ABSTRACT
Peri-urban forests are complex systems capable of providing amenity and scenic values as well as recreational opportunities for citizens. From early 2020, national governments have promulgated restrictions, requiring citizens to adopt a new lifestyle to counter the COVID-19 outbreak. This study aimed to understand if citizens' behaviors and attitudes in the use of peri-urban forests are changing due to COVID-19 restrictions. Methodologically, a questionnaire survey was carried out, adopting a systematic sampling method. Two peri-urban forests were chosen as study areas: the first one was close to the town of Trento in the Alps (Monte Marzola), and the second one was in the proximity of the city of Florence (Monte Morello). At the end of data collection, 281 questionnaires were collected and processed. The results showed an increase in visits to peri-urban forests during the COVID-19 pandemic (36.4% of visitors in Monte Marzola and 17.1% in Monte Morello, respectively) with the aim of satisfying the need for relaxation and contact with nature. However, the use of peri-urban forests in times of crisis has been quite different in the two contexts: the visitors of Monte Marzola evidenced the role of a forest as a place where they can satisfy their need to play sports (mean value 4.53 in a five-point Likert scale), while Monte Morello forest was considered by visitors to be a place where the demand for companionship was fulfilled (mean value 4.27). © 2023 by the authors.
ABSTRACT
Objective. The lockdown due to COVID-19 has been associated with a reduction of physical activity and a change in eating behaviors, with consequent weight gain, in general and specific populations. The objective of this study was to assess whether women whose pregnancies encompassed the lockdown due to COVID-19 in 2020 had an excess gestational weight gain as compared with those who were pregnant in the same periods of previous years. Materials and Methods. This was a retrospective cohort study based on anony-mous data from the Birth Attendance Certificate (CedAP) information flow which is mandatorily collected in all Italian Regions. In the Autonomous Province of Trento, North-Eastern Italy, more information than those required as a minimum data set are collected, including maternal weight at the first gestational obstetric visit, initial body mass index (BMI), and maternal weight at delivery. We calculat-ed mean gestational weight gain for women whose pregnancy encompassed the 2-month lockdown in 2020 and for those who were pregnant in corresponding periods of the years 2016-2019. Linear and logistic regression models were built to assess the association between lockdown and weight gain or excess weight gain, respectively, adjusting for the potential confounding effect of gestational month at the beginning of lockdown or corresponding period and pre-pregnancy body mass index. Results. In 2020, mean gestational weight gain was not significantly different from the previous years, nor was the likelihood of gaining excess weight. Conclusions. Unlike other populations that increased weight during the COVID-19 lockdown, the Italian population of pregnant women described in this study has a gestational weight gain comparable with that of the previous years. Public health and environmental interventions, as well as dedicated programs taking care of women from conception to post-partum may have a role in the health of future mothers and should be promoted.
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES: to describe the organisation and the role of the Department of Prevention of the Local Health Unit (APSS) of Trento (Trentino-Alto Adige Region, Northern Italy) against the spread of COVID-19 in the population, in the management of possible cases (with only clinical criteria of influenza-like illness, ILI, without diagnostic swab) reported by General practitioners (GPs) and by Family paediatricians (FPs) during the initial phase of the pandemic COVID-19 in Trentino-Alto Adige Region. DESIGN: descriptive study. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: this study analysed the reports of patients with ILI sent to the Healthcare company from 17 March to 17 April 2020 by their GPs or FP and subsequently classified into: redundant reports (people already known to the healthcare company as confirmed or probable case COVID-19); reports inconsistent with ILI criteria (patients not known to APSS as probable/confirmed case; without ILI criteria); appropriate reports (patients not known to APSS as probable/confirmed case; with ILI criteria). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: proportion of GPs and FPs who participated to report system reporting at least one patient, out of the total number of GPs and FPs; frequency of patients reported as ILI; time (in days) to manage reported patients. The cumulative weekly rate of "non-redundant" (not already known to APSS as probable/confirmed case) reports per thousand inhabitants was also calculated. RESULTS: over 80% of GPs and FPs voluntary participated into the reporting system of patients with COVID-19 clinical criteria. Overall, 4,270 patients were reported; of these, 2,865 (67%) were not known to APSS as probable/confirmed case. Response time in days decrease progressively during the period of activity (from a mean of 6 days to 0.4 days during the 12th and 16th week of 2020, respectively). The cumulative weekly rate of client reports which were not already known as probable or confirmed cases (per 1,000 population) ranges from 3.54 to 6.84 cases in the 12th and 16th week, respectively. Among the 4,270 reports, 1,471 patients considered possible COVID-19 cases were identified due to the presence of ILI symptoms, even in the absence of a swab or a positive history for close contact with COVID-19 case. From the epidemiological investigation into the 1,471 possible cases, 2,514 close contacts were identified and quarantined at home. Of the 2,514 close contacts, 127 (5.05%) people developed symptoms during quarantine. CONCLUSIONS: the integration among primary care, GPs and FPS, and the Department of Prevention could be an element of success in the management of the COVID-19 emergency and in the return to a normal phase. However, further assessments are required on the effectiveness and impact of the adopted model, especially in relation to the exit from phase 1 and phase 2 of the pandemic emergency.