Association of education levels with the risk of hypertension and hypertension control: a nationwide cohort study in Chinese adults

BackgroundEducation attainment can improve life expectancy and guide healthy behaviours throughout an entire lifetime. A nationwide longitudinal study of the association of education status with the risk of hypertension and its control in China is lacking.MethodsThe China Cardiometabolic Disease and Cancer Cohort Study is a multicentre, population-based, prospective cohort study. We performed the baseline survey from 2011 to 2012. A follow-up visit was conducted during 2014–2016. 101 959 subjects were included in the final data analyses. Cox proportional hazards regression was used to examine the associations of education levels with the risk of hypertension and uncontrolled hypertension.ResultsDuring follow-up, 11 189 (19.9%) participants had developed hypertension among subjects without hypertension at baseline. Among the participants with hypertension at baseline, only 40.6% had controlled hypertension. Compared with the participants’ education level at elementary school and below, the multivariable-adjusted HR for incident hypertension was 0.76 (95% CI, 0.72 to 0.80) in those with a middle school education level and 0.67 (95% CI, 0.63 to 0.70) in those with a high school degree or above. Correspondingly, multivariable-adjusted HRs associated with uncontrolled hypertension were 0.90 (95% CI, 0.87 to 0.92) in participants with a middle school education level and 0.85 (95% CI, 0.82 to 0.88) in participants with a high school degree or above level.ConclusionParticipants with education attainment at elementary school and below exhibited excess risks of newly diagnosed hypertension and worse blood pressure control compared with individuals with education attainment at middle school or above.

Social and environmental risk factors for unintentional suffocation among infants in China: a descriptive analysis

Background This retrospective study aimed to determine the epidemiological features of deaths caused by unintentional suffocation among infants in China. Methods The data used in this study were obtained from China’s Under 5 Child Mortality Surveillance System (U5CMSS) from October 1, 2015, to September 30, 2016. A total of 377 children under 1 year of age who died from unintentional suffocation were included in the survey. Primary caregivers were interviewed individually using the Unintentional Suffocation Mortality among Children under 5 Questionnaire. EpiData was used to establish the database, and the results were analysed using SPSS 22.0. Results Most (85.9%) unintentional infant suffocations occurred in rural areas, and 67.5% occurred in infants 0 to 3 months old. Among the primary caregivers of the infants, most (82.7%) had a junior middle school education or below, and 83.1% of them lacked unintentional suffocation first aid skills. Of the 377 unintentional suffocated-infant deaths, the causes of death were accidental suffocation and strangulation in bed (ASSB) (193, 51.2%), inhalation suffocation (154, 40.8%), other unintentional suffocation (6, 1.6%), and unknown (24, 6.4%). Among the infant deaths due to ASSB, overlaying (88.6%) was the most frequently reported circumstance. A total of 93.8% of cases reported occurred during co-sleeping/bed sharing with parents, and in 72.8% of the cases, the infants were covered with the same quilt as their parents. In our study, most inhalation suffocation deaths (88.3%) involved liquid food (such as breast milk and formula milk). A total of 80.5% of infant deaths reportedly occurred after eating; in 28.2% of those cases, the infants were held upright and patted by their caregivers, and 57.2% of them were laid down to sleep immediately after eating. Conclusions To reduce the occurrence of unintentional suffocation, local government should strengthen knowledge and awareness of unintentional suffocation prevention and safety among parents and caregivers. Additionally, health care providers should educate parents and caregivers about safety issues of unintentional suffocation, and relevant policies should be introduced to provide environments and activities that reduce the risk of suffocation, such as promoting the Safe to Sleep Campaign. It is important to enhance the focus on infant unintentional suffocation as a health issue.

Prevalence of and risk factors for asthma among people aged 45 and older in China: a cross-sectional study

Background Asthma is one of the most prevalent chronic respiratory diseases worldwide. This study aimed to determine the updated prevalence of and risk factors for asthma among individuals aged 45 and older in mainland China. Methods The data for this study came from the fourth wave of the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS) conducted by the National School of Development of Peking University in 2018. The CHARLS is a nationally representative survey targeting populations aged 45 and over from 28 provinces/cities in mainland China. A representative sample of 19,816 participants was recruited for the study using a multistage stratified sampling method. The prevalence of asthma was determined across different characteristics. The potential risk factors were examined by multivariable logistic regressions. Results A total of 18,395 participants (8744 men and 9651 women) were eligible for the final data analysis. The estimated prevalence of asthma among Chinese people aged ≥ 45 years in 2018 was 2.16% (95% CI 1.96–2.38). The prevalence of asthma significantly differed according to race (P = 0.002), with an overall rate of 2.07% (95% CI 1.86–2.29) in Han paticipants and 3.32% (95% CI 2.50–4.38) in minority participants. Furthermore, the minority ethnicities (OR = 1.55 [95% CI 1.12–2.14], P = 0.008), older age (60–69 years group: OR = 1.85 [95% CI 1.17–2.92], P = 0.008; ≥ 70 years group: OR = 2.63 [95% CI 1.66–4.17], P < 0.001), an education level of middle school or below (middle-school education: OR = 1.88 [95% CI 1.15–3.05], P = 0.011; primary education: OR = 2.48 [95% CI 1.55–3.98], P < 0.001; literate: OR = 2.53 [95% Cl 1.57–4.07], P < 0.001; illiterate: OR = 2.78 [95% CI 1.72–4.49, P < 0.001]), smoking (OR = 1.37 [95% CI 1.11–1.68], P = 0.003), and residence in North (OR = 1.52 [95% CI 1.11–2.09], P = 0.01) or Northwest China (OR = 1.71 [95% CI 1.18–2.49], P = 0.005) were associated with prevalent asthma. Conclusions Asthma is prevalent but underappreciated among middle-aged and elderly people in China. A number of risk factors were identified. These results can help to formulate correct prevention and treatment measures for asthma patients.

The Overall Reform Experiment of Elementary and Middle School Education: An Exploration of Education Reform

The overall reform experiment of elementary and middle school education is a reform exploration that touches the whole process of education. Horizontally, it includes various educational factors within the school and vertically includes multiple educational stages. This experiment is based on the overall idea, from the beginning of the experiment in some areas to the whole of China, and systematically designs and comprehensively reforms the various factors that constitute school education at multiple stages. Starting from the background of the overall reform experiment, this paper elaborates on the experiment’s content, history, and impact to objectively and truthfully summarize the experiment, inspire most educators, and explore practical methods for improving the experiment quality education.

Entrepreneurial Behaviour of Livestock Entrepreneurs of Karnataka- A Socio-economic Analysis

India owns the largest livestock population in the world and it is bestowed with huge and diverse livestock resources. The animal husbandry sector provides large self-employment opportunities and is proved to be a boon for sustaining the livelihood of the resource poor farmers. A study was undertaken to analyze the socioeconomic and psychological profile of livestock entrepreneurs in Karnataka state. Four divisions viz. Bengaluru division, Mysuru division, Belagavi division and Kalaburagi division were selected for the study. A total of 160 livestock entrepreneurs were randomly selected and data were collected using structured interview schedule. The analysis of socio economic and psychological profile revealed that majority (58.75%) of the livestock entrepreneurs were of middle age group (35-50 years), and more than three forth (78.13%) of the livestock entrepreneurs are male. With respect education 36.88 per cent of them had middle school education and half (50.63%) of the entrepreneurs belonged to small family size(less than 6 members). Majority (56.88%) of the livestock entrepreneurs had animal husbandry as their major occupation with 43.75 per cent of the respondents had medium landholding (2-3 acres of land). More than half (51.25%) of the respondents had medium livestock possession and 45.63 per cent of the entrepreneurs had an annual income of more than Rs.4,00,001. Majority (53.75%) of the livestock entrepreneurs had (5 to 10 years) medium level of experience in livestock entrepreneurship. Majority of the respondent dairy farmers had medium economic motivation and scientific orientation. The study concludes that livestock entrepreneurs had different socioeconomic status due to varied attributes possessed by them.

IMPACT OF TRAINING ON THE AWARENESS AND KNOWLEDGE ON IMPROVED PRODUCTION TECHNOLOGIES IN RED GRAM AMONG FARMERS

The training of farmers is a critical input for the rapid transfer of agricultural technologies. The present rate of agricultural production can be doubled if the available technologies are brought to bear with the production process and programmes focusing more and more on transferring our new technologies away from the confines of laboratories and research institutions to the farmers and make them more result and work oriented. In this context, training plays an important role to the farming community in boosting their farm production. Training for the farmer proved to be a significant input in accelerating our farm production. The present study was undertaken in the three blocks of the Madurai District of Tamil Nadu , 120 farmers were selected for the study. These farmers were trained at KVK in different aspects of Red gram production technologies. A knowledge test was developed to ascertain the knowledge of farmers on various aspects of Red gram cultivation technologies. The result exhibits that majority of the respondents were in middle age group, had middle school education, The findings of the study revealed that very few farmers were aware of the new technologies like redgram transplanting, after attending training programme they have got awareness on seed treatment with biofertilizer, weed management, water management techniques (74.00%), respectively and there was an increase in knowledge gain by the farmers after attending the training programme.