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At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2000

Dietary habits and nutritional status in adolescents over Europe--Southern Europe.

A literature review of the data on dietary habits, food consumption and nutritional status of adolescents of Southern European countries was performed. Snacking seems to be less frequent and the frequency of eating out in fast food restaurants is much lower than in the USA and in some Nordic Countries. A nutrient pattern rich in total fat (around 40% of the energy intake), in saturated fatty acids (around 13% of the energy intake) and mainly in monounsaturated fatty acids (17-19% of the energy intake), due to a high consumption of olive oil, is often observed in Spanish and Greek adolescents. In Portugal, the percentage of the energy provided by fat is relatively low (31-33% of the energy intake) and in Italy the situation is intermediate regarding total fat, but the intake of olive oil is also high. This means that two important characteristics of the Mediterranean diet, a low consumption of saturated fatty acids and a high intake of carbohydrates have been lost. Regarding micronutrients, there seems to exist a risk of deficiency, particularly for calcium, iron and zinc. The prevalence of overweight/obesity is high, around 15-25%, being higher than in the Nordic countries but lower than in the USA. There is no clear indication of trends, due to the different methods and criteria used to define obesity. The serum cholesterol levels of adolescents has increased during the last two decades in Spain, Greece and Italy, and nowadays are similar to those in the USA, but still lower than in the Nordic countries. In Portuguese adolescents, the cholesterol levels seem to be lower, but the situation is not well known.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1999

Importance of ticks and tick-borne diseases of domestic ruminants in Southern Europe.

In Southern Europe, as elsewhere, the importance of ticks and tick-borne diseases (TBD) depends on the species of tick vectors present and also varies to a great extent according to the genetic susceptibility of the livestock involved, as well as other factors such as management and vegetation. There are large gaps in our knowledge of the tick species in the various countries, and of the prevalence and economic importance of the diseases they transmit. There is a great need for tick surveys as well as surveys of tick-borne infections. It is essential to distinguish between infection and disease. A list is given of TBD and their vectors known or to be expected to occur in domestic ruminants in Southern Europe. It is hoped that the exchange of knowledge during this workshop will indicate the importance of these parasites in the various countries involved.

Animals↗
PubMed1997

Fertility and contraception in Europe: the case of low fertility in southern Europe.

Demographic trends in Europe can be summarized in terms of a declining proportion of its population in the world total, low fertility, and a slow population growth. Fertility in Western Europe was already below the replacement level in 1970-75 and has remained low. Fertility has substantially declined in Eastern and Southern Europe, with Italy and Spain recording one of the lowest levels (1.2 children per woman) in 1994. Some explanations of the dramatic fertility decline in Southern Europe are: (1) The emancipation of women and their increased participation in the labor force; (2) Economic aspects such as costs for child care and education; and (3) The couple's motivation for low fertility because of the expanded choices for travel and leisure and their concerns for improving their standard of living. Social pressures on childbearing outside marriage remain quite strong; cohabitation and extramarital births is Southern Europe are not as prevalent as in other European regions and there is a trend toward delaying the birth of the first child rather than foregoing childbearing.

Adult↗
PubMed2005

Mortality and socioeconomic deprivation in census tracts of an urban setting in southern Europe.

In southern European cities, research on deprivation and mortality inequalities using small-area analysis is recent. In many countries, the census tract (CT) is the smallest territorial unit for which population data are available. The aim of this study was to examine the association between mortality from all causes and socioeconomic deprivation in CTs in Barcelona (Spain). A cross-sectional ecologic study was carried out using mortality data for 1987-1995 and 1991 census variables. Mortality data were obtained from death certificates. Socioeconomic deprivation indicators were drawn from the census and included unemployment, inadequate education, and low social class. They were correlated, and a deprivation index was elaborated with them. The analysis was descriptive, and multivariate Poisson regression models were adjusted. The most deprived CTs tend to present higher mortality (49.7% of CT in the quartile associated with greatest deprivation were included in the top male mortality quartile and 40.4% in the top female mortality quartile), whereas the less deprived ones present lower mortality. For male mortality, the risk of dying among those in the quartile representing most deprivation is from 25 to 29% higher (depending on the indicator chosen) than the least deprived quartile, and for women, it is from 12 to 14% higher. We concluded that the mortality from all causes in the CT of a southern European city has shown a clear positive association with a variety of socioeconomic deprivation indicators drawn from the census. Studies of this nature may help to orient more specific studies in which CTs are grouped together as a function of particular population and/or health characteristics.

Bias↗
PubMed1986

[The new migratory deal in Southern Europe].

The author examines migration patterns in Southern Europe during the 1970s and early 1980s, noting particularly the reduction in migration northward from this region. It is noted that "departure potential remains sizable in certain areas of Portugal, Spain, Southern Italy, and most particularly, of Turkey and Yugoslavia. Transoceanic migrations have by no means ceased, as new flows of skilled labor have, since 1974, gone towards Arab states endowed with petrol (oil) revenues. And yet, the paramount fact is most surely the emergence and the proliferation in Greece, Spain, and (especially) in Italy, of basically clandestine (illegal) immigration. This movement is due to the convergence of several factors: economic and demographic disparities between northern and southern shores of the Mediterranean Sea, the sealing-off of borders in Northwestern Europe and the 'carry-over' effect upon nations of 'transit', the extent of the flow of refugees, and--most particularly--the appeal provided by the development, in these new employer countries, of an underground economy accompanied by the extension into industry of the practice of 'undeclared' work. And notwithstanding the series of rules lastly drawn up in Spain and in Greece, such forms of clandestine (unauthorized) migration appear highly likely--to say the least--to persist." (SUMMARY IN ENG AND SPA)

Africa↗
PubMed1997

Why has alcohol consumption declined in countries of southern Europe?

Alcohol consumption seems to be decreasing in the traditional wine countries of southern Europe. This paper describes the evolution of alcohol consumption over the last 30 years in France, Greece, Italy, Portugal and Spain. For this purpose, data on alcohol production and per capita alcohol consumption in southern Europe are examined, and their reliability discussed. To analyse alcohol-related mortality, liver cirrhosis death rates are also reviewed. Since 1980 overall alcohol production has increased by 10%, while wine production has decreased by 13%. The consumption of pure alcohol equivalent per capita has continually decreased, from a peak of 14 litres per year in 1974 to 10.4 litres in 1992. The reduction is dramatic for wine (42.3%) and slight for spirits (4.7%), while beer consumption has grown by 36.6%. These data seem to confirm a European trend towards the homogenization of drinking patterns. Marketing factors, public health policies, the evolution of prices and taxation, European Union agricultural policies, a growing awareness of public opinion about the toxicity of alcohol and competition from non-alcoholic drinks are all factors that may partially explain these observed changes.

Alcohol Drinking↗
PubMed1991

Diet patterns and health problems: diet in southern Europe.

The diet of the populations in southern Europe, particularly those living in the Mediterranean areas, was characterized by a relatively higher consumption of fish, olive oil, vegetables and fruit and by a lower consumption of meat and animal fat. In terms of nutrients the most significant difference between the Mediterranean type of diet and the diet of continental and northern European populations was in the consumption of saturated and monounsaturated fatty acids and to a lesser degree in the intake of protein, sugar and alcohol, as well as in regard to the dietary fiber content. Since the Mediterranean populations have shown a lower total mortality rate as well as a specific mortality from coronary heart disease (CHD) which in part could be explained by their dietary habits, the Mediterranean diet has often been proposed as a prototype on which dietary measures for the prevention of CHD in populations should be developed. However, more recent data indicate that in the last 20 years the food pattern of the Mediterranean populations was subjected to substantial changes, particularly in regard to the increase in meat and dairy product consumption which in turn has resulted in an increase in the percentage of energy of saturated fats and which has also affected the ratio of monounsaturated to saturated fatty acids. These changes have also affected some of the risk factors of CHD in those populations.

Diet↗
PubMed2003

Molecular studies on Babesia, Theileria and Hepatozoon in southern Europe. Part I. Epizootiological aspects.

Molecular epizootiology of piroplasmids (Babesia spp., Theileria spp.) and Hepatozoon canis was studied in mammals from southern Europe (mainly from Spain, but also from Portugal and France). Partial amplification and sequencing of the 18s rRNA gene was used for molecular diagnosis. In some particular cases (B. ovis and B. bovis) the complete 18s rRNA gene was sequenced. Blood samples were taken from domestic animals showing clinical symptoms: 10 dogs, 10 horses, 10 cows, 9 sheep and 1 goat. In addition, DNA samples were isolated from blood of 12 healthy dogs and from spleen of 10 wild red foxes (Vulpes vulpes). The results of the survey were the following: Piroplasmid infections: Approximately from 50 to 70% of wild or domestic mammals (symptomatic) were infected. Piroplasmids detected in ruminants were:COW: B. bovis, T. annulata and Theileria sp. (type C). Sheep and goat: B. ovis. Piroplasmids present in canids were: Babesia canis vogeli, Babesia canis canis, Theileria annae and B. equi. The only piroplasmid found in asymptomatic dogs was B. equi. Piroplasmids found in horse were: B. equi and B. canis canis.H. canis infections in canids: H. canis was absent of domestic dog samples, whereas all foxes studied were infected by this protozoa. Genetic analysis showed that most of piroplasmid and Hepatozoon isolates from southern Europe matched unambigously with previously described species, as demonstrated by the high level sequence identity between them, usually between 99 and 100%. Minor differences, usually detected in hypervariable regions of 18s rRNA gene are probably due to strain variations or rare genetic polymorphisms. A possible exception was B. bovis, which shows a relatively lower degree of homology (94%) with regard to other B. bovis isolates from several countries. The same is true for B. ovis, that showed a 94% identity with regard to Babesia sp. from South African cow and a 92% with rapport to B. bovis from Portugal.

Animal Diseases↗
PubMed1994

The variable incidence of hip fracture in southern Europe: the MEDOS Study.

We assessed the incidence of hip fracture and ecological correlates in residents of 14 communities in six countries of Southern Europe. Hip fracture cases were recorded prospectively in defined catchment areas over a 1-year interval. A retrospective questionnaire was used to assess ecological differences between communities. During a 1-year period of observation a total of 3629 men and women over the age of 50 years were identified with hip fracture from a catchment of 3 million. In all communities the fracture rate increased exponentially with age. There were large and significant differences between centres in the doubling time for hip fracture risk with age and in crude and age-standardized rates. Greater than 4-fold and 13-fold differences in age-standardized risk were found amongst men and women respectively. The lowest rates were observed from Turkey and the highest from Seville, Crete and Porto. Fractures were significantly more frequent among women than men with the exception of three rural Turkish centres. Indeed, in rural Turkey the normal female/male ratio was reserved. Variations in incidence between regions were greater than the differences within centres between sexes, and there was a close and significant correlation between incidence rates for men and those for women in the regions studied. Excess female morbidity increased progressively from the age of 50 years but attained a plateau after the age of 80 years, suggesting a finite duration of the effect of the menopause. The retrospective questionnaire completed by 80% of cases suggested that differences in incidence between the communities studied could not be explained by differences in gonadal status in women. In both men and women cross-cultural associations were found with factors related to age or socioeconomic prosperity, the majority of which disappeared after adjustment for age. We conclude that there are marked and sizeable differences in the incidence rates of hip fracture throughout Southern Europe. The reasons for these differences are not known but affect both men and women, and are likely to be related to lifestyle or genetic factors rather than to differences in endocrine status.

Age Factors↗
PubMed2006

AFLP characterization of Southern Europe population of Aspergillus Section Nigri from grapes.

Members of Aspergillus belonging to Section Nigri are distributed worldwide and are mainly responsible for the ochratoxin A accumulation in grapes and wine, particularly in Southern Europe. Limited information is available on the species composition and genetic variability of black Aspergilli strains occurring on grapes. We analyzed 283 representative strains from the main wine producing European countries collected in 2001-2002 (Italy, France, Spain, Portugal, Greece and Israel) using amplified fragment length polymorphisms (AFLP) technique. Four main groups were obtained by AFLP clustering analysis of these strains and three of them showed a well defined homogeneous population/species with intraspecific homology higher than 48%: Aspergillus carbonarius (105 strains), Aspergillus tubingensis (69 strains), and Aspergillus "uniseriate" (56 strains) with a similarity less than 20% to the Aspergillus japonicus type strain. The fourth cluster, that we called "A. niger like" (44 strains), showed low homology with A. niger type strain (35%) and high internal heterogeneity. Finally, nine strains could not be assigned readily to any of the type strain of the A. nigri Section. These findings indicate that the Aspergillus Section Nigri strains occurring on grapes in Southern Europe represent a complex of species, and some of these are peculiar to grapes.

Aspergillus niger↗
PubMed1991

Food patterns and health problems: health in southern Europe.

The health status description refers to 7 countries of southern Europe, i.e. Portugal, Spain, France, Italy, Malta, Yugoslavia and Greece, and is mainly derived from official mortality data. In general the health status of southern European countries, as related to the adult population, seems satisfactory and improving along the last 10-15 years in spite of the adverse trends of some diseases. As compared to central, northern and eastern European countries, the southern ones enjoy relatively low mortality and morbidity rates from coronary heart disease and cardiovascular diseases in general, from lung cancer, from large bowel cancer and all-causes mortality, whereas they suffer from strokes and liver cirrhosis at relatively high rates. An exception is made by Yugoslavia where trends in death rates from cardiovascular diseases and all-causes mortality are definitely increasing like it has happened in eastern Europe during the last 20 years. Data from official mortality records are supported by information on incidence, mortality and risk factor distribution derived from population studies like the Seven Countries Study, the Erica and the Monica Project.

Cardiovascular Diseases↗
PubMed2003

Relationship between body mass index, serum cholesterol, leisure-time physical activity, and diet in a Mediterranean Southern-Europe population.

The aim of the present study was to determine the relationship of BMI with other cardiovascular risk factors, leisure-time physical activity and diet. Participants were recruited in a cross-sectional population-based survey in a southern-Europe Mediterranean population (Spain); cardiovascular risk factors were measured, and leisure-time physical activity and diet intake were evaluated. Linear regression analysis adjusted for several confounders showed a significant, direct association of BMI and total cholesterol (P<0.005) and LDL-cholesterol (P<0.006), in men. HDL-cholesterol was inversely related to BMI in both sexes (P<0.0001). Higher BMI was more frequent in less-active men (P<0.04) but not in women. BMI increased significantly (P<0.0001) by 1.92 kg/m(2) with each 4.18 MJ consumed in men but not in women. Dietary intakes of carbohydrate (P<0.03), total fat (P<0.03) and saturated fatty acids (P<0.02) were directly associated with BMI in men but not in women, in whom protein intake was correlated (P<0.001) with BMI. Linear regression models including dietary components explained up to 10.6 and 21.1 % of BMI variability in men and women, respectively. Sex differences in the association of BMI with total cholesterol, and LDL-cholesterol, may account for the lower risk for CHD in women compared with men of similar BMI reported in the literature for the southern-Europe Mediterranean region. An increases of BMI may be more deleterious in populations in which it is accompanied by other risk factors such as a higher intake of total fat and, particularly, of saturated fatty acids, or lower leisure-time physical activity.

Adult↗
PubMed1993

Mutational spectrum of phenylalanine hydroxylase deficiency in Sicily: implications for diagnosis of hyperphenylalaninemia in southern Europe.

Hyperphenylalaninemia due to a deficiency of hepatic phenylalanine hydroxylase (PAH) is the most common inborn error of amino acid metabolism. Clinically, the disorder is highly heterogeneous, spanning from nonphenylketonuria hyperphenylalaninemia to classical phenylketonuria. Only little is known about the molecular defects underlying hyperphenylalaninemia in Southern Europe. In this study, we conducted a systematic analysis of 53 patients from the Sicilian population. Each patient included in the study had persistently elevated blood levels of phenylalanine and met the differential criteria for PAH deficiency. Genomic DNA was analysed by scanning all PAH-coding exons for mutations by PCR in combination with denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE). 52 patients were completely genotyped. A spectrum of 40 different mutations was established including 17 novel PAH mutations. Our results explain the clinical heterogeneity of hyperphenylalaninemia in Southern Europe, and form the basis for the establishment of phenotype-genotype correlations in Sicily and surrounding countries.

Alleles↗
PubMed2001

Basic sciences education in the dental curriculum in Southern Europe.

A survey was conducted to determine the current status of the basic sciences education in Southern European dental schools. Responses were collected from schools in Malta, Greece, Portugal, Italy, France and Spain. The results show that there is some uniformity across Southern Europe, even if there are some variations among dental schools both within one country and among the different countries. The links with Medicine seem to be strong. Most basic sciences dental educators have a medical degree and usually have their main appointment in a medical school. The only exception to this is found in France, where the faculty, who are mostly dentists, have their main appointment in a dental school. In half of the countries, courses are given jointly to both dental and medical students. There is, in general, poor coordination between the basic science subjects and other subjects in the dental curriculum. All the surveyed schools maintain traditional curricula and teaching methodologies. However, there is an increased movement towards self-directed learning, computer-assisted learning and improved coordination with clinical subjects.

Computer-Assisted Instruction↗
PubMed1998

Hepatitis B maternal-fetal transmission in Southern Europe.

Screening of pregnant women for hepatitis B surface antigen especially in countries with a high carrier rate as in Southern Europe is absolutely necessary for the control and elimination of the disease. In most Southern European countries screening of pregnant women is highly recommended. In Greece the carrier rate in pregnant women varies between 2.8 and 3.0%. However, only 63.1% of mothers at delivery had been screened before admission to the maternity hospital. To avoid legal problems arising from obligatory screening, educational campaigns, lectures, pamphlets and further measures to increase screening of pregnant women and administering hepatitis B immunoglobulin and vaccine should be taken.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Type B and D viral hepatitis: epidemiological changes in Southern Europe.

The incidence of hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis D virus (HDV) infection is in rapid decline in Southern Europe, due to the improvement in hygiene and economic conditions and the vaccination campaigns against hepatitis B. These changes have led to a shift from the classic form of chronic hepatitis B due to the wild-type virus, expressing hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg) to a liver disease due to a mutated virus which does not express the HBeAg (e-minus mutant). Very interestingly, HBV-DNA has been detected in the liver tissue and in the serum of some subjects who lack hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) in serum. This "occult" infection may be responsible for the residual cases of acute hepatitis B and might influence the course of chronic liver diseases of different aetiologies. A further consequence of the control of HBV infection is a spectacular decline in HDV circulation. At present only 8% of the HBsAg carriers in Italy have anti-HDV antibodies, vs 23% in 1987. Most of the patients with HDV infection are over 40 and present a mild liver disease or a slowly progressive cirrhosis. These epidemiological data support the concept that the epidemiological changes influence the clinical pattern of chronic hepatitis.

Endemic Diseases↗
PubMed2006

Mapping of Aspergillus Section Nigri in Southern Europe and Israel based on geostatistical analysis.

Geostatistical analysis was applied to the incidence of Aspergillus Section Nigri and A. carbonarius in Southern Europe and Israel for the 3-year period 2001-2003 to facilitate identification of regions of high risk from contamination with these fungi and production of ochratoxin. The highest incidence of black aspergilli was normally observed at harvesting. At this grape growth stage, spatial variability of black aspergilli was significantly related to latitude and longitude, showing a positive West-East and North-South gradient. Predictive maps of infected berries incidence were drawn and showed the same trend in the 3 years, but incidence was highest in 2003, followed by 2001 and 2002. The highest incidence was always observed in Israel, Greece and Southern France, associated with the highest incidence of A. carbonarius. Southern Spain and Southern Italy also had relevant incidence of black aspergilli. The thermo-wetness maps for the 3 years showed a trend similar to the incidence of black aspergilli. The coldest and wettest year was 2002, while 2003 was the hottest and driest, particularly during August, with Israel being the hottest and driest country, followed by Greece and Southern Italy. This indicates that meteorological conditions can contribute to explain spatial distribution variation of black aspergilli within the Mediterranean basin.

Aspergillus niger↗
PubMed1998

Air pollution, forest condition and forest decline in Southern Europe: an overview.

Over the last decades much of the work on the impact of air pollution on forests in Europe has concentrated on central and northern countries. The southern part of Europe has received far less attention, although air pollutants-especially the photochemical ones-can reach concentrations likely to have adverse effects on forest vegetation. Although international forest condition surveys present serious problems where data consistency is concerned, they reveal considerable year-by-year species-specific fluctuations rather than a large-scale forest decline. Cases of obvious decline related to environmental factors are well circumscribed: (1) the deterioration of some coastal forests due to the action of polluted seaspray; (2) the deterioration of reforestation projects, especially conifers, mainly due to the poor ecological compatibility between species and site; and (3) the decline of deciduous oaks in southern Italy and of evergreen oaks in the Iberian peninsula apparently due to the interaction of climate stresses and pests and diseases. However, besides obvious deterioration, changes in environmental factors can provoke situations of more subtle stress. The most sensitive stands are Mediterranean conifer forests and mesophile forests of the Mediterranean-montane plane growing at the edges of the natural ecological distribution. Evergreen sclerophyllous forests appear less sensitive to variations in climatic parameters, since they can adapt quite well to both drought and the action of UV-B rays. Several experiments were carried out to test the sensitivity of Mediterranean forest species to air pollutants. Most of those experiments used seedlings of different species treated with pollutant concentrations too high to be realistic, so it is difficult to derive adequate information on the response of adult trees in field conditions. Ozone has been proved to cause foliar injury in a variety of native forest species in different Southern European countries, while the effects of other pollutants (e.g. nitrogen, sulphur, acidic deposition) are less obvious and likely to be very localized. In the case of ozone, visible symptoms were almost completely missed by large-scale surveys and-at the same time-non-visible symptoms are suspected to be even more widespread than the visible ones. Owing to this and to the complex relationships existing between species sensitivity, ozone exposure and doses, length of the vegetative periods, influence of climatic and edaphic condition on the tree's response, the impacted areas are yet to be identified. Therefore, the large-scale impact of air pollutants on the forests of Southern Europe remains largely unknown, until more specific investigations are carried out.

Journal Article↗