nationally representative. In 2008 the HBSC became part of the project "Surveys on behavioral risks in children aged 6-17 years", coordinated by the National Institute of Health (ISS) and promoted by the Ministry of Health, in collaboration with the Ministry of Education, University and Research. For the first time, in 2010, the survey was conducted by health workers in collaboration with teachers in all regions with a representative sample, not just at the national level, but also at regional level. In the 2,504 sampled schools, 77,113 students (25,079 eleven-year-old, 26,048 thirteen-year-old and 25,986 fifteen-year-old) completed an anonymous questionnaire. Knowledge of the health-related behaviour of school-aged adolescents may help monitoring and enable policies for young people to be formulated and implemented.
