Objective:To reveal the actual living conditions and the vulnerability of the life quality of orphans with acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) in China,and to provide basis for appropriate relative health promotion strategies.Methods:Using gender-age 1∶ 1 matching design,96 pairs of AIDS orphans and children from ordinary families in a county of Henan Province were investigated for their living conditions and subjective quality of life with the Inventory of Subjective Life Quality.Results:(1) Compared with the control group,AIDS orphans had lower life satisfaction (45.16% vs.62.37%,P=0.019),suffered more injustice and stigma (35.48% vs.12.90%,P<0.001),had more needs to work to earn money (55.91% vs.23.66%,P<0.001) and lower probability to receive medical treatments when they were sick (36.36% vs.78.85%,P<0.001).(2) The average total score of subjective life quality in orphan group was significantly lower than that in the control group[(145.9±16.0) vs.(154.9±16.1),P<0.001].Scores of four dimensions including family life,school life,living environment and self-awareness were all significantly lower in orphans than in non-orphans which resulted in the significantly lower awareness stratum scores.(3) The average total score of subjective life quality in male orphan group was significantly lower than that in the male control group[(143.2±16.7) vs.(155.8±17.1),P<0.001].Scores of four dimensions including family life,school life,living environment and self-awareness were all significantly lower in male orphans than in male non-orphans which resulted in the significantly lower awareness stratum scores.Conclusion:AIDS orphans have more problems in lives.Their life quality is significantly affected which mainly appears as the decline of self-awareness and environmental awareness level.Long-term impacts on emotion and mental health deserve special concern.Male orphans are more vulnerable than females.

Objective To investigate the growth,development,nutritional status and mental health of AIDS affected orphans in China and provide scientific basis for policy formulation.Methods Adopting gender-age 1∶1 matching design,96 pairs of AIDS affected orphans and children from normal families were investigated in term of their physical and mental health status.Results Orphans were found thinner than non-orphans for their significantly lower BMI z scores and subscapular skinfold thickness.Compared with the control group,AIDS affected orphans also had significantly lower SES and BDI scores.Male orphans were more vulnerable than male non-orphans in physical and mental health and no significant differences were found between female groups.Conclusion AIDS affected orphans in China have significant physical and mental health vulnerabilities and urgently needs health care.More sustainable fostering strategies are needed to be explored and integrated health interventions with focus on mental health support will be crucial.And more attention should be given to male orphans.

Objective: To analyze the epidemiological status of overweight and obesity in various student groups and the prevalence changes in recent 15 years, in order to take effective preventive measures against obesity. Methods: Students aged 7 through 22 years participated in the 1985 and 2000 National Surveys on Students Constitution and Health were used as subjects. The newly established BMI screening criteria for overweight and obesity, to analyze the prevalence among various populations. Results: In 2000, the prevalence rates of obesity were 4.37%,1.46%,2.32% and 0.92%,and that of overweight were 10.38%,4.34%,5.94% and 3.67% for the urban boys, rural boys,urban girls and rural girls, respectively, which were all significantly increased in multiple times as compared with those in 1985. However, significant differences could be found among various areas. The prevalence rates of obesity in several metropolitans have reached 9.63% for males and 4.50% for females, and those of overweight have reached 15.29% for males and 8.77% for females, respectively. Most of the other areas are still staying at the early prevalence stage. The prevalence of obesity in the Western China is generally low, and actually no prevalence of obesity is found in the rural female population. Conclusion: It’s an urgent task to act on a series of comprehensive measures to prevent and cure the obesity of youth in China’s developed areas from now on. However, corresponding effective measures of obesity prevention are also needed in other areas of this country.

Objective:To analyze the secular growth trends of the Chinese urban youth from 1979 to 2005,in order to make national intervention strategies and measures to improve their physical fitness and health.Methods:Subjects were sampled from 16 provincial-capital cities in China.They were all Han primary and secondary school students aged 7 to 18 years.The increments of stature,weight and BMI,and the increments per decade of these indicators at different stages were analyzed.Results:In recent 26 years,the overall increments were 6.5 and 4.7 cm for stature,and 8.9 and 5.2 kg for weight,for boys and girls,respectively.Swiftest rates were found in the period of 1985-1995,with the increments which were as high as 3.8 and 3.0 cm/decade for height,and 4.7 and 3.1 kg/decade for weight,for boys and girls respectively.These trends are still strong at present,without any tendency of going to the plateau.Advanced puberty plays the most contributing role in these trends,with the peak height rates being 2.4 cm/decade for girls at the age of 12 and 3.3 cm/decade for boys at the age of 14,respectively.The increments of adult height were 3.2 and 2.1 cm,while the rates were 1.2 and 0.8 cm/decade,for males and females,respectively.The distributing curves of BMI show an accelerating tendency of going to the right side,which suggests that the prevalence of childhood obesity is increasing rapidly.Conclusion:China is now experiencing an overall and positive secular trend,which is reflected not only by the accelerating physical growth in childhood,advanced puberty,and steady increments of adult height,but also by the dramatic changes of body shape.We should not only feel proud of the achievements of these secular growth changes and the active socioeconomic influences,but also pay much attention to their negative effects,especially those that may induce the dangers of hypertension,hyperglycemia,type 2 diabetes mellitus and other adulthood diseases,as well as the disease risks of metabolic syndrome that may even occur early in childhood and adolescence.

BACKGROUND: Having breakfast everyday is a behavior promoting health recommended WHO, while it is easy to be ignored.OBJECTIVE: To investigate the breakfast habits of pupils in Beijing and Shanghai so as to provide a scientific basis for further studying the problems in having breakfast among the pupils, drafting and developing "nutritious breakfast program for students".DESIGN: Stratified and cluster sampling and investigation study were used based on the pupils.SETTING: Institute of health for child of two universities.SUBJECTS: A total of 8688 six to eleven years old Beijing and Shanghai pupils were involved from March 2002 to June 2002. Among them 4692 pupils came from Beijing. There were 4637 valid questionnaires, 2386 of which were from male pupils and 2251 from female pupiIs. Among the total subjects, there were 4300 Shanghai pupils, and 4051 questionnaires were valid, of which 2031 were from the male pupils and 2020 from female students.METHODS: A self-administered questionnaire survey was conducted. The content of the questionnaire included the general conditions of the family, dietary preferences, food for breakfast, consumption of the milk food and so on.RESULTS: The results showed that about 25.8% boys and 21.6% girls in Beijing did not eat breakfast regularly; similarly, the percentage was about 11.4% for boys and 13.3% for girls in Shanghai. The reasons for not having breakfast included the following: They had no appetite, or had no enough time for it, or the parents were too busy to prepare in the mornings. For those of them who eat breakfasts, the nutrients of their breakfast usually were not adequate. 55% of the students had their breakfast prepared by their mothers. As for the eating sites, students mainly ate at home; the next was having it on the way to school or eating at the roadside luncheonettes. The cost of breakfast was 2 - 3 yuan. The breakfast behaviors of the pupils were closely related with the behaviors of their mothers( r = 0. 4333, P < 0.01 ).CONCLUSION: It is suggested that quality of breakfast of the pupils need to be improved. The behaviors of the parents influence their children in breakfast habits.

OBJECTIVETo analyze the detecting rate of iron-deficient anemia and the compose ratio of different degree of anemia in Chinese students.

METHODBy using the WHO screening standard, and using the row data of 1995 and 2000 National Survey sample, to screen the prevalence of anemia in the primary and secondary school students, and compare the detecting rates among different populations.

RESULTSThe detecting rates of iron-deficient anemia have been decreased in a large scale in the Chinese students. Situations are better in the young ages than in the relative old ages. The detecting rates has decreased 7.6% and 5.7% in the urban boys aged 7 and 9 years old, respectively, in recent 5 years, which are more evident than the urban girls. In rural boys and girls, the detecting rates of iron-deficiency anemia of all the age groups have decreasing 3%-7%, which are more significant than in the urban ones. The composing ratio of the middle- and serious-degree anemia has already lower than 2%-3%, whereas the ratios of the marginal anemia have risen significantly in the recent 5 years. In totally, the ratios have risen 7.2%, 1.3%, 7.0% and 6.0% in the urban boys, urban girls, rural boys and rural girls, respectively. This phenomenon shows that the problem of the iron-deficiency anemia of the Chinese students will be easily to be overcome in the future.

CONCLUSIONSAccording to the situation, three measures are suggested by the authors: Focus on increasing the iron storage of the students by scientific arrangement of food intake. Put the students who are during the peak adolescent growth as the key population. Put the widespread of knowledge of anemia-prevention as the contents in the school nutrition education.

Adolescent ; Anemia, Iron-Deficiency ; diagnosis ; epidemiology ; Child ; China ; epidemiology ; Female ; Health Education ; Health Surveys ; Humans ; Male ; Students

OBJECTIVESTo analyze the increments of physical growth and development in adolescents and young students in China during the years of 1979-2000 and to lay a scientific basis to make a plan for promoting their healthy growth and development in the new century.

METHODSStudents aged seven to 17 years of Han ethnic were randomly selected from 16 proviness and municipalities during the past 21 years, and increments of their height, body weight, chest circumference and Weierweike index were measured.

RESULTSSignificant increments of physical growth and development were found in adolescents and young students of China during 1979-2000, showing a clearly secular trend in changes of growth and development with the advanced growth spurt the most prominent. The average increments were 6.2 cm, 4.8 cm, 7.5 cm and 6.1 cm for height, 8.2 kg, 5.1 kg, 5.4 kg and 3.8 kg for body weight, and 4.8 cm, 3.2 cm, 2.2 cm and 2.0 cm for chest circumference, respectively, for the urban boys, urban girls, rural boys and rural girls. The increment of height was more in the rural students than in the urban ones, but, the increments of body weight and chest circumference in the rural youth lagged behind the urban ones. It was showed significant improvement in Weierweike Index in the urban students and an increasing trend of "bean sprout" statue in the rural students.

CONCLUSIONIt is suggested much more should be input for the rural students in the future. For their nutritional intake, disease prevention and treatment, strengthening physical exercises, reducing study burden and rational daily life system.

Adolescent ; Body Height ; Body Weight ; Child ; China ; Growth ; Humans

OBJECTIVEThis paper aims to study the relationship between body fat and sexual development in Chinese girls with different waist circumference.

METHODSSix thousand one hundred and fifty six girls aged 6-19 were sampled. Their body weight, height, waist circumference, percentage of body fat and secondary sex characteristics were measured. All the subjects were divided into three groups: low class waist circumference, moderate class waist circumference and high class waist circumference. The menarche percentages were analyzed by using the status method. The menarche ages were analyzed by using the retrospective method. Estimates for mean age at entry into a pubertal stage and menarche were calculated by a probit analysis.

RESULTSThe incidences of moderate class and high class waist circumstance were 20.94% and 25.27%, respectively. The sexual development of the former was earlier than that of the latter. The percentages of the menarche were detected as high class>moderate class>low class. The menarche ages were expressed as high class

CONCLUSIONA close association is found between the waist circumference and sexual development, especially the menarche age. Girls with high class waist circumference are more vulnerable to earlier menarche and excess body fat. It is important to control the occurrence of central obesity through monitoring the change of waist circumference in puberty for girls' health.

Adipose Tissue ; Adolescent ; Adult ; Child ; China ; epidemiology ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Female ; Humans ; Menarche ; Overweight ; epidemiology ; Prevalence ; Sexual Development ; Waist Circumference ; Young Adult

Objective To analyze the improvement of nutrition status in children and adolescents of Nakhi ethnicity,in the last 25 years so as to put forward further suggestions for improvement.Methods 2 635 Nakhi students aged 7-18 years were selected from the 2010 national survey,with a group of Han students from the rural areas were randomly selected as controls.WHO-2006 reference was used to screen the prevalence of malnutrition,and compared with the control group.Results The prevalence rates in the Nakhi male and female students were 4.9％ and 4.7％ for stunting,5.6％ and 4.6％ for wasting,and 10.5％ and 9.3％ for total malnutrition,respectively.Changes on secular growth in both Nakhi and Han students in the rural areas were compared and the results showed that the superiority of Nakhi children was the cause for these disparities.Conclusion Nutrition status of the Nakhi children was predicted and an optional future was displayed.Positive factors for causing these superiorities were summarized.Suggestions were also put forward regarding the formulation of balanced diet,improving the skills on preventive-cure,strengthening the local matemal-child healthcare services and the development of education on better bearing and rearing,etc.

OBJECTIVETo analyse the heritabilities of serum luteinizing hormone(LH), follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), testosterone (T) and estradiol (E2) in twin boys, and to study the genetic contributions to gonadotropin-gonadal axis.

METHODSA total of 51 pairs of male twins, 35 monozygotic (MZ) and 16 dizygotic(DZ) aged 5 to 11 years, were investigated. Serum gonadotropin and sex hormone were measured by radioimmunoassay. The twin zygosity was verified by determination of short tandem repeat amplified fragment length polymorphism systems. The genetic analysis was performed using intraclass correlation coefficient method.

RESULTSThe intraclass correlation coefficient was greater in the MZ twins than in the DZ twins. The estimated heritabilities were respectively LH 0.51, FSH 0.32, T 0.81, E2 0.41.

CONCLUSIONGenetic factors are major determinants of gonadotropin-gonadal axis in boys.

Child ; Child, Preschool ; Gonadal Steroid Hormones ; blood ; Gonadotropins ; blood ; Humans ; Male ; Radioimmunoassay