The global SARS-CoV-2 outbreak and subsequent lockdown had a significant impact on people’s daily lives, with strong implications for stress levels due to the threat of contagion and restrictions to freedom. Given the link between high stress levels and adverse physical and mental consequences, the COVID-19 pandemic is certainly a global public health issue. In the present study, we assessed the effect of the pandemic on stress levels in N = 2053 Italian adults, and characterized more vulnerable individuals on the basis of sociodemographic features and stable psychological traits. A set of 18 psycho-social variables, generalized regressions, and predictive machine learning approaches were leveraged. We identified higher levels of perceived stress in the study sample relative to Italian normative values. Higher levels of distress were found in women, participants with lower income, and participants living with others. Higher rates of emotional stability and self-control, as well as a positive coping style and internal locus of control, emerged as protective factors. Predictive learning models identified participants with high perceived stress, with a sensitivity greater than 76%. The results suggest a characterization of people who are more vulnerable to experiencing high levels of stress during the COVID-19 pandemic. This characterization may contribute to early and targeted intervention strategies.

The unexpected COVID-19 outbreak and subsequent lockdown impositions are having a significant impact on people’s day-to-day life, confronting Western countries with hitherto unknown contagion threats and restrictions on freedoms. Given the serious effects of stress on physical and mental health, the stressful impact of the COVID-19 emergency represents an important public health issue. The present study assessed the stressful impact of the COVID-19 epidemic in Italy, identifying possible mediators of perceived stress (sociodemographic variables and stable psychological traits). High levels of perceived stress were found in the Italian population. Being female, having low income and living with other people were associated with higher levels of stress. Higher rates of emotional stability, self-control, positive coping style and internal locus of control were protective factors against psychological distress. These results may provide indications for early and targeted prevention and intervention programs.

The COVID-19 pandemic is causing a heavy burden in hospital healthcare workers (HCW) in terms of increased work, organizational changes, risk exposure, and social stigma. The present study aims at evaluating the psychological outcome among HCWs at the final stages of the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. This cross-sectional and survey-based study was conducted during June 2020 among 996 HCWs of the University Hospital of Padova. All the subjects completed questionnaires investigating the perception of risk of infecting or being infected by COVID-19, psychopathological variables, and coping abilities. Compared to physicians and healthcare assistants, nurses showed higher levels of depression (p = 0.002), insomnia (p < 0.001), and generalized anxiety (p = 0.001). Females reported increased concerns about the possibility of infecting others (p = 0.046), greater anxiety (p < 0.001), COVID-19 related fears (p < 0.001), depression (p < 0.001), and post-traumatic distress (p < 0.001) than males. Being employed in a COVID-19 unit, being transferred to other units, and living with children and the elderly were factors associated with higher levels of psychological distress. Greater coping abilities were detected in physicians, and in those HCWs employed in COVID units. Our findings evidenced that the psychological consequences of the pandemic were non-homogeneously distributed across HCWs categories and pointed out the presence of specific in-hospital and out-of-hospital risk factors.

Introduction: Young adult males are more likely to demonstrate health-risk behaviors than other individuals. The use of specific data about health-risk behaviors within this population might be important to promote effective preventive psychosocial and educational programs and interventions. Aim: To provide a detailed description of health-related lifestyles, substance-related behaviors, and sexual habits that can negatively affect fertility, sexual sphere, and health in a large sample of Italian young adult males. Methods: A sample comprising 2,170 males aged 18e21 years, attending the last year of high school, was administered an online questionnaire made up of 39 multiple-choice questions. The questionnaire explored healthrelated lifestyles, substance-related behaviors, and sexuality and sexual habits. Descriptive analyses were conducted. Main outcome measure: The outcome measures included data about health-related lifestyles, substance-related behaviors, and sexuality and sexual habits reported by Italian young adult males. Results: Health-related lifestyles: 92.9% of the sample reported practicing some physical activity during the week. 90.3% declared a Mediterranean diet and 8.1% a hyperproteic diet. Substance-related behaviors: 33.8% of the sample reported having smoked tobacco at least once in their lives; among them, 71% reported current daily smoking. 40.2% declared drinking alcohol from 5 to 7 days in a week. 32.9% of the sample reported currently using a substance. Sexuality and sexual habits: 97.1% of the sample self-defined themselves as heterosexual. 73.3% of participants rated their knowledge about sexuality as "excellent/good," 58.7% about sexually transmitted infections. Only 4.8% reported having had a seminal liquid examination. Half of the sample (52.2%) declared having had sexual intercourses, in the largest proportion protected sex. 14.7% of the sample reported having at least one sexual dysfunction. 88.6% of participants reported having used pornography, 18.7% every day. Conclusion: The present study highlighted the need to empower the number and efficacy of preventive interventions to promote health-related behaviors among Italian young male population.

Existing studies in the literature indicate an association between the use of dating apps and substance-related behaviours (i.e., alcohol consumption, drug consumption). However, to date, no studies investigated the relation between dating app use and smoking. This study aims to explore this association. A total of 1278 respondents completed an online ad hoc questionnaire assessing demographics, smoking habits, dating app use, motivations for using dating apps. Multiple logistic regression analyses were run to investigate the relation between demographics and dating apps use on tobacco consumption. Being active user was significantly associated with being smoker, light daily and moderate-to-heavy smoker. Among users, using apps with the motive of searching for friends accounted for lower odds of smoking, light daily smoking and moderate-to-heavy smoking. However, heavy dating app users were less likely to smoke, to be light daily smokers and to be moderate-to-heavy smokers. The study indicates an association between using the apps and smoking, suggesting that motives for using the apps and intensity of use may moderate this association.

The role of ageism (i.e., discrimination against individuals or groups on the basis of their age), in particular toward the sexuality of the elderly, remains, to date, an overlooked issue. A few studies have suggested that ageistic stereotypes can negatively affect older adults’ sexual health. No data are available, in particular, about differences among heterosexual and LGB (lesbian, gay, and bisexual) populations. The present study aimed to investigate differences in perceived ageism and related dysfunctional beliefs in a sample of heterosexual (n = 104) and LGB (n = 103) older adults (aged 55 or older; mean age 66.5) and their impact on sexual health and satisfaction. LGB individuals reported higher rates of masturbation and sexual intercourse and an increased quality of sexual activity as compared to heterosexuals. In addition, no differences between the groups emerged as regards perceived ageism and dysfunctional beliefs toward ageing. In conclusion, LGB individuals perceived more ageism toward sexuality than their counterparts; however, heterosexuals were more likely to have dysfunctional beliefs toward sexuality in ageing. The study findings highlight the significance of examining sexual orientation to understand experiences of sexuality in ageing of the growing older population. Renewed socio-educational efforts based on these data are clearly needed.

Introduction: Literature on the association between dating app use and sexual risk behaviors is still scant and inconclusive. Aim: To investigate the association between dating app use and sexual risk behaviors, considering the role of motives for using them. Methods: 1,278 Italian respondents completed an online questionnaire assessing demographics, motives and patterns of dating app use, sexual behaviors and sexually transmitted infections (STIs) diagnoses. One-way ANOVA and Chi-squared analyses were used to investigate differences among the three subsamples (active vs former vs non-users). Multiple linear and logistic regression analyses were run to investigate the role of demographics, motives and patterns of dating app use on sexual risk taking and sexual health. Main outcome measures: Number of protected and unprotected full sexual partners in the last year; frequency of hook-ups in the last year; STIs lifetime. Results: Active users, even more than former app users, were more likely to report risky behaviors and STI diagnoses than non-users (x 2 = 26.37, P < .001). Installing the apps to find friends or romantic partners was associated with less protected (find friends B = À0.364, P = .015; find romantic partners B = À0.300, P = .006) and unprotected (find friends B = À0.346, P = .016; find romantic partners B = À0.360, P < .001) sexual intercourses. Installing the apps to find sexual partners predicted higher odds of unprotected sexual activity (B = 0.193, P = .048), hook-ups (B = 0.496, P < .001) and STIs diagnoses (OR = 2.835, P = .025). Accessing apps more frequently and more years of usage was associated with reporting risky sexual behaviors and STI diagnoses among active users (app access frequency OR = 1.461, P = .003; usage years OR = 1.089, P = .013). Conclusion:Installing the apps to search for sexual partners, using them at length since first installation and accessing them frequently are significant factors in influencing the association between dating app use and sexual risk behaviors.

To date, the relationship between alcohol use and dating app use has been investigated mostly in conjunction with sexual activities and in homosexual men. For this reason, the aim of this study was to explore the association between dating app use and alcohol consumption among the general population. A cross-sectional study was conducted including app users, non-users, and former users: 1278 respondents completed an online ad hoc questionnaire assessing dating app use, motivations for installing dating apps, alcohol use, and demographics. Multiple logistic regression analysis was run to investigate the association between dating app use, demographic features, and alcohol consumption. Whereas educational level, age, and gender significantly contributed to the regular consumption of alcohol, dating app use did not account for a significant amount of variance between regular and not regular drinkers. However, people who installed and used dating apps with the motivation of searching for sexual partners were more likely to be regular drinkers. Among the active users, heavy app users were less likely to drink regularly. The study indicates that underlying factors (sexual aspects, motives for using the apps) and the intensity of using the apps may mediate the relationship between dating app use and alcohol use.