Cigarette smoking: knowledge, attitudes and behaviour in an adult population in Italy.

The study explores knowledge, attitudes, and behaviour regarding cigarette smoking and related factors in an adult population. A total of 935 parents of children attending the eighth class of ten randomly selected primary schools in Catanzaro (Italy) received a questionnaire consisting of questions on demographic and socioeconomic characteristics, knowledge, behaviour and attitudes about cigarette smoking. Six hundred and sixty-nine parents returned the questionnaire, with a response rate of 71.5%. Knowledge of risk associated to smoking was significantly higher in more educated subjects and in past smokers compared to current. Current and past smokers were respectively 39.6% and 17.2%, and current smokers were younger, not married, less prone to consider smoking as a major risk for their health and more likely to live with other smokers compared to past and never smokers. Females of higher education were more likely to be current smokers, whereas male current smokers were more likely to be less educated compared to past or never smokers. The results strongly recommend the provision of accurate information about the health consequences related to smoking, with a more intensive involvement of health care providers, particularly targeted to women and younger age groups.

Prevalence of dental caries in schoolchildren in Italy.

The caries experience and its potential risk indicators such as socioeconomic status, sweets consumption, toothbrushing habits, dental visit attendance pattern and salivary mutans streptococci (in 12 year old only), were assessed in schoolchildren raised and living in low fluoridated areas (Catanzaro, Italy). Caries-free prevalence in the 6-year-old was 52.9% in their primary dentition; the dmft and dmfs were 2.1 and 5.1, and both DMFT and DMFS were 0.1. Almost 91% of the dmft was attributable to active decay. The proportion of children with a dmft+DMFT > or = 1 and the dmft and dmfs were significantly higher in those with low socio-economic status. In the 12-year-old, 52.7% had a history of caries and the DMFT and DMFS were 1.5 and 2.6; the filled component was the dominant proportion. The more likely they visited a dentist for routine checkup, the higher socio-economic status (it was not associated with DMFT), the less frequently they had sweets, and the low level of Streptococcus mutans, the more likely they were caries-free and the less likely they were to have a high DMFT, DMFS, and DT. In the 15-year-old, 68.8% had a history of caries and the DMFT and DMFS were 2.8 and 4.8, with a higher prevalence of the F component. The children who visited a dentist for routine checkup had a significantly lower caries experience, DMFT, DMFS, and DT than the irregular attenders, and those with low socio-economic background were more likely to have a high DMFS.

Synergic convulsant effects of dihydrofolic and kainic acid after intracaudate infusion in rats.

In rats the microinjection of kainic acid into the caudate nucleus produced dose-dependent motor and ECoG discharges. Similarly dihydrofolic acid microinfused into the same area produced an intense pattern of stereotyped movements, circling and high voltage electrocortical spikes, sharp waves and other abnormalities similar is those occurring in human epilepsy. The administration of dihydrofolic acid into the same site 10 min after kainic acid significantly increased the percentage of rats showing epileptic motor and ECoG seizures and potentiated the severity and duration of these effects. In conclusion, the present experiments provide evidence for the potentiation of the neurotoxic effects of folic and kainic acid when given in association into the brain.