Differences in regional distribution and inequality in health workforce allocation in hospitals and primary health centers in China: A longitudinal study.

BACKGROUND: In 2009, China launched a new round of healthcare reform to provide households with secure, efficient, convenient, equitable and affordable healthcare services. Healthcare reform is underpinned by three critical pillars: the health workforce, funding, and infrastructure, with reform of the health workforce being particularly significant. OBJECTIVE: This study analyses the disparities in regional distribution and the inequity of healthcare workforce allocation across hospitals and primary health centers in China over twelve years. DESIGN: Retrospective longitudinal data from the National Health Statistics Yearbook 2011-2022 and National Statistical Yearbook in China from 2011 to 2022 were collected for analysis. PARTICIPANTS: The focus was on hospitals and primary health centers, explicitly examining their health technician and nursing workforce. METHODS: The research utilized four key indicators of the healthcare workforce to evaluate the distribution of health resources between hospitals and primary health centers. Furthermore, the Gini coefficient and Theil index were employed to assess the inequality in allocating the health workforce. RESULTS: Between 2010 and 2021, there was a nationwide increase in the ratio of health workers per 1000 population in hospitals and primary health centers. It is noted that rural districts had higher ratios than urban districts in terms of the number of health technicians and nurses per 1000 population, whether in hospitals or primary health centers; western districts had higher ratios than eastern and central districts did. In the same year, at different levels of medical institutions, the Theil indices of health technicians and nurses in hospitals were lower than those in primary health centers in terms of both demographic and geographical dimensions. Regarding the allocation of the health workforce by population, the Gini coefficient remained below 0.3, while for geographical allocation, it exceeded 0.4. CONCLUSIONS: This study analyzed the temporal trends and inequality of health-resource allocation at the hospital and primary health center levels in China, noting trends of improvements in the quantity and inequality in health workforce allocation from 2010 to 2021, suggesting the success of the government's efforts to advance healthcare reform since 2009. The allocation of health workforce based on population exhibits greater fairness compared to geographical distribution.

A preliminary study of the effectiveness of video visitation on depression and stress in mothers with preterm infants during the pandemic.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Parents of preterm infants experience anxiety and stress in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). Visitation restrictions due to COVID-19 have increased maternal pressure and limited bonding opportunities. Little research exists in Taiwan on using video conferencing as a solution. This study investigates depression and stress levels in mothers of preterm infants and evaluates the effectiveness of video visitation during NICU restrictions. METHODS: This study adopts a cross-sectional design and a qualitative survey. Mothers of premature infants were recruited and they participated in the study. Interventions for video visits were scheduled on the third day of admission to the NICU (T1) and during the second week of the study (T2). After each video visit, participants completed an online survey. The study's online survey used structured questionnaires including demographics, the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) and the Parental Stress Scale (PSS): Infant Hospitalization (IH). RESULTS: A total of 51 mothers of preterm infants participated in the study. During the T1 and T2 periods, single mothers with lower educational levels and those aged below 30 experienced depression and high levels of stress. Lower birth weight and gestational age were associated with maternal depression. Video visitation intervention led to a significant decrease in depression scores (EPDS, T1: 11.3 ± 5.5 vs. T2: 10.1 ± 5.2, p = 0.039). Positive correlations were observed between EPDS and PSS: IH scores (p < 0 .005). CONCLUSION: Video visitation intervention can reduce maternal depression in mothers with preterm infants. Since it is practical, video visitation may be applied even after the pandemic.

Multiple geriatric syndromes in community-dwelling older adults in China.

This study aims to assess the prevalence of geriatric syndromes and identify factors associated with multiple geriatric syndromes in community-dwelling older adults in China. We utilized a convenience sampling method to recruit older adults and from one rural and one urban community in Chengdu, China, from October 2022 to March 2023. A total of 706 older adults aged 60 years or older were included. Ten geriatric syndromes were investigated including two mental disorders: depressive symptoms, cognitive impairment; and eight somatic disorders: pain, falls, sleep disturbance, constipation, polypharmacy, multimorbidity, malnutrition and frailty. Multiple geriatric syndromes were defined as an individual having two or more geriatric syndromes. The data obtained were analysed using descriptive statistics. The independent risk factors for multiple geriatric syndromes were assessed using a logistic regression model. This study found that 90.5% of the participants had at least one geriatric syndrome, with 72.8% experiencing multiple geriatric syndromes. The top four geriatric syndromes in our study were polypharmacy (58.5%), malnutrition/at risk of malnutrition (43.1%), multimorbidity (42.1%), and frailty/prefrailty (34.3%). Of the older adults, 368(52.1%) had only somatic disorders, 18(2.5%) had only mental disorders and 253 (35.8%) had somatic-mental disorders. According to the logistic regression analysis, residence, age, marriage, BMI, and self-related health were significantly associated with multiple geriatric syndromes among older adults. This study highlights that multiple geriatric syndromes are prevalent among community-dwelling older adults in China, and underscores the significance of certain demographic factors in their occurrence. Future longitudinal studies are needed to establish the temporal relationship between multiple geriatric syndromes and these demographic factors, as well as to explore causal relationships and effective prevention strategies for geriatric syndrome.

Association of daily health behavior and activity of daily living in older adults in China.

This study aims to describe the activity of daily living (ADL) situation and determine the relationship between health behavior and ADL among older adults in China. A cross-sectional, observational study was conducted in one urban community and one rural community in Chengdu (a city located in Southwest China), China, from October 2022 to March 2023. A total of 706 older adults were included in this study. The associations between health behaviour and ADL were assessed by logistic regression model. Of the 706 older adults, 169 (23.9%) were disabled in ADL. According to the logistic regression analysis, age (60-69 years old: OR = 0.015, 95% CI 0.007 to 0.035, P < 0.001; 70-79 years old: OR = 0.116, 95% CI 0.060 to 0.227, P < 0.001), resident(OR = 0.568, 95% CI 0.330 to 0.976, P = 0.041), chronic disease (0 type: OR = 0.023, 95% CI 0.001 to 0.379, P = 0.008; 1-4 types: OR = 0.357, 95% CI 0.219 to 0.582, P < 0.001), no exercise (OR = 4.562, 95% CI 2.263 to 8.026, P < 0.001), and physical examination (OR = 2.217, 95% CI 1.294 to 3.496, P = 0.003) were significantly associated with ADL among older adults in Southwest China. This study showed that older adults had a higher ADL disability ratio. Age, resident, chronic disease, exercise and physical examination were associated with ADL among older adults. The study indicates that medium/high exercise maybe a protective factor for older adults, and nursing staff can encourage older adults to exercise when carrying out primary prevention measures. The government and public health institutions should give special attention to older adults and help them to acquire the habit of having an annual physical examination.

[Enhancing Maternal-Infant Attachment in a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit During the Pandemic Prevention Period].

BACKGROUND & PROBLEMS: Parent-infant attachment is affected by parent-infant interaction. The limitations on related visitations during the COVID-19 pandemic suspended the opportunity to engage in kangaroo care (skin-to-skin contact) activities. These changes impacted parent-infant attachment in the neonatal intensive care unit. After investigation, the score of premature infant-parent attachment was found to be only 64.6 points during the period in which visitation limitations were in effect. PURPOSE: To enhance maternal-premature infant attachment during the pandemic period by 10% (from an average score of 64.6 to 71.1). RESOLUTION: This project involved nurses playing audio files provided by mothers to their premature infants, and recording a video and taking pictures of the infants during this process. This project used a cloud platform as bidirectional pipelines. Furthermore, emotional support and caring information were provided to the mothers via expressive arts therapy and phone interviews. RESULTS: After the intervention, the premature infant-parent attachment score rose to 74.4 from the pre-intervention score of 64.6. CONCLUSIONS: During pandemic control periods, traditional modes of care aimed at building infant-parent attachment are not applicable. The intervention project used was found to be an effective alternative approach to increasing maternal-premature infant attachment. Breaking the restrictions of time and place, this project applies family-centered care, and may provide a reference for developing software, hardware, and communication equipment for other care units related to newborns.

[Construction of Graded Nursing Care Index System for Patients With Alzheimer's Disease].

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is one of the most common diseases in older populations. Its main clinical features include cognitive dysfunction, affective disorder, and abnormal mental behavior. Due to the lack of therapeutic drugs, professional care has become an important diagnostic and therapeutic strategy for Alzheimer's disease patients. At present, most Alzheimer's disease patients are cared for at home by relatives or caregivers, and less than l0% of city-based patients receive care in old-age institutions. Due to mixed treatment regimens in the hospital, care services do not necessarily match patient care needs and thus Alzheimer's disease patients do not receive adequate treatment. Developed countries have a mature care system for the elderly, but no graded care model for the elderly with Alzheimer's disease currently exists in China. In this paper, the author draws on the experience of developed countries to construct an index system for the graded care of Alzheimer's disease patients that is suited to conditions in China. This article addresses the burden faced by the elderly with Alzheimer's disease and the current standard of care for the elderly at home and abroad. After explaining the necessity of constructing a care model for the elderly with Alzheimer's disease, the author then explains the practicability of the care system proposed in this study in order to provide a whole-course care model for the mentally impaired elderly in China.

[Living Arrangement Intentions of the Elderly and Its Influencing Factors in Western China].

BACKGROUND: China is the country with the largest population of elderly, accounting for more than 17.3% of the total population. The arrival of the so-called "silver wave" has generally reduced the abilities of daily life of the elderly and has continued to increase endowment pressures. Assisting the elderly in China to age successfully is an urgent problem. PURPOSE: To understand the living arrangement intentions of the elderly in Western China and to provide a reference for the reformation of the social endowment service system. METHODS: A self-designed questionnaire and Barthel self-care ability scale were conducted on 2,078 elderly people living in Guangxi and Ningxia Provinces in China. RESULTS: A total of 1,634 participants (78.6%) chose home-based care, 187 (9.0%) chose community care, and 257 (12.3%) chose institutional care. Differences in age, ethnic group, household registration, education level, family monthly income, family income and expenditure situation, and religion all significantly affected living arrangement intention (all p < .05). Logistic regression showed that age, ethnicity, household registration, religion, marital status, family monthly income, and length of hospital stay were all primary factors of influence on the home care intention of the elderly people (all p < .05). CONCLUSIONS: A significant majority of the elderly in this study expressed an intention to choose home-based care. It will be necessary to build a home-based mode of care that incorporates medical-care functions. In addition, the health service functions of community and institutions should be improved and perfected, as the intention to live in these settings is also growing. Appropriate services should be provided to meet the living arrangement intentions of the elderly in order to start a new era of elderly care customization. Finally, the development and expansion of "Internet Plus" should be leveraged to build a social endowment service system that meets the comprehensive range of elderly-care needs.

Comparison of aroma-active volatiles and their sensory characteristics of mangosteen wines prepared by Saccharomyces cerevisiae with GC-olfactometry and principal component analysis.

Mangosteen fruit is fermented with five different strains (i.e. GRE (Y1), Lalvin RC212 (Y2), Lalvin D254 (Y3), CGMCC2.23 (Y4) and CGMCC2.4 (Y5)) of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae to make mangosteen wines. A total of 36 volatile compounds of the mangosteen wines were identified by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and gas chromatography-pulsed flame photometric detection. A total of 35 odour-active compounds were identified by gas chromatography-olfactometry analysis and by the detection frequency (DF) method. The compounds with high DF values included ethyl octanoate, ethyl hexanoate and 3-methyl-2-butene-1-thiol. Principal component analysis was used to characterise the differences of the flavour profiles of those mangosteen wines. The result demonstrated that the samples could be divided into three groups that were associated closely with aroma-active compounds.