Asia-Pacific Area Research Articles

Incidence of Non-Communicable Diseases in Urban and Rural Areas of Indonesia

Introduction: NCDs were known of causing 74% of deaths worldwide, and 77% of all these deaths are in low- and middle-income countries. The prevalence of NCD in Indonesia has increased over the past five years as it has in the majority of other Low Middle-Income Countries (LMICs) in the Asia Pacific area. The objective of this study is to examine the incidence of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in urban and rural areas. Methodology: This study used secondary data from the Indonesian Family Life Survey conducted in 2014-2015 (wave 5). A total of 16,204 households and 50,148 individuals were interviewed by the IFLS-5 in 2014-2015. The data reflects the entire country of Indonesia and was collected by stratified random sampling from province to residence level. We involved respondents between the ages of 18 and 64 as the inclusion criterion for this research. The exclusion criteria include those with unknown or incomplete data. A total of 26,437 participants were involved in this study. Result: People with CKD were nearly the same in urban and rural areas (55.91% and 44.09%); cholesterol disease (76.16% and 23.84%); CVD (63.38% and 36.62%); hypertension (62.57% and 37.43%); diabetes (74.42% and 25.58%); stroke (67.65% and 32.35%). Conclusions: Chronic kidney disease was nearly equal in both urban and rural; while cholesterol, cardiovascular, hypertension, diabetes, and stroke were higher in urban areas. This could be worthwhile to consider as part of improving NCD prevention and treatment. Keywords: non-communicable, rural, urban.

Share Repurchase and Cash Dividend - Substitute or Complement? Analysis from the Vietnam Securities Market

Purpose: The purpose of this report was to assess the relationship among the cash dividend payout and share repurchase, through essential cash distribution methods adopted by Vietnamese publicly listed companies. The complementary along with substitute relationship from these financial practices might contribute to determine the financial managerial behavior in Vietnam as a leading development emerging market within Asia Pacific area. Design/methodology/approach: The research applied regression analysis technique to determine the nonlinear relationship among the share repurchase and cash dividend. Findings: The research found the nonlinear relationship among the change in dividend along with the repurchase yield. Moreover, the research found a significant positive correlation which reveals the prominent of complementary impact in the complete sample. The results and estimations of the research are consistent in robustness tests. There is a nonlinear relationship between the change in dividend and the repurchase yield. In addition, a significantly positive correlation reveals the dominant of complementary effect in the whole sample. The results are consistent in robustness tests. Research limitations/implications: It is crucial to ensure that there is an essential scope for the enhancement which remains and it is a component of the future study such as the influence of the stock dividend through various practice while companies are partly dominated or effected by the government, through the characteristics as the emerging markets such as Vietnam, as they are interesting topics which need further study. Originality/value: Through a comprehensive analysis, the study outcomes propose that Vietnamese listed companies should meticulously assess their future growth concerning share repurchase and other capital distribution activities. This strategy should take into account the involvement of various stakeholders and their benefit.

Women's status, empowerment, and utilization of skilled delivery services in Papua New Guinea: an empirical analysis based on structural equation modeling.

Skilled birth attendants (SBA) facilitate identifying and overcoming labor problems and saving lives. With one of the highest maternal death rates in the Asia-Pacific area, SBA utilization during childbirth among Papua New Guinea (PNG) women remains low. Women's status and empowerment are important factors in maternal and child health services and critical to maternal and child health development. This study is intended to apply structural equation modeling based on data from the Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) to evaluate the causal relationship between women's status, empowerment, and SBA utilization in PNG and the mechanisms of their influence. This study employed data from the 2016-2018 Papua New Guinea Demographic Health Survey (PNG DHS), which recruited 18,175 women aged 15-49 years. A multi-stage sample and a structured questionnaire were used to collect information on maternal health, women's empowerment, and related topics. STATA 17.0 was used to describe the data, while MPLUS 8.2 was employed for structural equation modeling and pathway analysis. The two empowerment dimensions of household decision-making (standardized path coefficient, β = 0.049, p < 0.05) and access to health services (β = 0.069, p < 0.01) were positively associated with SBA utilization, while the association between attitudes toward partner violence and SBA utilization was not statistically significant. In addition, mediation analysis revealed that education indirectly influenced SBA utilization through access to health services (β = 0.011, 95% CI: 0.002, 0.022). The findings confirmed the direct and indirect effects of women's status and empowerment on SBA utilization in PNG. Therefore, a call for further evidence-based interventions in PNG and possibly Pacific Small Island Developing States (PSIDS) is needed to improve women's educational attainment, household decision-making, and access to health services to enhance maternal and newborn health and well-being.

Consumer Buying Behaviour towards Online Ayurvedic Cosmetic Brands: A Case of Bangalore City

The Asia-Pacific area has a high demand for online cosmetics items due to the growing number of smartphone users and widespread internet access. A rising country, such as India, is seeing an increase in demand for online cosmetic items as the e-commerce ecosystem grows and the number of online customers increases. Furthermore, the improved standard of living owing to urbanisation and the increasing number of working women push the demand for online cosmetic products. Beauty products made from Ayurvedic, herbal, and vegan ingredients have recorded a high adoption rate in recent years and are becoming increasingly popular in Asian countries. Additionally, numerous online businesses specialise in ayurvedic cosmetics, providing a more diverse range of both private label and international brands. This study investigates the factors that impact customer purchasing decisions for ayurvedic cosmetics online. This study examines how respondents' income level affects their purchasing behaviour for Ayurvedic cosmetic brands.

The Strategic Shift of U.S. Economic Framework Toward Asia Pacific: From TPP to IPEF

The Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity (IPEF) represents a significant pan-regional economic endeavor by the United States in the Indo-Pacific region following its departure from the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPP) in January 2017. The primary objective of the IPEF is to enhance and consolidate American economic influence within the Indo-Pacific region. One of the TPP objectives encompassed this aspect. The four critical pillars of IPEF are Trade; Supply Chains; Clean Economy; and Fair Economy. Member states can choose to participate in different areas as they wish, without committing to all areas. However, the accord's true efficacy is still in doubt because there are no legally enforceable trade agreements or processes. Today, the United States still has certain challenges competing in the Asia-Pacific area for geoeconomic benefits. The paper investigates the shift in U.S. economic policy towards the Asia-Pacific region, specifically analyzing the transition from the TPP to the IPEF. The research primarily concentrates on the fundamental aspects, distinguishing features, consequences, limitations, and prospective advancements of the IPEF.

Performance analysis of BDS-3 vehicle-/ship-/air-borne kinematic SPP/PPP/RTK

This paper comprehensively analyzes the kinematic positioning performance of the third-generation BeiDou Navigation Satellite System (BDS-3) in car-borne, ship-borne, and air-borne scenes. Specifically, this work collects three types kinematic data, i.e., car-borne, ship-borne, and air-borne in three scenes including a real experimental scene, a simulated urban canyon or forest-covered scene, and a simulated regional interference or covered scene. Based on these datasets, the kinematic positioning performance of the BDS-3 interoperable signals of B1C and B2a is systematically analyzed and compared with GPS. The results demonstrate that the BDS-3 has slightly more visible satellites than GPS in the Asia-Pacific test area, and the positioning performance indexes for the B1C and B2a new signals are comparable to GPS in terms of the single point positioning (SPP), precise point positioning (PPP), and real-time kinematic (RTK) positioning.

Energy Resilience: A Cross-Economy Comparison

The goal of this paper is to use the variable returns to scale (VRS)-slacks-based measure (SBM)-data envelopment analysis (DEA) method to compare the energy resilience of different economies and areas. This study looks at the energy resilience scores of 26 economies from Europe, the Americas, and the Asia-Pacific area. It does this by looking at twelve sub-indicators in three dimensions: society, the economy, and the environment. According to the computational results, seventeen of these economies’ total energy resilience achieved top-tier performance. South Korea, ranked 18th, is only second to these seventeen economies and is followed by, among others, Turkey, Luxembourg, Poland, Italy, Belgium, the Slovak Republic, the Czech Republic, and Hungary. Twelve of the twenty European economies, all three American economies, and two Asia-Pacific economies are relatively energy-resilient. There are sixteen economies in society dimensions, seventeen economies in economy dimensions, and seventeen economies in environment dimensions that are relatively energy-resilient. Sub-dimensional improvement suggestions for relatively less energy-resilient economies are provided according to empirical results. The outcome of the research provides policymakers with a benchmark for future policy planning. Due to data limitations, this study cannot benchmark all OECD economies and does not account for sub-dimensional resource inputs.

Global value chains of Asia-Pacific area: State and corporate sector

The paper presents an analysis of the dynamics results, structure and nature of the participation of the countries of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement on the Trans-Pacific Partnership in global value chains. The analysis result revealed trends that took shape in international production in the 20th century. It has been determined a higher involvement in the international division of labor characterizes that the developing countries of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement on the Trans-Pacific Partnership. The study shows that, despite high involvement of the developing countries of the Agreement in global value chains, they act more than suppliers of resources, as well as assembly points, while participation leads to the consolidation of their technological backwardness. Based on the analysis of the countries cost taking part in the partnership for R&amp;D, it was determined that in developed countries, the internal functions of the state are gradually being transferred in terms of supporting and developing science in favor of the corporate sector. The authors concluded this trend contributed to the monopolization of scientific and technological achievements sphere by the corporate sector and the formation of oligopolies from a limited number of technology giant corporations.

RAG-APAC-1: SOCIAL AGING IN THE ASIA-PACIFIC REGION

There will be twice as many individuals over the age of sixty worldwide, including in the Asia-Pacific region by the year 2050, according to a report by WHO. The rise in hypertension prevalence, therefore, will be fueled by the anticipated rise in the elderly population. Even though cardiovascular (CV) risk factors continue throughout a lifespan, older people are more likely to develop cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). Hypertension accounts for a significant share of major morbidities and mortalities in the Asia-Pacific area. Therefore, the main objectives of integrated healthcare for older populations are to minimize CV risks as well as to provide optimal treatment of CVDs and life-threatening conditions. Another critical factor is the continuity of healthy metabolic profiles including blood pressure from childhood to old age. There are many challenges in hypertension management with social aging in the Asia-Pacific region. First, the common type of hypertension in the elderly is isolated systolic hypertension. Its prevalence is expected to rise in many parts of Asia, however, clear guidance for the management is not yet provided. Second, a relatively high salt intake which is known as one of the most important risk factors for hypertension has been reported in the Asia-Pacific region. The genetic epidemiology network of salt sensitivity dietary feeding study reported that nearly 40 percent of Chinese adults were salt-sensitive. Moreover, salt sensitivity is more common in older individuals who are more susceptible to CVDs. Therefore, the action to lower salt intake is an immediate requirement. Finally, relatively poor compliance is more common in older individuals, whether it is because of their impaired functions or because of possible intolerance of medications, and drug-drug interactions. The recent trials of fixed-dose combinations and polypills showed that they may help improve compliance. However, reimbursement is still a problem in some areas. The Asia-Pacific regional strategy including adapting the healthcare systems to solve these challenges is needed to reduce CVD-associated morbidity and mortality in our older populations.

Reverse logistics of e-commerce as a challenge for the cep industry

Purpose: The aim of this article is presenting the CEP market from the perspective of the development of reverse logistics in e-commerce, which has recently played an important role both from the perspective of the customer and the companies. Design/methodology/approach: The article is based on the analysis of literature, results of secondary research and own research conducted in 2017, 2019 and 2021 among online shops and in 2021 among CEP companies. A survey of Polish e-commerce and courier companies using the CAWI technique was conducted to gather information on the behaviours, expectations and attitudes of e-customers towards making purchases and returning goods in order to identify challenges for the CEP market. Findings: As can be seen from the data analysis, the growth of the CEP industry during the Covid-19 pandemic is undeniable and is the result of the development of e-commerce and returns services. The average annual growth of courier services by 2025 in the Asia-Pacific area will be 10.8%, in America Sem. - 5.2%, in Europe - 5.1%, and in Poland - between 7-8%. The industry therefore has to deal with an increasing number of orders resulting from online shopping, new customer expectations related to security, or the reduction of direct contact. Research limitations/implications: The return policy in e-commerce is still a growing topic, which is the biggest challenge for both online stores and courier companies. The conducted research is a starting point for further analyzes regarding: e-customers' expectations regarding the level of service in the area of returns, cooperation between entities from the CEP industry and online stores, or the automation and support of reverse logistics processes in the CEP industry. Practical implications: The presented research results can serve as a source of knowledge for e-commerce entities as a foundation for building a competitive advantage on the market. For courier companies, they are the starting point for designing processes dedicated to handling return logistics for e-commerce. Originality/value: The covid-19 pandemic contributed to the acceleration of the development of the e-commerce market around the world faster than specialists had predicted. This situation forced the KEP industry to redefine the processes so as to adapt them to the new reality and respond to the growing requirements of the client. However, as the volume of online purchases increased, so did the volume of returns, which has always been a challenge for e-commerce. The conducted research showed through which activities the KEP industry redefined its role in the electronic trade. Keywords: CEP market, e-commerce, reverse logistics, Pandemic Covid-19. Category of the paper: Research paper.

Data assimilation in a regional high-resolution ocean model by using Ensemble Adjustment Kalman Filter and its application during 2020 cold spell event over Asia-Pacific region

Cold spell events can bring strong wind and low-temperature freezing and induce a significant rise of the water level, which have negative impacts on the economy. Based on a regional high-resolution ocean model, the satellite observations, including sea surface temperature (SST) and absolute dynamic topography (ADT), and the Argo data are assimilated to improve the modeling results over the Asia-Pacific area during a strong cold spell event of 2020 by using Ensemble Adjustment Kalman Filter (EAKF). To reduce the calculation cost, the ensemble for data assimilation is obtained by a dynamic sampling method which is based on the model forecasting biases and the EAKF is implemented by using an efficient parallelization scheme. The root mean square (RMS) error of SST decreased from 0.72 °C to 0.07 °C after assimilation, which was reduced by 90.28%. Besides, the RMS error of ADT was decreased from 0.28 m to 0.12 m, which was reduced by 57.14%. Responses of the ocean during the 2020 cold spell event were better reproduced using optimal EAKF configurations. As the speed of the wind increased and the air temperature dropped, the heat transported from the ocean to the atmosphere in the ocean model increased. Furthermore, the temporal evolutions of the ocean state were captured by data assimilation, which was the decrease of temperature and the increase of salinity and density. The mixed layers in the Kuroshio Extension were thicker due to excessive surface cooling. The seawater first increased and then overflowed in the Bohai Bay and Laizhou Bay. In conclusion, the EAKF data assimilation in this regional high-resolution ocean model has successfully reduced the model biases and the physical processes in reality can be well produced.

An Unusual Cause of Esophagitis

An Unusual Cause of Esophagitis

Comparative analysis among Asia–Pacific geoid models stored at the ISG repository

Geoid models have important applications in geosciences as well as engineering, for example, for the conversion from ellipsoidal heights observed by GNSS techniques to orthometric heights. To meet the user’s demands, the International Service for the Geoid (ISG, https://www.isgeoid.polimi.it/) provides access to a repository of local, regional, and continental geoid models through its website. Among hundreds of worldwide models, there are many covering countries in the Asia–Pacific area. The focus of this study is about this region, performing a series of analyses to assess the geoid models stored in the ISG repository through some relative comparisons. In particular, three kinds of analyses are performed with the purpose of: (a) investigating the evolution in time of a geoid series referring to the same country, (b) comparing the information provided by local and regional geoid models on overlapped areas, and (c) assessing the agreement between local and global models. These analyses are firstly performed on sample models, providing a detailed description, and then applied to all Asia–Pacific geoid models currently stored in the ISG repository, providing summary statistics.

Signal-in-Space and Positioning Performance of BDS Open Augmentation Service

As a typical augmentation satellite system for centimeter-level positioning, PPP (Precise Point Positioning) service based on PPP-B2b signal of China’s new generation BeiDou system (BDS-3) was released for Asia-Pacific area on July, 2020. This paper first introduces the recovery theory of PPP-B2b SSR (State Space Representation) messages and then implements a real-time PPP-B2b precise positioning terminal to decode and obtain the PPP-B2b SSR orbit, clock, and biases. On those bases, the coverage, signal-in-space, and positioning performance of PPP-B2b SSR are evaluated. The results show that PPP-B2b SSR of BDS-3 can cover the most area of 50°E-180°E, 30°S-70°N and improve signal-in-space accuracy significantly. The improvement rate on BDS clock offset can reach 77%, which far exceeds average 40% improvement on BDS orbit, while it is opposite for GPS with 80% improvement rate on orbit and 61% on clock offset. Average SISRE (signal-in-space range error) of PPP-B2b SSR is better than 10 cm. The 95% positioning results show that centimeter- to decimeter-level positioning can be achieved after a few minutes of convergence based on PPP-B2b SSR, which satisfies the BDS open service performance standard. Comparing to BDS PPP based on PPP-B2b SSR, BDS + GPS PPP can promote convergence significantly with average 40% improvement rate for 95% epochs and can further improve positioning accuracy with 30%-35% improvement rate in horizontal and 10%–15% in vertical direction.

Why Hindu Population is Decreasing: Is this a Serious Issue?

“Hindu philosophy is at the core of all religions”. Hindus are a significant international faith that originated here on the Indian subcontinent and consists of many different philosophical, religious, including ceremonial traditions. About 80% of people in India followed Hinduism as a religion before the beginning of the twenty-first century however this percentage is declining as the number of Muslims in this region is rising. Hindu and Muslim reproductive differences in India were studied using census data and the results of 11 surveys. There was a reason for the variations in fertility. And again when the country was divided, the proportion of Muslims in the population rose while the proportion of Hindus fell. After the partition, between 1951 and 1971, the percentage of Muslims rose from 9.9 to 11.2 while the percentage of Hindus fell from 84.9 to 82.7% . These proportionate changes can't be ascribed to variations in immigration or death hence these should be caused by variations in fertility, according to an analysis of mortality and migration statistics. The significant indication that Muslim reproduction is greater than Hindu fertility may be found in census and survey data. According to statistics from the 1971 census, Muslim women had a total marital fertility rate that was 20% higher in rural regions and 11% higher in urban areas than it would be for Hindu women. The Muslim rate was greater even when schooling was kept under control. The results of 11 demographic studies consistently showed that Muslim women had greater fertility rates than Hindu women. Numerous researches showed that when socio-economic and educational criteria were taken into account, these discrepancies shrank but remained substantial. To explain the disparities, researchers often provide one of three ideas. Hindutva is in genuine danger, and we need to do a self-evaluation and begin building unity and resolve to regain our former greatness. Otherwise, by 2050, Muslims will overtake Hindus as the majority religion in the Asia-Pacific area. Hindus are currently the predominant community in both India and Nepal, making them the largest religious group in the area. They are also widely present in Indonesia, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Myanmar, and Malaysia. While the proportion of Muslims in the area is anticipated to rise from 24 in 2010 to almost 30 in 2050, the percentage of Hindus will expand more slowly, from 25 to almost 28. This essay will provide all the details as to why Hindus are dwindling, why this is a severe problem, and all the evidence that demonstrates how the Hindu religion is at elevated danger.

Tailored susceptibility-guided therapy via gastric juice PCR for the first-line H. pylori eradication, a randomized controlled trial

Clarithromycin-based standard triple therapy is still commonly adopted by 81.4% of physicians in real-world practice but yields low eradication rates. Therefore, we conducted this study to compare the efficacy of gastric juice-guided therapy for first-line eradication with the standard triple therapy, in order to provide an alternative to real-world practice. A total of 182 treatment-naïve Hp-infected patients were included and randomly allocated to either susceptibility-guided therapy (SGT) with gastric juice PCR or Clarithromycin-based standard triple therapy (STT) for 7 days. The intention-to-treat eradication rates were 89% (81/91) in SGT and 75.8% in STT (p < 0.031). The per-protocol eradication rates were 91.0% (81/89) in SGT and 79.3% (69/87) in STT (p < 0.034). Among the subgroups of different antibiotic resistance, patients with SGT demonstrated superior eradication rates (91.7% vs 45.5%, p < 0.027) in the subgroup of both clarithromycin resistance and levofloxacin resistance. This prospective randomized controlled trial demonstrated the reliable efficacy of susceptibility-guided therapy via gastric juice PCR for the first-line Hp eradication. In Asia-Pacific area, where standard triple therapy is still adopted by the majority of the physicians, it is a recommended alternative to overcome the increasing antibiotic resistance.

Physician Perceptions on the Use of Antibiotics and Probiotics in Adults: An International Survey in the Asia-Pacific Area.

Background and AimsThe over-prescription of antibiotics is thought to represent a major threat to public health worldwide and is more frequently observed in some low- and middle-income countries. In the Asia-Pacific region, economic development, health care organization and population demographics are very heterogenous. The objective of this survey was to investigate antibiotic use and probiotic co-prescription among adult patients in this area.MethodsAn online survey of physicians from seven countries of the Asia-Pacific region (Australia, Japan, Indonesia, India, China, Singapore and South Korea) was performed in 2018. The questionnaire explored current practices of physicians concerning antibiotics and probiotics and factors related to prescribing decisions.ResultsA total of 387 general practitioners and 350 gastroenterologists completed the questionnaire. Physicians in Australia, Japan and South-Korea were low prescribers of antibiotics (11% to 19% of visits resulted in an antibiotic prescription), while physicians in Indonesia, India, China and Singapore were high prescribers (41% to 61%). A large majority (85%) of physicians agreed that antibiotics disrupted intestinal microbiota. The rates of co-prescription of probiotics varied from 16% in Japan to 39% in Singapore (overall, 27%). Conditions considered by physicians to be prevented by probiotics were mostly antibiotic-associated diarrhea (62%) and Clostridium difficile colitis (43%).ConclusionsRates of probiotic co-prescription remain low in many countries although the negative effects of antibiotics on the gut microbiota and the benefits of co-prescribing probiotics are generally known.

Evaluation and Research on the Level of Inclusive Green Growth in Asia-Pacific Region

Focusing on the Asia-Pacific region and the concept of inclusive green growth, this paper designs a four-dimensional analysis framework of economic prosperity, social inclusion, resource utilization, and environmental sustainability. It constructs a scientific and reasonable inclusive green growth indicator system for the Asia-Pacific region. In order to make the research results more robust, the research method mainly uses factor analysis, supplemented by clustering method and entropy method to evaluate and cross-validate the inclusive green growth level of 37 countries and regions in the Asia-Pacific region. The study finds that the level of inclusive green growth in the Asia-Pacific region is highly affected by the country’s economic development level. The latent heterogeneity in the distinct development stages of various countries explains why the in-region countries differ vastly regarding their inclusive green development levels. The inclusive green growth indicator system integrates the availability, accuracy, and standardization of data in selecting indicators, making the measurement results more referentially valuable. It helps grasp the actual state of inclusive green growth in the Asia-Pacific region. The paper summarizes the policy suggestions to promote inclusive green growth in the Asia-Pacific region, involving accelerating economic development and institutional improvement, and reinforcing regional cooperation in the Asia-Pacific area for elevating the overall regional inclusive green transformation.

Seroprevalence and Factors Associated with Scrub Typhus Infection among Forestry Workers in National Park Offices in South Korea.

Scrub typhus is caused by the arthropod-borne bacterium Orientia tsutsugamushi and is an endemic infectious disease in the Asia-Pacific area. This study aimed to investigate the seroprevalence of scrub typhus and identify associated risk and protective factors among forestry workers, a neglected risk group for scrub typhus, in National Park Offices in South Korea. A nationwide cross-sectional serosurvey was carried out on 1945 National Park Office forestry workers (NPOFWs) in South Korea during December 2016. We visited 29 main offices and used a structured questionnaire to collect data regarding general characteristics, work activities, work hygiene-related factors, and other potential risk factors. Serum samples from NPOFWs were tested using indirect immunofluorescence assay to detect O. tsutsugamushi immunoglobulin (Ig) G and M antibodies. Of the 1945 NPOFWs, 718 (36.9%) participated in this cross-sectional study. The seroprevalence, defined as ≥1:256 for IgG and/or ≥1:16 for IgM, was 4.9% (35/718). In multivariate logistic analysis, longer duration of work in national parks (≥15 years; odds ratio (OR), 4.19; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.71–10.28) and dry field farming (OR, 2.47; 95% CI, 1.12–5.46) were significantly associated with a higher risk of scrub typhus infection. Furthermore, the risk of scrub typhus infection was significantly lower among NPOFWs who washed working clothes daily (OR, 0.37; 95% CI, 0.18–0.75). This study indicated that scrub typhus is an important disease among NPOFWs in South Korea. Work hygiene, especially washing working clothes daily, needs to be emphasized among NPOFWs. Additionally, more precautions are required to diminish the rate of scrub typhus infection among NPOFWs who perform dry field farming.

Clinical features and treatment of inflammatory bowel disease in a low-incidence area: A hospital-based retrospective cohort study in Taiwan.

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) has emerged in the Asia–Pacific area over the past 2 decades. There is a paucity of clinical data regarding real-world experience of patients with IBD from low endemic area such as Taiwan. Therefore, the present study aimed to review the clinical features of patients with IBD form a tertiary center from Taiwan.A total of 163 patients with IBD were identified from the electronic clinical database of Changhua Christian Hospital. Demographic data of the patients and clinical features of the disease pattern were retrospectively reviewed.There was a higher proportion (62.6%) of patients diagnosed with ulcerative colitis (UC). Patients with Crohn disease (CD) and UC had male predominance. The median age of diagnosis was younger in patients with CD than in patients with UC (CD vs UC: 31 vs 40 years, P = .0423). The disease distribution of UC was as follows: E1 (15.7%), E2 (47.1%), and E3 (37.3%). The disease distribution of CD was as follows: L1 (36.1%), L2 (14.8%), L3 (42.6%), and L4 (6.5%). The majority of patients with CD had a complicated presentation with B2 (32.8%) and B3 (32.8%). Patients with CD had a higher bowel resection rate than patients with UC. Patients with CD were more likely to be treated with immunomodulator and biologics and those with UC were more likely to be treated with 5-aminosalicylic acid (5-ASA). A trend of decreased bowel resection for patients with IBD and less severe phenotype of patients with CD were observed after 2015.UC with male predominance was the predominant type of IBD in the study. Patients with CD are likely to have a complicated disease course, requiring a higher demand of biologic therapy than patients with UC.