The realization of a project aimed at reducing the plasmatic lipid level in a large Italian population improves the mean calcium daily intake: the Brisighella Study.

OBJECTIVES: Evaluation of the impact of a coronary heart disease prevention program on calcium, magnesium, phosphorus and vitamin D dietary intake in respect of recommended daily allowances in a large Italian rural population. DESIGN: Retrospective analysis of the Brisighella Study dietary data. The Brisighella Study started in 1972 as a longitudinal study on atherosclerosis risk factors. SETTING: Brisighella, a rural North Italian village. SUBJECTS: The Brisighella population's dietary habits were monitored from 1980 every 4 h through a dietary record sheet. 1,350 constantly tested subjects were subdivided according to NHI Consensus Conference on Calcium RDA. INTERVENTION: In 1986, the studied subjects were invited to reduce their consumption of animal fats and cholesterol through a Nutrition Educational Program (NEP). RESULTS: Before NEP, calcium intake was low in each sex and age category: 20-40% of the populatioin had a daily intake < 550 mg. In 1988, among the 1350 subjects who constantly completed the questionnaire (M = 651, F = 699), the mean calcium intake significantly rose in all age categories: M = 1,003 (25-65 y) and 877 ( > 65) mg/24h (P < 0.001 vs 1984); F = 923 (25-50), 860 (51-65) and 767 (> 65)mg/24h (P < 0.05). In 1992, 3y after the NEP conclusion, calcium intake dropped in each sex and age category. The NEP influenced vitamin D, phosphorus and magnesium intakes less. CONCLUSIONS: A collective NEP aimed at lowering saturated fats and cholesterol intakes, improves the calcium intake; in order to maintain their efficacy on nutritional habit changes, these programs must become an ongoing item.

[Epidemiologic model for the assessment of health needs]. / Un modello epidemiologico per la valutazione dei bisogni di salute.

Health is a high priority in public health planning, a process by which health, services and resources are connected to each other. Assessing peoples health needs is one of the most difficult tasks, because of the lack of information on the spread of diseases, the seriousness of them and their capacity to disable, as well as the lack of timely and appropriate information on them. The epidemiological model put forward describes the volume of resources necessary to maintain the health needs of a population as depending upon the prevalence of diseases, the health services used to combat these diseases and the consequent human and financial resources employed. According to this model the management of the supply of health services depends on monitoring the relationship between population, disease, health services and resources.