Framing climate change: a planetary health perspective on the pediatric age

This thesis analyzes an analysis of the risk perception of Italian paediatricians and parents regarding the impact of climate change on pediatric health. The consequences of climate change are now before our eyes; the recent pandemic has highlighted the impact that the destruction of ecosystems and global warming can have on our health. Fragile subjects will pay the most for the consequences of this crisis: children, the elderly, pregnant women. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 88% of the disease burden linked to climate change falls on children under the age of 5. Climate change poses a challenge of equity not only between different areas of the world but also between generations: the worst consequences will weigh on those who have not caused damage to the ecosystem. This study began by studying the risk perceptions of the two main caregivers who deal with the child's health: parents and paediatricians. The study analyzed a mixed methods approach, exploiting quantitative and qualitative approaches. Two surveys were carried out in collaboration with the Italian Society of Pediatrics (SIP) and AGE, the Italian Parents' Association, using a tool already consolidated in the literature and adapted according to the needs of the thesis. Sixty semi-structured interviews were then conducted with pediatricians of different age groups and different regions of Italy. The collected data were then compared with the literature on the subject, in order to understand differences and similarities. This work is part of a still rather scarce, but growing, field of literature and represents the first study of this type in Italy.

Agrofood chain analysis: production, commercialisation and consumption of healthy food for population at risk of poverty in Italy

Italy registers a fast increase of low income population. Academics and policy makers consider income inequalities as a key determinant for low or inadequate healthy food consumption. Thus the objective is to understand how to overcome the agrofood chain barriers towards healthy food production, commercialisation and consumption for population at risk of poverty (ROP) in Italy. The study adopts a market oriented food chain approach, focusing the research ambit on ROP consumers, processing industries and retailers. The empirical investigation adopts a qualitative methodology with an explorative approach. The actors are investigated through 4 focus groups for consumers and carrying out 27 face to face semi-structured interviews for industries and retailers’ representatives. The results achieved provide the perceptions of each actor integrated into an overall chain approach. The analysis shows that all agrofood actors lack of an adequate level of knowledge towards healthy food definition. Food industries and retailers also show poor awareness about ROP consumers’ segment. In addition they perceive that the high costs for producing healthy food conflict with the low economic performances expected from ROP consumers’ segment. These aspects induce a scarce interest in investing on commercialisation strategies for healthy food for ROP consumers. Further ROP consumers show other notable barriers to adopt healthy diets caused, among others, by a personal strong negative attitude and lack of motivation. The personal barriers are also negatively influenced by several external socio-economic factors. The solutions to overcome the barriers shall rely on the improvement of the agrofood chain internal relations to identify successful strategies for increasing interest on low cost healthy food. In particular the focus should be on improved collaboration on innovation adoption and marketing strategies, considering ROP consumers’ preferences and needs. An external political intervention is instead necessary to fill the knowledge and regulations’ gaps on healthy food issues.