Objective: To investigate the prevalence of current smoking and smoking cessation, and identify the influencing factors among hypertensive patients in Nanshan District, Shenzhen City, so as to provide insights into smoking control among hypertensive patients. Methods: The demographic features, life style, status of smoking and smoking cessation in hypertensive patients were collected from 69 community health centers in Nanshan District from 2017 to 2019. The gender- and age-specific prevalence of smoking and smoking cessation was estimated among hypertensive patients, and the factors affecting hypertensive patients' smoking and smoking cessation were identified using a multivariable logistic regression model. Results: Totally 4 385 patients with hypertension were enrolled, with a mean age of (58.41±11.19) years, and the participants included 2 265 men (51.65%) and 2 120 women (48.35%). There were 724 current smokers, and the prevalence of current smoking was 16.51%, with 29.71% prevalence in males and 2.41% in females. There were 424 hypertensive patients quitting smoking, and the prevalence of smoking cessation was 36.93%, with 38.20% prevalence in males. Multivariable logistic regression analysis identified male ( OR=12.885, 95%CI: 9.567-17.354 ) and drinking ( OR=2.567, 95%CI: 2.118-3.111 ) as facilitating factors for current smoking among hypertensive patients, and increasing age (OR=0.723, 95%CI: 0.642-0.815) and high exercise frequency (OR=0.881, 95%CI: 0.817-0.950) as barrier factors, while male ( OR=7.309, 95%CI: 3.304-16.165), increasing age ( OR=1.381, 95%CI: 1.120-1.703 ), unmarried ( OR=1.819, 95%CI: 1.329-2.490 ), divorced ( OR=7.837, 95%CI: 1.254-48.975 ), retired ( OR=1.545, 95%CI: 1.095-2.180 ), unemployed (OR=1.801, 95%CI: 1.057-3.066), and high exercise frequency ( OR=1.221, 95%CI: 1.096-1.360 ) were identified as facilitating factors for smoking cessation among hypertensive patients and widowed ( OR=0.285, 95%CI: 0.089-0.906 ), high educational level ( OR=0.766, 95%CI: 0.619-0.949 ), and drinking ( OR=0.488, 95%CI: 0.368-0.647 ) as barrier factors. Conclusions The prevalence of smoking is lower, and the prevalence of smoking cessation is higher among hypertensive patients than among general populations in Nanshan District. Young and middle-aged, employed, widowed men with a high educational level are key populations for tobacco control, and alcohol consumption control and intensified exercises are important measures to reduce the prevalence of smoking and improve the prevalence of smoking cessation.

Objective: To investigate the status and identify the influencing factors of smoking behaviors among residents in Nanshan District, Shenzhen City, so as to provide insights into tobacco control. Methods: Permanent residents at ages of more than 18 years were recruited from 17 communities in Nanshan District, Shenzhen City using the stratified multistage random sampling method from July to November, 2018. Participants' demographic features, smoking, smoking cessation and exposure to secondhand smoke were collected using the Individual Questionnaire for 2018 Chinese Adult Chronic Disease and Nutrition Surveillance. The factors affecting current smoking were identified using a multivariable logistic regression model. Results: Totally 1 700 questionnaires were allocated, and 1 625 valid questionnaires were recovered, with an effective recovery rate of 95.59%. The respondents included 714 men and 911 women, with a male to female ratio of 1∶1.27, and had a mean age of ( 45.13±13.59 ) years. The prevalence of current smoking was 15.51%, with 28.15% prevalence in men and 5.60% in women. The mean age of starting daily smoke was ( 21.00±5.52 ) years, and the mean daily smoking frequency was (13.53±9.15) cigarettes/d. The prevalence of smoking cessation was 6.58%, with 10.64% in men and 3.40% in women, and the prevalence of exposure to secondhand smoke was 41.42%, including 46.63% in men and 37.32% in women. Multivariable logistic regression analysis showed that an educational level of junior high school ( OR=1.683, 95%CI: 1.088-2.602 ), an educational level of high school/technical secondary school/vocational school (OR=1.687, 95%CI: 1.185-2.402), an occupation of farmers ( OR=2.514, 95%CI: 1.404-4.500 ), and an occupation of commercial and service personnel ( OR=1.939, 95%CI: 1.093-3.439 ) were associated with current smoking. Conclusion The prevalence of current smoking is low among residents in Nanshan District, but the prevalence of current smoking in women is higher than the national level. Educational level and occupation are main factors affecting current smoking.

Objective: To induce hypospadias in male rat offspring by maternal exposure to di-n-butyl phthalate (DBP) during late pregnancy and further investigate its mechanisms. METHODS: We randomly divided 20 pregnant rats into a DBP exposure and a control group, the former treated intragastrically with DBP while the latter with soybean oil at 750 mg per kilogram of the body weight per day from gestation days (GD) 14 to 18. On postnatal day (PND) 1, we recorded the incidence rate of hypospadias and observed the histopathological changes in the genital tubercle of the hypospadiac rats. We also measured the level of serum testosterone (T) by radioimmunoassay and determined the mRNA and protein expressions of the androgen receptor (AR), sonic hedgehog (Shh), bone morphogenetic protein 4 (Bmp4) and fibroblast growth factor 8 (Fgf8) in the genital tubercle by real-time PCR and Western blot. RESULTS: No hypospadiac male rats were found in the control group. The incidence rate of hypospadias in male offspring was 43.6% in the DBP-treatment group. Histological analysis confirmed hypospadiac malformation. The serum testosterone concentration was decreased in the hypospadiac male rats as compared with the controls (［0.49 ± 0.05］ vs ［1.12 ± 0.05］ ng/ml, P <0.05). The mRNA expressions of AR, Shh, Bmp4 and Fgf8 in the genital tubercle were significantly lower in the hypospadiac male rats than in the controls (AR: 0.50 ± 0.05 vs 1.00 ± 0.12, P <0.05; Shh: 0.65 ± 0.07 vs 1.00 ± 0.15, P <0.05; Bmp4: 0.42 ± 0.05 vs 1.00 ± 0.13, P <0.05; Fgf8: 0.46 ± 0.04 vs 1.00 ± 0.12, P <0.05), and so were their protein expressions (AR: 0.34 ± 0.05 vs 1.00 ± 0.09, P <0.05; Shh: 0.51 ± 0.07 vs 1.00 ± 0.12, P <0.05; Bmp4: 0.43 ± 0.05 vs 1.00 ± 0.11, P <0.05; Fgf8: 0.57 ± 0.04 vs 1.00 ± 0.13, P <0.05). CONCLUSIONS Maternal exposure to DBP during late pregnancy can induce hypospadias in the male rat offspring. DBP affects the development of the genital tubercle by reducing the serum T concentration and expressions of AR, Shh, Bmp4 and Fgf8 in the genital tubercle, which might underlie the mechanism of DBP inducing hypospadias.
Animals ; Body Weight ; Bone Morphogenetic Protein 4 ; blood ; Dibutyl Phthalate ; toxicity ; Female ; Fibroblast Growth Factor 8 ; blood ; Hedgehog Proteins ; blood ; Hypospadias ; blood ; chemically induced ; pathology ; Male ; Maternal Exposure ; Plasticizers ; toxicity ; Pregnancy ; RNA, Messenger ; blood ; Random Allocation ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Receptors, Androgen ; blood ; Soybean Oil ; Testosterone ; blood