Behavioral Medicine ; Humans ; Public Health ; methods

Public Health ; economics ; Social Support

Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Facial Paralysis ; therapy ; Female ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Needles ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVETo explore the pattern of transmission of human immunodeficiency virus through risky sexual behaviors (RSB) in floating workers coming from the countryside to the cities.

METHODSData were collected anonymously through a structured questionnaire survey in 1595 men from Hangzhou and Guangzhou cities, using a multi-stage sampling method. Data from both preliminary analyses and multivariate regression analysis would show the cumulative adoption of RSB over time and the identification of factors associated with the adoption in this population from the two areas.

RESULTS57.9% - 88.1% of the study samples with the pre-stage RSB (receiving shampoo, massage or leisure-seeking activities from "sexual workers") and 79.9% of those with commercial RSB were initiated during the period when they were working away from their home-towns. The highest adoption rate (15.2% - 26.8%) was happened in the third month after moving to the urban areas for pre-stage RSB, while the highest rate (14.4%) was noticed in the sixth month for the commercial ones. The transition interval between the two behaviors was around 3 months. The cumulative rate was peaked from 57.3% to 70.4% for pre-stage RSB and 48.9% for commercial RSB. The cumulative adoption curves showed that the robust increment was more pronounced in the pre-stage than in the commercial RSB. Most of the early adopters were married and holding higher hedonistic beliefs for the commercial RSB. Communication of sex information and behavioral adoption of RSB was associated with the perceived stress and hedonistic beliefs.

CONCLUSIONRSB epidemics seemed to be social and group phenomena, suggesting that related social strategies should be developed in order to control the RSB in this population.

Adult ; China ; Employment ; HIV Infections ; transmission ; Humans ; Male ; Risk-Taking ; Rural Population ; Sex Work ; Sexual Behavior ; Social Behavior ; Urban Population

Objective To explore the association between psychiatric disorders and socioeconomic status such as education,income,employment and area of community settings in Zhejiang province.Methods Data were from the epidemiological survey of mental illnesses aged 15 and older in 2001(n=14 632).Psychiatric disorders were measured by GHQ-12 with a cut-point 4.Logistic multilevel analysis was the main statistical method being used.Results The overall prevalence of psychiatric disorders was 18.5%(95% confidence intervals,17.9% to 19.1%),higher than the data from Hebei province(u=4.39,P＜0.001).Annual household income and employment were strongly associated with psychiatric disorders especially for those with low income(odds ratio 3.45,95%CI:1.72-6.67)and unemployment(odds ratio 2.03,95%CI:1.73-2.40).Factors as regional effect and education level showed weak or inconsistent association with psychiatric disorders after controlling on other indicators.Conclusion Inverse gradient relation between psychiatric disorders and SES seemed as the main result of low SES individual characteristics and some minor effects at the county level.

Background: As a traditional Chinese medicine, Cordyceps sinensis (CS) possesses a variety of immunoregulatory properties. This study aimed to explore the therapeutic potential of CS in a mice model of multiple sclerosis (MS)?experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE). Methods: Female C57BL/6 mice were immunized with myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein35–55 to induce EAE, followed by an instant intragastric feeding with a low dosage of CS (low?CS group, n = 5), high dosage of CS (high?CS group, n = 5), or the same volume of normal saline (control group, n = 5).All the mice were observed for clinical assessment. Over the 30 days of CS treatment, flow cytometry was used to detect the frequency of helper T?cell (Th) subsets, Th1 and Th17, and CD4+ CD25+ regulatory T cells in the spleen and lymph nodes. Meanwhile, pathological changes in brain were determined using both hematoxylin?eosin and luxol fast blue staining. Data were analyzed using the one?way analysis of variance (ANOVA). Results: Over the 15 and 30 days of CS treatment, the clinical assessment for EAE demonstrated that both high?CS group (2.51 ± 0.31 and 2.26 ± 0.39 scores, respectively) and low?CS group (2.99 ± 0.40 and 2.69 ± 0.46, respectively) had lower disease severity scores than those of control group (3.57 ± 0.53 and 3.29 ± 0.53, all P < 0.01, respectively). Meanwhile, after 15 and 30 days, the high?CS group (19.18 ± 1.34 g and 20.41 ± 1.56 g, respectively) and low?CS group (18.07 ± 1.18 g and 19.48 ± 1.69 g, respectively) had a lower body weight, as compared with control group (16.85 ± 1.15 g and 18.22 ± 1.63 g, all P < 0.01, respectively).At 30 days post?CS treatment, there was a lower Th1 frequency in the lymph nodes (2.85 ± 1.54% and 2.77 ± 1.07% vs. 5.35 ± 1.34%, respectively; P < 0.05) and spleens (3.96 ± 1.09% and 3.09 ± 0.84% vs. 5.07 ± 1.50%, respectively; P < 0.05) and less inflammatory infiltration and demyelination in the brain of CS?treated mice than that of control group. Conclusions: Our preliminary study demonstrated that CS efficiently alleviated EAE severity and EAE?related pathology damage and decreased the number of Th1s in the periphery, indicating its effectiveness in the treatment of murine EAE. Thus, our findings strongly support the therapeutic potential of this agent as a new traditional Chinese medicine approach in MS treatment.

OBJECTIVETo discuss application of structural equation model (SEM) approach in epidemiological research.

METHODSA brief overview on major components of SEM, statistical assumptions underlying the use of SEM, and current software available to users and how SEM can be used were discussed through a practical epidemiological research project.

RESULTSAdvantages of SEM comparing with conventional epidemiological approach were shown. SEM, having the nature of comprehensive thinking and analytic approach, not only exploring the association between factors and diseases but also among factors. It also served a confirmatory, rather than exploratory approach on data modeling, as well as having the capability of correcting estimates by separating measurement error from the equations, to provide modeling the latent variables.

CONCLUSIONSEM approach could be used in epidemiological research as having some advantages comparing with conventional epidemiological approaches.

Epidemiologic Methods ; Epidemiology ; Factor Analysis, Statistical ; Humans ; Models, Biological ; Research Design

BACKGROUND:Surgical treatment for pigmented vil onodular synovitis can maximize the excision of synovial lesions and recovery of joint function.
OBJECTIVE:To investigate the knee joint function and relapse rate fol owing treatment of pigmented vil onodular synovitis with total knee replacement and arthroscopic synovectomy.
METHODS:We retrospectively analyzed 34 cases of knee pigmented vil onodular synovitis admitted for surgical treatment in the Department of Orthopedics, Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, China from December 2006 to December 2011. In these cases, 24 patients received arthroscopic synovectomy and 10 patients were subjected to total knee replacement. Adjuvant radiotherapy was conducted according to postoperative patient’s conditions. Lysholm scoring was employed in the arthroscopic synovectomy group, and American Knee Society scoring was used in the total knee replacement group. Knee function in two groups was compared before and after treatment. Fol ow-up observation was performed to compare knee function recovery and relapse rate between two groups.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:Thirty-four patients were effectively fol owed up for 12-66 months, mean 41.3 months. Statistical analysis showed that in the arthroscopic synovectomy group, the postoperative Lysholm score was (86.3± 10.3) points, significantly higher than the preoperative score which was (55.5±13.2) points (t=3.81, P=0.016, P<0.05). In the total knee arthroplasty group, the American Knee Society score was increased from (40.7±2.2) points preoperatively to (90.2±1.1) points postoperatively (t=6.27, P<0.01). In the arthroscopic synovectomy group, the American Knee Society score was increased from (34.2±3.9) points preoperatively to (80.8±1.9) points postoperatively (t=16.58, P<0.01). Arthroscopic synovectomy combined with adjuvant radiotherapy can achieve better outcomes in pigmented vil onodular synovitis patients, while the total knee replacement for advanced with advanced knee diffuse pigmented vil onodular synovitis is better to restore knee function and the recurrence rate is low.

OBJECTIVETo examine the applicability of Chinese Health Questionnaire (Taiwan version) (CHQ) originated from General Health Questionnaire (GHQ) for mental disorder screening in community settings in mainland China.

METHODSA pilot study was conducted in Hangzhou (n = 377). Three thousand seven hundred and seven subjects were recruited from four cities to validate the results of the pilot study. Validation of the Screening Questionnaire was analyzed, using Relative Operating Characteristic (ROC) method.

RESULTSCronbach's alpha coefficients were calculated to be 0.79 for the 12-items and 0.89 for 30-items to CHQ version in the first sample, and 0.74 in the second sample (12-items). Four factors were extracted from the CHQ-30, including somatic symptoms, anxiety and worry, social dysfunction, poor family relationship, and depression. CHQ-12 could be explained by a single factor in both samples. The areas under ROC were 0.80 (95% CI: 0.70 - 0.89) for 12 items and 0.72 (95% CI: 0.62 - 0.82) for 30 items. The sensitivities of CHQ-12 and CHQ-30 were found to be 76.9% and 71.8%, and the specificities were 73.8% and 67.9% with Kappa value 0.44 (P = 0.00) and 0.38 (P = 0.00), respectively. The estimated rates of mental disorder were 18.13% (95% CI: 14.16 - 22.10) by CHQ-12, and 22.80% (95% CI: 18.19 - 27.11) by CHQ-30 in the first sample and the rates were 21.72% (95% CI: 20.39 - 23.05) by CHQ-12 in the second sample.

CONCLUSIONCHQ, especially CHQ-12 through slight language modification, could be used for epidemiological studies and on community health care to screen for mental disorder in the mainland of China.

Adult ; Aged ; China ; epidemiology ; Female ; Health ; Humans ; Male ; Mass Screening ; Mental Disorders ; epidemiology ; Middle Aged ; Pilot Projects ; Surveys and Questionnaires

OBJECTIVETo explore the stress related problems and risk factors among urban residents in the social transition period.

METHODSSamples including 3 666 subjects came from Hangzhou, Guangzhou, Chongqing and Taiyuan under multi-stage sampling procedure. Data were collected through a household interviewing survey. Stress was measured by the Chinese Perceived Stress Scales (CPSS). Distribution of health risk stress (HRS), high level stress were described along the demographic dimension. Multivariate logistic analysis was used to identify the predictors of HRS.

RESULTSCPSS was found to have good validity and reliability among this study sample. The mean score for the total sample was 24.22 +/- 5.81 and the overall prevalence of HRS was 44.54% (95% CI: 42.90 - 46.12). The difference between male (42.95%) and female (46.30%) was statistically significant (P < 0.05). The rate of HRS decreased with age, with the highest rate (59.29%) among those less than 21 years old. The rate of HRS also decreased as educational level increased and differed significantly by occupation. High school students, people who had never been employed and those who had lost their jobs had the highest rates of HRS. The rate of HRS was also related to marriage status, household's economic level, and the level of the social engagement of the subjects.

CONCLUSIONStress experienced by the urban residents became a serious health problem which requires special attention to be paid to certain subgroups in the population.

Adult ; Age Factors ; Aged ; China ; epidemiology ; Educational Status ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Sex Factors ; Social Environment ; Stress, Psychological ; epidemiology ; Urban Health