Inner Mongolia autonomous region of China and Mongolia are the primary regions where Chinese and Mongolian medicine and its medicinal plant resources are distributed. In this study, 133 families, 586 genera, and 1 497 species of medicinal plants in Inner Mongolia as well as 62 families, 261 genera, and 467 species of medicinal plants in Mongolia were collected through field investigation, specimen collection and identification, and literature research. And the species, geographic distribution, and influencing factors of the above medicinal plants were analyzed. The results revealed that there were more plant species utilized for medicinal reasons in Inner Mongolia than in Mongolia. Hotspots emerged in Hulunbuir, Chifeng, and Tongliao of Inner Mongolia, while there were several hotspots in Eastern province, Sukhbaatar province, Gobi Altai province, Bayankhongor province, Middle Gobi province, Kobdo province, South Gobi province, and Central province of Mongolia. The interplay of elevation and climate made a non-significant overall contribution to the diversity of plant types in Inner Mongolia and Mongolia. The contribution of each factor increased significantly when the vegetation types of Inner Mongolia and Mongolia were broadly divided into forest, grassland and desert. Thus, the distribution of medicinal plant resources and vegetation cover were jointly influenced by a variety of natural factors such as topography, climate and interactions between species, and these factors contributed to and constrained each other. This study provided reference for sustainable development and rational exploitation of medicinal plant resources in future.
Humans ; Plants, Medicinal ; Mongolia ; Climate ; Medicine, Mongolian Traditional ; China

BACKGROUND: Tuberculosis (TB) and indoor air pollution (IAP) are equally critical public health issues in the developing world. Mongolia is experiencing the double burden of TB and IAP due to solid fuel combustion. However, no study has assessed the relationship between household solid fuel use and TB in Mongolia. The present study aimed to assess the association between household solid fuel use and TB based on data from the Mongolian National Tuberculosis Prevalence Survey (MNTP Survey). METHOD: The MNTP Survey was a nationally representative population-based cross-sectional survey targeting households in Mongolia from 2014 to 2015, with the aim of evaluating the prevalence of TB. The survey adopted a multistage cluster sampling design in accordance with the World Health Organization prevalence survey guidelines. Clusters with at least 500 residents were selected by random sampling. A sample size of 98 clusters with 54,100 participants was estimated to be required for the survey, and 41,450 participants were included in the final analysis of the present study. A structured questionnaire was used to collect information on environmental and individual factors related to TB. Physical examination, chest X-ray, and sputum examinations were also performed to diagnose TB. RESULTS: The use of solid fuels for heating (adjusted odds ratio (aOR): 1.5; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.1-2.1), male gender (aOR: 2.2; 95% CI: 1.6-3.2), divorced or widowed (aOR: 2.6; 95% CI: 1.7-3.8), daily smoker (aOR: 1.8; 95% CI: 1.3-2.5), contact with an active TB case (aOR: 1.7; 95% CI: 1.2-2.3), being underweight (aOR: 3.7; 95% CI: 2.4-5.7), and previous history of TB (aOR: 4.3; 95% CI: 3.0-6.1) were significantly associated with bacteriologically confirmed TB after adjusting for confounding variables. CONCLUSION The use of solid fuels for heating was significantly associated with active TB in Mongolian adults. Increased public awareness is needed on the use of household solid fuels, a source of IAP.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Air Pollution, Indoor/adverse effects* ; Cooking ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Female ; Heating/adverse effects* ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Mongolia/epidemiology* ; Prevalence ; Tuberculosis/epidemiology* ; Young Adult

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to explore psychological distress and examine the relationship between this distress and individual, family, and school factors among adolescents in four low- and middle-income countries (LAMICs) in Asia (i.e., Laos, Mongolia, Nepal, and Sri Lanka). METHODS: A total of 4,098 adolescents attending public schools in the four LAMICs were surveyed as part of the Healthy School Development Project, which aimed to develop school capacity for improving (1) health among all school members and (2) the school environment through tailored school health programs. Psychological distress, family factors (i.e., parental understanding and monitoring, and parental tobacco and alcohol use), and school factors (i.e., having close friends, not bullied, school attendance, and health education) were assessed using self-report questionnaires. Data were collected from September to November in 2012 and 2013. Data analysis comprised descriptive statistics, Chi-squared testing, and logistic regression. RESULTS: Over half of the participants were women (53.2%–64.1%), and 33.7% (in Sri Lanka) to 53.8% (in Laos) were aged older than 15 years. Approximately 32.9% reported the presence of psychological distress; moreover, 7.9%–13.2% reported suicidal ideation. Parental monitoring and being bullied were associated with psychological distress in all four countries. CONCLUSION: One-third of adolescents experience psychological distress across these four LAMICs, which poses a substantial public health issue. Adolescents can benefit from family and school-based approaches for screening, ameliorating, and preventing psychological distress.
Adolescent ; Asia ; Developing Countries ; Female ; Friends ; Humans ; Laos ; Logistic Models ; Mass Screening ; Mongolia ; Nepal ; Parents ; Public Health ; School Health Services ; Sri Lanka ; Statistics as Topic ; Stress, Psychological ; Suicidal Ideation ; Tobacco

OBJECTIVE: We aimed to evaluate the combined effects of a high body shape index (ABSI) and a high serum C-reactive protein (CRP) level on the incidence of ischemic stroke in a Mongolian population in China. METHODS: A prospective cohort study was conducted among 2,589 participants from June 2002 to July 2012 in Inner Mongolia, China. The participants were categorized into 4 groups according to their level of ABSI and CRP. Cox proportional hazards models were used to assess the hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for ischemic stroke among all groups. RESULTS: The multivariate adjusted HRs (95% CI) of ischemic stroke for high ABSI and high CRP level were 1.46 (0.89-2.39) and 1.63 (0.95-2.79), respectively. Compared with the low ABSI/low CRP level group, the multivariate adjusted HRs (95% CI) of ischemic stroke in the low ABSI/high CRP, high ABSI/low CRP, and high ABSI/high CRP groups were 1.04 (0.46-2.35), 1.06 (0.58-1.95) and 2.52 (1.27-5.00), respectively. The HR of ischemic stroke for the high ABSI/high CRP level group was the highest and most statistically significant. CONCLUSION We found that participants with simultaneously high ABSI and high CRP levels had the highest risk of ischemic stroke in the Mongolian population. Our findings suggest that the combination of high ABSI and high CRP levels may increase the risk of ischemic stroke.
Adult ; Aged ; Anthropometry ; Brain Ischemia ; epidemiology ; etiology ; C-Reactive Protein ; metabolism ; China ; epidemiology ; Female ; Humans ; Incidence ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Mongolia ; ethnology ; Proportional Hazards Models ; Prospective Studies ; Risk Factors ; Stroke ; epidemiology ; etiology

This paper investigates and counts the ethnic medicines of the Ewenki,Daur and Oroqen ethnic groups,which are known as the " Three Minorities" in Inner Mongolia. Through the methods of literature collection,interview investigation,and resource investigation,different ethnic medicines were collected on the main diseases,drug varieties,drug-injection sites,and drug administration methods. Through data statistics and SPSS analysis,the similarities and individual differences between the three ethnic groups were clarified. The results indicated the predicament of the current national medicine,which is helpful for the protection and inheritance of ethnic medicine.
China ; Ethnic Groups ; Ethnopharmacology ; Humans ; Mongolia

PURPOSE: Continuing professional development is essential for improving health care services, especially in developing countries. Most of the training programs in Mongolia were not based on a targeted needs assessment. Therefore, we aimed to apply a mixed methods design to assess the training needs of Mongolian health professions. METHODS: We conducted a needs assessment using a convergent parallel mixed methods design in two steps. The survey and interview questions were developed to identify priority areas, targeted trainees, and effective training methods. A survey on 60 respondents, 15 individual interviews, and a focus group interview with 14 participants were conducted in the first step. In the second step, 12 representatives of key stakeholders were invited to a second focus group interview. RESULTS: Current health policy areas, areas related to future national plans, and areas not currently receiving governmental or international support were suggested as the main priorities. The stakeholder suggested that trainees should be selected based on their professional experience and language level, as well as each hospital’s needs. Building teams including various professions, such as nurses, technicians, and biomedical engineers, was recommended as a way to exchange ideas with each other and to build teamwork for future collaboration. CONCLUSION: Medical training needs are dynamic and complex; therefore, a deep understanding of the context and setting is necessary. In this study, we assessed the targeted training needs of Mongolian health professions through a mixed methods design, which could be an effective way to conduct needs assessments for training programs.
Cooperative Behavior ; Delivery of Health Care ; Developing Countries ; Education ; Fellowships and Scholarships ; Focus Groups ; Health Occupations ; Health Policy ; Methods ; Mongolia ; Needs Assessment ; Surveys and Questionnaires

To further enrich the genetic data of the Chinese Xinjiang Mongolian group, the genetic distribution and forensic parameters of 19 autosomal short tandem repeats (STRs) were investigated. Altogether, 249 alleles were observed in these 19 STRs. The mean values of the polymorphism information content (PIC), match probability (MP), discrimination power (DP), and probability of exclusion (PE) for these 19 STRs were 0.7775, 0.0699, 0.9301, and 0.6085, respectively. Additionally, the cumulative DP and PE values obtained in the Mongolian group were 0.999 999 999 999 999 999 999 995 67 and 0.999 999 992 163, respectively. Furthermore, population genetic analysis of the Mongolian group and 20 published populations was conducted based on the population data of 15 overlapping STRs. Genetic distances indicated that the Mongolian group had closer genetic similarities with the Uyghur, Xibe, and other Chinese populations rather than the other continental populations. Multidimensional scaling analysis further revealed that the Mongolian group possessed similar genetic distributions as most Chinese populations. To sum it all up, these STRs could be used as an extremely efficient tool for forensic applications in the Xinjiang Mongolian group.
Alleles ; Asian People/genetics* ; China ; DNA Fingerprinting ; Databases, Genetic ; Ethnicity/genetics* ; Gene Frequency ; Genetic Markers ; Genetics, Population ; Genome, Human ; Humans ; Linkage Disequilibrium ; Microsatellite Repeats ; Mongolia ; Polymorphism, Genetic ; Principal Component Analysis ; Probability ; Software

The objective of this study was to evaluate the usefulness of the China-PAR equations in predicting the 10-year risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in the Inner Mongolians population. A population-based, prospective cohort of 2,589 Mongolians were followed up from 2003 to 2012. Participants were categorized into 4 subgroups according to their 10-year CVD risks calculated using the China-PAR equations: < 5%, 5%-9.9%, 10%-19.9%, and ⪖ 20%. The China-PAR equations discriminated well with good C statistics (range, 0.76-0.86). The adjusted hazard ratios for CVD showed an increasing trend among the 4 subgroups (P for trend < 0.01). However, the China-PAR equations underestimated the 10-year CVD risk in Mongolians, and the calibration was unsatisfactory (Hosmer-Lemeshow χ2 = 19.98, P < 0.01 for men, χ2 = 46.58, P < 0.001 for women). The performance of the China-PAR equations warrants further validation in other ethnic groups in China.
Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Cardiovascular Diseases ; epidemiology ; Cerebrovascular Disorders ; epidemiology ; China ; epidemiology ; Cohort Studies ; Female ; Humans ; Incidence ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Mongolia ; ethnology ; Proportional Hazards Models ; Prospective Studies ; Risk Assessment ; Risk Factors

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: College students are in transition from adolescence to adulthood, and it has been reported that they show poor dietary habits. This study was conducted to compare body image perception, nutrition knowledge, dietary attitudes, dietary habits, and health-related lifestyles between Korean college students (KCS) and Mongolian college students (MCS). SUBJECTS/METHODS: Subjects were 314 KCS and 280 MCS. The data includes results of self-administered questionnaires; statistical analysis was performed using the SPSS 23.0 program. RESULTS: With regards to body image perception, KCS perceived themselves to be fatter on current body image than ideal body image compared to MCS; 64.0% of KCS and 34.6% of MCS desired to be thinner. Total score of nutrition knowledge in KCS (17.0) was significantly higher compared to MCS (8.4) (P < 0.001), but total score of dietary attitudes in KCS (27.0) was significantly lower compared to MCS (31.2) (P < 0.001). Nutrition knowledge had a significantly positive correlation with dietary attitudes in MCS (P < 0.01). Meal consumption among male and female subjects was 2 and 3 times, respectively, in order in KCS, and 3 and 2 times, respectively, in order in MCS (P < 0.001). Rate of skipping breakfast in both genders was significantly higher in KCS than in MCS (male: P < 0.05, female: P < 0.001). In health-related lifestyles, KCS had a significantly higher rate in frequency of alcohol drinking (P < 0.001), exercise (P < 0.01), and mobile phone usage (P < 0.001), compared to MCS. CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that development of nutrition education program which is effective and proper is required to improve healthy dietary habits among college students of both countries. Essential contents should include acquirement of nutrition knowledge and a motivation for its application to actual life for KCS, and improvement of healthy dietary habits for MCS.
Adolescent ; Alcohol Drinking ; Body Image* ; Breakfast ; Cell Phones ; Education ; Female ; Food Habits* ; Humans ; Korea ; Life Style ; Male ; Meals ; Mongolia ; Motivation

Asia, which holds 60% of the world’s population, comprises some developing countries which are in economic transition. This paper reviews the epidemiology of stroke in South, East and South-East Asia. Data on the epidemiology of stroke in South, East, and South-East Asia were derived from the Global Burden of Disease study (mortality, disability-adjusted life-years [DALYs] lost because of stroke), World Health Organization (vascular risk factors in the community), and publications in PubMed (incidence, prevalence, subtypes, vascular risk factors among hospitalized stroke patients). Age- and sex-standardized mortality is the lowest in Japan, and highest in Mongolia. Community-based incidence data of only a few countries are available, with the lowest rates being observed in Malaysia, and the highest in Japan and Taiwan. The availability of prevalence data is higher than incidence data, but different study methods were used for case-finding, with different age bands. For DALYs, Japan has the lowest rates, and Mongolia the highest. For community, a high prevalence of hypertension is seen in Mongolia and Pakistan; diabetes mellitus in Papua New Guinea, Pakistan, and Mongolia; hypercholesterolemia in Japan, Singapore, and Brunei; inactivity in Malaysia; obesity in Brunei, Papua New Guinea, and Mongolia; tobacco smoking in Indonesia. Hypertension is the most frequent risk factor, followed by diabetes mellitus and smoking. Ischemic stroke occurs more frequently than hemorrhagic stroke, and subarachnoid hemorrhages are uncommon. There are variations in the stroke epidemiology between countries in South, East, and South-East Asia. Further research on stroke burden is required.
Asia* ; Brunei ; Cerebrovascular Disorders ; Developing Countries ; Diabetes Mellitus ; Epidemiology* ; Hypercholesterolemia ; Hypertension ; Incidence ; Indonesia ; Japan ; Malaysia ; Mongolia ; Mortality ; Obesity ; Pakistan ; Papua New Guinea ; Prevalence ; Risk Factors ; Singapore ; Smoke ; Smoking ; Stroke* ; Subarachnoid Hemorrhage ; Taiwan ; World Health Organization