Objective: The aim of the present study was to investigate the prevalence risk for developing anorexia nervosa (AN) in a very wide sample of adolescents aged 15-19 years, obtaining a psychological profile of these at-risk subjects, as assessed by the Italian Offer Self-Image Questionnaire (OSIQ). Method: Data were extracted from ESPAD-Italia ® 2005 database (European School Survey Project on Alcohol and Other Drugs). The study (17,866 adolescents, 15-19 years old; 47.8% males), also evaluated gender, age, weight, height and Eating Attitude Test-26 (EAT-26). The OSIQ psychometric qualities were evaluated. Multinomial analysis assessed self-image risk of AN association. Results: Adolescents at risk approached 1.4% (2.2% of girls and 0.5% of boys); 19-and 17-year-old females exhibited a higher prevalence. Overall adolescent risk included: impulse control, family relationships and psychopathology. Critical areas in the AN developing showed age and gender differences: body image for younger females, impulse control for the older, psychopathology for young males and sexual attitudes for the older represented the poorer adjustment dimensions. Discussion: Results support screening procedures and tailored school-based prevention.

Aims. The objectives of the study were to (a) investigate the prevalence risk of current drug users and (b) explore the association between parental monitoring, adolescent-parent relationship, family structure, financial status, and sensation-seeking and psychotropic substance use. Methods. Data were drawn from the 2002 Italian student population survey of the European School Survey Project on Alcohol and Other Drugs. The sample size was 10,790 adolescents, aged 15–19 years. Multivariate logistic analyses were performed. Findings. The prevalence of users was 27.3% (34.2% males; 21.6% females). Single-parent and reconstructed families were related to the greatest likelihood of substance use. A medium financial status and, for females, a satisfying relationship with father were protective factors. Probability of engaging in risk-taking behavior increased when parental knowledge decreased. Exploring deeper how parental monitoring could modify the relation between different traits of sensation seeking and substances use revealed the following: “thrill and adventure seeking,” within the case of a good monitoring, can help against the use of substances; “boredom susceptibility” is not associated with drug use, except when parental monitoring is weak. Conclusions. Specific subdimensions, associated with substance use, may be more amenable to prevention than general interventions on sensation-seeking personality. Family is the context that could promote health education.