Participatory management of the response to the Covid-19 emergency. The unique experience of the Autonomous Province of Bolzano

In Europe, several countries introduced mass screening but in Italy, the Province of Bolzano has been the first to use it, introducing a paradigm shift in management of the Covid-19 emergency. The "Rapid tests in South Tyrol” program (20-22 November 2020) tested about 65% of the population and was followed by the "Monitoring South Tyrol” program, so far unique in Europe, which monitored a representative sample of the population of over 20,000 people (December 2020-April 2021). The process was characterized by the close collaboration between public institutions and between these and private associations, by the strong investment in research and experimentation of innovative solutions and by individual and collective responsibility, accouting for the effects of the choices made not only in terms of health, but also in terms of economic and social impact. © 2022 FrancoAngeli. All rights reserved.

COVID-19 Pandemic Associations on Mental and Physical Health in African Americans Participating in a Behavioral Intervention.

The COVID-19 pandemic has had disproportionate effects on communities of color, with higher death rates among African Americans (AA). The purpose of this study was to assess associations in African Americans' mental and physical health with the COVID-19 pandemic. Data for this study came from a larger nutrition intervention of AAs in the Southeastern United States, the Nutritious Eating with Soul study. Data collected before and after March 15, 2020 (the day when local South Carolina schools and businesses closed), were analyzed to assess the association of the pandemic on participants' stress, control of healthy eating, physical activity, and body mass index. Repeated measures analysis of covariance using full maximum likelihood estimation to handle missing data was used. At the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, 150 participants were enrolled in the study (48.2 ± 10.6 years old, 79% female, 75% with college degree or higher). Participants' reporting of stress did not show statistically significant change over time. Cognitive control increased 1.43 points (F = 20.60, p < 0.0001) and body mass index increased 0.72 kg/m2 (F = 10.68, p = 0.001). Future longitudinal studies should investigate how the COVID-19 pandemic continues to present challenges to understanding and improving health among African Americans. The study is registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov NCT03354377.