Publications by authors named "Taihing Lam"

Background: Whether simple lifestyle-integrated exercise training can improve insomnia remains unclear. In this study, we examined whether zero-time exercise, a simple exercise incorporated into daily routines without extra time, can improve sleep in physically inactive adults with insomnia.

Methods: This was a single-blinded, parallel-group, randomized controlled trial.

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  • A study assessed whether vitamin D deficiency contributes to atrial fibrillation and ischemic stroke in younger individuals using data from over 3,900 participants in Hong Kong and over 392,000 from the UK Biobank.
  • Results indicated that higher genetically-predicted vitamin D levels were linked to a lower risk of these conditions, with an odds ratio suggesting a significant protective effect.
  • The findings highlighted that vitamin D may specifically reduce the risk of young-onset ischemic stroke in men, suggesting further research is needed to understand how vitamin D deficiency affects sex disparities in atrial fibrillation.
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Promoting COVID-19 prevention is key to pandemic control and innovative interventions can help communicate reliable science to the public. Under the Hong Kong Jockey Club SMART Family-Link Project, we developed and evaluated a pilot intervention for promoting COVID-19 prevention through a web-based family game, guided by the Theory of Planned Behavior and a strength-based approach. The "SMART Epidemic prevention" pilot theme was launched to the public on September 21, 2020 for 4 weeks.

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  • Large-scale genetic studies found several genetic loci linked to nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC), prompting further investigation into biological mechanisms behind these associations.
  • A follow-up study involving nearly 7,000 NPC cases and over 10,000 controls identified two new susceptibility loci (9q22.33 and 17q12) and confirmed the role of two previously known loci linked to NPC risk.
  • Functional analyses revealed that the genes PHF2 and CDKN2B-AS1 at these loci are crucial for NPC development, with risk alleles affecting their expression levels and consequently promoting NPC cell proliferation.
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This study examined the association between parity and incident type 2 diabetes in older Chinese women and estimated the mediation effect of adiposity indicators. A total of 11,473 women without diabetes at baseline from 2003 to 2008 were followed up until 2012. We used Cox proportional hazards regression to assess the association between parity and incident type 2 diabetes, and mediation analysis to estimate the mediation effect of adiposity indicators.

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  • * A mixed-method design was employed to assess the effectiveness of this risk management approach, utilizing a cross-sectional survey and qualitative focus group interviews with HBCCS staff from December 2021 to March 2022.
  • * Results showed that over 90% of staff felt they had adequate personal protective equipment and training, and most reported persistent support mechanisms, though only 75% felt emotionally supported by the organization, indicating areas for improvement.
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Background: Non-diabetic overweight/obese metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) represents the largest subgroup with heterogeneous liver fibrosis risk. Metabolic dysfunction promotes liver fibrosis. Here, we investigated whether incorporating additional metabolic risk factors into clinical evaluation improved liver fibrosis risk stratification among individuals with non-diabetic overweight/obese MAFLD.

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Introduction: We examined information and communications technology (ICT) use in family services and its perceived benefits and barriers amid the COVID-19 pandemic in Hong Kong.

Methods: We invited all family service social workers of 12 NGOs to complete an anonymous online questionnaire in May 2020 (Part A) and a management representative from each NGO to provide written feedback on ICT use in January 2021 (Part B).

Results: In Part A, of 255 respondents (response rate: 67.

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  • This study examined the link between university students' mental health and their support systems, focusing on their preferred sources and types of support available through universities.
  • A survey and interviews with 1,121 students revealed that 39.4% experienced anxiety and 32.6% showed signs of depression, with those having stronger support systems and resilience reporting fewer symptoms.
  • The research highlighted that students favored peer support and found university support services, particularly updated guidelines, less helpful than familial and peer support, leading to recommendations for more proactive, holistic approaches to mental health care in universities.
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Background: The acceleration of population aging calls for simple and effective interventions catered for older people. Gerontechnology, the combination of gerontology and technology, can promote quality of life in older adults. However, public health-related events incorporating information communication technology (ICT) for older people have seldom been evaluated.

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Mindfulness-based art therapy has shown to improve psychological well-being. Zentangle is an easy-to-learn, mindfulness-based art therapy suitable for everyone. We reported the transition from face-to-face to online Zentangle workshops in family social services during COVID-19.

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  • Lower hand grip strength is linked to cognitive impairment in older Chinese adults, with a study examining 6806 participants aged 50 and above.
  • The research found that both absolute and relative grip strength were significantly associated with recall memory performance, as measured by the Delayed Word Recall Test (DWRT), but not with overall cognitive function (MMSE scores).
  • These findings suggest a specific relationship between grip strength and memory recall, indicating the need for further research in this area.
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Polygenic risk scores (PRS) have the potential to identify individuals at risk of diseases, optimizing treatment, and predicting survival outcomes. Here, we construct and validate a genome-wide association study (GWAS) derived PRS for nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC), using a multi-center study of six populations (6 059 NPC cases and 7 582 controls), and evaluate its utility in a nested case-control study. We show that the PRS enables effective identification of NPC high-risk individuals (AUC = 0.

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  • - The study investigated the patterns of perceived harms and benefits of the COVID-19 pandemic among Hong Kong adults, revealing three distinct groups: indifferent (66.37%), harm (13.28%), and benefit (20.35%).
  • - The harm subgroup was found to be younger, less happy, and increased their drinking habits, indicating a higher risk profile compared to the indifferent group, while the benefit subgroup demonstrated higher happiness and decreased drinking.
  • - Future research should focus on the harm subgroup to support their positive adjustments during the ongoing impacts of the pandemic.
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The long-term effects of a low-carbohydrate diet (LCD) on mortality, accounting for the quality and source of the carbohydrate, are unclear. Hence, we examined the associations of LCDs with all-cause and cause-specific mortality in a prospective cohort study. A total of 20,206 participants (13.

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  • Family support and information sharing during COVID-19 play a critical role in shaping health and behavior, though research on how families share this information remains limited.
  • A study of 4,852 respondents in Hong Kong found that instant messaging was the most common method for sharing COVID-19 information, with sociodemographic factors influencing usage patterns among different groups.
  • The research indicated that using various communication methods improved family communication quality and well-being, suggesting that digital training could enhance connectivity and support among families during the pandemic.
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  • Vitamin D plays a crucial role in vascular repair, and its deficiency is linked to type 2 diabetes and hypertension, raising questions about its potential protective effects against cardiovascular diseases in high-risk patients.* -
  • This study utilized a two-sample Mendelian randomization approach, analyzing genetic variants to infer the causal relationship between vitamin D levels and cardiovascular events among hypertensive-diabetic individuals.* -
  • Results indicated that lower genetically predicted vitamin D levels were associated with a higher risk of cardiovascular events, suggesting that increased vitamin D exposure may help protect against conditions like myocardial infarction and other cardiovascular issues.*
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Delaying doctor consultation is harmful. Fear of COVID-19 leads to delays in seeking medical care at a time when pandemic information overflows. However, little is known about the role of COVID-19 related fear, attention to information, and fact-checking in such delay.

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The COVID-19 pandemic has caused distress in students globally. The mental health of international students studying abroad has been neglected during the COVID-19 pandemic, especially Chinese students who have been unfairly targeted. To explore and document the positive and negative experiences of a group of Hong Kong Chinese international students studying in the U.

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Probationers, offenders with less serious and non-violent offences, and under statutory supervision, have low levels of self-esteem and physical health, and high level of family conflict, and poorer quality of family relationships. This study examined the effectiveness of the existing probation service and the additional use of a positive family holistic health intervention to enhance physical, psychological, and family well-being in probationers and relationships with probation officers. Probationers under the care of the Hong Kong Social Welfare Department were randomized into a care-as-usual control group (CAU), a brief intervention group (BI) receiving two 1-h individual sessions [of a brief theory-based positive family holistic health intervention integrating Zero-time Exercise (simple and easy-to-do lifestyle-integrated physical activity) and positive psychology themes of "Praise and Gratitude" in the existing probation service], or a combined intervention group (CI) receiving BI and a 1-day group activity with family members.

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Background: Chronic inflammatory diseases are linked to an increased risk of stroke events. The white blood cell (WBC) count is a common marker of the inflammatory response. However, it is unclear whether the WBC count, its subpopulations and their dynamic changes are related to the risk of fatal stroke in relatively healthy elderly population.

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Background: Cigarette smoking is associated with nasopharyngeal cancer (NPC) risk. Whether quitting reduces the risk is unclear. We investigated the associations of NPC with duration of and age at quitting in an endemic region.

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