OBJECTIVETo understand the use of lipidemia related assistant examinations and lipid-lowering agents, the clinical ability among physicians in district and community hospitals in Beijing, and to evaluate the capability of dislipidemia diagnosis and treatment in these hospitals.

METHODSA survey was carried out in 42 hospitals in Chaoyang and Haidian district, including 9 district level hospitals, and the rest were at the community level. Questionnaire survey and in-depth interview were used to collect information from the leaders of related departments in those hospitals. A total number of 632 physicians in those hospitals were investigated, using a close book examination.

RESULTS100% of the hospitals could perform TC and TG tests; 87.5% and 72.5% of the hospitals had medications as statins and bile acid, respectively; 100% of the hospitals could test ALT and 40.0% of the hospitals could test CK. The correct rates of selecting treatment strategy and determining the appropriate treatment goals were 53.7% and 17.6%, respectively.

CONCLUSIONThe hardware condition of community hospitals seem to have satisfied the implicit requirements of dyslipidemia evaluation and treatment but it was essential to improve the knowledge and ability among physicians in community hospitals.

China ; Data Collection ; Dyslipidemias ; diagnosis ; therapy ; Hospitals, Community ; statistics & numerical data ; Humans ; Practice Patterns, Physicians'

OBJECTIVETo describe the prevalence of metabolic syndrome (MS) in Jiangsu province, using IDF 2005 and ATP III 2005 definition.

METHODSMultistage cluster sampling method was used and the participants were interviewed by trained health workers under a structured questionnaire. The number of research subjects was 5888. Fasting plasma glucose (FPG), blood lipids, body mass index, blood pressure (BP) of all sample population (5888 subjects) were measured.

RESULTSThe prevalence of MS was 17.48% by IDF 2005 definition and 21.95% by ATP lII 2005 definition. Women had higher prevalence than men (P < 0.01). The prevalence of MS increased with age. Abrupt increase of the prevalence started at age of 50 in women. The prevalence varied by education, marital status, occupation and income. People from the urban and the south had a higher prevalence than from the rural and from the northern part of the country. The most common combination of MS individual components were 1) central obesity, dislipidemia and high BP; 2) central obesity, dislipidemia, high BP and high FPG.

CONCLUSIONThe prevalence of MS was high in Jiangsu province. Clustering of MS components was common. It is necessary to discuss the cut-off points of central obesity for the waist circumference diagnostic criteria of MS in Chinese population. The importance of prevention of MS should be strengthened both by health professionals and the government.

China ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Metabolic Syndrome ; epidemiology ; Middle Aged ; Obesity, Abdominal ; epidemiology ; Prevalence ; Waist Circumference

OBJECTIVETo study the effect of maternal nutrition status on child growth in China.

METHODSThe study was performed using data from 2002 China Nutrition Health Survey in which data were collected through stratified multi-stage cluster samples in 31 provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities. Accroding to the height of women aged 18-44 y was 156.4 cm, the data on mother and children' weight and height/length (n = 1380) were analyzed.

RESULTSThe findings suggest child's length (age 2) were significantly correlated with maternal heights (P < 0.0001). The mean length in children born to mothers with a height below 156.4 cm was 2.4 cm less than those in children born to mothers with a height above 156.4 cm. The prevalence of stunting in children at age 2 born to mothers with a height below 156 cm was 2.07 times of that in children born to mothers with a height above 156 cm. Therefore, the risk for stunting in children at 2 is lower in children born to mothers with greater height.

CONCLUSIONThe maternal nutrition status could have a significant influence on children physical development.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Body Height ; Child ; Child Development ; Child, Preschool ; China ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Female ; Humans ; Maternal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena ; Pregnancy ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVE1) To estimate annual direct medical costs of coronary heart disease (CHD) and stroke attributable to hypertension among Chinese adults aged 35-74 years in China, 2) to analyze the correlation between the hypertension awareness and hypertension treatment rate.

METHODS2003 National Health Services Survey (n = 93 018) was used to derive direct medical costs including costs for outpatient visits, physician services, inpatient stays, rehabilitation services, nurses fees, and medications. The medical costs of CHD and stroke attributable to hypertension were estimated by multiplying population attributable risk proportion by corresponding disease costs. Using 2002 National Nutrition and Health Survey (n = 148 804), the prevalence of hypertension awareness and hypertension treatment rate in 132 survey sites were calculated. Correlation was used to analyze the correlation between the two variables.

RESULTSThe direct medical costs of hypertension, CHD and stroke were 20.2, 15.7 and 24.3 billion Yuan, respectively. The medical costs attributable to hypertension were estimated at 19.1 billion Yuan (RMB), accounting for 47.7% of the total medical costs of the two chronic diseases. The prevalence of hypertension awareness is highly correlated with hypertension treatment rate (r = 0.9777, P < 0.0001).

CONCLUSIONThe economic burden of CHD and stroke attributable to hypertension is very high, reaching about 50% of the total medical costs of the two diseases. The prevalence of hypertension awareness could be used as an important indicator to evaluate the effectiveness of hypertension prevention and control at community level.

China ; Coronary Disease ; economics ; etiology ; Cost of Illness ; Data Collection ; Health Care Costs ; statistics & numerical data ; Humans ; Hypertension ; complications ; Stroke ; economics ; etiology

OBJECTIVETo examine the association of dietary patterns with chronic diseases and their indicators.

METHODSUsing the data from 2002 National Nutrition and Health Survey, we divided the subjects into clusters according to their dietary patterns classified by different percentage of energy intake from cereal foods, carbohydrate and fat, respectively. The analysis of variance was used to identify the difference in chronic disease prevalence across clusters of subjects while controlling for age, gender and geographic regions. Logistic regression analysis was applied to calculate the odd ratios (OR) for association of chronic disease and each dietary pattern, after adjusted for age, gender, region, energy intake, leisure time.

RESULTSThe higher percentage of energy intake from cereals was significantly associated with lower body mass index (BMI), lower total cholesterol (TC) and low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C). While it was significantly associated with lower risk for overweight/obesity, hypertension, high total cholesterol, high triglyceride (TG) and high LDL-C, but the prevalence of underweight was significantly higher in the cluster of subjects with cereal energy share more than 75%. The higher percentage of energy intake from fat was significantly associated with higher BMI, higher total cholesterol and higher LDL-C, which accordingly, was significantly associated with higher risk for overweight/obesity, hypertension, high total cholesterol, triglyceride and high LDL-C.

CONCLUSIONOur study confirmed the important role of dietary pattern in chronic disease control; in particular, appropriate percentage of energy intake from fat and cereals/carbohydrates are beneficial to control and prevention of chronic diseases.

China ; epidemiology ; Chronic Disease ; epidemiology ; prevention & control ; Diet ; Dietary Carbohydrates ; Dietary Fats ; Humans ; Nutrition Surveys ; Odds Ratio

China ; Data Collection ; Safety ; Wounds and Injuries ; prevention & control

OBJECTIVETo study the effect of Oncomelania hupensis hupensis of niclosamide, and exploring the main influencing factors.

METHODSThe samples of Oncomelania hupensis hupensis were collected from 37 sampling sites in 33 counties of 10 provinces by means of stratified random sampling methods in accordance with the categories of Oncomelania hupensis hupensis habitats. Samples were randomly located into study group and control group. Oncomelania hupensis hupensis of the study group was marinated in different concentration liquor of niclosamide which was confected with water for 24 hours or 48 hours, then LC50 of niclosamide by which Oncomelania hupensis hupensis was killed and amount calculated. The influencing factors of the mortality of Oncomelania hupensis hupensis in the study group was statistically analyzed by 2 test and by multiple logistic regression using SPSS 13.0 statistical software.

RESULTSThe mortality of Oncomelania hupensis hupensis of the two test groups which were marinated in 0.5 mg/L liquor for 48 hours and 1.0 mg/L liquor for 24 hours was 100%. The effect of Oncomelania hupensis hupensis killed by niclosamide was markedly reduced along with the reduction of drug concentration. The average LC50 rates of niclosamide liquor by which Oncomelania hupensis hupensis killed for the 24 hours and 48 hours in the study group, were 0.0939 mg/L and 0.0625 mg/L, respectively. There was significant difference between the two test groups (chi(2) = 5.001, P <0.01) . In determinate range of concentration, the mortality of Oncomelania hupensis hupensis showed significant difference among the geographic types of habitat ( chi(2) = 4.264, P < 0.05). By means of multiple logistic regression using SPSS 13.0 statistical software, the estimate value of coefficient of regression on the influence factors, drug concentration, test time and the geographic types of habitat were 2. 047 ( OR = 5. 573), 0.263 ( OR = 2.924) and 0. 187- 0.210 ( OR = 1.969- 2. 560), respectively.

CONCLUSIONNiclosamide could kill Oncomelania hupensis hupensis effectively. The main influencing factors on the efficacy of niclosamide by which Oncomelania hupensis hupensis was killed, appeared to be drug concentration, time of testing and the geographic types of habitat.

Animals ; China ; Ecosystem ; Molluscacides ; toxicity ; Niclosamide ; toxicity ; Snails ; drug effects

OBJECTIVETo introduce the concept, methods for calculation and application of "number needed to be screened" (NNBS) in epidemiologic studies.

METHODSThe concept of "number needed to treat" (NNT) was extended for disease screening strategies. For the purpose of illustration, the values of number needed to invite for screening (NNI) and number needed to be screened (NNBS) were calculated on the basis of the results from two randomized controlled screening trials--Nottingham randomized controlled trial of faecal-occult-blood screening for colorectal cancer and Swedish mammographic screening trial for breast cancer in two counties.

RESULTSIn order to prevent one death from the colorectal cancer among local people aged from 45 to 74 during the 14 years of follow-up, the NNI and NNBS for faecal-occult-blood screening program were 1220 and 665, respectively. In addition, in order to prevent one death from breast cancer among local women aged 40-74 during 8 years of follow-up, the NNI and NNBS for mammographic screening program were 1961 and 1494, respectively.

CONCLUSIONCompared with the traditional indices, NNBS can evaluate the overall effectiveness of a screening program in an intuitively understandable manner so as to facilitate the communication among medical researchers, health workers, health policy makers and the public.

Breast Neoplasms ; diagnosis ; epidemiology ; prevention & control ; Colorectal Neoplasms ; diagnosis ; epidemiology ; prevention & control ; Epidemiologic Studies ; Humans ; Mass Screening ; statistics & numerical data ; Sample Size

OBJECTIVETo study the plasma homocysteine (Hcy) distributive characteristics in different sex and age groups of the community residents in Guangdong, and to analyze its associated factors as well as its effects on cerebral artery stenosis.

METHODSIn this study, we presented data concerning 2500 residents who had undergone a systematic health checkup,including clinical and biologic examinations. Plasma was saved from 1020 residents who were asymptomatic but having TCD examination. Hcy concentration was measured by fluorescence ration biochemical assay kit.

RESULTSThe average plasma Hcy levels of males (15.0 micromol/L+/-5.8 micromol/L) were significantly higher than those of females (12.4 micromol/L-I 3.9 micromol/L, P< 0.05). Hcy level increased parallel with age. The prevalence rate of hyperhomocysteinemia in males (47.2%) was higher than in females (23.2%). Hcy levels in MCA stenosis group (18.3 micromol/L+ 5.3 micromol/L) were significantly higher than that in control group (12.9 micromol/L+/- 4.6 micromol/L, P< 0.05). Based on logistic regression analysis, Hcy was only associated with sex and age, but not with blood lipids etc.

CONCLUSIONHcy levels were different in sex and age groups which emerged as independent predictors of hyperhomocysteinemia but had no association with blood lipids in the community residents, suggesting that hyperhomocysteinemia might worsen cerebral artery stenosis.

China ; epidemiology ; Female ; Homocysteine ; blood ; Humans ; Hyperhomocysteinemia ; epidemiology ; Male ; Prevalence ; Reference Values

OBJECTIVETo understand the current status of treatment among inpatients of tuberculosis (TB) in general hospitals, and to related to different attrributes.

METHODSA retrospective study was designed for inpatients with TB who were discharged from general hospitals in Nachong region, 2003. Factors associated with the results of treatment were selected, using Chi-square test. Further correspondence analysis (CA) was used to visualize the relationship between attributes of inpatients and results of treatment in general hospitals.

RESULTSStatistically significant factors associated with treatment results would include gender, age, state of illness at access to hospital, comorbidity and length of stay, while ways of payment, occupation and marital status were not statistically significant. The joint plot of CA showed results as follows: (1) Attributes of inpatients died in general hospitals were clearly different from that of cured or improved inpatients. (2) Result of hospitalization on treatment was more likely to be 'improved' for TB inpatients who were male, aged > or = 15 yrs, and with urgent condition when administered into the hospitals. (3) Result of cure was likely to be seen among inpatients who were female, length of stay >8 days, with no comorbidity, and with average illness state when accessing to hospitals. (4) Bad treatment results were appeared for inpatients younger than 15 yrs, with critical state when administered to hospitals.

CONCLUSION(1)CA provided us with a new way on how to extract useful information from miscellaneous data of the patients. (2) The relationships between the results of treatment from the general hospitals and TB inpatients' attributes might provide tips to develop a series of corresponding strategies for treating TB inpatients with special attributes in order to obtain higher cure rate.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Age Factors ; China ; Female ; Hospitals, General ; Humans ; Inpatients ; Length of Stay ; Male ; Quality of Health Care ; Retrospective Studies ; Sex Factors ; Tuberculosis ; drug therapy