Objective To evaluate the effectiveness of yoga practice guided by Ziwuliuzhu (midnight-noon ebb-flow) theory on improving the symptoms of kidney deficiency. Methods A single-blind controlled clinical trial was carried out in 21 kidney deficiency patients. The patients were divided into two groups, 10 cases in the treatment group and 11 in the control group. During the experiment, one case of the control group dropped out. The patients in the treatment group took yogo practice ( including yin yogo and flow yogo) at Beijing time 18∶25-19∶25, a period of Youshi for kidney meridian in Guangzhou area, and the patients in the control group took the same yogo practice at Beijing time 10∶00-11∶00. The practice lasted one month. Results ( 1) The total effective rate of treatment group was 80.0% and that of control group was 60.0%, the difference being insignificant between the two trail groups ( P>0.05). ( 2) After practice, kidney-yin deficiency symptoms of aching and weakness of waist and knees, feverish sensation over five centers, and kidney-yang deficiency symptoms of aching and weakness of waist and knees, and short breath were much relieved in the treatment group ( P<0.05). In the control group, only frequent nocturia was much relieved ( P<0.05). The differences of kidney deficiency symptom relief were insignificant between the two groups ( P>0.05). ( 3) No obvious adverse reaction was found in the two groups during practice. Conclusion Compared with other period, yogo practice ( practice position for stimulating kidney meridian) at Youshi period shows better effectiveness on kidney deficiency symptoms, but there are insignificant differences of the effectiveness of yoga practice guided by Ziwuliuzhu theory on improving the symptoms of kidney deficiency.

OBJECTIVETo survey the current status of pubertal development of Chinese children and to compare the precocious puberty prevalence of different regions.

METHODSA cross-sectional epidemiological study was conducted on 18 707 children and adolescents aged 6≊18 y with male/female ratio of 9 812/8 895 from 6 representative geographical areas in China, including Beijing, Tianjin, Hangzhou, Shanghai, Chongqing and Nanning. The height, weight, waist circumference (WC), hip circumference(HC) and sexual maturation states (Tanner stages: breast stages for girls and testicular volume for boys) of children and adolescents were measured. Probit analysis was used to calculate the median age and 95% confidence interval (CI) for onset of breast and testicular development. The prevalence of precocious puberty of different regions and BMI, waist circumference of different groups were compared.

RESULTSBreast development before 8 y was observed in 2.91% of girls, and testicular volume 4 ml or more before 9 y was observed in 1.74% of boys. The median age of onset of Tanner stages 2 for breast development in girls was 9.69 y (95% CI: 9.63≊ 9.75); the median age of onset of puberty as indicated by Tanner stages 2 for testicular development in boys was 11.25 y (95%CI:11.19≊ 11.30). The prevalence of precocious puberty (43 girls and 37 boys) was 0.43% (80/18 707). The prevalence of precocious puberty in northern region was higher than that in southwest region (0.736% compared with 0.282% P<0.05). There was no difference in onset age of precocious puberty in girls among three regions; but the onset age of precocious puberty in boys was earlier in east China [(7.4±0.28)y]. The SD values of BMI and waist-to-hip ratio (W/H) in precocious puberty children were higher than those in the peer normal children. There was no difference in BMI,waist circumference and waist-to-hip ratio in the precocious puberty children among different regions.

CONCLUSIONThe current diagnostic criteria of precocious puberty are suitable for the children in the survey areas. The prevalence and the onset age of precocious puberty are various in different regions. A positive association between obesity and precocious puberty is found both in boys and girls.

Adolescent ; Age of Onset ; Child ; China ; epidemiology ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Obesity ; complications ; Prevalence ; Puberty, Precocious ; complications ; diagnosis ; epidemiology ; Sexual Development

OBJECTIVEThis study aimed to determine the optimal cutoff point of Waist-to-height (WHtR) for the diagnosis of metabolic syndrome (MS) in children and adolescents in six areas of China.

METHODSNinety thousand two hundred and eighty four children aged 6 to 15 years old from 6 areas, including Beijing, Tianjin, Zhejiang, Shanghai, Chongqing and Nanning in China, were surveyed in a random cluster sample. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was employed to determine the optimal cutoff values of WHtR for detecting the children and adolescents with two or more risk factors of MS.

RESULTSThe optimal WHtR cutoff values derived from the ROC analysis was 85(th) and 80(th) percentiles in males and females, with 6-15 years of age, respectively. The sensitivity and specificity under these cutoff values were 35.78% and 85.41% in males and 49.21% and 79.87% in females, for 6-9 years of age, while the sensitivity and specificity were 49.60% and 85.90% in males and 47.01% and 80.07% in females for 10-15 years of age. The areas under the ROC curves (AUCs) for WHtR 85(th) percentile were 0.61 and 0.64 in males and females for 6-9 years of age, and 0.68 and 0.63 in males and females for 10-15 years of age. The AUCs for WHtR 85(th) percentile in both genders were significantly larger than that for WHtR 90(th) percentile for 10-15 years of age.

CONCLUSIONOur findings indicated that the 85(th) percentile of WHtR (0.48 in both genders for 6-9 years of age, 0.48 in males and 0.46 in females for 10-15 years of age) might be an appropriate cutoff to predict the children and adolescents with two or more risk factors.

Adolescent ; Body Height ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; China ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Metabolic Syndrome ; diagnosis ; Reference Values ; Waist Circumference