The relationship between diet, respiratory diseases and the mechanisms underlying their association are still poorly understood. In an adult sample, we investigated the associations between diet quality evaluated by two dietary scores (Italian Mediterranean Index (IMI), Modified Mediterranean Score (MDS)) and asthma and rhinitis prevalence. Additionally, total and differential white blood cells count, as inflammation indicators and two markers of oxidative stress, 8-iso-prostaglandin F2α (8-isoprostane) and 8-oxo-dihydro-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG), were measured. A total of 1183 subjects (aged 20–84) in the frame of a population-based multi-case-control study were studied: 186 with current asthma (CA), 103 with past asthma (PA), 445 with rhinitis (RN) and 449 controls. Food intake was assessed by using the EPIC Food Frequency Questionnaire. 8-OHdG and 8-isoprostane were measured on spot urine and standardized by creatinine. A higher adherence to IMI was associated with a lower risk of CA (RRR: 0.50; 95

Human milk is the optimal standard for neonatal nutrition, particularly for preterm infants. Several conditions associated with oxidative stress (OS) may be transmitted from mother to infant through milk, making the preservation of milk quality essential. When maternal milk is unavailable, donor human milk (DM) is commonly used and treated with Holder pasteurization (HoP) to ensure microbiological safety, although this process may affect bioactive components. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of HoP on OS biomarkers, specifically total antioxidant power (TAP) and 15-F2t-isoprostane, using colorimetric and ELISA methods as cost-effective alternatives to analytical gold standards. Twenty paired DM and HoP samples from the Human Milk Bank of Sant'Anna Hospital (Turin, Italy) were analyzed. No significant differences were observed in TAP levels between DM and HoP samples. In contrast, 15-F2t-isoprostane concentrations were significantly lower in DM compared to pasteurized milk (3.16 (1.59-5.27) vs. 0.76 (0.62-1.54), p-value < 0.001). This reduction remained consistent after stratification by sampling day. These findings suggest that HoP may reduce oxidative stress markers in donor milk, potentially limiting neonatal exposure to maternal oxidative imbalance. Although this effect could offer protective benefits for vulnerable preterm infants, further studies are needed to clarify the clinical implications of HoP on redox status and neonatal outcomes.

Air pollution represents a public health threat; it is co-responsible for millions of premature deaths annually and economic losses. Mega-events create abrupt changes in air pollution providing quasi-experimental settings to investigate related health impacts. This systematic review synthesizes the evidence on air pollution level changes during mega-events and associated short-term health effects, including mortality, hospitalizations and early biological responses. A literature search was conducted in PubMed, Embase, Scopus and Web of Science up to 7 April 2025. Study quality was evaluated using the EPHPP Quality Assessment Tool for Quantitative Studies. Thirty-one studies met the inclusion criteria. Mega-events without effective air pollution control measures were associated with increased pollutant levels and higher risks of respiratory and cardiovascular morbidity. Biomarker studies demonstrated rapid and reversible changes in oxidative stress and inflammatory biomarkers in response to short-term variations in air pollution. Instead, significant reductions in air pollution during mega-events were observed upon emission control measures. The evidence is predominantly from Asian countries, no Europe/Africa studies and only one from North America, limiting generalizability. Findings indicate that mega-events may influence air quality which affects human health, reinforcing the value of temporary emission control measures strategies for future mega-events. The systematic review was registered with Prospero (CRD420251032553).

Background: Vitamin D intake and synthesis are essential. Vitamin D deficiency is increasing across all age groups, raising concerns regarding public health. Serum 25(OH)D is measured to define vitamin D deficiency. However, its quantification in non-invasively collected biological matrices is still poorly studied. This study aimed to assess 25(OH)D levels in unconventional matrices using cost-effective analytical methods. Methods: Serum, urine, and saliva were collected from 62 healthy, non-smoking volunteers, 25–44 years of age. Biological samples were analysed using the Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA). The serum was additionally analysed via the chemiluminescent microparticle immunoassay (CMIA), which was used as a benchmark. Results: We observed a linear correlation (Pearson r = 0.44; p = 0.05) between the benchmark and ELISA-measured 25(OH)D urinary levels. After stratification by sex, the correlation was stronger and significant only in females (Pearson r = 0.62; p = 0.04). Salivary 25(OH)D levels did not correlate with serum levels for both ELISA and CMIA measures. Subjects with a CMIA serum-based deficiency showed lower urinary 25(OH)D levels (p = 0.04). Conclusion: Our study opens up the possibility of using urinary 25(OH)D levels as a proxy measurement of vitamin D. Such an approach may allow future investigations on the association between environmental factors and vitamin D assessed in non-invasively collected biological matrices via cost-effective analytical methods.

Background: Health literacy (HL) promotes the achievement of skills and information useful to endorse health. Food Literacy (FL) is a subtype of HL related to the knowledge necessary to achieve a healthy diet. Methods: This pilot study aimed to assess and improve FL of hospital workers through a survey before and after an educational intervention consisting of nutrition courses, infographics, and updates to the canteen service. FL was evaluated with a questionnaire, and Kruskal-Wallis, Friedman and Wilcoxon test was performed to assess group differences. Results: Of 897 participants, 375 (T1) completed both surveys, while 522 completed only T0. A pairwise comparison stratified by role, age and education revealed a significant improvement in FL scores in the T1 group. Improvements were observed in the T1 group, with overall scores rising from 6.2 ± 2.7 to 6.9 ± 2.1 (p-value < 0.001). An upgrade was noted in healthcare workers (T0 = 6.5 ± 2.2 vs. T1 = 7 ± 2, p-value < 0.001), administrative workers (T0 = 5.5 ± 2.5 vs. T1 = 6.2 ± 2.4, p-value = 0.008), all age groups (T0 = 6.3 ± 2.4 vs. T1 = 6.8 ± 2, p-value = 0.03, T0 = 6.2 ± 2.3 vs. T1 = 6.7 ± 2.2, p-value = 0.02, T0 = 6.2 ± 2.3 vs. T1 = 7 ± 2, p-value = 0.003), low and high education (T0 = 5.7 ± 2.3 vs. T1 = 6.6 ± 2.1, p-value < 0.001, T0 = 6.6 ± 2.3 vs. T1 = 7.1 ± 2 p-value = 0.03). Conclusions: Our survey highlights the efficacy of a multifactorial intervention in enhancing FL and proves the importance of food health promotion within workplaces.

End-of-life tyre (ELT) management is still a hot topic due to implications for sustainability and human health. This review aims to summarise the findings concerning the chemicals’ bio-accessibility/availability from the granular tyre-derived infill material used in sport surfaces. We included 14 original research articles and 5 reports (grey literature). The results included the analysis concerning volatile organic compounds (VOCs), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), phthalates, metal(loid)s and other substances. The release of some dangerous chemicals was demonstrated, even though results must be considered critically. However, the chemicals’ bioaccessibility shows a highly nuanced picture and is not, per se, sufficient to determine the risk for the exposed subjects. The lack of bioavailability and epidemiological studies analysing the exposures in real scenarios resulted in one of the main issues concerning a proper evaluation of the potential risks for human health.

BACKGROUND:Recent evidence showed that 50% of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) may be attributable to air pollution. We aimed to investigate the association between long-term air pollution exposure and COPD symptoms/diagnosis in an Italian epidemiological study. METHODS:A total of 14 420 adults living in Ancona, Pavia, Pisa, Sassari, Turin and Verona were investigated in 2005-2011. Data on risk factors and health outcomes were collected by questionnaires; mean annual concentrations of particulate matters (PM) like PM10 and PM2.5 as well as NO2 and mean summer concentrations of O3 (µg/m3) at residential level with a 1 km resolution (period 2013-2015) were obtained by machine learning techniques. The relationship of pollutant exposure and COPD prevalence was assessed by logistic regression models (single pollutant) and principal component logistic regression models (multipollutant) adjusting for sex, age, education level, smoking habits, season of interview, and city-specific climatic index and including a random intercept for cohorts. RESULTS:A 10 µg/m3 increase of PM10, PM2.5 and NO2 exposure was related to COPD diagnosis and symptoms (OR 1.31, 95% CI 1.03 to 1.65 for PM2.5; OR 1.26, 95% CI 1.03 to 1.54 for PM10 and OR 1.07, 95% CI 1.00 to 1.15 for NO2) using a multipollutant approach. Similar results emerged for dyspnoea (OR 1.24, 95% CI 1.05 to 1.47 for PM2.5; OR 1.21, 95% CI 1.05 to 1.39 for PM10 and OR 1.06, 95% CI 1.01 to 1.11 for NO2). Associations between COPD symptoms and summer O3 were less clear. By multipollutant models, OR estimates were lower than those by single pollutant models. CONCLUSIONS:Further evidence about the relationship between air pollution and respiratory effects in Italian adults was provided indicating PM as the main driver.

Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) from Gram-negative bacteria has been one of the most studied pathogen-associated molecular patterns triggering rapid inflammatory reactions. However, evidence shows that not all LPS molecules are proinflammatory (“bad”), and that “good” LPS from gut commensal bacteria exert immunomodulatory actions. The Limulus amebocyte lysis test commonly used to quantify LPS in circulation, only targets “bad” LPS, when not inactivated by plasma components. Use of other methods showed healthy subjects featuring elevated levels of LPS (suggesting predominance of “good” or inactive LPS in circulation). This review aims to summarize the evidence supporting the higher abundance of “good” LPS coming from gut commensals of healthy individuals and their potential impact in human health.

Wastewater-based Epidemiology (WBE) was initially employed as a valuable tool for monitoring pathogens. Nowadays, WBE has expanded its original focus to the quantification of several “community-level metabolism” indicators to complement Public Health monitoring campaigns. Recently, wastewater isoprostanes have been suggested as biological indicators of oxidative stress and community anxiety levels during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, previous studies were lacking of concomitant quantifications linking isoprostanes in sewage with COVID-19 pandemic indicators. This study provides an application case to expand the application of a WBE approach for the investigation of community-wide oxidative stress levels and COVID-19 disease. We quantified the occurrence of three oxidative stress biomarkers in wastewater samples collected from two Italian cities (study sites A and B) from January to December 2022. Among the selected oxidative stress biomarkers, only 8-isoprostaglandin F2α (8-iso-PGF2α) and 5-iso Prostaglandin F2α-VI (5-iPF2α-VI) were detectable, while prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) was undetectable during the entire study period in both sites. The annual trend of 8-iso-PGF2α mass load and SARS-CoV-2 concentration in sewage was significantly and moderately cross-correlated, as a at study site A (Spearman’s rho = 0.62) and study site B (Spearman’s rho = 0.68). The same findings were confirmed for the cross-correlations including 8-iso-PGF2α concentrations instead of per capita mass load. A moderate and significant cross-correlation with the annual trend of monthly average daily COVID-19 cases (Spearman’s rho = 0.67) was observed for one study site and with a time lag = 1. Our findings support the hypothesis that human biomonitoring, via the quantification of oxidative stress biomarkers in sewage, can be effectively used to investigate the emerging field of the community-level metabolism.

Air pollution is a leading risk factor for global mortality and morbidity. Oxidative stress is a key mechanism underlying air-pollution-mediated health effects, especially in the pathogenesis/exacerbation of airway impairments. However, evidence lacks on subgroups at higher risk of developing more severe outcomes in response to air pollution. This multi-centre study aims to evaluate the association between air pollution and oxidative stress in healthy adults and in patients affected by airway diseases from the Italian GEIRD (Gene Environment Interactions in Respiratory Diseases) multi-case control study. Overall, 1841 adults (49 % females, 20-83 years) were included from four Italian centres: Pavia, Sassari, Turin, and Verona. Following a 2-stage screening process, we identified 1273 cases of asthma, chronic bronchitis, rhinitis, or COPD and 568 controls. Systemic oxidative stress was quantified by urinary 8-isoprostane and 8-OH-dG. Individual residential exposures to NO2, PM10, PM2.5, and O3 were derived using an innovative five-stage machine-learning-based approach. Linear mixed regression models tested the association between oxidative stress biomarkers and air pollution tertiles, adjusting by age, sex, BMI, smoking, education and season, with recruiting centres as random intercept. Only cases exhibited higher levels of log-transformed 8-isoprostane and 8-OH-dG in association with NO2 (beta: 0.30 95 % CI: 0.08-0.52 and 0.20 95 % CI: 0.03-0.37), PM10 (0.34 95 % CI: 0.12-0.55 and 0.21 95 % CI: 0.05-0.37) and PM2.5 (0.27 95 % CI: 0.09-0.49 and 0.18 95 % CI: 0.02-0.34) as compared to the first tertile of exposure. No significant associations were observed for summer O3. Our findings suggest that exposure to air pollution may increase systemic oxidative stress levels in people suffering from airway diseases. This introduces a potential novel approach available for future epidemiological studies and Public Health for effective prevention strategies oriented at the quantification of early biological effects in susceptible people, whose additional risk level might be currently underrated. Air-pollution-mediated exacerbations, driven by oxidative stress, still deserve our attention.

Nanomaterials (NMs) are in high demand for a wide range of practical applications; however, comprehensively understanding the toxicity of these materials is a complex challenge, due to the limited availability of epidemiological evidence on the human health effects arising from workplace exposures. The aim of this work is to assess whether and how urinary metal concentrations could be reliable and useful in NM biomonitoring. In the framework of “NanoExplore Project” [EU LIFE17 Grant ENV/GR/000285], 43 not-exposed subjects and 40 exposed workers were recruited to measure exposure to NMs (PCN and LDSA) in the proximity of the workstations and biological biomarkers (urinary metal concentrations—Aluminum (Al), Silica (Si), Titanium (Ti), and Chromium (Cr); urinary OS biomarkers—TAP, Isop, and MDA). The results showed that Si and Ti were directly associated with NM exposure (both PCN and LDSA), as well as with OS biomarkers, especially in exposed workers. Moreover, the mediation analyses showed that Si could account for about 2.8% in the relationship between LDSA and OS biomarkers, possibly by decreasing OS antioxidant defenses in exposed people. In conclusion, our study provides evidence that occupational exposure to mixtures containing NMs can represent an underestimated hazard for exposed people, increasing the body burden and the oxidative balance.

Today, nanomaterials are broadly used in a wide range of industrial applications. Such large utilization and the limited knowledge on to the possible health effects have raised concerns about potential consequences on human health and safety, beyond the environmental burden. Given that inhalation is the main exposure route, workers exposed to nanomaterials might be at risk of occurrence of respiratory morbidity and/or reduced pulmonary function. However, epidemiological evidence regarding the association between cumulative exposure to nanomaterials and respiratory health is still scarce. This study focused on the association between cumulative exposure to nanomaterials and pulmonary function among 136 workers enrolled in the framework of the European multicentric NanoExplore project. Our findings suggest that, independently of lifelong tobacco smoking, ethnicity, age, sex, body mass index and physical activity habits, 10-year cumulative exposure to nanomaterials is associated to worse FEV1 and FEF25 − 75

The existing evidence on the association between greenness and respiratory outcomes remains inconclusive. We aimed at systematically summarizing existing literature on greenness exposure and respiratory outcomes in European children and adolescents, with a preliminary attempt to qualify the distribution of dominant tree species across different geographical areas and bioclimatic regions. Overall, 4049 studies were firstly identified by searching PubMed/MEDLINE, EMBASE, Scopus, Web of Science, GreenFile and CAB direct, up to 29 August 2023. Eighteen primary studies were included in the systematic review and six were meta-analyzed. No overall significant association was observed between the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index, assessed within 500-m buffers (i.e. NDVI-500), and the odds of asthma for 0.3-increase in the exposure (OR: 0.97, 95% CI from 0.53 to 1.78). Similarly, an overall exposure to the NDVI-300 highest tertile, as compared to the lowest tertile, was not significantly associated with asthma (OR: 0.65, 95% CI from 0.22 to 1.91): heterogeneity among studies was significant (p = 0.021). We delineated some key elements that might have mostly contributed to the lack of scientific consensus on this topic, starting from the urgent need of harmonized approaches for the operational definition of greenness. Additionally, the complex interplay between greenness and respiratory health may vary across different geographical regions and climatic conditions. At last, the inconsistent findings may reflect the heterogeneity and complexity of this relationship, rather than a lack of scientific consensus itself. Future research should compare geographical areas with similar bioclimatic parameters and dominant or potentially present vegetation species, in order to achieve a higher inter-study comparability.

The widespread and increasing use of nanomaterials has resulted in a higher likelihood of exposure by inhalation for nanotechnology workers. However, tracking the internal dose of nanoparticles deposited at the airways level, is still challenging.To assess the suitability of particle number concentration determination as biomarker of internal dose, we carried out a cross sectional investigation involving 80 workers handling nanomaterials. External exposure was characterized by portable counters of particles DISCminiTM (Testo, DE), allowing to categorize 51 workers as exposed and 29 as non-exposed (NE) to nanoparticles. Each subject filled in a questionnaire reporting working practices and health status. Exhaled breath condensate was collected and analysed for the number of particles/ml as well as for inflammatory biomarkers.A clear-cut relationship between the number of airborne particles in the nano-size range determined by the particle counters and the particle concentration in exhaled breath condensate (EBC) was apparent. Moreover, inflammatory cytokines (IL-1β, IL-10, and TNF-α) measured in EBC, were significantly higher in the exposed subjects as compared to not exposed. Finally, significant correlations were found between external exposure, the number concentration of particles measured by the nanoparticle tracking analysis (NTA) and inflammatory cytokines. As a whole, the present study, suggests that NTA can be regarded as a reliable tool to assess the inhaled dose of particles and that this dose can effectively elicit inflammatory effects.

Objective Office workers spend typically more than two-thirds of their working time sitting and this negative behaviour could have been increased during the pandemic. Low levels of Physical Activity (PA) can have detrimental effects on health, well-being, and Quality of Life (QoL), as well as on the oxidative stress burden. Our aim was to evaluate the role of moderate PA remotely administered in modulating the bio-molecular profile and the QoL of a group of workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods The 26 subjects recruited were sampled at the beginning of the study (T0), after 3 months of remotely administered training (T1), and 3 months after the suspension of the online workouts (T2). Each of the three times, subjects filled out a questionnaire and provided a spot urine sample for the quantification of oxidative stress (15-F2t-Isoprostane, Thiobarbituric Acid Reactive Substances (TBARS), and Total Antioxidant Power (TAP)) and inflammatory biomarkers (Interleukin (IL)-6 and IL-10). Results The PA administration resulted in a significant decrease in 15-F2t-Isoprostane ( p = 0.02) and TAP ( p = 0.019). A significant increase in TAP was observed between T1 and T2 ( p = 0.044). Conclusion A PA-based health promotion strategy could be a valuable intervention in the working environment to promote the well-being of an ageing workforce, especially for white collars.

Introduction Obesity is a known risk factor for asthma. Although some evidence showed asthma causing obesity in children, the link between asthma and obesity has not been investigated in adults. Methods We used data from the European Community Respiratory Health Survey (ECRHS), a cohort study in 11 European countries and Australia in 3 waves between 1990 and 2014, at intervals of approximately 10 years. We considered two study periods: from ECRHS I (t) to ECRHS II (t+1), and from ECRHS II (t) to ECRHS III (t+1). We excluded obese (body mass index≥30 kg/m2) individuals at visit t. The relative risk (RR) of obesity at t+1 associated with asthma at t was estimated by multivariable modified Poisson regression (lag) with repeated measurements. Additionally, we examined the association of atopy and asthma medication on the development of obesity. Results We included 7576 participants in the period ECRHS I-II (51.5% female, mean (SD) age of 34 (7) years) and 4976 in ECRHS II-III (51.3% female, 42 (8) years). 9% of participants became obese in ECRHS I-II and 15% in ECRHS II—III. The risk of developing obesity was higher among asthmatics than non-asthmatics (RR 1.22, 95% CI 1.07 to 1.38), and particularly higher among non-atopic than atopic (1.47; 1.17 to 1.86 vs 1.04; 0.86 to 1.27), those with longer disease duration (1.32; 1.10 to 1.59 in >20 years vs 1.12; 0.87 to 1.43 in ≤20 years) and those on oral corticosteroids (1.99; 1.26 to 3.15 vs 1.15; 1.03 to 1.28). Physical activity was not a mediator of this association. Conclusion This is the first study showing that adult asthmatics have a higher risk of developing obesity than non-asthmatics, particularly those non-atopic, of longer disease duration or on oral corticosteroids.

Long-term exposure to air pollution has adverse respiratory health effects. We investigated the cross-sectional relationship between residential exposure to air pollutants and the risk of suffering from chronic respiratory diseases in some Italian cities. In the BIGEPI project, we harmonised questionnaire data from two population-based studies conducted in 2007-2014. By combining self-reported diagnoses, symptoms and medication use, we identified cases of rhinitis (n = 965), asthma (n = 328), chronic bronchitis/chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (CB/COPD, n = 469), and controls (n = 2380) belonging to 13 cohorts from 8 Italian cities (Pavia, Turin, Verona, Terni, Pisa, Ancona, Palermo, Sassari). We derived mean residential concentrations of fine particulate matter (PM10, PM2.5), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), and summer ozone (O3) for the period 2013-2015 using spatiotemporal models at a 1 km resolution. We fitted logistic regression models with controls as reference category, a random-intercept for cohort, and adjusting for sex, age, education, BMI, smoking, and climate. Mean ± SD exposures were 28.7 ± 6.0 μg/m3 (PM10), 20.1 ± 5.6 μg/m3 (PM2.5), 27.2 ± 9.7 μg/m3 (NO2), and 70.8 ± 4.2 μg/m3 (summer O3). The concentrations of PM10, PM2.5, and NO2 were higher in Northern Italian cities. We found associations between PM exposure and rhinitis (PM10: OR 1.62, 95%CI: 1.19-2.20 and PM2.5: OR 1.80, 95%CI: 1.16-2.81, per 10 μg/m3) and between NO2 exposure and CB/COPD (OR 1.22, 95%CI: 1.07-1.38 per 10 μg/m3), whereas asthma was not related to environmental exposures. Results remained consistent using different adjustment sets, including bi-pollutant models, and after excluding subjects who had changed residential address in the last 5 years. We found novel evidence of association between long-term PM exposure and increased risk of rhinitis, the chronic respiratory disease with the highest prevalence in the general population. Exposure to NO2, a pollutant characterised by strong oxidative properties, seems to affect mainly CB/COPD.

Preterm birth (PTB) identifies infants prematurely born <37 weeks/gestation and is one of the main causes of infant mortality. PTB has been linked to air pollution exposure, but its timing is still unclear and neglects the acute nature of delivery and its association with short-term effects. We analyzed 3 years of birth data (2015–2017) in Turin (Italy) and the relationships with proinflammatory chemicals (PM2.5, O3, and NO2) and biological (aeroallergens) pollutants on PTB vs. at-term birth, in the narrow window of a week before delivery. A tailored non-stationary Poisson model correcting for seasonality and possible confounding variables was applied. Relative risk associated with each pollutant was assessed at any time lag between 0 and 7 days prior to delivery. PTB risk was significantly associated with increased levels of both chemical (PM2.5, RR = 1.023 (1.003–1.043), O3, 1.025 (1.001–1.048)) and biological (aeroallergens, RR ~ 1.01 (1.0002–1.016)) pollutants in the week prior to delivery. None of these, except for NO2 (RR = 1.01 (1.002–1.021)), appeared to play any role on at-term delivery. Pollutant-induced acute inflammation eliciting delivery in at-risk pregnancies may represent the pathophysiological link between air pollution and PTB, as testified by the different effects played on PTB revealed. Further studies are needed to better elucidate a possible exposure threshold to prevent PTB.

Population Medicine considers the following types of articles:• Research Papers -reports of data from original research or secondary dataset analyses.• Review Papers -comprehensive, authoritative, reviews within the journal's scope.These include both systematic reviews and narrative reviews.• Short Reports -brief reports of data from original research.• Policy Case Studies -brief articles on policy development at a regional or national level.• Study Protocols -articles describing a research protocol of a study.• Methodology Papers -papers that present different methodological approaches that can be used to investigate problems in a relevant scientific field and to encourage innovation.• Methodology Papers -papers that present different methodological approaches that can be used to investigate problems in a relevant scientific field and to encourage innovation.

Urban environment has been increasingly recognised as a health determinant able to promote healthy or unhealthy lifestyles. The growing use of technology and urbanization is influencing people behaviours, making them more sedentary. In children, this may be even more relevant as childhood is a critical period for creating bases for lifelong health and well-being. Given the potential for the urban environment to influence health, we investigated the association between some key characteristics of the urban environment and sedentary behaviour in school-aged children. We recruited 331 healthy children (9-11 years, 52% males), whose parents were asked to quantify their time spent in several sedentary activities. We derived two sedentary behaviour outcomes: the total daily sedentary time and the screen time. Exposure to less urbanized and more vegetated area was derived by combining key environmental attributes using Principal Component Analysis. Independently of age, sex and BMI children living in less urbanized and more vegetated areas reported 12 min less of daily sedentary time (beta:-12, 95% CI from-22 to-2; p = 0.02) and were less likely to exceed the recommended daily screen time (2 h/ day) (OR: 0.86 95% CI 0.74-1, 00; p = 0.056). A stronger association was found in children whose mothers were highly educated, suggesting that maternal education level acts as effect modifier. Our findings highlight that environmental characteristics may shape children's health by influencing their lifestyles, and should be considered in Public Health strategy to prevent sedentary behaviour and promote more sustainable and healthier cities.