Italy / Italian Republic
- Cross-Cultural Nursing Database

Language

Italian (German, French, and a few other languages depending on the region)
(in Japanese history)Ministry of Foreign Affairs HP Italy)

nation

The majority are Italians, a mixture of Latin, Celtic, Germanic, and ancient Greek peoples. Ethnic minorities include the Tyroleans of South Tyrol and the Albanians of the south.
In recent years, the country has become one of the leading immigrant-receiving countries in Europe, causing major social problems such as unemployment and racial discrimination.
(Wikipedia Italy)

religion

Christianity (Catholicism) is about 97% of the population. Other religions are Christianity (Protestant), Judaism, Islam, and Buddhism.
(in Japanese history)Ministry of Foreign Affairs HP Italy)

Food culture taboos, etc.

Coastal areas eat fish, but inland areas (especially in the north) eat very little
(Wikipedia Italy)

Other customs and culture

• Italian cuisine has a strong regional flavor and is a collection of dishes from different regions, with the northern regions using more butter than olive oil and the southern regions using more tomatoes.
• They also eat octopus, which is unusual for Europe.

(Wikipedia Italy)

Customs, habits, health, etc.

1. When entering a church, people are often denied entry if they are wearing short pants and shoulder-baring clothing.
2. The climate varies considerably from region to region due to its long and narrow geography from north to south, but in general, the climate is Mediterranean with hot and dry summers and cold and humid winters, with many rainy days from October to December.
3. The spring water in town is drinkable and seems to be safe once you get used to it, but the water quality is high in lime content (4 to 5 times higher than in Japan in terms of calcium carbonate).
4. Pharmaceuticals, even over-the-counter (OTC) drugs, some of which can only be purchased with a doctor's prescription.
5. Although the standard of medical care is acceptable, public hospitals tend to lack functionality and cleanliness compared to private hospitals, and many physicians do not understand English. Public hospitals (emergency wards) to which patients are generally transported by ambulance provide free treatment, but they are always crowded and patients often have to wait for hours after being transported.
   (Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan, Overseas Safety Web Site)

Customs related to pregnancy and childbirth

Breastfeeding is encouraged in many hospitals. Breastfeeding is not mandatory because it is a choice. In one hospital where newborns are left in the care of the hospital, breastfeeding is only done during the daytime, and mothers are free to come and go with their newborns during the daytime if the baby cries on demand. However, at night, the mothers do not breastfeed in order to allow them to rest. However, some hospitals have questioned this lack of nighttime breastfeeding, and these hospitals have adopted mother-infant sharing rooms and leave breastfeeding to the mother.
In Italy, childbirth is free. Even those who do not have a job and do not pay taxes can give birth for free. However, only the cost of tests and medicines are paid for by the mother.
(Care The World Overseas Childbirth & Child-Raising Information Net, World Childbirth)

Customs related to childcare

• In early spring, poplar fluff dances and more children suffer from allergic rhinitis and bronchitis.
• Father-centered family structure. It shows great position and dignity.
• Olive oil is used in baby food. Parmigiano, a cheese, is also used as a protein source in powdered form.
• There are few physical education classes at school, and sports are covered by lessons.

(Care The World Overseas Childbirth & Child-Raising Information Net, Worldwide Child-Raising)

Customs related to end-of-life and funerals

• Catholics invite a priest to receive the Sacrament of the Last Supper of Oil shortly before death, but this is becoming increasingly formal.
• Even in the case of death in the hospital, the yukan is performed at home, and the body taken to the mourning family is yukaned, the coffin is placed in a casket, and the wake is held.
• The morning after the wake, the casket is taken to the church, and after the funeral mass, the priest leads the procession, followed by the car with the wreath, the hearse, and the next of kin, in that order, to the cemetery.
• Burial is the majority and cremation rate is less than 1%.

(Funerals in the World: Shoto Hiromichi, Shincho-Sensho, 1991)

education

• 901 TP3T in basic education is provided by public schools, and the proportion is increasing.
• Since private educational institutions are mainly kindergartens or late secondary schools, compulsory education (5th grade and 3rd grade) is almost exclusively provided by public schools.
• As for higher education, only 13 of the 78 universities are private.
• Most of the universities are located in central and northern Italy.

("Public Health Systems of the World," 1999, Japan Public Health Association)

National Health and Medical

• Under the national health care system, major health care services are provided by the public system. On a medical care basis, the ratio of private to public health care has been gradually increasing, from 80:20 in 1984 to 73:27 in 1997.
• There are 228 local health and welfare units (USLs) with juridical personality and autonomy directly under the state.
• To ensure effective use of medical resources, USL became an independent administrative agency and became more efficient in a corporate-like manner.
• The national government will develop a national health plan and the state will develop a state health plan.
• In health insurance, the payment of health care costs is basically made within the framework of the national health care system, which as a whole is subject to the provisions of the government's budget law. Health insurance premiums paid by employers, employees, and self-employed persons go directly into the coffers of the state of residence, which are then adjusted among the states within the framework of the national health budget. The state government is directly responsible for managing the balance of health care costs.

("Public Health Systems of the World," 1999, Japan Public Health Association)

cause of death

Population vs. 100,000 (2002)

• Tuberculosis (0.7)
• Malignant neoplasms (274.4)
• Cardiovascular disease (415.0)
• Respiratory disease (62.9)
• Gastrointestinal disorders (43.2)
• Traffic accidents (12.8)
• Unforeseen accidents (24.4)
• Suicide (7.1)

(in Japanese history)World Health Statistics)

immunization

DTP1: 98
DTP3: 96
Hepatitis B: 96
Hib: 98
Measles: 90
Polio: 96
(2011) (WHO)

medical facilities

• As of 1995, there were 990 public hospitals, 656 private cooperative hospitals, and 68 psychiatric hospitals throughout Italy. In terms of size, public hospitals with less than 200 beds accounted for 591 TP3T of the total, while those with more than 601 beds accounted for 111 TP3T of the total.
• Average jurisdictional adult population per general internal medicine practitioner is 47637 and 6427 for pediatricians (1996)

("Public Health Systems of the World," 1999, Japan Public Health Association)

Medical Occupations

• Physicians 3.7 (vs. 1000)
• Nurse-midwives 7.2 (same)

(in Japanese history)World Health Statistics)

total fertility rate

1.4 (2010) (WHO)

Infant mortality rate (thousands of births vs.)

3 (2010) (WHO)

life expectancy

Male: 79 (2009) (WHO)
Female: 84 (2009) (WHO)