Correlation between lifestyle and social factors in functional dyspepsia among college freshmen.

OBJECTIVE: We aimed to examine the relationship between the prevalence of functional dyspepsia (FD) and lifestyle habits, to identify social factors that may contribute to psychosocial disorders. METHODS: We enrolled 759 university freshmen in this study, who were categorized into the FD group and healthy group. All participants completed the validated Self-Rating Depression Scale and Self-Rating Anxiety Scale questionnaires, to assess lifestyle and social factors among participants. RESULTS: The proportion of participants with FD was 16.86%, and 67.97% were women. Diet irregularities and sleep impairment may have an effect on FD. Tea consumption may play a role in preventing FD. Participants with FD were more likely to have mood disorders than healthy participants. Most participants with FD who had mood disorders experienced mild anxiety or depression. Participants' main sources of stress arose from daily life, development, social life, life events, and participants' daily schedule. CONCLUSION: Sex and lifestyle habits, including sleeping patterns and dietary habits, can have an impact on FD. Social stress and mood disorders also have an effect on FD. FD may be prevented by adjusting lifestyle habits and psychological counseling.

[Survey and assessment of heavy metals in soils and herbal medicines from Chinese herbal medicine cultivated regions].

Concentrations of As, Hg, Pb, Cd in soils and herbal medicine samples from cultivated regions of Anguo City in Hebei Province were analyzed and assessed, and the bioconcentration factors of different herbal medicines were studied and discussed as well. The results showed that the average contents of As, Hg, Pb, Cd in soils from herbal medicine cultivated regions were 12.9, 0.036, 15.6, 0.118 mg x kg(-1), respectively. Concentrations of heavy metals in soils were lower than class II of the soil environmental quality standard. When local soil background values of heavy metals were used as assessment standard, among the 16 cultivated regions the percentage of As, Hg, Ph, Cd belonging to lightly pollution class were 18.75%, 43.75%, 0%, 100%, respectively based on the single pollution index. And the Nemerow index results were between 1 and 2, which suggested the soils were at slight pollution level. However, when quality standard class II was used, both the single pollution index and Nemerow index did not exceed 0.7, which means that soils investigated were generally safe for cultivation of Chinese herbal medicines. The assessment of heavy metals in herbal medicines showed that the pollution indices of most herbal samples (< 95%) were lower then 1. Cd bioconcentration factors of Aster tataricus L. and Anemarrhena asphodeloides Bunge, Hg bioconcentration factors of Angelica dahurica (Fisch. ex Hoffm.) Benth. et Hook. f. and Glehnia littoralis F. Schmidt ex Miq. were above 1. Therefore, the accumulation characteristic of heavy metals in Chinese herbal medicines should be fully concerned when GAP base soil quality assessment was taken.