A Case Study on Bevahiour and Lifestyles of an Urban Population

Abstract

P-220 Abstract: Health risks deriving from human exposure to environmental contamination represent today both a matter of policy and a scientific issue, because of the wide diversity in population exposure conditions and in individual susceptibility to environmental hazards as well as of the public opinion pressure. Environmental pollution requires today to develop policies of risk reduction and, at the same time, to increase the scientific knowledge to better managing exposure uncertainty factors. Studies aimed to explain behavioural factors influencing exposure can contribute to reduce uncertainty related to the different aspects of the problem and to identify risk reduction measures shared by public opinion. A large study was performed in a town of the north-east of Italy collecting data on individual behaviour and lifestyles with the aim to reconstruct daily activity patterns and dietary habits of the population. Two surveys were carried out on two representative population samples, randomly selected from the registry office. Questionnaires and individual one-week diaries, specifically planned for each survey, were designed with the aim to collect information and quantify behaviour variability for all different age and gender population groups. The study enrolled 1459 subjects for the daily activity patterns survey and 1409 subjects for the dietary habits survey. Beside, each survey collected data taking into account two different seasonal periods (spring-summer and fall-winter). The observed data for the first sample allowed to quantify time spent in daily activities (sleeping, working, studying, doing domestic work, walking, watching TV, playing, doing sport and hobbies, etc), in outdoor and indoor locations and on vehicles for daily travels. The dietary data, collected from the second sample, described the food consumption patterns as the frequency and place of meals, the daily food purchase, the daily food intake, including beverages and water consumptions. Results showed and quantified the human wide variability of behaviour, highlighting differences among age and gender population groups and identifying lifestyles which suggest a higher exposure both via inhalation and via ingestion. The knowledge of behaviour and habits of the citizens supported the local decision makers in identifying population needs and in pursuing shared measures aimed to modify lifestyles which may influence the magnitude of exposure.