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Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are one of the most important issues related to sexual and reproductive health, as it is estimated that more than 1 million new infections are acquired every day worldwide and data on the prevalence and incidence of these infections, especially among young people, are increasing. Nevertheless, there are some knowledge and behavioral gaps, and young people need more support from their school and family network to protect themselves and their peers. Therefore, we have designed a multicenter prospective intervention study involving public lower and upper secondary school students, their parents and teachers (ESPRIT). The intervention will take place in the school year 2023-2024, where students will meet with experts and be involved in peer education, while adults (parents and teachers) will participate in distance and face-to-face trainings. All target groups will complete KAP (knowledge, attitudes, practice) questionnaires before and after participating in the intervention to measure its effectiveness. The results of this study will help to assess and improve the level of knowledge of lower and upper secondary school students, parents and teachers about STIs and HPV in particular, raise awareness of sexual and reproductive health issues, including vaccination, among lower and upper secondary school students and their families, and evaluate the effectiveness of these interventions in terms of improving knowledge and changing attitudes and behaviors. The study protocol has been approved by the Regional Unique Ethics Committee of Friuli Venezia Giulia (CEUR-2023-Sper-34). The project is being carried out with the technical and financial support of the Italian Ministry of Health-CCM., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Brunelli, Valent, Comar, Suligoi, Salfa, Gianfrilli, Sesti, Restivo, Casuccio and ESPRIT Study Collaboration Group.)

Introduction: Tobacco use is responsible for over 7 million deaths annually, making smoking the leading cause of preventable mortality globally. Over the last two decades in Italy, the prevalence of smoking among physicians has consistently decreased, while it remains higher and is gradually decreasing among non-physician healthcare workers. The aim of this study was to investigate the Prevalence of smoking habits, attitudes, and knowledge on counteractive strategies among employees in the Primary Healthcare Facilities in the Province of Palermo, Italy., Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted between June 2020 and December 2020 through a previously validated anonymous questionnaire structured in four sections including 34 items. Data were analyzed using Stata/MP 12.1 statistical software., Results: Overall, 2,645 participants answered the questionnaire. The prevalence of either current or former smokers was 18.6%. Based on the multivariable analysis conducted, a significantly higher frequency of current smokers was observed among male participants (AdjOR: 1.29; CI95%: 1.02-1.64) and those belonging to the Surgical Unit (AdjOR: 1.92; CI95%: 1.27-2.90). Conversely, the prevalence of current smokers was significantly lower among those with at least one child (AdjOR: 0.67; CI95%: 0.49-0.91), with an educational qualification equal to or greater than a graduation degree (AdjOR: 0.56; CI95%: 0.43-0.73), those who considered second-hand smoke harmful (AdjOR: 0.06; CI95%: 0.008-0.60), those who had observed smoking or detected the smell of smoke in their workplace (AdjOR: 0.64; CI95%: 0.45-0.91). Furthermore, the prevalence of current smokers was significantly lower among participants who believed that healthcare professionals could play a crucial role in influencing their patients' lifestyles (AdjOR: 0.67; CI95%: 0.50-0.90) and among those who recommend their patients to quit smoking (AdjOR: 0.35; CI95%: 0.24-0.51)., Discussion: The results of the current research demonstrate that, despite the decline in smoking prevalence among physicians, the rate of smokers among healthcare facility employees remains unacceptably high. This underscores the need to re-evaluate current anti-tobacco strategies in the workplace., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Costantino, Bonaccorso, Minutolo, Sciortino, Ripoli, Berardi, Gallo, Nastasi, Serra, Trapani, Busalacchi, Ficano, Siciliano, Immordino, Mazzucco, Restivo, Vitale and Casuccio.)

On December 31, 2019, an outbreak of lower respiratory infections was documented in Wuhan caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Since the beginning, SARS-CoV-2 has caused many infections among healthcare workers (HCWs) worldwide. Aims of this study were: a. to compare the distribution among the HCWs and the general population of SARS-CoV-2 infections in Western Sicily and Italy; b. to describe the characteristics of HCWs infected with SARS-CoV-2 in the western Sicilian healthcare context during the first wave of the epidemic diffusion in Italy. Incidence and mean age of HCWs infected with SARS-CoV-2 were comparable in Western Sicily and in the whole Italian country. The 97.6% of infections occurred in HCWs operating in non-coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) working environments, while an equal distribution of cases between hospital and primary care services context was documented. Nurses and healthcare assistants, followed by physicians, were the categories more frequently infected by SARS-CoV-2. The present study suggests that healthcare workers are easily infected compared to the general population but that often infection could equally occur in hospital and non-hospital settings. Safety of HCWs in counteracting the COVID-19 pandemic must be strengthened in hospital [adequate provision of personal protective equipment (PPE), optimization of human resources, implementation of closed and independent groups of HCWs, creation of traffic control building and dedicated areas in every healthcare context] and non-hospital settings (influenza vaccination, adequate psychophysical support, including refreshments during working shifts, adequate rest, and family support)., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2021 Costantino, Cannizzaro, Verso, Tramuto, Maida, Lacca, Alba, Cimino, Conforto, Cirrincione, Graziano, Palmeri, Pizzo, Restivo, Casuccio, Vitale and Mazzucco.)

Following the implementation of the new Italian legislation on responsibility of healthcare workers, a multi-professional framework, involving representatives of the Italian public health professionals and legal professionals expert in the field, drafted a proposal of the actionable recommendations to be implemented in the management of civil and penal disputes arising from the practice of public health interventions. In order to prevent legal disputes concerning some public health fields such as vaccinations, cancer screening, environmental health surveillance, and hospital management, it should be primary taken into account to update guidelines in supporting decision-making processes, in accordance with the "best scientific evidence available." Furthermore, a multidisciplinary alliance between public health and legal area professionals should be encouraged and should be promoted both at national and European level., (Copyright © 2020 Costantino, Mazzucco, Restivo, Mura, Fara, Giammanco, Vecchio Verderame, Messano, Maida, Casuccio and Vitale.)