Associations of weight control related behaviors with current cigarette smoking among Chinese adolescents: Results from an ongoing school-based survey in Zhejiang province.

INTRODUCTION: Previous studies have suggested that adolescents may smoke cigarettes to control weight, but relevant research is scarce in Chinese youth. This study was conducted to examine the associations of weight control related behaviors with cigarette smoking in Chinese students. METHODS: This was a secondary analysis of data for 24835 middle and high school students drawn from the 2022 Zhejiang Youth Risk Behavior Survey of China which collected self-reported information of cigarette smoking, weight control strategies and other health-related behaviors. Multivariable logistic regression models were used to estimate the adjusted odds ratios (AORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for the study associations. RESULTS: Overall, there were 998 (4.02%) current cigarette smokers in this wave of the Zhejiang YRBS (2022). Neither trying to control weight nor healthy weight control behavior of exercising was associated with current cigarette smoking (AOR=1.15; 95% CI: 0.97-1.37 and AOR=1.01; 95% CI: 0.85-1.20, respectively). Meanwhile, unhealthy weight control behaviors of taking laxatives (AOR=1.52; 95% CI: 1.03-2.26), taking diet pills (AOR=1.82; 95% CI: 1.26-2.62), dieting (AOR=1.24; 95% CI: 1.04-1.49), and fasting (AOR=1.81; 95% CI: 1.40-2.34) were significantly associated with increased odds of current cigarette smoking. CONCLUSIONS: Screening and developing interventions for unhealthy weight control behaviors should be considered as part of smoking prevention programs among adolescents.

Association between metabolic syndrome severity score and cardiovascular disease: results from a longitudinal cohort study on Chinese adults.

Objective: This study aimed to quantify the severity of metabolic syndrome(MetS) and investigate its association with cardiovascular disease(CVD) risk on Chinese adults. Methods: 13,500 participants from the Zhejiang Adult Chronic Disease Study were followed up between 2010 and 2021. A continuous MetS severity score derived from the five components of MetS was used to quantify MetS severity, and the association between MetS severity and the risk of incident CVD was assessed using Cox proportional hazard and restricted cubic spline regression. Results: Both the presence and severity of MetS were strongly associated with CVD risk. MetS was related to an increased risk of CVD (hazard ratio(HR):1.700, 95% confidence interval(CI): 1.380-2.094). Compared with the hazard ratio for CVD in the lowest quartile of the MetS severity score, that in the second, third, and highest quartiles were 1.812 (1.329-2.470), 1.746 (1.265-2.410), and 2.817 (2.015-3.938), respectively. A linear and positive dose-response relationship was observed between the MetS severity and CVD risk (P for non-linearity = 0.437). Similar results were found in various sensitivity analyses. Conclusion: The MetS severity score was significantly associated with CVD risk. Assessing MetS severity and further ensuring intervention measures according to the different severities of MetS may be more useful in preventing CVD.

An Energy-Efficient ECG Processor with Ultra-Low-Parameter Multi-Stage Neural Network and Optimized Power-of-Two Quantization.

This work presents an energy-efficient ECG processor designed for Cardiac Arrhythmia Classification. The processor integrates a pre-processing and neural network accelerator, achieved through algorithm-hardware co-design to optimize hardware resources. We propose a lightweight two-stage neural network architecture, where the first stage includes discrete wavelet transformation and an ultra-low-parameter multilayer perceptron (MLP) network, and the second stage utilizes group convolution and channel shuffle. Both stages leverage neural networks for hardware resource reuse and feature a reconfigurable processing element array and memory blocks adapted to the proposed two-stage structure to efficiently handle various convolution and MLP layers operations in the two-stage network. Additionally, an optimized power-of-two (OPOT) quantization technique is proposed to enhance accuracy in low-bit quantization, and a multiplier-less processing element structure tailored for the OPOT weight quantization is introduced. The ECG processor was implemented on a 65nm CMOS process technology with 4KB of SRAM memory, achieving an energy consumption per interference of 0.15 uJ with a power supply of 1V, 64% energy saving compared to the recent state-of-the-art work. Under 4-bit weight precision, the 5-class ECG signal classification accuracy reached 98.59% on the MIT-BIH arrhythmia dataset.

Association Between Frequency of Muscle-Strengthening Exercise and Depression Symptoms Among Middle and High School Students: Cross-Sectional Survey Study.

BACKGROUND: Existing literature on the association between the frequency of muscle-strengthening exercise (MSE) and depression among adolescents is limited and contradictory. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to elucidate the association of MSE frequency with depression symptoms among middle and high school students in China. METHODS: A total of 27,070 students in grades 7-12 from 376 middle and high schools were surveyed using an anonymous self-administered questionnaire between April and June 2022. Information on engaging in MSE was self-reported, and depression symptoms were assessed using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9). Poisson regression was used to examine the association between MSE frequency and depression symptoms. RESULTS: Among the 27,006 eligible students, 51.6% (n=13,933) were boys, and the mean age was 15.6 (SD 1.7) years. The overall prevalence of meeting MSE recommendations (ie, engaging in MSE ≥3 days/week) was 34.6% (95% CI 32.6%-36.6%; n=9145); the prevalence was higher in boys (43.8%, 95% CI 41.8%-45.8%; 6067/13,933) than in girls (24.3%, 95% CI 22%-26.6%; 3078/13,073; P<.001). A total of 5882 (21.8%) students reported having depression symptoms. After adjustment for sociodemographic status, lifestyle factors, academic performance, and experience of physical fighting, compared to students who did not engage in MSE, the prevalence ratios (PRs) for depression symptoms were 0.98 (95% CI 0.97-0.99) for those engaging in MSE once a week, 0.95 (95% CI 0.93-0.97) for 2 days/week, 0.93 (95% CI 0.90-0.96) for 3 days/week, 0.90 (95% CI 0.87-0.94) for 4 days/week, 0.88 (95% CI 0.84-0.93) for 5 days/week, 0.86 (95% CI 0.81-0.92) for 6 days/week, and 0.84 (95% CI 0.78-0.90) for 7 days/week, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The overall prevalence of meeting MSE recommendations among Chinese adolescents is low. The frequency of MSE was inversely associated with depression symptoms.

Anxiety symptoms and associated factors among school students after 2 years of the COVID-19 pandemic: a cross-sectional study in Zhejiang Province, China.

OBJECTIVES: To ascertain the prevalence and associated factors of anxiety symptoms among middle and high school students in Zhejiang after 2 years of the COVID-19 pandemic. DESIGN: A school-based cross-sectional study. SETTING: 30 counties/districts in Zhejiang Province, China. PARTICIPANTS: 27 019 students attending middle and high schools. OUTCOME MEASURES: Anxiety symptoms were assessed using the Generalised Anxiety Disorder 7-item scale (GAD-7). A total score of 10 or more is considered indicative of anxiety symptoms. RESULTS: The overall prevalence (95% CI) of anxiety symptoms was 14.2% (13.4 to 15.0), higher among girls (18.6%, 95% CI: 17.5 to 19.7) than boys (10.2%, 95% CI: 9.5 to 10.9) (p<0.001), higher among rural students (15.1%, 95% CI: 14.1 to 16.2) than urban students (12.5%, 95% CI: 11.6 to 13.4) (p<0.001). Older age (14-15 years, OR=1.25, 95% CI: 1.09 to 1.44; ≥16 years, OR=1.32, 95% CI: 1.07 to 1.63), being girls (OR=1.76, 95% CI: 1.58 to 1.96), living in rural areas (OR=1.14, 95%CI: 1.01 to 1.29), poor academic performance (OR=1.20, 95% CI: 1.03 to 1.41), alcohol drinking (OR=1.15, 95% CI: 1.01 to 1.30), inadequate fruits (OR=1.31, 95% CI: 1.19 to 1.45) and vegetables intake (OR=1.32, 95% CI: 1.10 to 1.57), insomnia (sometimes, OR=2.14, 95% CI: 1.93 to 2.38; often/always, OR=4.73, 95% CI: 4.03 to 5.56), loneliness (sometimes, OR=2.97, 95%CI: 2.59 to 3.41; often/always, OR=8.35, 95% CI: 7.20 to 9.69), sadness (OR=2.51, 95% CI: 2.25 to 2.79) and physical fight (OR=1.29, 95% CI: 1.13 to 1.48) were positively associated with anxiety symptoms, while studying at vocational high school (OR=0.61, 95% CI: 0.49 to 0.75), coming from family with middle income (OR=0.76, 95% CI: 0.64 to 0.89), being physically active 3-7 days weekly (OR=0.85, 95% CI: 0.75 to 0.95) were negatively associated with anxiety symptoms. CONCLUSION: Anxiety symptoms prevailed among middle and high school students in China. A variety of factors, containing sociodemographic factors, lifestyle behaviours, mental health, academic performance and physical fight should be taken in consideration in addressing prevention and intervention of anxiety symptoms.

Association between duration of electronic screen use for non-educational purposes and depression symptoms among middle and high school students: a cross-sectional study in Zhejiang Province, China.

Background: Existing literature on the association of electronic screen use duration with depression among adolescents is contradictory. The current study aimed to elucidate the association between duration of electronic screen use for non-educational purposes and depression symptoms among middle and high school students in Zhejiang Province, China. Methods: A cross-sectional study of 27,070 students in grades 7-12 from 376 middle and high schools was conducted through an anonymous self-administered questionnaire between April and June 2022. Poisson regression was utilized to examine the association between electronic screen use duration for non-educational purposes and depression symptoms. Results: Of the 27,006 eligible students, 51.6% (13932) were boys and the mean (SD) age was 15.6(1.7) years. The overall prevalence of symptoms of depression was 22.4% (95%CI 21.4-23.4); girls (27.6%, 26.2-29.0) had a higher prevalence than boys (17.7%, 16.7-18.8). After adjustment for socio-demographic status, lifestyle factors, self-perceived health, academic performance, loneliness and sadness, compared to those who did not use electronic screens for non-educational purposes, the prevalence ratios (PRs) for depression symptoms were 1.03 (95% CI 1.02-1.04) for those exposed to electronic screens for <1 h/day, 1.07 (1.05-1.09) for 1.0-1.9 h/day, 1.10 (1.07-1.13) for 2.0-2.9 h/day, 1.14 (1.10-1.18) for 3.0-3.9 h/day, 1.18 (1.12-1.23) for 4.0-4.9 h/day, and 1.21 (1.15-1.29) for ≥5 h/day. Conclusion: Duration of electronic screen use for non-educational purposes was positively associated with symptoms of depression among middle and high school students, even with a relatively short daily duration of use.

Sleep Status Among Children and Adolescents Aged 6-17 Years - China, 2016-2017.

What is already known about this topic?: There has been little to no description of sleep status among children and adolescents nationwide in recent years. What is added by this report?: This report assesses the sleep duration and sleep patterns of children and adolescents in China. Approximately half of the adolescents did not get the recommended amount of sleep on school days, and more than half overslept on weekends. What are the implications for public health practice?: The importance of children and adolescents meeting recommended sleep durations needs greater emphasis, especially among older age groups and those in urban areas.

Association of bullying victimization with suicidal ideation and suicide attempt among school students: A school-based study in Zhejiang Province, China.

BACKGROUND: Evidence of associations between type-specific bullying victimization and suicidal ideation and suicide attempt among adolescents is scant. This study examined these associations among middle and high school students in China. METHODS: A cross-sectional study of 27,030 students with mean age of 15.7 ± 1.7 years, including 13,946 boys and 13,084 girls, was carried out between April and June 2022. RESULTS: The prevalence of suicidal ideation and attempt was 19.7 % and 2.9 %, respectively. 30.0 % (95%CI: 28.8-31.1) of students reported being bullied (i.e., bullying victimization) in the past 30 days, and the corresponding figs. (95%CI) for verbal bullying, relational bullying, property-related bullying, physical bullying, and cyberbullying were 11.0 % (10.4-11.7), 2.8 % (2.5-3.0), 1.9 % (1.7-2.2), and 5.7 % (5.3-6.0), respectively. After adjustment for socio-demographic status, lifestyle factors, academic performance, self-reported health and mental health, compared to those who reported not being bullied in the past 30 days, the odds ratios (95%CI) for suicidal ideation and suicide attempt among students who reported being bullied were 1.75 (1.60-1.90) and 2.01 (1.63-2.52), respectively. The corresponding odds ratios (95%CI) for verbal bullying were 1.77 (1.61-1.93) and 2.09 (1.67-2.61), respectively, for relational bullying were 1.77 (1.57-2.00) and 2.31 (1.79-2.98), respectively, for property-related bullying were 1.88 (1.48-2.37) and 2.44 (1.60-3.70), respectively, for physical bullying were 1.79 (1.30-2.47) and 2.86 (1.67-4.90), respectively, and for cyberbullying were 2.02 (1.71-2.39) and 2.83 (2.08-3.84), respectively. CONCLUSION: All types of bullying victimization are strongly associated with both suicidal ideation and suicide attempt among middle and high school students.

Disability and Comorbidity of Mood Disorders and Anxiety Disorders With Diabetes and Hypertension: Evidences From the China Mental Health Survey and Chronic Disease Surveillance in China.

Background: The China Mental Health Survey was carried out using the same sampling frame with the China Chronic Diseases and Risk Factors Surveillance. This paper explores the relationship between the disability and the comorbidity of mood disorders and anxiety disorders with diabetes and hypertension. Methods: A large-scale nationally representative sample with both mental disorders and chronic diseases was collected from 157 Disease Surveillance Points in 31 provinces across China. Face-to-face interviews were conducted by trained lay interviewers to make diagnoses of mood disorders and anxiety disorders using the Composite International Diagnostic Interview. Diabetes and hypertension were diagnosed from self-report and blood examination or body measurement. Sampling design weights, non-response adjustment weights, and post-stratification adjustment weights were applied during the analyses of comorbidity and disability. Results: Totally 15,000 respondents had information of mental disorders and physical diseases. In the patients with mood disorders or anxiety disorders, the weighted prevalence rates of diabetes or hypertension were not higher than those in persons without the above mental disorders, but the weighed disability rates increased when having the comorbidity of hypertension (P < 0.05). The severity of disability was higher among patients with comorbidity of diabetes and anxiety disorders, or hypertension and mood disorders, compared with that among patients without the physical comorbidity (P < 0.05). After adjusted by age, gender and education, patients with comorbidity of mental disorders and physical disorders had the highest disability, followed by the patients with mental disorders only, and physical diseases only. Conclusions: The disability of mood disorders and anxiety disorders comorbid with diabetes and hypertension are more serious than that of any single disease. The relationship of mental and physical diseases is worth exploring in depth for comprehensive and integrated intervention to decrease the disability.

Willingness for community-based and institutional eldercare among older adults: a cross-sectional study in Zhejiang, China.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the proportion of willingness for community-based and institutional care and their correlating factors among older adults in Zhejiang Province, China. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. SETTING: The Sixth National Health Service Survey, carried out in Zhejiang, China. PARTICIPANTS: 7300 eligible older adults aged 60 years or older. MAIN OUTCOMES MEASURES: Willingness for community-based and institutional eldercare. RESULTS: The average age of the participants was 69.0±7.3 years. 50.9% of the participants were males, and 49.1% were females. 19.2% came from urban areas and 80.8% were from rural areas. The percentage of willingness for community-based and institutional eldercare was 2.7% and 3.8%, respectively. The corresponding figures for females were 2.9% and 3.5%, respectively, and for males were 2.5% and 4.1%, respectively. Factors positively associated with willingness for community-based eldercare included living in urban areas, high educational attainment, more frequent active exercise and living alone. Factors positively associated with willingness for institutional eldercare included age, living at urban areas, high education attainment, more frequent active exercise and receiving assistance with daily living. CONCLUSIONS: Family eldercare was the priority for older adults compared with community-based and institutional eldercare in Zhejiang. The willingness for community-based and institutional eldercare among older adults was affected not only by the older adults themselves, but also by community and family members.

Hypertension Prevalence, Awareness, Treatment, Control, and Associated Factors in the Labor Force Population - China, 2015.

What is already known about this topic? Hypertension has become a major public health problem worldwide because of its high prevalence and various complications, and it ranks the most important risk factor for cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). What is added by this report? The prevalence, awareness, treatment, and control of hypertension in the labor force population in 2015 in China were 21.4%, 26.1%, 19.6%, and 6.3%, respectively. Hypertension prevalence in the labor force population remains high and the control of hypertension is still very low. What are the implications for public health practice? Effective public health strategies targeting the labor force population, especially older adults, males, and overweight and obese participants are needed for hypertension prevention and control.

Association between sleep duration and hypertension of migrant workers in China: a national cross-sectional surveillance study.

OBJECTIVES: To examine the relationship between sleep duration and hypertension of migrant workers aged 18-59 years in China. DESIGN: Population-based cross-sectional study using a complex survey sampling design. PARTICIPANTS: There were 43 655 subjects in our analysis, after excluding people with missing information for key exposure and outcome variables and abnormal values for sleep duration (≤2 or ≥17 hours). PRIMARY OUTCOME MEASURE: Hypertension was defined as systolic blood pressure (BP) ≥140 mm Hg and/or diastolic BP ≥90 mm Hg, or self-reported history of hypertension diagnosis in hospitals at the township (community) level or above and use of hypertensive medicine in the last 2 weeks. RESULTS: Of 43 655 subjects, 15.6% (95% CI 15.1% to 16.1%) of migrant workers had hypertension. The prevalence of hypertension decreased with the increased sleep duration, both in males and females. Logistic regression models, using 7-8 hours sleep/day as the reference, showed a greater odds for hypertension among men and women who reported <6 hours of sleep after adjusting for sociodemographic characteristics, behavioural risk factors, body mass index, diabetes, stroke and myocardial infarction (men: OR 1.26; 95% CI 1.03 to 1.54, women: OR 1.55; 95% CI 1.13 to 2.06, pinteraction=0.096). Further stratified by age and migration time, it revealed that among adults less than 45 years old, those sleeping 9 or more hours had adjusted odds for hypertension of 0.82 (95% CI 0.72 to 0.93, pinteraction=0.020),while there was no evidence of an association between sleep duration and hypertension among adults aged 45-59 years. Among adults whose migration time was less than 4.5 years, those sleeping 9 or more hours had adjusted odds for hypertension of 0.80 (95% CI 0.68 to 0.94, pinteraction=0.097). CONCLUSION: The association between sleep duration and hypertension varies by age. Short sleep duration (<6 hours) is associated with an increased prevalence of hypertension in both genders.