Experience of Elderly People Regarding the Effect of Yoga/Light Exercise on Sedentary Behavior: A Longitudinal Qualitative Study in Madhya Pradesh, India.

This study is set on the background of a randomized control trial (RCT) in which intervention was carried to observe the effects of yoga/light exercise on the improvement in health and well-being among the elderly population. A longitudinal qualitative study was conducted as part of RCT interventions to explore the experience of the elderly practicing yoga/light exercise in relation to sedentary behavior in the Ujjain district of Madhya Pradesh, India. Participants of the RCT were selected for this study.

Environmental hazards increase the fall risk among residents of long-term care facilities: a prospective study in Shanghai, China.

Background: Falls are one of the most common safety concerns in long-term care facilities (LTCFs).

Objective: To evaluate the associations between the environmental hazards and the fall risk in LTCF residents.

Design: Prospective study with 12-month follow-up.

Falls and Fall-Related Consequences among Older People Living in Long-Term Care Facilities in a Megacity of China.

Introduction: Falls are currently the top safety problem in long-term care facilities (LTCFs) in China. Due to the increasing number of residents living in LTCFs, more evidence is needed to give a foundation for fall prevention.

Objective: This study aimed to explore the epidemiological characteristics of falls in LTCFs in central Shanghai.

Rising challenge of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis in China: a predictive study using Markov modeling.

Background: Multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) is on the rise in China. This study used a dynamic Markov model to predict the longitudinal trends of MDR-TB in China by 2050 and to assess the effects of alternative control measures.

Methods: Eight states of tuberculosis transmission were set up in the Markov model using a hypothetical cohort of 100 000 people.

Improved treatment outcome of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis with the use of a rapid molecular test to detect drug resistance in China.

Objectives: Numerous studies investigate the advantages of rapid molecular drug susceptibility testing (DST) in comparison to phenotypic DST, but the clinical impact on treating multi/extensively drug resistant TB(M/XDR-TB) is less studied. Therefore, we examined how molecular DST testing may improve MDR-TB treatment management and outcome in Chinese settings.

Methods: We performed a comparative study of patient cohorts before and after the implementation of molecular DST diagnosis with Genotype MTBDRsl/MTBDRplus assay in two Chinese hospitals.

Insomnia, Benzodiazepine Use, and Falls among Residents in Long-term Care Facilities.

Falls are leading cause of injury among older people, especially for those living in long-term care facilities (LTCFs). Very few studies have assessed the effect of sleep quality and hypnotics use on falls, especially in Chinese LTCFs. The study aimed to examine the association between sleep quality, hypnotics use, and falls in institutionalized older people.

Effect of Yoga versus Light Exercise to Improve Well-Being and Promote Healthy Aging among Older Adults in Central India: A Study Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial.

Background: Aging is a natural process associated with many functional and structural changes. These changes may include impaired self-regulation, changes in tissues and organs. Aging also affects mood, physical status and social activity.

High-risk screening and detection of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis in two prefectures of China: a drug susceptibility surveillance-based secondary data analysis.

Background: In China, less than one-fifth of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) cases are detected. MDR-TB screening is conducted amongst the following five high-risk groups of TB patients: chronic cases, close contacts of MDR-TB patients, patients with treatment failure, relapsed and returned patients, and smear-positive patients at the end of the third month of initial treatment.

Objective: To estimate the possibility of detecting MDR-TB cases if only the high-risk screening strategy is applied in China.

Barriers to prompt TB diagnosis-a comparative study between northern Malawi and eastern rural China.

Background: Tuberculosis (TB) case detection in China has improved remarkably, partly benefiting from the reducing delay to TB care, whereas the timeliness of TB care in Malawi remains problematic.

Methods: This study investigates barriers hindering timely TB diagnosis in Malawi and China, and attempts to share the experience in high burden countries. A cross-sectional study on TB diagnostic delay was conducted among 254 Malawian and 146 Chinese TB patients.

Use and Adaptation of Open Source Software for Capacity Building to Strengthen Health Research in Low- and Middle-Income Countries.

Health research capacity strengthening is of importance to reach health goals. The ARCADE projects' aim was to strengthen health research across Africa and Asia using innovative educational technologies. In the four years of the EU funded projects, challenges also of technical nature were identified.

Drug resistance characteristics and cluster analysis of M. tuberculosis in Chinese patients with multiple episodes of anti-tuberculosis treatment.

Background: Tuberculosis (TB) patients with multiple episodes of anti-TB treatment represent an important source of TB transmission, as well as a serious threat to the control of drug resistant TB, due to the high risk of multidrug and extensively drug resistance (MDR/XDR) and elongating infectiousness of this patient group. In this study we analyzed the possible risk of development and transmission of MDR and XDR in TB patients with multiple episodes of previous treatment history.

Methods: The study subjects were pulmonary TB patients who had at least two episodes of previous anti-TB treatment.

A cost-effectiveness analysis of three components of a syndromic surveillance system for the early warning of epidemics in rural China.

Background: Syndromic surveillance systems (SSSs) collect non-specific syndromes in early stages of disease outbreaks. This makes an SSS a promising tool for the early detection of epidemics. An Integrated Surveillance System in rural China (ISSC project), which added an SSS to the existing Chinese surveillance system for the early warning of epidemics, was implemented from April 2012 to March 2014 in Jiangxi and Hubei Provinces.

Measuring costs of data collection at village clinics by village doctors for a syndromic surveillance system-a cross sectional survey from China.

Background: Studies into the costs of syndromic surveillance systems are rare, especially for estimating the direct costs involved in implementing and maintaining these systems. An Integrated Surveillance System in rural China (ISSC project), with the aim of providing an early warning system for outbreaks, was implemented; village clinics were the main surveillance units. Village doctors expressed their willingness to join in the surveillance if a proper subsidy was provided.

Evaluation of outbreak detection performance using multi-stream syndromic surveillance for influenza-like illness in rural Hubei Province, China: a temporal simulation model based on healthcare-seeking behaviors.

Background: Syndromic surveillance promotes the early detection of diseases outbreaks. Although syndromic surveillance has increased in developing countries, performance on outbreak detection, particularly in cases of multi-stream surveillance, has scarcely been evaluated in rural areas.

Objective: This study introduces a temporal simulation model based on healthcare-seeking behaviors to evaluate the performance of multi-stream syndromic surveillance for influenza-like illness.

Estimating the effectiveness of early control measures through school absenteeism surveillance in observed outbreaks at rural schools in Hubei, China.

Background: School absenteeism is a common data source in syndromic surveillance, which allows for the detection of outbreaks at an early stage. Previous studies focused on its correlation with other data sources. In this study, we evaluated the effectiveness of control measures based on early warning signals from school absenteeism surveillance in rural Chinese schools.

Experiences in anti-tuberculosis treatment in patients with multiple previous treatments and its impact on drug resistant tuberculosis epidemics.

Background: Tuberculosis (TB) patients with a history of multiple anti-TB treatments are the 'neglected' group to the free anti-TB treatment policy in China.

Objective: To understand the experiences of TB patients with multiple previous treatments with regard to bacteriological diagnosis and treatment regimens, especially for second-line anti-TB drugs, and how this might influence the risks of multidrug and extensively drug-resistant TB (M/XDR-TB).

Design: A cross-sectional study was conducted in 10 county/district TB clinics in five provinces of China.

ISS--an electronic syndromic surveillance system for infectious disease in rural China.

Background: Syndromic surveillance system has great advantages in promoting the early detection of epidemics and reducing the necessities of disease confirmation, and it is especially effective for surveillance in resource poor settings. However, most current syndromic surveillance systems are established in developed countries, and there are very few reports on the development of an electronic syndromic surveillance system in resource-constrained settings.

Objective: This study describes the design and pilot implementation of an electronic surveillance system (ISS) for the early detection of infectious disease epidemics in rural China, complementing the conventional case report surveillance system.

Factors influencing the provision of public health services by village doctors in Hubei and Jiangxi provinces, China.

Problem: The Chinese central government launched the Health System Reform Plan in 2009 to strengthen disease control and health promotion and provide a package of basic public health services. Village doctors receive a modest subsidy for providing public health services associated with the package. Their beliefs about this subsidy and providing public health services could influence the quality and effectiveness of preventive health services and disease surveillance.

Establishing a web-based integrated surveillance system for early detection of infectious disease epidemic in rural China: a field experimental study.

Background: A crucial goal of infectious disease surveillance is the early detection of epidemics, which is essential for disease control. In China, the current surveillance system is based on confirmed case reports. In rural China, it is not practical for health units to perform laboratory tests to confirm disease and people are more likely to get 'old' and emerging infectious diseases due to poor living conditions and closer contacts with wild animals and poultry.

Mapping private pharmacies and their characteristics in Ujjain district, Central India.

Background: In India, private pharmacies are ubiquitous yet critical establishments that facilitate community access to medicines. These are often the first points of treatment seeking in parts of India and other low income settings around the world. The characteristics of these pharmacies including their location, drug availability, human resources and infrastructure have not been studied before.

Design of a randomized trial to evaluate the influence of mobile phone reminders on adherence to first line antiretroviral treatment in South India--the HIVIND study protocol.

Background: Poor adherence to antiretroviral treatment has been a public health challenge associated with the treatment of HIV. Although different adherence-supporting interventions have been reported, their long term feasibility in low income settings remains uncertain. Thus, there is a need to explore sustainable contextual adherence aids in such settings, and to test these using rigorous scientific designs.

Financial incentives to influence maternal mortality in a low-income setting: making available 'money to transport' - experiences from Amarpatan, India.

Objectives: Only 40.7% women in India deliver in an institution; leaving many vulnerable to maternal morbidity and mortality (India has 22% of global maternal deaths). While limited accessibility to functioning institutions may account in part, a common reason why women deliver at home is poverty.

Where are healthcare providers? Exploring relationships between context and human resources for health Madhya Pradesh province, India.

Objective: In India, heterogeneous healthcare providers in the public and dominant private sectors serve a diverse population, including those from vulnerable groups, the scheduled castes and tribes. We explored relationships between the distribution of different categories of healthcare providers (public and private); and contextual socioeconomic and demographic variables. Access to healthcare providers for scheduled castes and tribes was specifically studied.