Smoking cessation intervention practices in Chinese physicians: do gender and smoking status matter?

Healthcare settings provide a major arena for administering smoking cessation interventions. However, few studies have reported differences in the frequency of practice in healthcare professionals by gender and smoking status. This might also be influenced by a difference in smoking prevalence by gender, especially in China and other developing countries.

Independent and combined associations of abdominal obesity and seated resting heart rate with type 2 diabetes among older Chinese: the Guangzhou Biobank Cohort Study.

Background: Central obesity and poor physical fitness predict the development of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular mortality among Caucasian populations. We studied the independent and combined effect of abdominal obesity and seated resting heart rate used as an indicator of physical fitness, on the presence of type 2 diabetes among 30 519 older residents of Guangzhou, Southern China.

Methods: Participants were stratified into four groups, based on the Asian criteria for abdominal obesity (≥90/≥ 80 cm in men/women) and the 75% cut-off point for seated resting heart rate (≥83 beats per min).

Aortic arch calcification and vascular disease: the Guangzhou Biobank Cohort Study.

Objective: To examine the association between aortic arch calcification (AAC) and vascular disease in an older Chinese sample.

Methods: For this study, 30,203 Chinese aged 50-85 years were recruited with baseline information on socioeconomic position, lifestyle and vascular risk factors. The presence and severity of AAC were diagnosed independently from chest X-ray by two radiologists.

Prevalence of exercise and non-exercise physical activity in Chinese adolescents.

Non-exercise physical activity (NEPA) is an important part of energy expenditure. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of exercise and NEPA among adolescents. In the HKSOS project 2006-2007, the proportions of Hong Kong Chinese adolescents (N=32,005) achieving 60-minute exercise and 60-minute NEPA per day were analyzed.

Norms and demographic differences of the short form-12 health survey version 2 in Chinese adolescents.

Aim: This study aimed to establish the normative values for the 12-item Short Form Health Survey version 2 (SF-12v2) and examine demographic differences among Hong Kong Chinese adolescents.

Methods: A total of 28,981 Hong Kong Chinese adolescents aged 12-18 participated in a school-based survey in 2006-2007. Sex- and age-specific SF-12v2 scores were obtained.

A randomized controlled trial of a smoking reduction plus nicotine replacement therapy intervention for smokers not willing to quit smoking.

Aims: To examine the effectiveness of smoking reduction counselling plus free nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) for smokers not willing to quit.

Design, Setting And Participants: A total of 1154 Chinese adult smokers not willing to quit but who were interested in reducing smoking were allocated randomly to three arms. Intervention group A1 (n=479) received face-to-face counselling on smoking reduction and adherence to NRT at baseline, 1 week and 4 weeks with 4 weeks of free NRT.

Lifestyle and socioeconomic correlates of breakfast skipping in Hong Kong primary 4 schoolchildren.

Objective: Although breakfast is associated with different benefits, breakfast skipping is increasingly common among children. This study aimed to identify lifestyle and socioeconomic correlates of breakfast skipping in Hong Kong schoolchildren.

Methods: 68,606 primary 4 participants of the Department of Health Student Health Service in 1998-2000 reported breakfast habit and other lifestyle characteristics using a standardized questionnaire.

[Relation of serum leptin and adiponectin to cardiovascular risk factors in older adults: a Guangzhou biobank cohort study-CVD].

Objective: To study the serum leptin and adiponectin levels among relatively healthy older people and their association with traditional cardiovascular risk factors.

Methods: Personal medical history and blood sample were collected from 1515 older people of Guangzhou. Fasting serum glucose, lipids, leptin and adiponectin were measured.

The Patient Health Questionnaire-9 for measuring depressive symptoms among the general population in Hong Kong.

Objectives: The Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) assesses depressive symptoms by self-report, is brief, and was developed to correspond to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition, criteria for major depression. This article presents information regarding its reliability and validity and the distribution of scores in a Chinese community sample in Hong Kong.

Methods: A total of 6028 participants 15 years or older were recruited using random household sampling.

Life long endogenous estrogen exposure and later adulthood cognitive function in a population of naturally postmenopausal women from Southern China: the Guangzhou Biobank Cohort Study.

Background: Estrogen has neurotrophic and neuroprotective properties in animal and in vitro studies. Epidemiological studies are inconclusive, but suggest a positive association between endogenous estrogen exposure (measured by reproductive period, the number of years between menarche and menopause) and later life cognitive function.

Methods: Structural equation modeling was used in a cross-sectional study of 11,094 naturally postmenopausal multiparous Chinese older (≥50 years) women from the Guangzhou Biobank Cohort Study (phases 2 and 3) to assess the interrelationship of four proxies of higher endogenous estrogen exposure (longer reproductive period, older age of first pregnancy, lower parity and shorter average duration of breast feeding per child) with immediate and the delayed 10-word recall score in phases 2 and 3, and with the mini-mental state examination (MMSE) score in phase 3 (5641 women).

Measurement of craniovertebral angle with Electronic Head Posture Instrument: Criterion validity.

This study evaluated the criterion-related validity of the Electronic Head Posture Instrument (EHPI) in measuring the craniovertebral (CV) angle by correlating the measurements of CV angle with anterior head translation (AHT) in lateral cervical radiographs. It also investigated the correlation of AHT and CV angle with the Chinese version of the Northwick Park Questionnaire (NPQ) and Numeric Pain Rating Scale (NPRS). Thirty patients with diagnosis of mechanical neck pain for at least 3 months without referred symptoms were recruited in an outpatient physiotherapy clinic.

A polymorphism in transforming growth factor-β1 is associated with carotid plaques and increased carotid intima-media thickness in older Chinese men: the Guangzhou Biobank Cohort Study-Cardiovascular Disease Subcohort.

Objective: Polymorphisms of the transforming growth factor-β1 (TGFB1) gene have not been associated with asymptomatic atherosclerosis previously. We investigated the relationship between a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) rs4803455 in TGFB1 and atherosclerosis identified by the presence of carotid plaque and increased intima-media thickness (IMT) in an older Chinese population.

Methods: 1996 subjects (992 (49.

[Dose-response relationship between smoking status and carotid atherosclerosis].

Objective: To examine the dose-response relationship of smoking status with carotid atherosclerosis in 959 relatively healthy Chinese men.

Methods: 959 older Chinese men were selected from Guangzhou Biobank Cohort Study (GBCS) on cardiovascular disease. Personal histories were collected and fasting plasma glucose and lipids, blood pressure, and common carotid artery intima-median thickness (CCA-IMT) were measured.

[Study on the association between gene polymorphism of ENPP1 and left ventricular hypertrophy: a Guangzhou Biobank Cohort Study-CVD].

Objective: To examine the association between genetic polymorphism of rs1409181 in ectonucleotide pyrophosphatase/phosphodiesterase 1 (ENPP1) and left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) among older Chinese in Guangzhou.

Methods: 390 subjects aged ≥ 50 years were randomly selected from the Guangzhou Biobank Cohort Study-CVD. Information on personal history, blood pressure, fasting plasma glucose and lipids were collected.

Adolescent build and diabetes: the Guangzhou Biobank Cohort Study.

Purpose: With economic development, there is an emerging epidemic of diabetes in China despite relatively low levels of obesity. Muscle mass, for which adolescence is a key developmental window, may reduce vulnerability to diabetes. We examined the association of recalled adolescent build with diabetes in a large sample from the developing country setting of southern China.

Knowledge, attitudes and practices regarding smoking cessation among Chinese affiliates of women's organisations in Hong Kong.

Volunteers and staff of women's organisations who are highly active in engaging and providing community service can be recruited to motivate female smokers to quit. We described the knowledge and attitudes regarding tobacco control and smoking cessation among these affiliates in Hong Kong and identified factors associated with the practices of cessation interventions. Eight of 14 women's organisations joining the Women Against Tobacco Taskforce agreed to participate.

Plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 and HbA1c defined prediabetes: the Guangzhou Biobank Cohort Study-CVD.

Objective: To examine the association between plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) and diabetes status.

Research Design And Methods: One thousand three hundred and ninety-three older Chinese were randomly selected from the Guangzhou Biobank Cohort Study. Diabetes status was classified as impaired HbA1c (IA1c) level of 5·7-6·4%, impaired fasting glucose (IFG), impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) or diabetes using the American Diabetes Association diagnosis criteria in 2010.

Fish consumption and mortality in Hong Kong Chinese--the LIMOR study.

Purpose: To investigate the association between fish consumption and mortality in 36,003 Chinese.

Methods: A case-control study collected 81% of all deaths of those aged 30+ from all four Hong Kong death registries in 1998. Relatives registering the deaths provided demographic, dietary and other lifestyle data for the deceased (case) and a similarly aged living person (control).

The association between depressive symptoms and mortality among Chinese elderly: a Hong Kong cohort study.

Background: Increasingly, researchers have begun to explore the association between depression and mortality. The current study examined the association between depressive symptoms and all-cause and cause-specific mortality in Chinese older people. Further to examine whether any associations were similar by sex and health status.

A genetic variant in the gene encoding adrenomedullin predicts the development of dysglycemia over 6.4 years in Chinese.

Background: Adrenomedullin, a vasodilatory peptide, facilitates the differentiation of pre-adipocytes, and affects lipolysis and glucose uptake. We investigated the association of common single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the gene encoding adrenomedullin (ADM) with dysglycemia in the Hong Kong Chinese population.

Methods: Four SNPs were genotyped in 1391 subjects without dysglycemia at baseline from the Hong Kong Cardiovascular Risk Factor Prevalence Study-2, which had a median follow-up time of 6.

Patterns and predictors of quitting among youth quitline callers in Hong Kong.

Objectives: To examine the time patterns and predictors of initiating a quit attempt and subsequent sustained abstinence among youth smokers after receiving a telephone smoking cessation intervention.

Methods: This was a longitudinal study of 408 current youth smokers aged 12-25 years who called a smoking cessation hotline in Hong Kong. Telephone surveys were conducted at baseline; 1 week; and 1, 3, and 6 months to assess smoking status and other risk factors.

An evidence-based validation of traditional Chinese medicine syndromes.

Objectives: A standard description regarding the diagnosis of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) syndromes based on validated evidence is needed for education, practice and evaluation of TCM syndrome-specific treatments. We studied whether an evidence-based four-step approach proposed for the validation of TCM syndromes could validate Kidney-Yin deficiency syndrome (KDS-Yin) and Kidney-Yang deficiency syndrome (KDS-Yang) in middle-aged women with menopausal symptoms.

Methods: TCM classic and contemporary literature were reviewed for the symptoms and the domain changes of KDS-Yin and KDS-Yang.

Association of a genetic variant in the apolipoprotein A5 gene with the metabolic syndrome in Chinese.

Objective: Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the apolipoprotein A5 gene (APOA5) are associated with hypertriglyceridaemia in our population. We studied the associations of SNPs in APOA5 with the metabolic syndrome (MetS) in the Hong Kong and Guangzhou Chinese.

Methods: We genotyped five tagging SNPs in 1330 unrelated subjects from the Hong Kong Cardiovascular Risk Factor Prevalence Study cohort with follow-up after a median interval of 6·4 years; 1952 subjects from the Guangzhou Biobank Cohort Study-Cardiovascular Disease Subcohort were used to replicate the findings.