Adolescence is a critical moment in life; people become individuals, create new relationships, develop social skills and learn behaviours that they will use for the rest of their lives. During this phase, adolescents establish patterns of behaviour that can protect their health. This study aims to 1. assess the presence of psychological disorders in adolescents of both genders, 2. determine their relation to socio-economic differences based on the Family Affluence Scale (FAS), and 3. assess trends from 2006 to 2018. Data were collected from the Italian Health Behaviour in School-aged Children survey given to a representative sample of Tuscan adolescents aged 11–15 years. Participants (n. 12,550) filled out questionnaires to assess whether psychological symptoms such as feeling low, irritability, nervousness, or sleeping difficulties manifested weekly or more often over the past six months. For the study we utilized a cross-sectional survey method and linear regression to examine the association between psychological symptoms (dependent variable measured on an interval scale (0–16)), gender and FAS. We conducted similar analyses using logistic regressions for each of the four symptoms. An increase in psychological symptoms in both genders was revealed between 2006 and 2018, with a statistically significant presence in females: 0.29 (95% Confidence Interval [CI], 0.17 to 0.41), 1.43 (95% CI, 1.37 to 1.48) and 1.43 (95% CI, 1.34 to 1.52) in low-, medium- and high-affluence families, respectively; whereas males presented 0.14 (95% CI, 0.01 to 0.27), 0.71 (95% CI, 0.65 to 0.77) and 0.31 (95% CI, 0.22 to 0.39), respectively. The probability of a predictive episode of psychological symptoms (feeling low, irritability, nervousness, sleeping difficulties) occurring weekly, or more, often was greatly increased in females of all socioeconomic classes. These findings suggest that the increase in psychological disorders in adolescents should be considered a public health problem and further investigated through longitudinal studies and continuous monitoring of health trends.

Background/Objectives: Adolescence is an important period of psychophysical development. In this phase of life people acquire greater self-awareness and adopt behaviors that will later shape their lifestyle in adulthood. This study aimed to assess whether family structure can influence adolescents’ eating habits. Methods: Data were acquired from a survey titled ‘Italian Health Behaviour in School-aged Children’ (HBSC) given to a representative sample of Tuscan adolescents aged 11, 13, 15 and 17 years of age. Participants (3210) filled out a validated questionnaire answering questions about their eating habits and family structure. After adjusting for covariates, some interesting trends were highlighted in the survey results. Results: Adolescents living in single-mother families reported a lower intake of fruits (OR 0.68, 95% CI = 0.55–0.83) and vegetables (OR 0.66, 95% CI = 0.53–0.81) and a higher intake of sugar-added soft drinks (OR 1.33, 95% CI = 1.08–1.64). Living in a mother and stepfather family was associated with a higher intake of sugar-added soft drinks (OR 1.53, 95% CI = 1.02–2.28), whereas living in a father and stepmother family was associated only with a lower intake of fruits (OR 0.48, 95% CI = 0.26–0.87). Participants living with other family types reported a lower intake of vegetables (OR 0.68, 95% CI = 0.47–0.98). Conclusions: The results of this study show a correlation between family structure and adolescents’ eating habits.

This study aimed at describing the epidemiological aspects of respiratory pathogens involved in cases of severe acute respiratory infections (SARI) in Siena (Tuscany, Italy) during the 2023/2024 season. Oropharyngeal swabs were collected from enrolled patients in the University Hospital Trust of Siena. Swabs were tested by qRT-PCR for the detection of SARS-CoV-2 and other 21 respiratory pathogens, including influenza and human respiratory syncytial virus (HRSV). Swabs positive for SARS-CoV-2 and/or influenza were further analyzed by Next-Generation sequencing (NGS). From January to June 2024, 138 patients diagnosed with SARI were enrolled, with an average age of 76.7 years and a frequent presence of comorbidities. Among the patients, 40 % tested positive for SARS-CoV-2, followed by 20 % positivity for influenza and 13 % positivity for HRSV. For SARS-CoV-2, variants belonging to the JN.1, EG.5 and BA.5 lineages were found. The influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 strains were found to belong to the 6B.1a.5a.2a clade, while for influenza A(H3N2), the strains belonged to two different clades (3 C.2a1b.2a.1a and 3 C.2a1b. 2a.2a.3a.1). This study contributes to the understanding of the spread of respiratory viruses and the genetic characteristics of SARS-CoV-2 and influenza in patients with SARI, underlining the importance of continuous surveillance.

Background: The adoption of a healthy lifestyle and eating habits in children represents a major public health objective worldwide, with significant implications for the development of chronic non-communicable diseases in adulthood. In Italy, the “OKkio alla SALUTE” Surveillance System (National Institute of Health) has been in place since 2007 to periodically monitor the nutritional status and health-related behaviors of children aged 8 to 9 years old. Methods: Data were collected as part of the 2023 nutritional surveillance survey in the Tuscany Region through questionnaires completed by both children and their parents. A cluster sample design was adopted. The weight and height of children were directly measured. Logistic regression analysis was used to examine the association between measured variables (unhealthy eating habits and lifestyles) and overweight or obesity. Results: A total of 1427 children participated. In our sample, 17% of children were overweight, 5.7% were obese, and 1.3% were severely obese, totaling 24% of children classified as overweight. Tuscany’s rates are lower than the national average of 28.8%. Children whose parents had a low level of education were nearly twice as likely to consume sugary drinks daily (OR_adj = 1.97; 95% CI: 1.22–3.18) and to lead a sedentary lifestyle (OR_adj = 1.99; 95% CI: 1.33–2.97). Children from families reporting financial hardship were more likely to consume fruit and vegetables less than once a day (OR_adj = 2.35; 95% CI: 1.12–4.92) and to spend more time in sedentary activities (OR_adj = 3.30; 95% CI: 1.66–6.56). Regarding overweight, including obesity, children from economically challenged families had nearly double the risk of being overweight compared to those from financially stable households (OR_adj = 1.81; 95% CI: 1.09–2.98). Conclusions: The aim of our study was to evaluate which family factors are associated with unhealthy lifestyles in order to assess and, if appropriate, confirm the need for targeted and integrated interventions involving families, schools, and local communities to promote healthy lifestyles and effectively combat childhood obesity in Tuscany.