The characteristics of formula milk marketing on health system: a qualitative study from Beijing and Jinan in China.

Background: Breastmilk is widely regarded as the healthiest choice for both infants and mothers due to its numerous advantages over formula, such as higher concentrations of essential nutrients and antibodies, easier digestion, and superior taste. The World Health Organization International Code of Marketing of Breast-milk Substitutes was adopted over 40 years ago to mitigate the effects of infant formula marketing on a woman's decision to breastfeed. Yet, the commercial formula milk industry has continued to market their products aggressively and through an increasing variety of social media channels.

Effects of an Animation-Based Comprehensive Sexuality Education Package: A 2-Year Repeated Intervention Study.

Background: Preadolescents, who are in a transitional phase of development, may experience higher exposure to heterosexual interactions while facing higher risks regarding misinformation in sexual knowledge and unsafe engagement in sexual activities. There is a deficiency in the availability of qualified educators and age-appropriate teaching materials for sexuality education in China.

Methods: We implemented an animation-based comprehensive sexuality education package among preadolescents aged 9 to 12 years from eight schools in Anhui, China.

Co-occurrence of and factors associated with health risk behaviors among adolescents: a multi-center study in sub-Saharan Africa, China, and India.

Background: Despite lifelong and detrimental effects, the co-occurrence of health risk behaviors (HRBs) during adolescence remains understudied in low- and middle-income countries. This study examines the co-occurrence of HRBs and its correlates among adolescents in sub-Saharan Africa, China, and India.

Methods: A multi-country cross-sectional study was conducted in 2021-2022, involving 9697 adolescents (aged 10-19 years) from eight countries, namely Burkina Faso, China, Ethiopia, India, Ghana, Nigeria, Tanzania, and Uganda.

A pilot study of Kangaroo mother care in early essential newborn care in resource-limited areas of China: the facilitators and barriers to implementation.

Background: Implementation of Kangaroo Mother Care (KMC) in resource-limited areas of China may face unique barriers, such as a lack of resources, geographic location and more traditional culture among others. This qualitative study analyses the facilitators and barriers to implementing KMC in county-level health facilities in resource-limited areas of China for the promotion of KMC on a larger scale.

Methods: Participants from 4 of the 18 pilot counties where early essential newborn care was implemented through the Safe Neonatal Project and 4 control counties not enrolled in Safe Neonatal Project were selected using purposive sampling.

Predicting Risky Sexual Behavior Among College Students Through Machine Learning Approaches: Cross-sectional Analysis of Individual Data From 1264 Universities in 31 Provinces in China.

Background: Risky sexual behavior (RSB), the most direct risk factor for sexually transmitted infections (STIs), is common among college students. Thus, identifying relevant risk factors and predicting RSB are important to intervene and prevent RSB among college students.

Objective: We aim to establish a predictive model for RSB among college students to facilitate timely intervention and the prevention of RSB to help limit STI contraction.

Effects of Sexuality Education on Sexual Knowledge, Sexual Attitudes, and Sexual Behaviors of Youths in China: A Cluster-Randomized Controlled Trial.

Purpose: There is a lack of trained educators and age-appropriate teaching materials for sex education in China. This study aims to assess the effects of an internet-based sexuality education programme on sexual knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors among adolescents in China.

Methods: We undertook a multicentre, cluster-randomized controlled trial in 29 vocational high schools in Guangdong and Yunnan, China.

Pro-thrombotic changes associated with exposure to ambient ultrafine particles in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: roles of lipid peroxidation and systemic inflammation.

Background: Exposure to particulate matter air pollution is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular mortality in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), but the underlying mechanisms are not yet understood. Enhanced platelet and pro-thrombotic activity in COPD patients may explain their increased cardiovascular risk. We aim to explore whether short-term exposure to ambient particulate matter is associated with pro-thrombotic changes in adults with and without COPD, and investigate the underlying biological mechanisms in a longitudinal panel study.

Effectiveness of early essential newborn care implementation in four counties of western China.

Background: Neonatal survival is a public health concern globally. However, the regional disparity in neonatal mortality between rural counties of western China and urban areas of eastern provinces remains high. Early essential newborn care (EENC), recommended by World Health Organization, refers to a set of cost-effective interventions to improve neonatal health and development outcomes.

Neuroendocrine stress hormones associated with short-term exposure to nitrogen dioxide and fine particulate matter in individuals with and without chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: A panel study in Beijing, China.

Air pollution is a major trigger of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Dysregulation of the neuroendocrine hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) and sympathetic-adrenal medullary (SAM) axes is essential in progression of COPD. However, it is not clear whether air pollution exposure is associated with neuroendocrine responses in individuals with and without COPD.

Transcriptional pathways of elevated fasting blood glucose associated with short-term exposure to ultrafine particles: A panel study in Beijing, China.

There is growing concern about the strong health effects of ultrafine particles (UFPs). However, less is known about the biological mechanisms. The objective of this study is to examine the association between short-term exposure to UFPs and fasting blood glucose (FBG) levels, and explore the potential physiological mechanisms at transcriptional levels.

Ceramide metabolism mediates the impaired glucose homeostasis following short-term black carbon exposure: A targeted lipidomic analysis.

Background: Ambient particulate matter (PM), especially its carbonaceous composition black carbon (BC) increases cardiometabolic risks, yet the underlying mechanisms are incompletely understood. Ceramides (Cer; a class of sphingolipids) are biological intermediates in glucose metabolism.

Objectives: To explore whether Cer metabolism mediates impaired glucose homeostasis following short-term PM exposure.

Personal exposure to electrophilic compounds of fine particulate matter and the inflammatory response: The role of atmospheric transformation.

Atmospheric oxidation can produce electrophilic compounds, altering the health effects induced by fine particulate matter (PM); however, little is known about these electrophilic compounds or their health effects. Using electron capture negative ionization, we systematically detected 301 electrophilic compounds from personal PM samples in a panel study in urban Beijing. Most were oxygen-containing compounds with 3-17 double bond equivalents (DBE), suggesting the dominance of oxidized aromatic structures.

Risk factors in air pollution exposome contributing to higher levels of TNFα in COPD patients.

Background: Air pollutants are found associated with various health effects in chronic obstructive pulmonary patients. Given the complicate chemical components of air pollutants, it is not clear which components are the main risk factors for these health effects.

Objectives: Based on the COPD in Beijing (COPDB) study and exposome concept, we examined comprehensively the air pollution components to screen out high-risk factors for systemic inflammation of COPD patients.

Associations between differences in anemia-related blood cell parameters and short-term exposure to ambient particle pollutants in middle-aged and elderly residents in Beijing, China.

Anemia is a highly prevalent disease among older populations, with multiple adverse health outcomes, and particles exposure is a potential risk factor for anemia. However, evidence on associations of exposure to particles with small size with anemia-related blood cell parameters levels in the elderly is limited, and the underlying mechanisms are unclear. Based on a panel study in Beijing, we found that in 135 elderly participants, mass concentrations of particle with an aerodynamic diameter ≤ 2.

Effects of an Internet-Based and Teacher-Facilitated Sexuality Education Package: A Cluster-Randomized Trial.

Background: This study aimed to evaluate the effects of an internet-based and teacher-facilitated sexuality education package on the sexual knowledge and attitudes of Chinese adolescents.

Methods: Six middle schools where no sexuality education had been performed with a total of 501 adolescent students (245 males and 256 females) were included in the trial. In total, 14 classes were randomly assigned to the intervention (internet-based sexuality education package) or the control group (classes were conducted as per normal).

Organic Components of Personal PM Exposure Associated with Inflammation: Evidence from an Untargeted Exposomic Approach.

Fine particulate matter (PM) can promote chronic diseases through the fundamental mechanism of inflammation; however, systemic information is lacking on the inflammatory PM components. To decipher organic components from personal PM exposure that were associated with respiratory and circulatory inflammatory responses in older adults, we developed an exposomic approach using trace amounts of particles and applied it on 424 personal PM samples collected in a panel study in Beijing. Applying an integrated multivariate and univariate untargeted strategy, a total of 267 organic compounds were filtered and then chemically identified according to their association with exhaled nitric oxide (eNO)/interleukin (IL)-6 or serum IL-1β/IL-6, with monocyclic and polycyclic aromatic compounds (i.

Association between exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and lipid peroxidation in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are toxic airborne pollutants and may cause adverse effects at high level of oxidative stress. Here we hypothesized that individuals with impaired lung function are susceptible to PAHs associated oxidative damage. Hence, we carried out a panel study and conducted four follow-up visits on 40 chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients and 75 healthy controls.

Susceptibility of individuals with lung dysfunction to systemic inflammation associated with ambient fine particle exposure: A panel study in Beijing.

Background: The underlying mechanism on the susceptibility of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients to air pollution has yet to be clarified.

Objectives: Based on the COPD in Beijing (COPDB) study, we examined whether lung dysfunction contributed to pollutant-associated systemic inflammation in COPD patients.

Methods: Proinflammatory biomarkers including interleukin-8 (IL-8) and tumor necrosis factor α (TNFα) were measured in serum samples collected from 53 COPD and 82 healthy participants.

Susceptibility of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease to heart rate difference associated with the short-term exposure to metals in ambient fine particles: A panel study in Beijing, China.

Susceptibility of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) to cardiovascular autonomic dysfunction associated with exposure to metals in ambient fine particles (PM, particulate matter with aerodynamic diameter ≤2.5 µm) remains poorly evidenced. Based on the COPDB (COPD in Beijing) panel study, we aimed to compare the associations of heart rate (HR, an indicator of cardiovascular autonomic function) and exposure to metals in PM between 53 patients with COPD and 82 healthy controls by using linear mixed-effects models.

Respiratory Inflammation and Short-Term Ambient Air Pollution Exposures in Adult Beijing Residents with and without Prediabetes: A Panel Study.

Background: Accumulating evidence suggests that individuals with glucose metabolism disorders are susceptible to mortality associated with fine particles. However, the mechanisms remain largely unknown.

Objectives: We examined whether particle-associated respiratory inflammation differed between individuals with prediabetes and healthy control participants.

Association of internal exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons with inflammation and oxidative stress in prediabetic and healthy individuals.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are key air pollutants that may contribute to the risk of numerous diseases by inducing inflammation and oxidative stress. Individuals with metabolic disorders may be more susceptible to PAH-induced inflammation and oxidative stress. To test this hypothesis, we designed a panel study involving 60 patients with pre-type 2 diabetes (pre-T2D) and 60 reference participants, and conducted up to seven repeated clinical examinations.

Susceptibility of individuals with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease to air pollution exposure in Beijing, China: A case-control panel study (COPDB).

Exposure to air pollution is one of the major risk factors contributing to the occurrence and development of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). However, few studies have investigated the susceptibility of patients with COPD to air pollution. Here, we provided a study protocol.