Abstract
BackgroundChina’s rapid population growth and urban migration has developed healthcare inequity across the urban-rural divide. Past studies comparing cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factor prevalence amongst urban-rural Chinese children are sparse and conflicting. We examined the association between urban-rural residence and risk of offspring CVD in Chinese children.MethodsA cross-sectional study was conducted in Wuhan, China, during May and June 2010. CVD risk factors include; waist circumference (WC), systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), fasting blood glucose (FBG), triglycerides (TG), high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, body mass index (BMI), cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF), metabolic syndrome (MetS), and metabolic risk score (MRS). Analysis of covariance and multivariable logistic regression were used to estimate associations between urban-rural residence and offspring CVD risks.FindingsA total of 579 Chinese children (338 boys and 241 girls) aged 9.6 (0.7) years participated in this study. Rural boys had significantly lower CRF and higher FBG, TG, and MRS, while urban boys had significantly higher LDL and DBP. Rural girls had significantly higher BMI, FBG, and TG, as well as lower CRF. Rural children were at increased risks for decreased CRF, elevated MRS, and TG, (OR:2.04, 95%CI:1.29–3.25), (OR:2.33, 95%CI:1.50–3.62), and (OR:2.40, 95%CI:1.62–3.57), respectively. Rural girls and mothers were at increased risks for overweight(OR:7.19, 95%CI:1.64–31.6)/obesity (OR:1.683, 95%CI:1.01–2.82). However, rural boys and fathers were less likely to have overweight(OR:0.62, 95%CI:0.34–1.12)/obesity (OR:0.68, 95%CI:0.48–0.97).ConclusionsRural residence was significantly associated with increased CVD risks amongst Chinese children. It is important to provide interventions aiming at China’s urban-rural healthcare inequity and community-based approaches that reduce familial CVD risk.
Highlights
Unprecedented as China’s population growth over the past two decades, the rural to urban migration within China is likely the largest in history with over 145 million rural-to-urban immigrants [1]
We examined the association between urban-rural residence and risk of offspring cardiovascular disease (CVD) in Chinese children
Rural residence was significantly associated with increased CVD risks amongst Chinese children
Summary
Unprecedented as China’s population growth over the past two decades, the rural to urban migration within China is likely the largest in history with over 145 million rural-to-urban immigrants [1]. Population growth coupled with migration to urban centers has developed vast healthcare inequity across China’s urban-rural divide. Several studies have found that cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors generally increase in prevalence amongst rural residents [3,4,5], while other studies have conflicting findings [6, 7]. To our knowledge, has compared CVD risk factors amongst children between rural and urban districts [8]. China’s rapid population growth and urban migration has developed healthcare inequity across the urban-rural divide. Past studies comparing cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factor prevalence amongst urban-rural Chinese children are sparse and conflicting. We examined the association between urban-rural residence and risk of offspring CVD in Chinese children
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