[Different use/abuse patterns (overweight/obesity, alcohol, smoking, drugs, cannabis, opiates, cocaine) according to job category. Results of a survey on 4024 young workers from Abruzzo, Italy: the Valentino Study]. / Gli abusi farmacologici, alimentari, da alcool, fumo e droga nelle diverse categorie professionali. Risultati di un'indagine conoscitiva su 4024 giovani lavoratori abruzzesi: il Progetto Valentino.

Using a multidisciplinary questionnaire containing items from previously validated instruments (i.e. CAGE), during the year 2007 a survey (Valentino Project) was carried out on 4024 young workers (18-35 y) from Abruzzo, Italy to investigate the prevalence of use/abuse of alcohol, food, smoking, and drugs in different types of job categories, and to evaluate the potential association between occupational class and type of use/abuse. With the exception of cannabis use/abuse (13.5%), the prevalence of incorrect behaviours was higher than the young-adult general population (workers and non-workers) from Central-South Italy: overweight/obesity = 30.8%; current smoking = 45.7%; alcohol addiction = 17.3%; use/abuse of psychotropic legal drugs = 4.7%; cocaine = 4.5%; opiates = 1.0%; > 1 illegal drug (multiple abuse) = 3.9%. This negative scenario is accentuated by a probable > or = 25% underestimation of illegal drug use/abuse, and because drug use/abuse is inversely associated with age. Using logistic regression analyses (controlling for age, gender marital status, education, job-strain, self-reported health, and all other types of use/abuse), a significant independent association was found for the first time between specific types of use/abuse and some job categories (i.e. cocaine for traders/consultants; legal psychoactive drugs and cannabis for unqualified professions such as itinerants or precarious workers; smoking for Call-Center operators; overweight/obesity for farmers/artisans). These findings should be used to maximize the efficacy of substance use/abuse preventive strategies, which could be more precisely targeted to different professions, and raise the need to control for job category in future multivariate analyses investigating substance use/abuse predictors.

Gender health and policies: the state of the art from exposure to solutions.

OBJECTIVE: To synthesize the determinants of gender inequalities through a narrative review that: (i) describes gender related variables that can create different levels of health; (ii) describes key points that may assist in policy development and its reorientation towards gender differences; (iii) debates potential approaches in understanding gender issues. METHODS: Review of the international literature through online databases (Pubmed), search engines, publications and documents from "grey literature". INCLUSION CRITERIA: publications from 1997, English language; keywords used: gender based analysis; gender and public policy; women's health; gender differences; health policy; gender impact assessment. Among the 300 papers retrieved, 55 were selected for relevance. RESULTS: We performed a narrative synthesis of the included literature, regarding: (i) gender differences and their determinants; (ii) elements for the changing; (iii) possible approaches; (iv) gender influences the pursuit of health and health care access through specific variables; (v) health policies can modify these variables only by a minimal percentage. These interventions should guarantee equity and allow efficient resources allocation. The gap between political announcements and real policy implementation remains unchanged. (vi) Standard approaches to the topic are not feasible due to the scarcity of a specific literature and the numerous cultural differences. CONCLUSIONS: . Gender analysis of policies suggests they can differently affect women in comparison to men. However, reforms, strategies and interventions introduced in the last two decades, have achieved a limited success towards better gender equality in health. The main aim is to attack the structural sources of gender inequity in the society.

[Healthcare profiles: similarities and differences with respect to case and disease management]. / I Profili assistenziali: una prospettiva di confronto con il case ed il disease management.

In Healthcare systems, to overcome the problem of the fragmented response to the medical needs of patients, new theoretical models and operative approaches have been proposed; the process-based approach is one of the solutions more appreciated. This approach has been adopted in different ways in different healthcare systems: typically the Case management, the Disease management and, in Italy, the Healthcare profiles. These three healthcare models that share in the logic of a process-based approach present similarities and dissimilarities. This article aims to describe the features of Healthcare profiles compared to Case and Disease management, using a comparison scheme which contains items capable to distinguish the different Healthcare models.