The association between altitude and the prevalence of hypertension among permanent highlanders.

Hypertension (HTN) is a growing contributor to the global disease burden, and it is prevalent among people living at high altitudes (H-ALTs). This study aimed to explore the relationship between altitude and the prevalence of HTN among inhabitants living at H-ALTs. We searched electronic databases, including PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science, up to April 30, 2022. The quality of included studies was assessed using the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) checklist for prevalence studies. A total of 1273 articles were screened, and 32 studies (86,487 participants) were eligible for further analyses. The pooled prevalence among highlanders was 28.7%. General additive model (GAM)-based meta-regression analysis was conducted to explore the association between altitude and the prevalence of HTN. A curve-shaped line was found between altitude and the prevalence of HTN (ß = 0.998, p = 0.039) after adjusting for factors including publication year, sample size, age, sex, ethnic group, body mass index (BMI), smoking and alcohol consumption. The turning point was observed at 3300 m. The predictive parameter indicated that the smoothness and goodness of model fit were good (GCV = 0.014, R2 = 0.60, respectively). The findings may provide clues for further mechanistic studies that can improve HTN prevention among highlanders.

Knowledge, attitudes, and practices related to Coronavirus disease 2019 during the outbreak among workers in China: A large cross-sectional study.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has recently emerged as a global threat. Understanding workers' knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) regarding this new infectious disease is crucial to preventing and controlling it. This study aimed to assess KAP regarding COVID-19 during the outbreak among workers in China. The present study was part of a cross-sectional online survey study conducted based on a large labor-intensive factory, which has 180,000 workers from various Chinese provinces, from 2 February 2020 to 7 February 2020. KAP related to COVID-19 were measured by 32 items, each item was measured with an agree/disagree/unclear format, and only correct responses were given 1 point. KAP regarding COVID-19 were measured with 20 items, 6 items and 6 items, respectively. A total of 123,768 valid responses (68.8%) were included in the analysis. Generally, the levels of knowledge (mean: 16.3 out of 20 points), attitudes (mean: 4.5 out of 6 points), and practices (mean: 5.8 out of 6 points) related to COVID-19 were high. Only 36,373 respondents (29.4%) disagreed that gargling with salt water is effective in protecting against COVID-19. Moreover, older respondents had decreased levels of knowledge and practices related to COVID-19 (both P values for the trend <0.001), while better-educated respondents had increased levels of knowledge and practices related to COVID-19 (both P values for the trend <0.001). These results suggest that Chinese workers are highly aware of COVID-19, but health authorities still need to provide correct information on COVID-19 prevention and strengthen health interventions, particularly for older and less-educated workers.