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Background. Vaccine hesitancy has increased worldwide with a subsequent decreasing of vaccination rates and outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases (i.e. measles, poliomyelitis and pertussis) in several developed countries, including Italy. Design and Methods. We conducted a survey to investigate the attitudes of a parents’ sample about vaccinations by the distribution of questionnaires in six lower secondary schools of the Italian city of Messina. Results. Regarding vaccinations carried out on children, the declared vaccination coverage rates ranged widely between good coverage percentages for some vaccinations (Measles-Mumps-Rubella, Diphtheria-Tetanus-Pertussis), and very low coverage rates for others, especially for “new” vaccinations (HPV, meningococcal, pneumococcal). The vaccinations carried out correlated negatively with both parents’ age and their level of education. Moreover, a favourable parents’ opinion was strongly influenced by a favourable opinion of the physician, while an unfavourable parents’ opinion seemed conditioned by a direct or indirect knowledge of people harmed by vaccines. In addition, our data show that parents do not often know or partially know the real composition of the vaccines and the diseases prevented by vaccinations. Conclusions. Data analysis shows that parents are, theoretically, favourable towards vaccinations but have little knowledge of such practices, sometimes not being unaware of the types of vaccines administrated to their children. Health education and communication of correct information are certainly the cornerstones to improve the situation and to fight the widespread and non-grounded fears about vaccines.

It has been reported that oxidant/antioxidant imbalance triggers cell damage that in turn causes a number of lung diseases. Flavonoids are known for their health benefits, and Citrus fruits juices are one of the main food sources of these secondary plant metabolites. The present study was designed to evaluate the effect of the flavonoid fraction of bergamot and orange juices, on H2O2-induced oxidative stress in human lung epithelial A549 cells. First we tested the antioxidant properties of both extracts in cell-free experimental models and then we assayed their capability to prevent the cytotoxic effects induced by H2O2. Our results demonstrated that both Citrus juice extracts reduce the generation of reactive oxygen species and membrane lipid peroxidation, improve mitochondrial functionality, and prevent DNA-oxidative damage in A549 cells incubated with H2O2. Our data indicate that the mix of flavonoids present in both bergamot and orange juices may be of use in preventing oxidative cell injury and pave the way for further research into a novel healthy approach to avoid lung disorders.

Among the determinants of environmental health risk perception, health literacy and social media messages have been generally neglected. This study details the environmental health risk perception and its determinants in Italian university students, including a measure of functional health literacy and an analysis of newspapers and social media. A cross sectional survey was carried out among students from 15 Italian universities and different disciplines (grouped into Scientific-Health and Humanistic-Legal-Social sectors) using a self-administered anonymous questionnaire, divided into six sections: socio-demographic characteristics, information on health and environment, environmental health risk perception, trust, attitudes and behaviors and functional health literacy. Local newspapers and tweets in the same areas and period were analyzed in relation to quantity and topics. The study population included 4778 students (65.1% female) aged 21 ± 4.3 years, and functional health literacy was low (below the cutoff value) for 44.4% of students.A new outcome of the survey is that the detected association between high functional health literacy a higher global health risk perception and trust in institutions both as sources of information and as actors for protection against environmental risks.The internet and social networks were the most frequently consulted sources of information (77.7%), which was predictive of a higher risk perception. The possible relation between environmental health risk perception and tweet communication was highlighted by a comparison between the risk perception in the city with the highest number of tweets (Modena) and another one similar for socio-demographic characteristics (Pisa). In conclusion, the results of our study may be of help to strengthen information and education ⁎ 2Science of the Total Environment xxx (xxxx) xxx-xxx programs: functional health literacy should be taken into account in school programs, to produce a basic knowledge for a better understanding of health and environment. Moreover, mass and social media should be included in planning communication intervention and in verifying their results.

A total of 3,868 urban policemen in Rome were investigated through a historical cohort study with emphasis on mortality from cardiovascular disease and cancer. Overall mortality from cardiovascular disease, respiratory conditions, digestive and genitourinary diseases, and accidents was lower than expected. An excess risk of ischemic heart disease was observed among subjects aged less than 50 years [14 deaths, standardized mortality ratio (SMR = 1.63), 95% CI = 0.89-2.73], corresponding to workers with a short duration of employment and a short latency since first employment. Overall cancer mortality was as expected and no excess was found for lung cancer (82 deaths, SMR = 1.05). Increased mortality was observed from colon cancer (16 deaths, SMR = 1.47), melanoma (four deaths, SMR = 2.34), bladder cancer (13 deaths, SMR = 1.27), renal cancer (seven deaths, SMR = 1.39), and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (six deaths, SMR = 1.51), although none of the excesses were statistically significant. Two deaths from male breast cancer (SMR = 14.36) and three from cancer of endocrine glands were found (SMR = 3.44). Nested case-control studies were conducted to evaluate cancer mortality risk by job category. Bladder cancer was significantly increased among car drivers (OR = 4.17); for kidney cancer, an increased odds ratio (OR = 2.27) was found among motorcyclists; non-Hodgkin's lymphoma clustered among motorcyclists (OR = 5.14). In summary, excess risk for specific cancer sites (colon, male breast, and endocrine glands) might be linked to occupational exposures; professional drivers seem to be at higher risk of bladder cancer, kidney cancer, and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.