Climate Change, Natural Resources Depletion, COVID-19, and Wars are some of the great challenges of our time. The consequences will affect psychological well-being and could have a harmful impact on mental health. This study aimed to assess the level of preoccupation and fears surrounding issues of the 21st-century and the implication for psychological well-being of the general population from Central/Southern Italy among different age groups. A questionnaire that included sociodemographic characteristics, topics formulated ad-hoc about preoccupation, fears, habits, and willingness to change habits in the future related to the 21st-century challenges, and the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales 21 (DASS-21) was administered online. A sample of 1831 participants (61% F; mean age 47.71 ± 17.30) was obtained. Results showed that young adults and older adults, respectively, reported greater and less psychological well-being. Young adults reported higher scores for preoccupation, changing habits, and willingness to change habits in the future, while older adults reported the lowest scores except for changing habits, also controlling for gender. Results for this variable, as well as correlations between the many variables described, rely on the specificity of age, and 21st-century challenges. Moreover, the main fears related to the 21st-century concerns were different based on both age and gender. In conclusion, the various stresses of the 21st-century discussed in this study have a relationship with personal well-being, and it is important to consider potential global mental health issues resulting from these stressors.

Background: Health literacy (HL) is a fundamental ability to successfully deal with health and illness issues. This study aimed to assess HL among undergraduates from healthcare and non-healthcare degree courses of two Italian universities and the association between their HL, lifestyles, and BMI assumed as health outcome. Methods: The Health Literacy Assessment Tool (HLAT-8) and the Newest Vital Sign (NVS) were used to assess health literacy dimensions. Demographic and anthropometric data, adherence to Mediterranean diet (MD), physical activity levels, and smoking habits were assessed in the enrolled sample to highlight possible associations. Results: A total sample of 806 undergraduates (46% males, mean age 21.01 ± 1.78 years) was recruited. Higher HL scores were found among healthcare rather than non-healthcare students (28.7 ± 4.5 vs. 26.7 ± 4.2 for HLAT-8 and 4.9 ± 1.5 vs. 3.9 ± 1.8 for NVS, p < 0.01). However, healthcare undergraduates were more likely to report unhealthy behaviors. Body Mass Index (BMI) was associated with literacy and numeracy skills only in non-healthcare undergraduates. Significant associations were found between HL scores and adherence to MD in both groups. In the regression analysis, educational field and MD were shown to be predictors of HL scores. Conclusions: Attending a healthcare related degree course was associated with higher HL scores but not with healthy behaviors. This issue should be addressed considering the role that healthcare professionals may have in educating patients towards a healthy lifestyle. Adherence to MD seems to be related to higher HL scores.

Bullying victimization has been associated with body weight and physical fitness. In order to compare the prevalence of victimization among adolescents with normal weight or overweight/obesity and to evaluate the association between real or perceived physical fitness and self-perception profiles, a sample of 128 middle-school youths (mean age: 12.2 ± 0.8 years, 61% males) was recruited. The body mass index (BMI) Z score was calculated. Physical fitness was assessed by hand grip strength (HGS), long jump (LJ), and a 3 min step test (3MST). Perceived physical fitness, self-perception profiles (social competence, athletic competence, and physical appearance), and experiences of victimization (teasing about physical appearance, verbal offenses, and exclusion from group activities) were explored using validated questionnaires. Eighty youths (62.5%) showed overweight/obesity. Compared to their counterparts, normal-weight subjects showed lower HGS and perceived muscular strength; higher LJ and 3MST performance; higher perceived overall fitness, speed and flexibility, and physical appearance. Teasing and verbal offences were more frequent among students with overweight/obesity. Being teased about physical aspects was positively related with the BMI Z score. Exclusion from groups was positively associated with LJ performance. All the types of victimization investigated were inversely related to perceived social competence. These findings suggest that self-perception may protect one from victimization, regardless of nutritional status.

Background: Nurse burnout is a major occupational health problem with implications for workforce retention, quality of care, and patient safety. Contemporary evidence consistently links burnout to increased missed care, adverse events, and reduced safety climate, underscoring the need for updated national data and identification of modifiable organizational factors. Objective: To describe burnout levels among Italian nurses using the Copenhagen Burnout Inventory (CBI) and to examine associations between burnout, job satisfaction, weekly working hours, and key sociodemographic and professional characteristics. Methods: We conducted a national, observational cross-sectional online survey (Google Forms) between April and May 2026. Convenience and snowball sampling were used via professional social media channels and nursing-related institutional pages. Burnout was measured using the Copenhagen Burnout Inventory (CBI; 19 items covering personal, work-related, and patient-related burnout). Responses were converted to standardized 0–100 scores (higher scores = higher burnout); total burnout was computed as the mean of the three subscales. Job satisfaction was assessed on a 1–5 Likert scale. Group comparisons used Mann–Whitney U and Kruskal–Wallis tests; associations used Spearman’s rho; multivariable linear regression was fitted to examine factors independently associated with burnout. Results: The sample included 557 nurses; 84.6% were women, 37.0% were aged <30 years, and participants covered all Italian macro-areas (North 52.4%, Centre 21.5%, South 12.4%, Islands 13.6%). Mean burnout scores (0–100) were: total 50.80 ± 18.87, personal 60.11 ± 19.53, work-related 53.30 ± 22.25, patient-related 38.99 ± 22.77. Using conventional cut-offs (66 high), 19.4% had low, 59.8% moderate, and 20.8% high burnout. Total burnout correlated positively with weekly working hours (ρ = 0.180, p < 0.001) and negatively with job satisfaction (ρ = −0.620, p < 0.001). In multivariable models, higher job satisfaction remained the strongest independent factor associated with lower burnout, while working >40 h/week remained independently associated with higher burnout. Conclusions: Burnout among Italian nurses was prevalent at moderate-to-high levels. Job satisfaction emerged as the main organizational factor associated with burnout, while higher workload was also significantly associated with greater burnout levels. These findings highlight the importance of organizational strategies addressing working conditions to support nurse well-being and patient safety.