Age Groups In Taiwan Research Articles

Exploring the link between the increase in high-rise buildings and youth jumping suicide in Taiwan: A longitudinal study.

From 2010 to 2021, suicide rates in 15-24 age group in Taiwan increased by 70%, with jumping being the most common method in 2021. We examined the link between the rise in youth suicides and the increase in high-rise buildings during this period. Spearman's correlation coefficients and negative binomial mixed-effects models were employed to assess the association between the increase in high-rise buildings and jumping suicides over time. Spearman's correlation coefficients of high-rise buildings and jumping suicide rates in youth decreased from 0.692 (p < 0.001) in 2010 to 0.354 (p = 0.11) in 2021. Negative binomial mixed-effects models showed that although jumping suicide rates in youths increased over time, the increase in numbers of high-rise buildings was not related to rates of youth suicide by jumping. Conversely, in older age groups, the correlations were still prominent. Despite the rising trend in youth suicides by jumping over the past 11 years, our study refutes the intuitive notion that the increase in high-rise buildings contributes to this trend. It is imperative to identify and address other potential factors, such as academic stress and/or family disruptions, for effective prevention of youth suicide.

The epidemiology of patients with toxoplasmosis and its associated risk factors in Taiwan during the 2007-2020 period.

Toxoplasmosis is a zoonotic parasitic disease caused by the protozoan Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii), and may cause miscarriage and birth defects during pregnancy. This study aimed to assess the epidemiological features, epidemic trends, and correlations between the before number of confirmed toxoplasmosis cases in Taiwan from 2007 to 2020 in gender, age, season, and residential area, and hypothesized the environmental and climate factors also might affect the disease in Taiwan. This study reviewed publicly available annual summary data on reported toxoplasmosis cases in the Taiwan Centers for Diseases Control (TCDC) between 2007 and 2020. This study collected 150 confirmed domestic and nine patients with imported toxoplasmosis. There was an increasing trend in the incidence of toxoplasmosis, 0.09-0.89 cases per 1,000,000 people, peaking in 2017. The average annual toxoplasmosis incidence was 4.4, 13, and 18 during 2007-2011, 2012-2016, and 2017-2020, respectively. Comparing sex, age, season, and place of residence, the incidence rate was highest in male, 20-39 years-old patients, summer, and the eastern region, with 1.02, 1.72, 0.38, and 3.63 cases per million population, respectively. Additionally, comparing the distribution of cases by age group in Taiwan, there were significant differences between 40-59 years-old in the northern region (odds ratio (OR) = 0.343, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.167-0.705, p = 0.004) and 40-59 years-old in the southern region (OR = 4.488, and 95% CI = 2.149-9.374, p< 0.001), respectively. Linear regression analysis also showed that PM (particulate matter) 2.5 (μg/m3) concentration was positively associated with toxoplasmosis (β = 0.095, p = 0.037). CO concentration was negatively correlated with toxoplasmosis (β = -14.001, p = 0.021). This study is the first to report domestic and confirmed cases of imported toxoplasmosis from the surveillance data of the TCDC between 2007 and 2020. It identified that residence and age were associated with an increased risk of toxoplasmosis in Taiwan. This study confirmed that toxoplasmosis remains a prevalent infectious disease in Taiwan, its epidemic is gradually increasing and becoming more severe. These findings might be useful for policy-makers and clinical experts to direct prevention and control activities to patients with T. gondii, which causes the most severe illness and greatest burden to Taiwanese people.

Predicting in-hospital length of stay for very-low-birth-weight preterm infants using machine learning techniques

The in-hospital length of stay (LOS) among very-low-birth-weight (VLBW, BW<1500g) infants is an index for care quality and affects medical resource allocation. We aimed to analyze the LOS among VLBW infants in Taiwan, and to develop and compare the performance of different LOS prediction models using machine learning (ML) techniques. This retrospective study illustrated LOS data from VLBW infants born between 2016 and 2018 registered in the Taiwan Neonatal Network. Among infants discharged alive, continuous variables (LOS or postmenstrual age, PMA) and categorical variables (late and non-late discharge group) were used as outcome variables to build prediction models. We used 21 early neonatal variables and six algorithms. The performance was compared using the coefficient of determination (R2) for continuous variables and area under the curve (AUC) for categorical variables. A total of 3519 VLBW infants were included to illustrate the profile of LOS. We found 59% of mortalities occurred within the first 7 days after birth. The median of LOS among surviving and deceased infants was 62 days and 5 days. For the ML prediction models, 2940 infants were enrolled. Prediction of LOS or PMA had R2 values less than 0.6. Among the prediction models for prolonged LOS, the logistic regression (ROC: 0.724) and random forest (ROC: 0.712) approach had better performance. We provide a benchmark of LOS among VLBW infants in each gestational age group in Taiwan. ML technique can improve the accuracy of the prediction model of prolonged LOS of VLBW.

Association between risk factors, molecular features and CpG island methylator phenotype colorectal cancer among different age groups in a Taiwanese cohort.

CpG island methylator phenotype (CIMP) represents a carcinogenesis pathway of colorectal cancer (CRC) and the association between CIMP CRC, molecular features and risk factors in East Asian population is less studied. We prospectively enrolled newly diagnosed CRC patients at the National Taiwan University Hospital. Clinicopathological data and risk factors for CRC were collected during interview. The tumour samples were subjected to CIMP, RAS/BRAF mutation and microsatellite instability tests. CIMP-high was determined when ≧3 methylated loci of p16, MINT1, MINT2, MINT31 and MLH1 were identified. Multivariate logistic regression was used to evaluate the association between risk factors and CIMP-high CRC. Compared with CIMP-low/negative CRC, CIMP-high CRC was associated with more stage IV disease, BRAF V600E mutation and high body mass index (BMI ≧ 27.5 kg/m2) in younger patients (age < 50 y), and more right-sided tumour, BRAF V600E mutation, MSI-high and colorectal polyp in elder patients (age ≧ 50 y). Multivariate analyses showed that BMI ≧27.5 kg/m2 was significantly associated with CIMP-high CRC in younger patients. We identified distinct clinicopathological features for CIMP-high CRC among different age groups in Taiwan. Our data suggest the association between BMI ≧27.5 kg/m2 and CIMP-high CRC in patients younger than 50 years.

Investigation of Normative Value of Commercialized Taiwan Smell Identification Test.

BackgroundThe Taiwan Smell Identification Test (TWSIT) was developed and successfully administered in Taiwanese population since 2015. However, for sanitation reason, the original liquid-jar form of this test is not appropriate. The commercialized TWSIT was then re-designed as “scratch-and-sniff” version: the TIBSIT (Top International Biotech, Taipei, Taiwan). This project aims to investigate the normative value of TIBSIT in different age groups and genders.MethodsVolunteers aged 20 to 80 with no subjective smell loss were recruited in a rhinology clinic. The participants were given full instructions on using the TIBSIT.ResultsTwo hundred and nine healthy subjects (female: male =107: 102) were enrolled into this study. The median TIBSIT score in female and male subjects is 47 and 46, respectively. Subjects were further divided into three age groups: (A) 20∼34 years (n = 77), (B) 35∼54 years (n = 77), and (C) 55∼80 years (n = 55). The TIBSIT scores at the tenth percentile value at each age group of male patients are 43, 42 and 37; while the scores at the tenth percentile value at each age group of female patients are 42, 42 and 41. TIBSIT score was significantly and inversely correlated with age (Spearman rho = − 0.20, p = 0.004.).ConclusionWe established the normative values of the new TIBSIT in different age groups in Taiwan. Future nation-wide screening is needed for more sophisticated norms establishment.

PIH16 - Age and Gender Differences in Self-Reported Physical, Functional, and Mental Health in Taiwan

To understand how age and gender may impact physical, functional, and mental health are critical in formulating sophisticated personalized care plan, particularly in the aging society. Previous studies have shown that women may have more disabilities in physical measures than men, but how other health-related measures were influenced by both gender and age was not further studied. This study thus aimed to investigate the self-reported physical, functional, and mental health among different age-gender groups in Taiwan. Data of 1550 study subjects from the Social Environment and Biomarkers of Aging Study (SEBAS), Taiwan were retrieved for analysis and all subjects were divided into four groups based on their age (middle aged: 53 to 64, the elderly: 65 and above) and gender. Multiple logistic regression models were adopted to investigate the associations between gender and self-reported disabilities of physical function, daily activity disabilities (activities of daily living, or ADL, and instrumental activities of daily living, or IADL) and depression. The adjusted multiple logistic regression models presented elder women were at the highest risk in self-reported difficulties of physical movement (aOR 6.59 [4.10-10.59], p<0.01) and difficulties of IADL (aOR 7.76 [4.63-12.98], p<0.01) compared to middle-aged men. This association was also perceived in the elderly subgroup, in which women were associated with a 2-fold increase in risk of self-reported difficulties of physical movement (aOR 2.69 [1.62-4.48], p<0.01) and a 3-fold increase in risk of an IADL disability (aOR 3.43 [2.25-5.25], p<0.01). This study revealed both middle-aged and elderly women were significantly more likely to have worse self-reported physical and functional health than men in the same age group in Taiwan.

Burden of Severe Norovirus Disease in Taiwan, 2003-2013.

Despite the increasingly recognized role of norovirus in global acute gastroenteritis (AGE), specific estimates of the associated disease burden remain sparse, primarily due to limited availability of sensitive norovirus diagnostics in the clinical setting. We sought to estimate the incidence of norovirus-associated hospitalizations by age group in Taiwan using a previously developed indirect regression method. AGE-related hospitalizations in Taiwan were identified using International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification codes abstracted from a national database; population data were provided from the Department of Household Registration Affairs. Population and hospitalizations were aggregated by month and year (July 2003-June 2013) and grouped by age: <5 years, 5-19 years, 20-64 years, and ≥65 years. Monthly counts of cause-unspecified AGE hospitalizations were modeled as a function of counts of known causes, and the residuals were then analyzed to estimate norovirus-associated hospitalizations. Over the study period, an annual mean of 101400 gastroenteritis-associated hospitalizations occurred in Taiwan (44 per 10000 person-years), most of which (83%) had no specified cause. The overall estimated rate of norovirus-associated hospitalizations was 6.7 per 10000 person-years, with the highest rates in children aged <5 years (63.7/10000 person-years). Predicted norovirus peaked in 2006-2007 and 2012-2013. Our study is one of the first to generate a population-based estimate of severe norovirus disease incidence in Asia, and highlights the large burden of norovirus in Taiwan, particularly in children. Predicted peak norovirus seasons coincided with the emergence of new strains and resulting pandemics, supporting the validity of the estimates.

Validity and reliability of the Traditional Chinese version of the Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory in general population.

BackgroundFatigue is a common symptom in the general population and has a substantial effect on individuals’ quality of life. The Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory (MFI) has been widely used to quantify the impact of fatigue, but no Traditional Chinese translation has yet been validated. The goal of this study was to translate the MFI from English into Traditional Chinese (‘the MFI-TC’) and subsequently to examine its validity and reliability.MethodsThe study recruited a convenience sample of 123 people from various age groups in Taiwan. The MFI was examined using a two-step process: (1) translation and back-translation of the instrument; and (2) examination of construct validity, convergent validity, internal consistency, test-retest reliability, and measurement error. The validity and reliability of the MFI-TC were assessed by factor analysis, Spearman rho correlation coefficient, Cronbach’s alpha coefficient, intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC), minimal detectable change (MDC), and Bland-Altman analysis. All participants completed the Short-Form-36 Health Survey Taiwan Form (SF-36-T) and the Chinese version of the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) concurrently to test the convergent validity of the MFI-TC. Test-retest reliability was assessed by readministration of the MFI-TC after a 1-week interval.ResultsFactor analysis confirmed the four dimensions of fatigue: general/physical fatigue, reduced activity, reduced motivation, and mental fatigue. A four-factor model was extracted, combining general fatigue and physical fatigue as one factor. The results demonstrated moderate convergent validity when correlating fatigue (MFI-TC) with quality of life (SF-36-T) and sleep disturbances (PSQI) (Spearman's rho = 0.68 and 0.47, respectively). Cronbach’s alpha for the MFI-TC total scale and subscales ranged from 0.73 (mental fatigue subscale) to 0.92 (MFI-TC total scale). ICCs ranged from 0.85 (reduced motivation) to 0.94 (MFI-TC total scale), and the MDC ranged from 2.33 points (mental fatigue) to 9.5 points (MFI-TC total scale). The Bland-Altman analyses showed no significant systematic bias between the repeated assessments.ConclusionsThe results support the use of the Traditional Chinese version of the MFI as a comprehensive instrument for measuring specific aspects of fatigue. Clinicians and researchers should consider interpreting general fatigue and physical fatigue as one subscale when measuring fatigue in Traditional Chinese-speaking populations.

From the Editor’s desk...: December 2015

Near eradication of hepatitis B virus (HBV)-related hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in Taiwanese children Hung et al. used the Taiwan Cancer Registry to investigate the incidence patterns of HCC diagnosed between 2003 and 2011 among age groups in Taiwan, 30 years after a universal HBV immunization program was launched. They found that HCC is predominantly diagnosed in middle-aged adults (50.1%) and elderly people (49.1%), in contrast to the low incidences in children (0.04%) and adolescents and young adults (0.8%). They conclude that “in Taiwan, HBV-related HCC is nearly eradicated in children in 2011. The findings on age-specific incidence patterns and trends of hepatocellular carcinoma suggest that different control strategies for treating this devastating disease in the future be made according to age”. Hung et al. used the Taiwan Cancer Registry to investigate the incidence patterns of HCC diagnosed between 2003 and 2011 among age groups in Taiwan, 30 years after a universal HBV immunization program was launched. They found that HCC is predominantly diagnosed in middle-aged adults (50.1%) and elderly people (49.1%), in contrast to the low incidences in children (0.04%) and adolescents and young adults (0.8%). They conclude that “in Taiwan, HBV-related HCC is nearly eradicated in children in 2011. The findings on age-specific incidence patterns and trends of hepatocellular carcinoma suggest that different control strategies for treating this devastating disease in the future be made according to age”.

Changing incidence patterns of hepatocellular carcinoma among age groups in Taiwan

This study examined and compared the incidence patterns of hepatocellular carcinoma among age groups in Taiwan, 30 years after a universal hepatitis B virus immunization program was launched. Data for hepatocellular carcinoma diagnosed in 2003-2011 were collected from the population-based Taiwan Cancer Registry. Age-standardized incidence rates were calculated to analyze and compare the changes in incidence rates and trends. More specific analyses were performed on four age groups separated by sex. A total of 82,856 patients were diagnosed with hepatocellular carcinoma in 2003-2011 in Taiwan, yielding an age-standardized incidence rate of 32.97 per 100,000 person-years. Hepatocellular carcinoma was predominantly diagnosed in middle-aged adults (50.1%) and elderly people (49.1%), in contrast to the low incidences in children (0.04%) and adolescents and young adults (0.8%). Striking variations in trends were found for children (annual percent change: -16.6%, 2003-2010) and adolescents and young adults (annual percent change: -7.9%, 2003-2011). The incidence rate of hepatocellular carcinoma in children decreased to zero in 2011; only a slight decline in trends occurred for the middle-aged group (annual percent change: -2%, 2003-2011), and a slight upward trend was observed for elderly people (1.3%), specifically in women (1.7%). In Taiwan, hepatitis B virus-related hepatocellular carcinoma was nearly eradicated in children in 2011. The findings on age-specific incidence patterns and trends of hepatocellular carcinoma suggest that different control strategies for treating this devastating disease in the future be made according to age.

Nasolacrimal Duct Probing under Topical Anesthesia for Congenital Nasolacrimal Duct Obstruction in Taiwan

To report the success rates of office probing for congenital nasolacrimal duct obstruction (NLDO) among children of different age groups in Taiwan. In this single-center, retrospective study, 564 eyes of 477 patients under the age of 5 years diagnosed with congenital NLDO were treated in a stepwise manner between 2001 and 2013. For infants aged < 6 months, treatment with massage and observation was suggested, followed by deferred probing under topical anesthesia if symptoms persisted. However, in cases of severe infection, immediate probing was suggested. In children aged > 6 months, office probing was usually highly recommended. Those with probing failures received either a second probing or silicone intubation. Treatment success was defined as anatomic patency by immediate irrigation after probing and absence of epiphora or mucous discharge at the follow-up visit. Primary probing was successful in 457 of 564 eyes (success rate: 81%). The success rate of primary probing was negatively correlated with increasing age: 90.1% (163/181), 79.6% (164/206), 76.8% (73/95), 73.5% (36/49), 75% (18/24), and 33% (3/9) for the age groups of 0 to <6 months, 6 to <12 months, 12 to <18 months, 18 to <24 months, 24 to <36 months, and 36-60 months, respectively (p<0.001, Fisher's exact test). The second probing was successful in 52 of 81 eyes. In total, probing was successful in 509 of 564 eyes (success rate: 90.2%). Office probing is safe and effective for treating congenital NLDO. The success rate of primary probing decreases significantly with age.

Why do people stick to Facebook web site? A value theory-based view

Purpose– Based on past study, three different value constructs, including social value, hedonic value, and epistemic value, were adopted in this study to examine their influence on individual's stickiness to use Facebook. Besides, this paper aims to explore how “trust” affects the personal usage behaviors.Design/methodology/approach– The research model was tested with data from 345 Facebook's users using a web survey. The partial least squares technology was used to test the proposed hypotheses.Findings– Results confirmed that hedonic value served as important value concerns for Facebook users. Besides, considering trust factor, the respondents can be classified into two groups. In the high-trust group, social value and hedonic value produced significant impacts on stickiness. In the low-trust group, the statistical results show that epistemic value and hedonic value had impacts on the stickiness for Facebook web site use, but social value aspect had no significant impact.Research limitations/implications– The respondents were mainly the subjects that belonged to the young age group in Taiwan. Therefore, it should be cautious to generalize the conclusions to other areas or the elder.Practical implications– This study results facilitate web site operators and marketing researchers to understand what value factors and trust affect the user stickiness of Facebook. Their marketing plan and application plug-in can be accordingly adjusted.Originality/value– This study provides positive evidences how value factors affect Facebook stickiness. The paper also proved that high-trust and low-trust people have different value models.

An exploratory study of health behaviors and the risks for triple H (hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and hyperglycemia) in young adults with disabilities between 20 and 39 years of age

Metabolic syndrome is highly prevalent and has important implications for the health care sector. However, information on the implications of metabolic syndrome for people with disabilities is limited. The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between health behaviors and the risk for triple H (hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and hyperglycemia) in young adults with disabilities. The present study analyzed the annual health examination charts of 705 young adults with disabilities between ages 20 and 39 in Taiwan. Results found that the prevalence of hyperglycemia, hyperlipidemia, and hypertension in adults with disabilities was 5%, 15% and 17.7%, respectively. These prevalence figures were higher than those for the general population of the same age group in Taiwan. Multivariate logistic regression analyses revealed that almost none of the health behaviors were significantly correlated with the occurrence of triple H disorders among young adults with disabilities. Only one factor, BMI, independently predicted the occurrence of triple H disorders. We suggest that future studies should scrutinize the effects of health behaviors on triple-H disorders in people with disabilities to initiate personalize health promotion programs for this group.

Five-Year Trajectories of Long-Term Benzodiazepine Use by Adolescents: Patient, Provider, and Medication Factors

Five-Year Trajectories of Long-Term Benzodiazepine Use by Adolescents: Patient, Provider, and Medication Factors

Effects of Riboflavin Deficiency on Hepatic Gene Expression of Rats

The prevalence of impaired riboflavin status has been around 15% to 20% across various age groups in Taiwan. In order to explore the influence of riboflavin deficiency on hepatic biochemical indices and gene expression, 60 male weanling SD rats were randomly assigned to riboflavin adequate‐ad lib, adequate‐pair fed, deficient‐ad lib and deficient‐high fat AIN‐93G diet for 3, 6 and 12 weeks after 1 week of acclimation. Riboflavin status of animals was confirmed by erythrocyte glutathione reductase activity coefficient (EGRAC) every other week. In addition to suppressed growth, riboflavin deficiency significantly reduced the liver contents of cofactors FAD and FMN, thus the enzyme activities of PMP oxidase and succinate dehydrogenase, but not glutathione reductase. Six weeks of riboflavin deficiency also resulted in changes in expression of clusters of genes responsible for energy metabolism, nutrient metabolism (methionine, iron and pyridoxine), cell cycle, apoptosis and detoxification (Cytochrome P450, family 2b and 4a, FMO, GST and UGT), analyzed by Agilent Rat Whole Genome Oligo. Therefore many changes in physiological functions of liver due to riboflavin deficiency may be regulated at transcriptional level. [Sponsored by Fu Jen University Research Grant 109631060991‐1]

Stroke risk factors and subtypes in different age groups: A hospital-based study

To compare the influence of stroke risk factors between different stroke types and age groups in Taiwan. During the study period, March 2007 to August 2008, 1,161 patients with acute ischemic stroke were admitted to the neurological ward. All the patients had risk factors work up and stroke subtype categorization. The study cohort included 736 men and 425 women. Patients were grouped into three age groups: below 50 years (153, 13.2%); 50-75 years, (702, 60.5%) and above 75 years (306, 26.4%). Stroke subtypes included: (1) large-artery atherosclerosis (14.6%), cardioembolism (12%), small-artery occlusion (39.4%), stroke of other determined etiology (1.5%) and stroke of undetermined etiology (32.6%). Older patient group had higher frequency of hypertension and diabetes mellitus. Younger age group of patients had high frequency of obesity and elevated serum triglyceride levels. Smoking and alcohol consumption were strongly related to men, and heart disease and obesity were related to women. The influence of risk factors at different ages is different. Awareness of the stroke risk factors before stroke and treatment with appropriate therapies or life modifications may have a bearing on the outcomes.

Clinical features of benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) in Taiwan: differences between young and senior age groups

BPPV is a common cause of vertigo. Several treatment procedures can facilitate recovery. In this study, we aimed to identify the demographic features, resolution and recurrence rates and impacts on daily activities in BPPV patient between young and senior age groups in Taiwan. This retrospective study recruited 218 patients of BPPV. Medical history, canal involvement, treatment required for complete resolution, symptom free period and recurrence rates were evaluated between the two age groups. Up to 80.7% of patients were successfully treated by a single treatment. For patients aged more than 65 years, the recurrence rate was 1.7 times higher than that in the younger age group (p = 0.07). The symptom-free period before recurrence was nearly 2.2 times longer in the senior age group (p = 0.03). Work-related activities were influenced more by BPPV in the younger age group (p = 0.03). We conclude that BPPV is prone to occur and recur in people of senior age. Clinicians should have the knowledge to diagnose different types of BPPV and treat it accordingly to prevent further complications.

Reduction in admissions of patients with acute primary angle closure occurring in conjunction with a rise in cataract surgery in Taiwan

Using 8 year nationwide administrative data, this study sets out to investigate the relationship between the total number of cataract operations undertaken in Taiwan and admissions for acute primary angle closure (APAC). Monthly cataract surgery and APAC admission rates, per 100,000 of the population, were provided by 1997-2004 inpatient and outpatient data obtained from the Taiwanese National Health Insurance Research Database. The 3814 cases of APAC and 503 687 patients who had undergone cataract operations were categorized by age groups (40-49, 50-59, 60-69 and > or =70 years) and by gender. Spearman rank correlation coefficients were used to examine the direction and strength of the relationships. Throughout the study period, the admissions for APAC showed a steady decline from 630 cases in 1997 to 351 cases in 2004, while the number of cataract operations revealed a gradual increase from 26 600 in 1997 to 77 924 in 2004. The Spearman rank correlation coefficients showed significant inverse relationships between monthly APAC admission rates and monthly cataract operation rates for the total group (r = -0.407, P < 0.001), males (r = -0.330, P < 0.001), females (r = -0.444, P < 0.001), 40-49 year olds (r = -0.335, P < 0.001), 50-59 year olds (r = -0.497, P < 0.001) and 60-69 year olds (r = -0.417, P < 0.001). No significant inverse relationship was observed for the > or =70 age group. Significant inverse relationships were noted between the monthly APAC admission rates and the monthly cataract operation rates. We recommend that data should be collected from other regions and ethnic groups to determine the inter-relationships.

Increasing incidence of diagnosed type 2 diabetes in Taiwan: analysis of data from a national cohort

Epidemiological evidence shows an increasing prevalence of type 2 diabetes in Taiwan. The aim of this study was to assess the yearly incidence for this country during 1992-1996. Data obtained by telephone interviews of 93,484 diagnosed diabetic patients enrolled in Taiwan's National Health Insurance programme formed the basis of this study. A total of 36,153 incident cases of type 2 diabetes (17,097 men and 19,056 women) were identified and incidence rates calculated. The trends of obesity and parental diabetes were also evaluated. The overall 5-year incidences for men and women were 187.1 and 218.4 per 100,000 population, respectively. The trends from 1992-1996 were increased for all age groups in men and for most age groups in women. A 2.8-fold increase in incidence was observed for the youngest age group (<35 years), in which the increase in incidence was higher than in the older age groups. Men showed a higher fold increase in incidence than did women (3.5 vs 2.1). Obesity at interview increased from 39.2% in 1992 to 47.6% in 1996 (p<0.001) and was significant for all ages. Parental diabetes showed no yearly change when all patients were analysed together, but there was a trend towards a decrease in the youngest age group (<35 years) and a trend towards an increase in the oldest age groups (>/=55 years). An increasing incidence of diagnosed type 2 diabetes was observed for each sex in most age groups in Taiwan, but was most marked in the youngest age group. A parallel increase in obesity was observed with the increasing incidence of diabetes.

The Present Status of Human Rights Perception and Behavior and Their Relationship to Smoking and Drinking among Adolescent Students in Taiwan

This study has three major goals: (1) to survey the present status of adolescents attending schools in Taiwan about 4 values associated with human rights, (2) to survey the same population about smoking and drinking habits and possible related factors for smoking and drinking, and (3) to thoroughly analyze both sets of survey data to determine relationships. Multi-stage stratified cluster sampling with proportional allocation was used to determine the study population, which was equal to approximately 0.5% of all students in that age group in Taiwan. A total of 100 schools throughout Taiwan were chosen (50 junior high schools, 14 high schools, 21 vocational schools, and IS junior colleges), and the proportions were determined by the percentage of all students attending each type of school. One class from each year level at each school was selected. 12,355 of the 12,557 eligible students participated (97.3%). The 4 human rights values were respect, trust, esteem, and privacy, and all questions were related to daily life. Regarding attitudes toward privacy, a number of negative trends were found which warrant concern, but no significant relationships were found between privacy issues and smoking and drinking. Questions on ”respect” covered the attitudes of both parents and teachers toward the student as perceived by the student. Questions on ”trust” all dealt with the family. Questions on ”esteem” dealt with 2 facets family members and friends/classmates. Multiple instances were found of statistically significant correlations between student perceptions of respect, trust, and esteem with student smoking and drinking habits. This suggests that there is a significant relationship present and it is hoped that human rights education might decrease drinking and smoking prevalence, which in turn might decrease illicit drug use.