Papers by daniela d'alessandro
European Journal of Public Health, 2020
Introduction Scientific evidence stresses that more walkable neighborhoods are linked to increase... more Introduction Scientific evidence stresses that more walkable neighborhoods are linked to increased physical activity. Walking Suitability Index of the territory (T-WSI) is an easy method, already validated, to evaluate the walkability on the basis of direct observation. Aim of the study is to compare the walkability indices obtained in three urban neighborhoods of the city of Rome in 2009 and 2019, to evaluate whether the urban redevelopment interventions, performed in the decade, do really promote walkability. Methods An audit, through T-WSI, is carried out for each street of a neighborhood. T-WSI audit evaluates 12 indicators subdivided into 4 categories: practicability, safety, urbanity, pleasurableness. The weighted analysis of these indicators gives an overall score of the actual usability of the neighborhood. In this study, 2 different trained surveyors, evaluated T-WSI in three neighborhoods of Rome (San Saba, Sacco Pastore and Tufello-Val Melaina), which differ in socio-econ...
European Journal of Public Health, 2020
Introduction In recent years, Public Health devoted a growing interest to housing conditions. In ... more Introduction In recent years, Public Health devoted a growing interest to housing conditions. In particular, housing dimensions and functional characteristics are relevant, mainly considering population ageing and disability. Aim of the study is to compare housing standards of some European countries to analyse their ability to satisfy new population needs. Methodology The dwellings dimensional standards of 9 European countries (Sweden, UK, Denmark, The Netherlands, France, Germany, Portugal, Spain and Italy) are compared. From the websites of the official channels of the various countries the regulations have been downloaded. The standards have been compared. Results A wide variability in the dimensions of room among the standards is observed (e.g. single room: from 9 sqm in Italy, to 7 sqm in France, to the absence of any limit in UK, Germany - Hesse and Denmark). Italian and French regulations define housing dimension considering the room use (eg. bed or living room) and the numb...
Annali di igiene : medicina preventiva e di comunità
Hygiene and sanitation, 2020
This review manuscript presents actual information on sports facilities, their design and the imp... more This review manuscript presents actual information on sports facilities, their design and the impact they may have on human health. Based on the current sanitary and hygienic norms and regulations the authors describe types of sports facilities, give their classification depending on the designated use, point out the peculiarities of sports facilities arrangement in Italy and Russia. Special attention is paid to the necessity to meet the hygienic requirements when constructing and maintaining sports facilities. The paper highlights the hygienic requirements for all sports facilities, regardless of their type, to be standardized by the following components: location of sports facilities within the boundaries of a settlement; orientation of sports facilities; transport accessibility; layout; state of the environment (air, water, soil); nature of landscaping and the area of green spaces; noise intensity level; microclimate of sports facilities (relative temperature and humidity, air ve...
Journal of Hospital Infection, 2015
Objective. To evaluate microbial contamination in operating rooms (ORs) during hip and knee repla... more Objective. To evaluate microbial contamination in operating rooms (ORs) during hip and knee replacement surgery and compare the findings with expected values based on the type of ventilation system installed. Summary Background Data. Recent studies have shown a higher rate of Surgical Site Infections (SSIs) in hip prosthesis implantation using unidirectional airflow ventilation (UAF) compared to turbulent ventilation. However, those studies did not measure the air microbial quality of ORs, and simply assumed it to be consistent with the existing Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) system. Methods. Microbial air samplings were performed in the patient area of 28 ORs supplied with unidirectional, turbulent and mixed airflow ventilation, both at rest and during surgical activity. Samples were collected using passive sampling methods and the Index of Microbial Air contamination (IMA) was determined. In some of the ORs active sampling was also performed to measure colony forming units per cubic metre (cfu/m 3). The average number of persons in ORs and the number of door openings during the exposure of the settle plates were also recorded. Results. 1228 elective hip (60.1%) and knee (39.9%) prosthesis procedures were included in the study. A total of 43.0% of procedures were performed in UAF ORs (U-OR), 8.6% in mixed airflow ORs (M-OR), 20% in turbulent airflow ORs (T-OR), and 28.5% in turbulent ORs with the surgical team wearing a Turbo Helmet Steri Shield (TH-OR). 58.9% of passive samplings performed in U-ORs and 87.6% of those in M-ORs yielded air microbial contamination values >2 IMA. The highest compliance (60%) with IMA recommended values for ultraclean ORs was observed in TH-ORs. 8.6% of IMA values recorded in T-ORs were ≤2 IMA. Conclusions Our findings undermine the idea that unidirectional systems always provide acceptable bacterial counts. Furthermore, the number of door openings and the number of persons inside the OT during surgical activity can be regarded as a positive predictor of higher bacterial counts.
Annali di igiene : medicina preventiva e di comunita, 2018
AIM Urban planning tries to contain and regulate the uncontrolled growth of cities, encouraging t... more AIM Urban planning tries to contain and regulate the uncontrolled growth of cities, encouraging their sustainable development at environmental, social and health levels. In the present work, the authors compare the regulatory frameworks of the Russian Federation and of Italy, with particular attention paid to the urban aspects of living spaces. METHODS Considering the extant normative production in the two countries, the authors examine national legislation for Italy and federal legislation for Russia, mainly taking into account the following aspects: urban planning tools and environmental and sanitary protection of living spaces. RESULTS Hygienic-sanitary requirements regarding living environment in Russia are essentially expressed by two regulatory systems (SNiP and SanPiN), while in Italy they are regulated by the D.M. 07/05/1975. The main principles of urban planning in Russia are expressed by federal standards, while in Italy they are incorporated in the Municipal General Plan ...
Annali di igiene : medicina preventiva e di comunita, 2017
BACKGROUND Healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) are an important issue in terms of quality of ... more BACKGROUND Healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) are an important issue in terms of quality of care. HAIs impact patient safety by contributing to higher rates of preventable mortality and prolonged hospitalizations. In Italy, analysis of the currently available accreditation systems shows a substantial heterogeneity of approaches for the prevention and surveillance of HAIs in hospitals. The aim of the present study is to develop and propose the use of a synthetic assessment tool that could be implemented homogenously throughout the nation. METHODS An analysis of nine international and of the 21 Italian regional accreditation systems was conducted in order to identify requirements and indicators implemented for HAI prevention and control. Two relevant reviews on this topic were further analyzed to identify additional evidence-based criteria. The project team evaluated all the requirements and indicators with consensus meeting methodology, then those applicable to the Italian conte...
European Journal of Public Health, 2020
Background The ongoing pandemic of COVID-19, which nowadays has exceeded 2.5 million notified inf... more Background The ongoing pandemic of COVID-19, which nowadays has exceeded 2.5 million notified infections in the world and about 200,000 deaths, is a strong reminder that urbanization has changed the way that people and communities live, work, and interact, and it's necessary to make the systems and local capacities resilient to prevent the spread of infectious diseases. How we can re-design the concept of Public Health in relation to the built environment and the contemporary cities? Methods According to the previous statements and scenario, aim of this paper is to integrate the Urban Health strategic objectives, focusing the possible responses, both immediate and medium-long term, to the current environmental, social, and economic aspects of the “period” of physical distancing. Results Immediate Actions are 01. program the flexibility of city schedules; 02. plan a smart and sustainable mobility network; 03. define a neighborhood services' plan; 04. develop a digitization of...
European Journal of Public Health, Oct 20, 2017
Background Weather conditions may also be connected to stroke, and multiple meteorological variab... more Background Weather conditions may also be connected to stroke, and multiple meteorological variables have been examined as possible influences on stroke occurrence. Atmospheric pressure and temperature are among the most closely studied variables; increases, decreases, and fluctuations in both have been significantly linked to numerous stroke subtypes. The relationship between meteorological factors and stroke is highly complex and influenced by numerous other factors. Methods The study population comprised all Kaunas (Lithuania) population (2000-2010) aged 25-64 years, who were diagnosed stroke. The study population was stratified into 2 age groups: 25-54, 55-64 years. Data of meteorological were available for the following variables: mean daily air temperature, relative humidity, atmospheric pressure, velocity of wind and estimated heat index and wind chill index. Poisson regression analysis was used to evaluate a relationship between meteorological factors and incidence of stroke by relative risk (RR) and its 95% confidence interval demonstrating coefficients. Results Significant negative correlation was found between ambient air temperature and incidence of all types of stroke (=-0.009). Significant negative correlation between wind chill index and incidence of ischemic stroke and all types of stroke was estimated in group of 25-54 yrs. subjects (=-0.019). Positive correlation was estimated between atmosphere pressure and incidence of haemorrhagic stroke in men (= 0.010). Associations between velocity of wind and two indexes (heat index and wind chill index) on acute stroke risk in the middleaged Kaunas population and in the subgroups of different gender and age were not determined. Conclusions In conclusion, our study has demonstrated that some meteorological factors especially atmospheric air temperatures can affect stroke occurence and may increased the risk of stroke.
Annali di igiene : medicina preventiva e di comunita
The Study Group on Hospital Hygiene of the Italian Society of Hygiene, Preventive Medicine and Pu... more The Study Group on Hospital Hygiene of the Italian Society of Hygiene, Preventive Medicine and Public Health (GISIO-SItI) and the Local Health Authority of Foggia, Apulia, Italy, after the National Convention "Safe water in healthcare facilities" held in Vieste-Pugnochiuso on 27-28 May 2016, present the "Vieste Charter", drawn up in collaboration with experts from the National Institute of Health and the Ministry of Health. This paper considers the risk factors that may affect the water safety in healthcare facilities and reports the current regulatory frameworks governing the management of installations and the quality of the water. The Authors promote a careful analysis of the risks that characterize the health facilities, for the control of which specific actions are recommended in various areas, including water safety plans; approval of treatments; healthcare facilities responsibility, installation and maintenance of facilities; multidisciplinary approach; ed...
Journal of Hospital Infection, 2010
Background: Healthcare in the UK is a devolved responsibility. Administrations have prioritised r... more Background: Healthcare in the UK is a devolved responsibility. Administrations have prioritised resources differently and set different performance targets. Until April 2010, Wales was the only UK country with no reduction targets for specific organism healthcare associated infections (HCAI). England targeted MRSA bacteraemias from 2005, followed by C. difficile. Scotland and Northern Ireland have since introduced targets for total S. aureus bacteraemias and C. difficile. Aim: To compare trends in S. aureus bacteraemias and C. difficile in Wales with other UK countries. Methods: Surveillance data for S. aureus bacteraemias have been collected in Wales since 2001 via a web reporting system and C. difficile (inpatients >65) data since 2005, by extraction from microbiology data warehouse.
Annali di igiene : medicina preventiva e di comunita, 2016
Good lighting is a key factor for indoor health and wellness. Hygienic regulations regarding illu... more Good lighting is a key factor for indoor health and wellness. Hygienic regulations regarding illumination requirements have been elaborated much time ago and in different countries. The authors describe these requirements in Italy and in the Russian Federation, analysing their contents and issues and comparing them. The results show that the Russian ones are updated, more precise and complete. In conclusion, the authors stress the strong need for a revision and update of the specific Italian hygienic and sanitary regulations.
Annali di igiene : medicina preventiva e di comunita, 2015
OBJECTIVES To carry out a pilot study aimed: a) to define and validate a method to evaluate Healt... more OBJECTIVES To carry out a pilot study aimed: a) to define and validate a method to evaluate Health Care Workers' (HCWs') knowledge about Ebola virus disease (EVD); b) to verify if the specific training on EVD followed in Emergency Units is associated to a significant difference in knowledge. METHODS A cross-sectional study was carried out using an "ad hoc" questionnaire. It included 20 statements true/false, divided into three areas: risk of transmission (T); prevention and personal protection (PPP); environmental prevention (EP). The targets were the HCWs of Emergency Unit (trained) and Internal Medicine Units (control) of two hospitals in Rome (A and B). Internal consistency was evaluated using KR-20 coefficient. A proportion of 14/20 (70%) correct answers was considered acceptable. Mean scores and acceptable scores were compared using t-Student test and chi-squared test respectively. A logistic regression was fitted to identify independent factors associated wit...
Annali di igiene : medicina preventiva e di comunita, 2015
In recent years, the awareness of the importance of physical activity for human health is growing... more In recent years, the awareness of the importance of physical activity for human health is growing, as people practicing it; the number of gyms has also substantially increased. Currently, in Italy there is not a consistent regulation regarding hygienic and sanitary requirements of gyms. Several Italian regions issued laws about this topic. The authors analyse the standards required by the Italian Olympic Committee (CONI) and the regional laws, highlighting the numerous issues, among which the possible location of gyms in semi-basements and basements. They eventually call for a national regulation that should clearly transpose the hygienic and sanitary requirements of gyms into a satisfactory rule of law.
Annali di igiene : medicina preventiva e di comunita, 2020
BACKGROUND Health authorities and organizations consider non-medical face masks as an additional ... more BACKGROUND Health authorities and organizations consider non-medical face masks as an additional passive means to prevent virus diffusion. Communication strategies disseminate information among the population that such masks are essential for mitigating virus diffusion. However, scientific studies are not conclusive in showing the undisputed filtration efficiency of fabric/cloth facial masks (both commercial and homemade). OBJECTIVES This study examines scientific data about the effectiveness of face masks before and during the COVID-19 emergency. Present trends in the making of commercial and homemade fabric/cloth face masks are also examined. METHODS Statistical data of published studies are analyzed and compared. Main considerations and suggestions are also extracted and discussed. Current approaches are examined for assessing the characteristics and effectiveness of fabric/cloth commercial and homemade face masks intended for the population. RESULT Conflicting data exist as to w...
Annali di igiene : medicina preventiva e di comunita, 1999
![Research paper thumbnail of [Microbiological pollution of operating rooms: critical analysis of two decades of surveillance]](https://attachments.academia-assets.com/83616683/thumbnails/1.jpg)
Annali di igiene : medicina preventiva e di comunita, 2011
The objective of this study was to analyze the results of microbiological air sampling of operati... more The objective of this study was to analyze the results of microbiological air sampling of operating rooms (OR) over the last two decades at the Sapienza University Hospital of Rome, in order to describe the time trends of contamination levels and to assess any significant changes. Microbiological air sampling carried out in 14 surgical units between 1992 and 2010 were examined. The sampling results have been aggregated into four time periods (prior to 1996, 1996-2000, 2001-2005, 2006-2010) and the time trend of sampling results was analyzed in comparison with the standard reported by ISPESL for OR at-rest (< or = 35 CFU/mc). The same analysis was repeated after stratification by risk level of the OR (high risk (AR) and low risk (BR)). To verify the significance level of the temporal variations in the distribution of results x2 test for trend was performed. There was a significant downward trend in the number of OR with contamination levels higher of the standard (x2 for trend = 8...
Annali di igiene : medicina preventiva e di comunita, 2002
The results of six economic evaluations on heptavalent conjugate pneumococcal vaccination in chil... more The results of six economic evaluations on heptavalent conjugate pneumococcal vaccination in children are discussed. Although the data of most studies come from estimates, the last study from US, in which data are based on a large randomized trial, shows encouraging results. Similar results are obtained in an economic evaluation performed in Germany, although the study is based on estimated data. The paper concludes stressing the need to improve epidemiological, clinical and economical knowledge on the pneumococcal diseases, in order to identify the best cost-effectiveness strategy to prevent a diseases so important for children and the elderly.
Annali di igiene : medicina preventiva e di comunita, 2020
The paper focuses on the social, economic and environmental trends of recent years in Italy, high... more The paper focuses on the social, economic and environmental trends of recent years in Italy, highlighting the issue of housing emergency, both in quantitative and qualitative terms. What emerges are several shortages in housing especially in the suburbs of large cities, emphasizing the relevance of this issue in terms of health consequences and its priority for the definition of local policies. The authors underline that the availability of accessible and healthy housing is a human right, and a multisectoral responsibility, achievable only if a contribution is made by all relevant sectors including housing, environmental, social welfare, urban planning, building management and public health. The authors conclude by stressing the strategic role of training and illustrating a proposal addressed to all stakeholders, aiming to provide health evidences in terms of impact of housing hazards on health and to describe good building practices, helpful in order to obtain safe and healthy homes.
Living environment, and especially dwellings, affect directly and indirectly health in several wa... more Living environment, and especially dwellings, affect directly and indirectly health in several ways end represent one of the key social determinants of health. The relationship between health and housing has long been recognized and, in the last decades, researchers developed several conceptual models to put in relation the numerous housing factors able to impact on inhabitants' health. For some authors, factors linked to housing and neighborhood conditions that influence health, can be grouped into four broad categories: first considers the health impacts of not having a stable home (residential instability); second, the financial burdens resulting from high-cost housing (affordability); third, the health impacts of conditions inside the home (the housing' safety and quality); lastly, the health impacts of neighborhoods, including both the environmental and social characteristics of where people live (neighborhood). It is evident that the theme of "housing and health&q...
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Papers by daniela d'alessandro