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BMC Public Health
Published in: BMC Public Health 1/2017

Open Access 01-12-2017 | Research article

Lifestyles and socio-cultural factors among children aged 6–8 years from five Italian towns: the MAPEC_LIFE study cohort

Authors: Francesco Bagordo, Antonella De Donno, Tiziana Grassi, Marcello Guido, Gabriele Devoti, Elisabetta Ceretti, Claudia Zani, Donatella Feretti, Milena Villarini, Massimo Moretti, Tania Salvatori, Annalaura Carducci, Marco Verani, Beatrice Casini, Sara Bonetta, Elisabetta Carraro, Tiziana Schilirò, Silvia Bonizzoni, Alberto Bonetti, Umberto Gelatti, MAPEC_LIFE study group

Published in: BMC Public Health | Issue 1/2017

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Abstract

Background

Lifestyles profoundly determine the quality of an individual’s health and life since his childhood. Many diseases in adulthood are avoidable if health-risk behaviors are identified and improved at an early stage of life. The aim of the present research was to characterize a cohort of children aged 6–8 years selected in order to perform an epidemiological molecular study (the MAPEC_LIFE study), investigate lifestyles of the children that could have effect on their health status, and assess possible association between lifestyles and socio-cultural factors.

Methods

A questionnaire composed of 148 questions was administered in two different seasons to parents of children attending 18 primary schools in five Italian cities (Torino, Brescia, Pisa, Perugia and Lecce) to obtain information regarding the criteria for exclusion from the study, demographic, anthropometric and health information on the children, as well as some aspects on their lifestyles and parental characteristics. The results were analyzed in order to assess the frequency of specific conditions among the different seasons and cities and the association between lifestyles and socio-economic factors.

Results

The final cohort was composed of 1,164 children (50.9 boys, 95.4% born in Italy). Frequency of some factors appeared different in terms of the survey season (physical activity in the open air, the ways of cooking certain foods) and among the various cities (parents’ level of education and rate of employment, sport, traffic near the home, type of heating, exposure to passive smoking, ways of cooking certain foods). Exposure to passive smoking and cooking fumes, obesity, residence in areas with heavy traffic, frequency of outdoor play and consumption of barbecued and fried foods were higher among children living in families with low educational and/or occupational level while children doing sports and consuming toasted bread were more frequent in families with high socio-economic level.

Conclusions

The socio-economic level seems to affect the lifestyles of children enrolled in the study including those that could cause health effects. Many factors are linked to the geographical area and may depend on environmental, cultural and social aspects of the city of residence.
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Metadata
Title
Lifestyles and socio-cultural factors among children aged 6–8 years from five Italian towns: the MAPEC_LIFE study cohort
Authors
Francesco Bagordo
Antonella De Donno
Tiziana Grassi
Marcello Guido
Gabriele Devoti
Elisabetta Ceretti
Claudia Zani
Donatella Feretti
Milena Villarini
Massimo Moretti
Tania Salvatori
Annalaura Carducci
Marco Verani
Beatrice Casini
Sara Bonetta
Elisabetta Carraro
Tiziana Schilirò
Silvia Bonizzoni
Alberto Bonetti
Umberto Gelatti
MAPEC_LIFE study group
Publication date
01-12-2017
Publisher
BioMed Central
Published in
BMC Public Health / Issue 1/2017
Electronic ISSN: 1471-2458
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-017-4142-x

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