Welcome
VELESTINO WEBSITE - WELCOME MESSAGE
The VELESTINO Study is a population based study examining health and safety among the elderly. Data collection was conducted in the municipality of Velestino, a town in central Greece of about 4000 inhabitants, during the period January 2005-April 2006.The study has examined determinants of mental disease, injury and safety, nutrition and lifestyle characteristics, along with other inherent, environmental and social factors, among senior residents of Velestino, and has explored their meaningful interconnections. Managed by the Department of Hygiene Epidemiology and Medical Statistics, under the auspices of National and Kapodistrian University of Athens Medical School, with the collaboration of the Health Centre of Velestino at Ahillopouleio General Hospital of Volos, and with appropriate ethical and legislative approvals, the VELESTINO study aims to further evaluate the relationships of the above conditions in different settings.
In this context, appropriate comparative studies, distant national collaborations and meta-analyses have been, and are continuously being, undertaken. Thus, the study exceeds the limits of a community-based research. Medical and social needs of the elderly address to the health care and welfare systems; therefore, studies exploring intertwining factors in different population settings in the ageing Europe are of prime interest, especially amidst the visible and lasting challenges posed by the global financial crisis. Through the completed and emerging collaborations, the VELESTINO Study intends to be an important part of the initiatives for more complex national and international research studies that are providing insight on geriatric conditions and the appropriate policy and preventive measures needed to address these commonly neglected issues. Visitors to our website are welcome both to explore a variety of information regarding – but not limited to – publications, collaborating centres and researchers, and share ideas for future research.
On behalf of the collaborating centres:
Eleni Th. Petridou
Professor of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine
Department of Hygiene, Epidemiology and Medical Statistics Medical School,
National and Kapodistrian University of Athens