AIMTo evaluate the association between selected potential socio-demographic and behavioral risk factors and infertility in Nigerian men.

METHODSThere were two groups in this study. One group consisted of 150 men with proven male infertility, and the other consisted of 150 fertile men with normal semen parameters. Both were matched for age, place of residence and key socio-demographic variables. They were compared for sexual history, past medical and surgical history, past exposures to sexually transmitted infections and treatment, past and current use of drugs as well as smoking and alcohol intake history.

RESULTSInfertile men were significantly more likely than fertile men to report having experienced penile discharge, painful micturition and genital ulcers, less likely to seek treatment for these symptoms and more likely to seek treatment with informal sector providers. Multivariate analysis showed that male infertility was significantly associated with bacteria in semen cultures, self-reporting of previous use of traditional medications and moderate to heavy alcohol intake, but not with smoking and occupational types.

CONCLUSIONINFERTILITY is associated with various proxies of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and poor healthcare-seeking behavior for STIs in Nigerian men.

Adult ; Alcohol Drinking ; ethnology ; Case-Control Studies ; Culture ; Female ; Humans ; Infertility, Male ; ethnology ; microbiology ; psychology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Nigeria ; epidemiology ; Patient Acceptance of Health Care ; ethnology ; Pregnancy ; Risk Factors ; Risk-Taking ; Sexually Transmitted Diseases ; complications ; ethnology ; psychology ; Smoking ; ethnology

Adult ; Aged ; Alcohol Drinking ; China ; ethnology ; Fatty Liver, Alcoholic ; etiology ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Surveys and Questionnaires

Objective: To investigate the frailty status and related determinants among the elderly in China. Methods: Frailty index (FI) was applied to evaluate the frailty status of the elderly. Data used in this study was from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS) in 2011-2015. Binary logistic regression analysis was carried out to identify the determinants related to the status on frailty. Results: The prevalence rates of frailty in the elderly were 18.7%, 20.6% and 28.4% in 2011, 2013 and 2015, respectively. Being female or elderly under advanced age, were both associated with the higher level of FI. Factors as hip fracture, falls, alcohol intake more than once a month, and less participation in social activities etc., might serve as the risk factors for frailty. Conclusion: Chinese elderly showed relatively high prevalence on frailty and with annual increasing trend. The status of frailty was related to factors as adverse events and unhealthy lifestyles. Comprehensive intervention strategies should be adopted in early life of the elderly to delay the development process of frailty.
Accidental Falls ; Aged ; Alcohol Drinking ; China/epidemiology* ; Female ; Frail Elderly ; Frailty/ethnology* ; Hip Fractures ; Humans ; Longitudinal Studies

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to describe the status of alcohol consumption and drug use among young adults as well as their determinants. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional study of 356 young adults (aged 18 to 24 years) living in Palau in 2013. The prevalence of self-reported alcohol and marijuana usage were compared within and between sexes, age groups, ethnicities, and education levels. RESULTS: The proportion of current drinking was higher in people aged 21-24 than in those aged 18-20 (73.2% vs. 60.9%, p = 0.09 in men and 48.3% vs. 30.0%, p = 0.02 in women), while that of marijuana use did not differ between the age groups. The proportions of current drinking and marijuana use were higher in Palauan than in other ethnicities (current drinking: 70.6% vs. 40.6%, p = 0.005 in men and 38.8% vs. 16.6%, p = 0.04 in women; lifetime marijuana use: 80.0% vs. 52.9%, p = 0.02 in men and 56.1% vs. 30.6%, p = 0.09 in women). The proportion of frequent (3 times or more) marijuana users was higher for the lower educated than for the higher educated (62.5% vs. 32.1%, p < 0.001 in men and 33.9% vs. 24.4%, p = 0.12 in women). CONCLUSIONS Sex, age, ethnicity, and education were significant determinants of alcohol and marijuana use.
Age Factors ; Alcohol Drinking/ethnology* ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Educational Status ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Marijuana Use/ethnology* ; Palau/epidemiology* ; Prevalence ; Sex Factors ; Young Adult

We aimed to examine the potential relationship between season of birth (SOB) and clinical characteristics in Korean patients with unipolar non-psychotic major depressive disorder (MDD). Using data from the Clinical Research Center for Depression (CRESCEND) study in South Korea, 891 MDD patients were divided into two groups, those born in spring/summer (n=457) and those born in autumn/winter (n=434). Measurement tools comprising the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale, Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale, Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale, Scale for Suicidal Ideation, Clinical Global Impression of severity, Social and Occupation Functional Assessment Scale, WHO Quality of Life assessment instrument-abbreviated version, Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test, and Temperament and Character Inventory were used to evaluate depression, anxiety, overall symptoms, suicidal ideation, global severity, social function, quality of life, drinking, and temperament and character, respectively. Using independent t-tests for continuous variables and χ2 tests for discrete variables, the clinical characteristics of the two groups were compared. MDD patients born in spring/summer were on average younger at onset of first depressive episode (t=2.084, p=0.038), had greater loss of concentration (χ2=4.589, p=0.032), and were more self-directed (t=2.256, p=0.025) than those born in autumn/winter. Clinically, there was a trend for the MDD patients born in spring/summer to display the contradictory characteristics of more severe clinical course and less illness burden; this may have been partly due to a paradoxical effect of the 5-HT system.
Adult ; Age of Onset ; Aged ; Alcohol Drinking ; Bipolar Disorder/*diagnosis/*ethnology/psychology ; Character ; Cost of Illness ; Depression ; Depressive Disorder, Major/*diagnosis/*ethnology/psychology ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Personality Inventory/statistics & numerical data ; *Quality of Life ; Republic of Korea/epidemiology ; *Seasons ; Temperament

Objective: To analyze the prevalence and co-prevalence of cardio metabolic (CM) risk factors in adults in China. Methods: The project data of 2015 Nutritional Status and Health Transition of Chinese Residents were used, and 5 456 adults aged 18-59 years with complete socio-demographic, anthropometric, and blood biochemical data were selected as the study subjects. The definition released by the International Diabetes Federation in 2005 were used to define each CM risk factors, including central obesity, elevated TG, reduced HDL-C, elevated blood pressure and elevated FPG. The co-prevalence of the risk factors was defined as adults having ≥2 risk factors. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was performed to evaluate the relationship between CM risk and socio-demographic factors. Results: About 80.8% of adults had at least 1 risk factor, and 54.0% had co-prevalence of risk factors. Gender, age, education level and living area were significantly associated with the prevalence of major metabolic risk factors. After adjusting for other factors, compared with men, women were more likely to have central obesity and reduced HDL-C, but not more likely to have elevated blood pressure, elevated FPG and elevated TG (P<0.01). Compared with adults aged 18-44 years, adults aged 45-59 years were more likely to have central obesity, elevated blood pressure, elevated FPG and elevated TG (P<0.01). The odds of having central obesity, elevated blood pressure and elevated fasting plasma glucose in the adults in eastern China were significantly higher than those in the central and western China. Conclusions: In 2015, less than 20% of the adults aged 18-59 years in China had no cardio metabolic risk factors, and more than half of them had two or more risk factors. Gender, age and living areas were the major influencing factors. It is necessary to take effective intervention measures targeting adults at high-risk for the early prevention of cardiovascular disease.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Alcohol Drinking/epidemiology* ; Cardiovascular Diseases/epidemiology* ; China/epidemiology* ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Metabolic Syndrome/ethnology* ; Middle Aged ; Obesity/ethnology* ; Prevalence ; Risk Factors ; Smoking/epidemiology* ; Socioeconomic Factors ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVETo study the distribution of genotypes about alcohol dehydrogenase 2 (ADH2) and aldehyde dehydrogenase 2 (ALDH2) and its relationship with drinking-behaviors in Chinese Han healthy population as to providing a theoretic direction for filtering out high-risk and sensitive individuals and taking preventive measures to decrease the alcohol-related diseases.

METHODSUsing questionnaires to select subjects (201 persons, including men 104, women 97) for collecting blood samples and data about drinking-behaviors. Techniques of polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) were used to detect the genotypes of ADH2 and ALDH2.

RESULTSHeterozygous ADH2 and homozygous ALDH2 were the two dominant ones (respectively 53.23%, 68.16%). There were no statistical differences among the distributions of nine combinations of ADH2 genotypes and ALDH2 ones. The difference of distribution of homozygous ALDH2 between males having high and middle drinking-frequencies seemed to be statistically meaningful.

CONCLUSIONThe proportion of individuals carrying about "susceptible genotypes of alcohol-related diseases" in Chinese Han healthy population should be more than one half (68.16%), which calls on reinforcing the surveillance and preventing the alcohol-related diseases. Correlation between genotypes of ADH2 and ALDH2 and alcohol-related diseases should be more important.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Alcohol Drinking ; ethnology ; genetics ; physiopathology ; Aldehyde Dehydrogenase ; genetics ; metabolism ; Aldehyde Dehydrogenase, Mitochondrial ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; genetics ; China ; Drinking Behavior ; Ethanol ; metabolism ; Female ; Gene Frequency ; Genetic Predisposition to Disease ; ethnology ; Genotype ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Polymorphism, Genetic ; Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Young Adult

Esophageal cancer is a common cancer worldwide and has a poor prognosis. The incidence of esophageal squamous cell cancer has been decreasing, whereas the incidence of esophageal adenocarcinoma has been increasing rapidly, particularly in Western men. Squamous cell cancer continues to be the major type of esophageal cancer in Asia, and the main risk factors include tobacco smoking, alcohol consumption, hot beverage drinking, and poor nutrition. In contrast, esophageal adenocarcinoma predominately affects the whites, and the risk factors include smoking, obesity, and gastroesophageal reflux disease. In addition, Asians and Caucasians may have different susceptibilities to esophageal cancer due to different heritage backgrounds. However, comparison studies between these two populations are limited and need to be addressed in the near future. Ethnic differences should be taken into account in preventive and clinical practices.
Adenocarcinoma ; ethnology ; etiology ; genetics ; Alcohol Drinking ; adverse effects ; Asia ; epidemiology ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; genetics ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell ; ethnology ; etiology ; genetics ; Esophageal Neoplasms ; ethnology ; etiology ; genetics ; European Continental Ancestry Group ; genetics ; Gastroesophageal Reflux ; complications ; Genetic Predisposition to Disease ; Humans ; Incidence ; Obesity ; complications ; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide ; Risk Factors ; Smoking ; adverse effects ; United States ; epidemiology

OBJECTIVETo investigate the correlation between polymorphisms of uric acid transporter related gene SLC17A1 and hyperuricemia (HUA) among ethnic Uygur patients from Xinjiang.

METHODSA case-control study was carried out, which enrolled 1036 patients with hyperuricemia and 1031 healthy controls. Two single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of the SLC17A1 gene were determined with Sequenom MassARRAY. Crossover analysis was used to assess the effect of interaction between above SNPs and alcohol drinking on uric acid level.

RESULTSGenotypic and allelic frequencies of the SLC17A1 gene at the two loci in the two groups were compared. The CT genotype of the rs9467596 locus and TC genotype of the rs2096386 locus showed a higher risk for hyperuricemia (OR=1.334, 95%CI:1.082-1.644; OR=1.242, 95%CI:1.015-1.519, respectively). Crossover analysis also revealed that the SLC17A1 rs2096386 polymorphism has a positive interaction with alcohol drinking in a multiplication model (ORint=1.21, P<0.05, OR>1).

CONCLUSIONSNP rs9467596 and rs2096386 of the SLC17A1 gene may have a correlation between hyperuricemia and alcohol drinking among Uygur patients.

Adult ; Aged ; Alcohol Drinking ; ethnology ; genetics ; Alleles ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; genetics ; China ; Ethnic Groups ; genetics ; Female ; Gene Frequency ; Genetic Predisposition to Disease ; ethnology ; genetics ; Genotype ; Humans ; Hyperuricemia ; ethnology ; genetics ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Odds Ratio ; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide ; Risk Factors ; Sodium-Phosphate Cotransporter Proteins, Type I ; genetics ; Young Adult

The autonomic nervous function, blood pressure, coordinate motor and blood alcohol Concentration (BAG) of twenty-one healthy Han volunteers were examined before and after alcohol intake. The purpose was to assess the acute effects of low and moderate doses of alcohol on their coordinate motor and autonomic nervous function. The results showed that after alcohol intake the subjects' heart rate increased and the total power value (TPV) decreased significantly. After the intake of alcohol at low dose, the parasympathetic nervous function of the subjects lying supoine was inhibited significantly. After the intake of alcohol at moderate dose, both the parasympathetic and the sympathetic nervous functions were inhibited. After the intake of alcohol at low dose, both the systolic pressure and the diastolic pressure of the subjects standing up-right were decreased and the diastolic pressure of those lying supine were also decreased. After the intake of alcohol at moderate dose, the systolic and diastolic pressures of the subjects, either lying supine or standing up-right, were decreased. Some subjects showed ataxia after the intake of alcohol at low dose ,and some showed aggravated ataxia after intake of alcohol at moderate dose of alcohol. There was no relationship of BAG with the degree of changes in autonomic nervous function, blood pressure and ataxia. The results indicated that ataxia was induced to come on and the autonomic nervous function was inhibited in some subjects who had taken low and moderate doses of alcohol ,and the cardiovascular regulation was affected too. These suggested that the increase of alcohol intake is adverse to human body's adaptation to the sharp change of circumstance.
Adult ; Alcohol Drinking ; Autonomic Nervous System ; drug effects ; physiology ; Blood Pressure ; drug effects ; China ; ethnology ; Electrocardiography ; drug effects ; Ethanol ; administration & dosage ; adverse effects ; Female ; Gait Ataxia ; chemically induced ; Heart Rate ; drug effects ; Humans ; Male