An interdisciplinary analysis of obesity: theory and empirical evidence

The dissertation is structured in three parts. The first part compares US and EU agricultural policies since the end of WWII. There is not enough evidence for claiming that agricultural support has a negative impact on obesity trends. I discuss the possibility of an exchange in best practices to fight obesity. There are relevant economic, societal and legal differences between the US and the EU. However, partnerships against obesity are welcomed. The second part presents a socio-ecological model of the determinants of obesity. I employ an interdisciplinary model because it captures the simultaneous influence of several variables. Obesity is an interaction of pre-birth, primary and secondary socialization factors. To test the significance of each factor, I use data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Adolescent Health. I compare the average body mass index across different populations. Differences in means are statistically significant. In the last part I use the National Survey of Children Health. I analyze the effect that family characteristics, built environment, cultural norms and individual factors have on the body mass index (BMI). I use Ordered Probit models and I calculate the marginal effects. I use State and ethnicity fixed effects to control for unobserved heterogeneity. I find that southern US States tend have on average a higher probability of being obese. On the ethnicity side, White Americans have a lower BMI respect to Black Americans, Hispanics and American Indians Native Islanders; being Asian is associated with a lower probability of being obese. In neighborhoods where trust level and safety perception are higher, children are less overweight and obese. Similar results are shown for higher level of parental income and education. Breastfeeding has a negative impact. Higher values of measures of behavioral disorders have a positive and significant impact on obesity, as predicted by the theory.

Oltre Oceano: Altri orizzonti del possibile. Epistemiologie di Abya Yala e progettualità esistenziale “Lekil Kuxlejal,Sumak Kawsay, Kajkrasa Ruyina”. Filosofie della Terra per una Pedagogia del Buen Vivir

Questo elaborato propone alcune riflessioni sulla necessità urgente di un nuovo paradigma educativo, mediante la re-organizzazione delle scienze della conoscenza, scienze in parole di Morin, “disgiunte e frazionate, inadeguate ad affrontare problemi che richiedono oggi approcci multidisciplinari”. La sfida: affrontare i nuovi problemi di una convivenza planetaria, attraverso le connessioni del pensiero ecologico, in questo studio asse centrale delle cosmovisioni e della Sapienza ancestrale dei Popoli di AbyaYala (America Latina). Popoli in cui la Vita come orizzonte di Armonia ed Equilibrio si concretizza in pratiche di Vita Quotidiana grazie ad una Pedagogia del BuenVivir, inclusiva e partecipativa, rispettosa della diversità biologica e delle differenze culturali, nonché della Sacralità della Terra e della Vita in tutte le sue manifestazioni. La cornice teorica considerata fa riferimento in modo particolare a: L’Ecologia della Mente (Bateson); Il problematicismo Pedagogico e l’Educazione alla Progettualità Esistenziale (G.M.Bertin, Contini); l’Ecologia dei Saperi e le Epistemologie del Sud (Boaventura di Sousa Santos, sociologo portoghese), in modo da tessere ponti di dialogo fra le diverse discipline, in particolare fra la pedagogia, la geografia, l’antropologia, la filosofia, la sociologia, la letteratura, il diritto e anche con le neuroscienze.

Prevention, diagnosis, therapy and follow-up care of sepsis: 1st revision of S-2k guidelines of the German Sepsis Society (Deutsche Sepsis-Gesellschaft e.V. (DSG)) and the German Interdisciplinary Association of Intensive Care and Emergency Medicine (Deutsche Interdisziplinäre Vereinigung für Intensiv- und Notfallmedizin (DIVI))

Practice guidelines are systematically developed statements and recommendations that assist the physicians and patients in making decisions about appropriate health care measures for specific clinical circumstances taking into account specific national health care structures. The 1(st) revision of the S-2k guideline of the German Sepsis Society in collaboration with 17 German medical scientific societies and one self-help group provides state-of-the-art information (results of controlled clinical trials and expert knowledge) on the effective and appropriate medical care (prevention, diagnosis, therapy and follow-up care) of critically ill patients with severe sepsis or septic shock. The guideline had been developed according to the "German Instrument for Methodological Guideline Appraisal" of the Association of the Scientific Medical Societies (AWMF). In view of the inevitable advancements in scientific knowledge and technical expertise, revisions, updates and amendments must be periodically initiated. The guideline recommendations may not be applied under all circumstances. It rests with the clinician to decide whether a certain recommendation should be adopted or not, taking into consideration the unique set of clinical facts presented in connection with each individual patient as well as the available resources.

[Pathogenesis of functional gastrointestinal disorders - an interdisciplinary perspective]

Functional gastrointestinal disorders (FGD) are highly prevalent worldwide. Recent research demonstrates that complex and interacting biological and behavioral mechanisms contribute particularly to the pathogenesis of irritable bowel syndrome and functional dyspepsia. Dysregulation of the enteral, neuroenteric, visceral-autonomic, and central nervous systems are important biological contributors, whereas the psychological state of a patient may evidently modulate aspects related to biological stress reactivity and somatic perception both playing a role in the clinical manifestation of FGD. Our overview clearly shows that an interdisciplinary perspective of the pathogenesis of FGD may best serve clinicians and patients.

Interdisciplinary rehabilitation after whiplash injury: an observational prospective outcome study

To examine the state of, and change in, biopsycho-social health and quality of life of patients after whiplash injury, before and after an inpatient interdisciplinary pain management programme.