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Social determinants effects from the Italian risk factor surveillance system PASSI

  • Original Article
  • Published:
International Journal of Public Health

Abstract

Objectives

To offer examples on how risk factor surveillance systems can help in providing useful information on social determinants effects and health inequalities.

Methods

The Italian risk factor surveillance system (PASSI) collects monthly information from most of the Italian Local Health Units (over 85% of the Italian population is covered) on major health-related behaviours together with information on health practices, attitudes and opinions. Multivariate analysis of associations with possible indicators of social determinants collected by the system, offers important indications on the value that the system has in providing useful information on the effects of social determinants.

Results

Social determinants, although measured through very simple indicators, have major influence on health outcomes (in the example here, depression), geographical disparities in health (efficacy of smoking ban), and access to preventive services (pap test in our analysis).

Conclusions

Risk factor surveillance can offer valuable information for monitoring social determinants effects and inequalities, and, when considering data over time, for evaluating the gross impact of future interventions and policies aimed at reducing them.

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Acknowledgments

Authors acknowledge the work of the Regional and Local supervisors as well as all the interviewers. Without their precious effort no information would have been available. Authors acknowledge also the useful comments and suggestions of the anonymous referees. The CCM of the Italian Ministry of Health provided funding for this study (grant no. 4393/2004-Ccm). The PASSI Coordinating Group members are as follows: Paolo D’Argenio, Barbara De Mei, Gabriele Fontana, Alberto Perra, Valentina Possenti, Italian National Institute of Health, Rome, Italy; Nicoletta Bertozzi, Department of Public Health, Ausl Cesena, Italy; Angelo D’Argenzio, Department of Public Health Asl Caserta 2, Italy; Pirous Fateh-Moghadam, Provincial Agency for Health Services, Trento, Italy; Massimo Oddone Trinito, Department of Public Health Ausl Rome C, Italy; Stefania Vasselli, Ministry of Health, Rome, Italy; Eva Benelli, Stefano Menna, Zadig Scientific Communications, Rome, Italy.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Valentina Minardi.

Additional information

On behalf of the PASSI Coordinating Group. Members of the PASSI Coordinating Group are listed in Acknowledgments section.

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Minardi, V., Campostrini, S., Carrozzi, G. et al. Social determinants effects from the Italian risk factor surveillance system PASSI. Int J Public Health 56, 359–366 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00038-011-0241-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00038-011-0241-0

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