Search

Objective: Aim of the paper is to examine the characteristics and the trend of mortality in immigrants in Tuscany in the last decade, and to compare it with that observed in Italians resident in the same region., Design: it is a descriptive study using the data 1997- 2008 of the Regional Mortality Registry of Tuscany., Setting and Participants: Immigrants have been defined those who are resident in Tuscany with non Italian citizenship.They have been classified in immigrants from countries at high migration rates (PFPM) and immigrants from developed countries (PSA)., Main Outcome Measures: Proportional mortality for the period 1997-2008 and trends of standardized (standard: European population) mortality truncated rates (20-64 years) per 100 000 in the period 2002-2008 by citizenship (PFPM, PSA and Italians), gender, age-class and causes of death., Results: In the period 1997-2008, in Tuscany, 4 755 deaths have been registered in immigrants: 3 055 residents (1 782 from PFPM and 1 273 from PSA) and 1 700 not residents. Trends for all and the main causes of death show an increasing gap in mortality between immigrants from PFPM and Italians, with higher rates for Italians.On the contrary infant mortality is higher in children from PFPM and the gap is increasing in the last years. Also the mortality for accidents (1° and 3° cause of death respectively in male and female PFPM) and the mortality for infectious diseases are higher in PFPM immigrants., Conclusion: Mortality study on immigrants in Tuscany highlighted specific health problems of this population deriving from living conditions in the home country as well in the host country. It will be necessary to continue to monitor the mortality trend and characteristics of this population because it represents a good indirect tool to evaluate his socioeconomic integration (considering also his use of our health system), and because this population is still expected to raise in the next decades.

Aims and Background: For the first time in 2006, cancer became the main cause of death in men in Italy, exceeding cardiovascular disease. The aim of the study was to verify whether the overtaking of cancer male mortality occurred also in Tuscany or in some of its 12 subregional areas and whether there was a geographical trend., Methods: Age-standardized mortality rates from the Tuscan Regional Mortality Registry, 1987-2008, were calculated for neoplasms, cardiovascular diseases, and respiratory diseases, considering the whole region and its 12 areas. Joinpoint analyses were carried out to study temporal trend., Results: Up to 2008, the number of male deaths for neoplasms (6786) in Tuscany did not exceed deaths from cardiovascular disease (7065). Instead, overtaking occurred in some subregional areas from 2004 onwards. When we compared age-standardized mortality rates, cancer became the first cause of death in Tuscany from 2004 onwards (age-standardized mortality rates for cancer 236.5 per 100,000; for cardiovascular disease 227.8 per 100,000). Age-standardized mortality rates for cardiovascular disease recorded an annual 2.4% decrease until 1998, then a 3.5% decrease. Age-standardized mortality rates for all cancers recorded an annual 1.6% decrease in the whole period., Conclusions: Our study confirmed a geographical trend in cancer overtaking as the main cause of death in males: from the more urbanized areas in northern Tuscany, where the phenomenon occurred earlier, to the southern part.

The authors briefly reviewed the literature concerning the risk factors for primary pleural tumors in humans. The results from the most relevant studies emphasize the fact that the large majority of mesotheliomas are associated with exposure to asbestos or asbestiform fibers. Exposure to asbestos is mainly through industrial use, and mesotheliomas result from occupational, para-occupational, or environmental exposure. Fibers of crocidolite, amosite, and chrysotile appear to be, in descending order, more carcinogenic for pleural tissues. The authors summarize the available data on consumption of asbestos and asbestos-based products in Italy. The chrysotile-asbestos mine in Balangero (Piedmont) stimulated the industrial production of asbestos-cement; asbestos has been largely sprayed among shipyards and user for insulating railroad coaches and carriages. Italy had the greatest consumption of crocidolite in Europe, which was not banned until 1986. The authors discuss the major findings derived from descriptive epidemiological data presented in previous papers dealing with this issue. In addition, standardized mortality rates of primary pleural tumors for European countries are shown. A clearly increasing trend for mortality is observed in Italy, which has also the provinces with the highest mortality rates in Europe. Among Italian provinces, the mortality rates are consistent with the number of asbestosis cases receiving workman's compensation. The authors present the results of both cohort and case-control analytical studies performed in Italy, and provide suggestions for further research.