Objective Sub-health status has progressively gained more attention from both medical professionals and the publics. Treating the number of sub-health symptoms as count data rather than dichotomous data helps to compl...Objective Sub-health status has progressively gained more attention from both medical professionals and the publics. Treating the number of sub-health symptoms as count data rather than dichotomous data helps to completely and accurately analyze findings in sub-healthy population. This study aims to compare the goodness of fit for count outcome models to identify the optimum model for sub-health study.Methods The sample of the study derived from a large-scale population survey on physiological and psychological constants from 2007 to 2011 in 4 provinces and 2 autonomous regions in China. We constructed four count outcome models using SAS: Poisson model, negative binomial (NB) model, zero-inflated Poisson (ZIP) model and zero-inflated negative binomial (ZINB) model. The number of sub-health symptoms was used as the main outcome measure. The alpha dispersion parameter and O test were used to identify over-dispersed data, and Vuong test was used to evaluate the excessive zero count. The goodness of fit of regression models were determined by predictive probability curves and statistics of likelihood ratio test.Results Of all 78 307 respondents, 38.53% reported no sub-health symptoms. The mean number of sub-health symptoms was 2.98, and the standard deviation was 3.72. The statistic O in over-dispersion test was 720.995 (P<0.001); the estimated alpha was 0.618 (95% CI: 0.600-0.636) comparing ZINB model and ZIP model; Vuong test statistic Z was 45.487. These results indicated over-dispersion of the data and excessive zero counts in this sub-health study. ZINB model had the largest log likelihood (-167 519), the smallest Akaike’s Information Criterion coefficient (335 112) and the smallest Bayesian information criterion coefficient (335455),indicating its best goodness of fit. The predictive probabilities for most counts in ZINB model fitted the observed counts best. The logit section of ZINB model analysis showed that age, sex, occupation, smoking, alcohol drinking, ethnicity and obesity were determinants for presence of sub-health symptoms; the binomial negative section of ZINB model analysis showed that sex, occupation, smoking, alcohol drinking, ethnicity, marital status and obesity had significant effect on the severity of sub-health.Conclusions All tests for goodness of fit and the predictive probability curve produced the same finding that ZINB model was the optimum model for exploring the influencing factors of sub-health symptoms.展开更多
This paper described and discussed the important literature and ideas about the concepts, types and measurement of body constitution, in terms of healthy,sub-healthy and disease status. In view of traditional Chinese ...This paper described and discussed the important literature and ideas about the concepts, types and measurement of body constitution, in terms of healthy,sub-healthy and disease status. In view of traditional Chinese medicine, ‘‘healthy" state is a status of relative balance of Yin and Yang to keep our bodily homeostasis. If there are significant physical and/or psychological stressors, such as loss of a beloved one and failure in study or work, the body can no longer keep its own bodily condition balanced and subsequently enter a state of ‘‘sub-health"(sub-optimal health).‘‘unhealthy" body constitution such as ‘‘Dampnessheat", ‘‘Cold-dampness" and ‘‘Heat- or Cold- dryness"with a subnormal body temperature and humidity and clinical manifestations such as insomnia, malaise and overweight will be presented. Immediate, appropriate strategies such as modification of life-style and seeking medical treatment can prevent evolution of an illness.Otherwise, the body will enter a disease status with a‘‘pathological" body constitution of ‘‘Yin or Yang deficiency'', ‘‘Blood-stasis" and/or ‘‘Phlegm-dampness". To be complimentary with health promotion and disease prevention in Western medicine, understanding about an individual's body constitution, together with itsdeterminants(e.g., healthy eating and lifestyle behaviors), can contribute to a more proactive, holistic and individualized healthcare.展开更多
Health and climate have been linked since antiquity.The impact of climate change on human health has received increasing recognition since it was first mentioned in the IRCC(Intergovernmental Report on Climate Change)...Health and climate have been linked since antiquity.The impact of climate change on human health has received increasing recognition since it was first mentioned in the IRCC(Intergovernmental Report on Climate Change).Climate change is widely considered to be a major driver of inter-annual variability of malaria incidence in Africa.Several researches have suggested that climate can affect infectious disease patterns because disease agents展开更多
With further development of the bio-psycho-social medical model, people began to re-examine the knowledge of disease and health. The concept of sub-health has also been proposed in western medicine. Because of the lac...With further development of the bio-psycho-social medical model, people began to re-examine the knowledge of disease and health. The concept of sub-health has also been proposed in western medicine. Because of the lack of a specific standard, it is difficult to make clinical diagnosis and treatments for sub-health. Chinese medicine constitution theory has been widely accepted in China, and has a set of executable standards. This paper puts forward a new research method that connects the sub-health in western medicine and Chinese medicine constitution theory together. The potential relationships and influences between Chinese medicine constitution theory and sub-health were analyzed and key content and research progress were discussed. The research method in this paper will provide new ideas for sub-health research.展开更多
Background:The reduction of childhood malnutrition has been identified as a priority for health and development in sub Saharan African countries.The association between women’s empowerment and children’s nutritional...Background:The reduction of childhood malnutrition has been identified as a priority for health and development in sub Saharan African countries.The association between women’s empowerment and children’s nutritional status is of policy interest due to its effect on human development,labour supply,productivity,economic growth and development.This study aimed to determine the association between women’s empowerment and childhood nutritional status in sub Saharan African countries.Methods:The study utilized secondary datasets of women in their child bearing age(15-49 years)from the latest Demographic and Health Survey(DHS)conducted in 2011-2017 across 30 sub Saharan Africa countries.The outcome variable of the study was childhood nutritional status while the exposure variable was women’s empowerment indicators such as decision making and attitude towards violence.Analyses were performed at bivariate level with the use of chi square to determine association between outcome and exposure variables and at multivariate level with the use of regression models to examine the effect of women’s empowerment on childhood nutritional status.Results:Women’s socio-demographic and other selected characteristics were statistically significantly associated with childhood nutritional status(stunted and underweight)at p<0.001.These characteristics were also statistically significantly associated with empowerment status of women(Decision-making,Violence attitudes and Experience of violence)at p<0.001 except for child age and sex.The association between childhood nutritional statuses and women’s empowerment(all three empowerment measures)was significant after controlling for other covariates that could also influence childhood nutrition statuses at p<001.Two of the empowerment measures(attitudes towards violence and experience of violence)showed positive association with childhood nutritional statuses while the third(decision-making)showed negative association.Conclusion:There is an independent relationship between childhood nutrition status and women’s empowerment in sub Saharan African countries.Women’s empowerment was found to be related to childhood nutritional status.Policies and programmes aiming at reducing childhood malnutrition should include interventions designed to empower women in Sub-Saharan Africa.展开更多
基金supported by the Basic Performance Key Project,the Ministry of Science and Technology of the People’s Republic of China(No.2006FY110300)
文摘Objective Sub-health status has progressively gained more attention from both medical professionals and the publics. Treating the number of sub-health symptoms as count data rather than dichotomous data helps to completely and accurately analyze findings in sub-healthy population. This study aims to compare the goodness of fit for count outcome models to identify the optimum model for sub-health study.Methods The sample of the study derived from a large-scale population survey on physiological and psychological constants from 2007 to 2011 in 4 provinces and 2 autonomous regions in China. We constructed four count outcome models using SAS: Poisson model, negative binomial (NB) model, zero-inflated Poisson (ZIP) model and zero-inflated negative binomial (ZINB) model. The number of sub-health symptoms was used as the main outcome measure. The alpha dispersion parameter and O test were used to identify over-dispersed data, and Vuong test was used to evaluate the excessive zero count. The goodness of fit of regression models were determined by predictive probability curves and statistics of likelihood ratio test.Results Of all 78 307 respondents, 38.53% reported no sub-health symptoms. The mean number of sub-health symptoms was 2.98, and the standard deviation was 3.72. The statistic O in over-dispersion test was 720.995 (P<0.001); the estimated alpha was 0.618 (95% CI: 0.600-0.636) comparing ZINB model and ZIP model; Vuong test statistic Z was 45.487. These results indicated over-dispersion of the data and excessive zero counts in this sub-health study. ZINB model had the largest log likelihood (-167 519), the smallest Akaike’s Information Criterion coefficient (335 112) and the smallest Bayesian information criterion coefficient (335455),indicating its best goodness of fit. The predictive probabilities for most counts in ZINB model fitted the observed counts best. The logit section of ZINB model analysis showed that age, sex, occupation, smoking, alcohol drinking, ethnicity and obesity were determinants for presence of sub-health symptoms; the binomial negative section of ZINB model analysis showed that sex, occupation, smoking, alcohol drinking, ethnicity, marital status and obesity had significant effect on the severity of sub-health.Conclusions All tests for goodness of fit and the predictive probability curve produced the same finding that ZINB model was the optimum model for exploring the influencing factors of sub-health symptoms.
文摘This paper described and discussed the important literature and ideas about the concepts, types and measurement of body constitution, in terms of healthy,sub-healthy and disease status. In view of traditional Chinese medicine, ‘‘healthy" state is a status of relative balance of Yin and Yang to keep our bodily homeostasis. If there are significant physical and/or psychological stressors, such as loss of a beloved one and failure in study or work, the body can no longer keep its own bodily condition balanced and subsequently enter a state of ‘‘sub-health"(sub-optimal health).‘‘unhealthy" body constitution such as ‘‘Dampnessheat", ‘‘Cold-dampness" and ‘‘Heat- or Cold- dryness"with a subnormal body temperature and humidity and clinical manifestations such as insomnia, malaise and overweight will be presented. Immediate, appropriate strategies such as modification of life-style and seeking medical treatment can prevent evolution of an illness.Otherwise, the body will enter a disease status with a‘‘pathological" body constitution of ‘‘Yin or Yang deficiency'', ‘‘Blood-stasis" and/or ‘‘Phlegm-dampness". To be complimentary with health promotion and disease prevention in Western medicine, understanding about an individual's body constitution, together with itsdeterminants(e.g., healthy eating and lifestyle behaviors), can contribute to a more proactive, holistic and individualized healthcare.
文摘Health and climate have been linked since antiquity.The impact of climate change on human health has received increasing recognition since it was first mentioned in the IRCC(Intergovernmental Report on Climate Change).Climate change is widely considered to be a major driver of inter-annual variability of malaria incidence in Africa.Several researches have suggested that climate can affect infectious disease patterns because disease agents
文摘With further development of the bio-psycho-social medical model, people began to re-examine the knowledge of disease and health. The concept of sub-health has also been proposed in western medicine. Because of the lack of a specific standard, it is difficult to make clinical diagnosis and treatments for sub-health. Chinese medicine constitution theory has been widely accepted in China, and has a set of executable standards. This paper puts forward a new research method that connects the sub-health in western medicine and Chinese medicine constitution theory together. The potential relationships and influences between Chinese medicine constitution theory and sub-health were analyzed and key content and research progress were discussed. The research method in this paper will provide new ideas for sub-health research.
文摘Background:The reduction of childhood malnutrition has been identified as a priority for health and development in sub Saharan African countries.The association between women’s empowerment and children’s nutritional status is of policy interest due to its effect on human development,labour supply,productivity,economic growth and development.This study aimed to determine the association between women’s empowerment and childhood nutritional status in sub Saharan African countries.Methods:The study utilized secondary datasets of women in their child bearing age(15-49 years)from the latest Demographic and Health Survey(DHS)conducted in 2011-2017 across 30 sub Saharan Africa countries.The outcome variable of the study was childhood nutritional status while the exposure variable was women’s empowerment indicators such as decision making and attitude towards violence.Analyses were performed at bivariate level with the use of chi square to determine association between outcome and exposure variables and at multivariate level with the use of regression models to examine the effect of women’s empowerment on childhood nutritional status.Results:Women’s socio-demographic and other selected characteristics were statistically significantly associated with childhood nutritional status(stunted and underweight)at p<0.001.These characteristics were also statistically significantly associated with empowerment status of women(Decision-making,Violence attitudes and Experience of violence)at p<0.001 except for child age and sex.The association between childhood nutritional statuses and women’s empowerment(all three empowerment measures)was significant after controlling for other covariates that could also influence childhood nutrition statuses at p<001.Two of the empowerment measures(attitudes towards violence and experience of violence)showed positive association with childhood nutritional statuses while the third(decision-making)showed negative association.Conclusion:There is an independent relationship between childhood nutrition status and women’s empowerment in sub Saharan African countries.Women’s empowerment was found to be related to childhood nutritional status.Policies and programmes aiming at reducing childhood malnutrition should include interventions designed to empower women in Sub-Saharan Africa.
