Riesumo la discussione per postare questo link a un articolo appena uscito: http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0088278
cosa è qulla syronzata austrica uscita anche sui nostri giornali?
La "stronzata" è il resoconto giornalistico che ne è stato fatto (al solito, verrebbe da dire...).
Il lavoro, invece, ha tutti i crismi di serietà, ma è uno studio di "correlazione" tra diversi parametri: sulla base di questionari standardizzati, sono stati individuati 4 gruppi di indagine:
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1 = vegetarian,"
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2 = carnivorous diet rich in fruits and vegetables"
"3
= carnivorous diet less rich in meat"
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4 = carnivorous diet rich in meat"
Tra questi sono state indagate le relazioni di incidenza di 3 parametri (controllati statisticamente per diversi fattori):
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(1) health (self-reported health, impairment due to health problems, number of chronic conditions, vascular risk),"
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(2) health care (number of visits to the doctor, number of vaccinations, number of used preventive care offers),"
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(3) quality of life (physical and psychological health, social relationships, and environment)"
I risultati dicono che:
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(...) vegetarians are in a poorer state of health compared to the other dietary habit groups"
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Concerning self-reported health, vegetarians differ significantly from each of the other groups, toward poorer health"
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Moreover, these subjects report higher levels of impairment from disorders"
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Vegetarians additionally report more chronic diseases than those eating a carnivorous diet less rich in meat"
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Significantly more vegetarians suffer from allergies, cancer, and mental health ailments (anxiety, or depression) than the other dietary habit groups"
Questo può essere immediatamente tradotto con "un regime alimentare vegetariano provoca uno stato di salute basso o comunque peggiore rispetto ad un regime alimentare non-vegetariano, o, addirittura fa venire il cancro"? No, decisamente.
Infatti gli autori si premurano di scrivere:
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This might indicate that the vegetarians in our study consume this form of diet as a consequence of their disorders, since a vegetarian diet is often recommended as a method to manage weight and health".
E ancora:
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The higher cancer incidence in vegetarians in our study might be a coincidence, and is possibly related to factors other than the general amount of animal fat intake, such as health-conscious behavior, since no differences were found regarding smoking behavior and physical activity in Austrian adults as reported in other studies for other countries".
Infine, molto onestamente, in conclusione del lavoro vengono riportati puntualmente tutti i limiti di uno studio siffatto.
"Potential limitations of our results are due to the fact that the survey was based on cross-sectional data. Therefore, no statements can be made whether the poorer health in vegetarians in our study is caused by their dietary habit or if they consume this form of diet due to their poorer health status. We cannot state whether a causal relationship exists, but describe ascertained associations. Moreover, we cannot give any information regarding the long-term consequences of consuming a special diet nor concerning mortality rates. Thus, further longitudinal studies will be required to substantiate our results. Further limitations include the measurement of dietary habits as a self-reported variable and the fact that subjects were asked how they would describe their eating behavior, without giving them a clear definition of the various dietary habit groups. However, a significant association between the dietary habit of individuals and their weight and drinking behavior is indicative for the validity of the variable. Another limitation concerns the lack of detailed information regarding nutritional components (e.g. the amount of carbohydrates, cholesterol, or fatty acids consumed). Therefore, more in-depth studies about nutritional habits and their effects on health are required among Austrian adults. Further studies should e.g. investigate the influence of the various dietary habits on the incidence of different cancer types. To our knowledge this is the first study ever in Austria to analyze differences in terms of dietary habits and their impact on health. We admit that the large number of participants made it necessary to keep the questions simple, in order to cover the large sample. Overall, we feel that our results are of specific interest and contribute to extant scientific knowledge, notwithstanding some limitations regarding causes and effects."
Concludendo, a cosa servono studi di questo genere? A individuare punti "critici" utili a formulare ipotesi alternative da sottoporre a ulteriori e più mirati studi. Certo non a saltare a delle conclusioni, che faranno sicuramente "clamore" sulle pagine di un quotidiano, ma che non hanno alcun fondamento. Se solo il giornalista avesse letto con più attenzione...