College Students In Chongqing Research Articles

Sleep disturbance and medical requests among university and college students in Chongqing, China: A cross-sectional study.

To investigate the prevalence of sleep disturbance, sleep patterns, sleep-related factors, and medical demands among university and college students in Chongqing, China. Demographic data and responses to the sleep problem questionnaire (SPQ) were collected from 1973 students from 11 universities and 10 colleges between November 2022 and January 2023. The prevalence of sleep disturbance in university and college students was different in different periods (58.17% during campus lockdown and 40.30% after the lifting of lockdown). The combined prevalence was 49.72%. The prevalence of the 6 types of sleep disturbance showed the same trend. The average sleep latency was 32.79 minutes and the average sleep duration was 7.53 hours. Male, university students, upper-class students, history of depression, academic stress, major life events, bad bedroom environment, and campus lockdown were factors related to sleep disturbance among respondents. Most of the respondents (52.09%) had no medical care requests, and the major reasons were a lack of access to medical care (75.15%), economic pressure (68.49%), concerns regarding curative effects (58.51%), and academic pressure (56.56%). The prevalence of sleep disturbance for university and college students was obviously improved after the lifting of campus lockdown, and the major factors related to sleep disturbance were study, life, mental health, and sleep environment. The students examined herein reported relatively low medical care requests when they experience sleep disturbance.

Psychological Health and Risk Factors of College Students within the Context of the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Students are a priority population in mental health research. This study aimed to explore the risk factors of anxiety and depression symptoms among college students in Chongqing, a megacity under the impact of COVID-19, and to provide a basis for determining the priorities of public health policies and implementing effective educational health care interventions. In this cross-sectional study conducted in Chongqing, China, the data came from web-based stratified random sampling. Anxiety and depression symptoms were measured by the Self-Rating Anxiety Scale (SAS) and the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (CES-D), respectively, and risk factors were analyzed by logistic regression. Data were obtained from 915 college students (34.75% were male, and 65.25% were female) with age (20.29 ± 1.51) in Chongqing, China. The prevalence rates of anxiety and depression were 19.78% and 22.62%, respectively. Logistic regression analysis revealed that the risk factors of anxiety symptoms were associated with junior years, sleep time of less than 6 h a day, influence on career planning, and depression symptoms. Comprehensive, science and engineering, and medicine disciplines, having siblings, poorer mastery of study, and anxiety symptoms were risk factors for developing depression symptoms. During the pandemic, college students experienced varying degrees of anxiety and depression. Our research findings highlight the necessity of universities and relevant departments providing precise mental health education for college students under major public health emergencies.

Sperm telomere length is associated with sperm nuclear DNA integrity and mitochondrial DNA abnormalities among healthy male college students in Chongqing, China.

Is sperm telomere length (STL) associated with sperm nuclear DNA damage and mitochondrial DNA abnormalities? Sperm telomere length is related to sperm nuclear DNA integrity and mitochondrial DNA abnormalities in healthy young college students. Many studies have revealed the correlations between sperm genetic alterations in both the nucleus and mitochondria and sperm functionality, however, the possible associations between the telomere, an important component of chromosome, and conventional indicators of mitochondrial DNA and nuclear DNA changes have not been investigated. A prospective cohort study, Male Reproductive Health in Chongqing College Students (MARHCS), was conducted from June 2013 to June 2015. We pooled data collected from the follow-up study in 2014 and a total of 444 participants were included. STL was measured by quantitative (Q)-PCR. Sperm nuclear DNA integrity was determined using sperm chromatin structure assay (SCSA) and comet assay. Mitochondrial DNA damage was assessed by mitochondrial DNA copy number (mtDNAcn) evaluated with Q-PCR, and mtDNA integrity was determined with long PCR. The univariable-linear regression analysis revealed that STL was significantly positively correlated with markers of sperm nuclear DNA damage including the DNA fragmentation index (DFI) and comet parameters (the percentage of DNA in the tail, tail length, comet length, and tail moment). Additionally, STL was also significantly positively correlated with mtDNAcn and significantly negatively correlated with mtDNA integrity. After adjustment for potential confounders, these relationships remained appreciable. Moreover, we investigated potential effects of biometric factors, including age, parental age at conception, and BMI on STL and found that STL was increased with paternal age at conception. A mechanistic explanation of the correlation between STL, sperm nuclear DNA integrity, and mtDNA abnormalities cannot be provided with a cross-sectional study design, so well-designed longitudinal studies are still necessary. In addition, a single semen samples were provided and were not all obtained at the same time point, which may increase the intraindividual bias in this study. The findings extend the literature including assessment of mitochondrial dysfunction, sperm nuclear DNA damage, and telomere length and provide new insights into the relevance of STL in male reproduction. This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 82073590), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 81903363), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 82130097), and the National Key R&D Program of China (2022YFC2702900). The authors declare no conflicts of interest. N/A.

Relationship between Family Dynamics Characteristics and Depression among College Students in Southwest China

This study adopted the revised Self-assessment of Family Dynamics (SSFD), the Centre for Evaluation of Streaming Depression (CES-D), and the Chinese version of the Interpersonal Reactivity Indicator (IRI-C) by Zeng Weinan and others to investigate the family dynamics, depressive status, and empathy of college students in Sichuan, Chongqing, and Guizhou. The results showed that: (1) Male students’ cognitive empathy scores were significantly lower than female students; (2) The overall depression score of college students in Chongqing municipality was significantly lower than that of college students in Sichuan and Guizhou provinces; (3) Higher vocational college students’ depression scores were significantly lower than undergraduate college students; (4) The overall depression scores of college students from rural areas were significantly higher than those of college students from urban areas; (5) The only child had significantly lower depression scores than the non-only child, and significantly higher scores on all dimensions of systemic family dynamics than the non-only child; (6) Depression had a highly significant correlation with all dimensions of family dynamics traits, and depression was highly significantly associated with cognitive empathy; (7) Cognitive empathy partially mediated the relationship between illness conceptions, systemic logic, and depression, with the proportion of indirect effect accounting for the total effect of 9.18% and 2.64% respectively.

Low-level and combined exposure to environmental metal elements affects male reproductive outcomes: Prospective MARHCS study in population of college students in Chongqing, China

BackgroundMale fertility has shown a continuously declining tendency for decades. Over exposure to metal/metalloid elements has been proposed as associated with reproductive impairment. However, the hazard profile remained unclear in general public experiencing low-level and combined metal exposure. MethodsBased on the MARHCS cohort in Chongqing, China, 796 college students were recruited from June 2013 and 666 subjects were followed up next year. At each phase, semen and blood samples were collected for an assessment of semen quality and six sex hormones levels. Eighteen urinary metal/metalloid elements were quantified by ICP-MS as internal exposure biomarkers. Cluster analysis was conducted to characterize reproductive outcomes in the subgroups for different overall estimated exposure levels. Effects of each metal/metalloid element were analyzed using multiple statistical strategies: single-element mixed model, multiple-elements model and self before-after comparison design. ResultsThe urine concentration for 18 metal/metalloid elements was at a typically lower level (far away from the exposure limits) and positively associated with each other. After adjustment of the potential confounders, a decrease of 11.53% (95% CI: −18.61, −3.84%) and 10.84% (95% CI: −17.93, −3.14%) in spermatid morphology was observed in the highest quantile groups of vanadium (V) and nickel (Ni), respectively. Urinary silver (Ag) was dose-dependent associated with an increase in total sperm number (6.91%, 95% CI: 1.14, 13.00%), sperm concentration (16.38%, 95% CI: 5.15, 28.81%) and semen volume (23.73%, 95% CI: 10.46, 38.60%). Further, hormone testosterone presented a significant decrease in subgroup with higher overall estimated exposure and a stable negative association with lithium (Li). The above relationships remained significant across different statistical strategies (all p values <0.05). ConclusionOur study provided new evidences that exposure to metal/metalloid elements potentially exert bidirectional influences on semen quality at a relatively low level. And serum testosterone appears as a vulnerable index for metal exposure.

Knowledge, training and willingness to perform bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation among university students in Chongqing, China: a cross-sectional study

ObjectiveTo evaluate knowledge of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) among Chinese college students and their attitude towards participating in CPR training and willingness to perform bystander CPR.DesignA cross-sectional study.ParticipantsA total of 1128...

Exposure to fine particulate matter-bound polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, male semen quality, and reproductive hormones: The MARCHS study

Exposure to outdoor fine particulate matter (PM2.5)-bound polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) is linked to reproductive dysfunction. However, it is unclear which component of PAHs is responsible for the adverse outcomes. In the Male Reproductive Health in Chongqing College Students (MARHCS) cohort study, we measured the exposure levels of 16PAHs by collecting air PM2.5 particles and assessed eight PAHs metabolites from four parent PAHs, including naphthalene, fluorene, phenanthrene, and pyrene in urine samples. We investigated compositional profiles and variation characteristics for 16PAHs in PM2.5, and then assessed the association between PAHs exposure and semen routine parameters, sperm chromatin structure, and serum hormone levels in 1452 samples. The results showed that naphthalene (95% CI:-17.989,-8.101), chrysene (95% CI:-64.894,-47.575), benzo[a]anthracene (95% CI:-63.227,-45.936) and all the high molecular weight (HMW) PAHs in PM2.5 were negatively associated with sperm normal morphology. Most of the low molecular weight (LMW) PAHs, such as acenaphthylene, fluorene, phenanthrene, fluoranthene, pyrene, chrysene, benzo[a]anthracene, ∑LMW PAHs and ∑16PAHs, were correlated with increased sperm motility (all corrected P<0.05). On the other hand, sperm normal morphology was all negatively associated with urinary metabolites of ∑OH-Nap (95% CI:-5.611,-0.536), ∑OH-Phe (95% CI:-5.741,-0.957), and ∑OH-PAHs (95% CI:-5.274,-0.361). Urinary concentrations of ∑OH-PAHs were found to be negatively associated with sperm high DNA stainability (HDS) (P=0.023), while ∑OH-Phe were negatively associated with serum testosterone level and sperm HDS (P=0.004). Spearman correlation analysis showed that except for the urinary OH-Nap metabolites, the rest of the urinary OH-PAHs metabolites were negatively correlated with their parent PAHs in air. The results of this study suggest that various PAHs' components may affect reproductive parameters differently. Inhalation of PAHs in air, especially HMW PAHs, may be a potential risk factor for male reproductive health.

Acute effects of short-term exposure to ambient air pollution on reproductive hormones in young males of the MARHCS study in China

Air pollution, which is associated with male reproductive health. However, it is unknown the acute effects of ambient air pollutants exposure on male reproductive hormones. The current study, we measured serum levels of reproductive hormone in 2030 blood samples gathered from The Male Reproductive Health in Chongqing College Students (MARHCS) cohort study. We derived a full coverage of ambient air pollutant (PM10, PM2.5, SO2, NO2, CO and O3) concentrations by employing machine learning algorithms, and used a mixed-effect model to estimate single-day and cumulative effects of air pollutants exposure on serum reproductive hormones. Our results showed that (1) PM10 and PM2.5 concentrations were positively associated with estradiol (E2) in both single and cumulative lag days, but were negatively associated with the ratio of Testosterone/E2 (the T/E2 ratio). NO2 was positively associated with estradiol at lag day 2 (95% CI: 0.290, 0.881; corrected P = 0.048) and lag 0–2 days (95% CI: 0.523, 1.337; corrected P = 0.003), with progesterone (P) at lag day 2 and lag day 3 (corrected P < 0.05). There was also a positive association between CO exposure and progesterone at lag day 2. (2) SO2 was inversely associated with E2 at lag day 3, 4 and lag 0–4 days, and progesterone at lag day 0, 1, 2 and lag 0–1, 0–2, 0–4 days, but positively associated with the T/E2 ratio at lag day 3, 4 and lag 0–4 days (corrected P < 0.05). O3 exposure was negatively associated with E2 at lag day 3 (95% CI: −0.216, −0.074, corrected P = 0.03). (3) No significant associations were found between the cumulative daily average air pollutant exposure of CO, O3 and hormone outcomes. This study suggests that short-term exposure to air pollutants may thus alter reproductive hormone levels, especially on serum estradiol, progesterone levels and the T/E2 ratio.

Low-Level and Combined Exposure to Environmental Metal Elements Affects Male Reproductive Outcomes: Prospective Marhcs Study in Population of College Students in Chongqing, China

Low-Level and Combined Exposure to Environmental Metal Elements Affects Male Reproductive Outcomes: Prospective Marhcs Study in Population of College Students in Chongqing, China

An exposomic approach with 138 chemical and non-chemical exposures to predict 32 biomarkers of male reproductive damages: A case study of college students in Chongqing, China

Male reproductive damage in the general population comprises different disorders in various biomarkers, which could be respectively caused by a number of exposure factors. However, researchers considering the environmental/behavioral/psychological exposures together to evaluate their contribution to male reproductive damage are still lacking. The present study investigated the comprehensive association between 138 environmental/behavioral/psychological exposures and 32 male reproductive biomarkers in 796 young Chinese men using graph-guided fused lasso (GFLASSO) and hierarchical clustering methods. All biomarkers were found to be associated with various exposures. A combination of these exposures not only predicted the levels of single biomarkers in another test dataset, but also identified the comprehensive reproductive features by clustering the men into five subgroups with distinct damages representing disrupted spermatogenesis with abnormal sperm morphology, low sperm motility with DNA fragmentation, chromatin immaturity, aberrant endocrine, or DNA strand breakage. The findings can be used to suggest a novel way to identify the males with a high risk of reproductive damage and develop personalized preventive strategies.

Knowledge, attitudes and practices related to WG consumption among college students: a cross-sectional study in Chongqing, China

ObjectivesThis work aimed to investigate WG (WG)–related knowledge, attitudes, practices (KAPs) and factors affecting WG consumption among college students in Chongqing, China. Study designA cross-sectional study was performed among 2500 students from six universities using a self-administered questionnaire. MethodsThe chi-squared test and binary logistic regression were used for data analysis. ResultsOnly 14.7% of the participants were aware of WG, 57.1% supported the consumption of WG, and only 8.5% consumed WG regularly in the last month. Participants with poor knowledge of WG were about 2 times more likely to not concern about chronic diseases (CDs) than concern about CDs (odds ratio [OR] = 2.241, 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.030–4.877). Women were less likely to have a poor attitude to WG compared with men (OR = 0.682, 95% CI, 0.529–0.878), whereas women were more likely to have a poor WG practice (OR = 2.335, 95% CI, 1.327–4.111). ConclusionsAlthough results showed low levels of WG knowledge and practices, this study still supports positive attitudes to acquire WG–related knowledge among college students in Chongqing, China.

Low-level lead exposure is associated with aberrant sperm quality and reproductive hormone levels in Chinese male individuals: Results from the MARHCS study low-level lead exposure is associated with aberrant sperm quality.

Studies in animals suggest an adverse effect of high-level lead exposure on male reproductive outcomes. However, evidence of the effects of low-level lead exposure is inconsistent. The purpose of our study was to explore the relationship between low-level lead exposure from daily environmental contaminants and semen quality in a community population without occupational exposure. We recruited 751 students in the Male Reproductive Health in Chongqing College Students (MARHCS) study and 190 community males from Bishan, Chongqing. Eight urinary metals (Pb, Cd, As, Cu, Zn, Ni, Mn, and Cr), semen quality, and serum sex hormones were detected. Even if the blood lead concentration was below the US lead poisoning standard for children (100μg/L), a significant dose-response relationship was found between lead exposure and a decrease in semen quality. Multilinear regression showed that urinary Pb was negatively associated with sperm concentration, total sperm count, progressive motility and total sperm motility (regression coefficient:-0.074,-0.103,-0.024, and-0.014, respectively; p: <0.001, <0.001, 0.007, and <0.001, respectively), accompanied by decreased serum follicle-stimulating hormone, serum testosterone and the testosterone/luteinizing hormone ratio (β coefficient:-0.090,-0.082, and-0.020, respectively; p: 0.002, <0.001, and 0.021, respectively). Logistic regression also indicated that the risk of having abnormal semen quality was higher in the high Pb group (OR: 2.501, 95% CI: 1.411, 4.435, p=0.002) than in the low Pb group after adjusting for confounders, with a dose-response relationship in the trend test (p=0.007). Our results revealed an inverse association between Pb exposure at low levels and semen quality.

Down Regulated XIAP Promotes Long-Term High Fat Diet-Stimulated NAFLD Through NLRP3 Inflammasome Activation and Oxidative Stress Signaling

Increasing evidence indicates that prolonged fat-rich diet (HFD) ingestion is a predisposing factor for metabolic disorderassociated system inflammation and oxidative stress injury, which contributes to the occurrence of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). NACHT, LRR and PYD domains-containing protein 3 (NLRP3)-mediated inflammatory infiltration was determined to participate in NAFLD. Xlinked inhibitor of apoptosis protein (XIAP) was recently confirmed as an essential regulator for apoptosis in cells. However, the role of XIAP in HFD-induced NAFLD is still not understood. Here, XIAP was characterized with respect to HFD-induced NLRP3 inflammasome activation and reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation in vivo and palmitate (PA)-treated cells in vitro. After HFD administration, hepatic injury was confirmed via histological assessment (grading and staging of NAFLD) and biochemical parameters, oxidative stress, and reduced antioxidant activity. Upregulated hepatic dysfunction were further indicated by elevated dyslipidemia, lipid accumulation, and decreased fatty acid β-oxidationassociated gene expression. Moreover, in the absence of XIAP, NLRP3 signaling activated by HFD-triggered oxidative stress was upregulated, accompanied by reduction in antioxidants including HO-1, NQO-1, GST, SOD and Nrf2 activity. The detrimental effects of XIAP blocking on hepatic steatosis and related pathologies were also confirmed in PA-treated mouse liver cells. In contrast, overexpression of XIAP by transfection in vitro restrained PA-stimulated hepatic steatosis by suppression of oxidative stress, NLRP3 related inflammatory response, and impairment of Nrf2 activity, further alleviating abnormal metabolic disorder associated NAFLD. Taken together, the present study helped to elucidate how HFDinduced hepatic steatosis was regulated by XIAP, possibly via the inhibition of NLRP3 signaling and oxidative stress injury. Funding Statement: This work was supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC Grant number: 81703527); Chongqing Research Program of Basic Research and Frontier Technology (Grant number: cstc2017jcyjAX0356, cstc2018jcyjA3686, cstc2018jcyjA1472 and cstc2018jcyjA3533); 2018 Chongqing College Students' Innovation and Entrepreneurship Training Project (Grant number: 201814388021 and 201814388022); School-level Research Program of Chongqing University of Education (Grant number: KY201710B and 17GZKP01) and Advanced Programs of Post-doctor of Chongqing (Grant number: 2017LY39). Declaration of Interests: The authors declare that there are no conflicts of interest regarding the publication of this manuscript. Ethics Approval Statement: All study protocols associating with animals were approved by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee in Chongqing Key Laboratory of Medicinal Resources in the Three Gorges Reservoir Region, School of Biological and Chemical Engineering, Chongqing University of Education.

Mitochondrial functionality modifies human sperm acrosin activity, acrosome reaction capability and chromatin integrity.

In addition to sperm motility, which major biological characteristics of sperm fertility potential are associated with mitochondrial functionality? Sperm fertilization capacities, including acrosin activity, acrosome reaction (AR) capability and chromatin integrity, are related to the mitochondria functionality as evaluated by the mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP). Correlative studies suggest a potential role of sperm MMP in predicting sperm fertilization ability and ensuring sperm motility. However, researches characterizing other determinants of sperm fertility potential according to MMP are lacking. The sperm MMP was examined in 627 young college students in the Male Reproductive Health in Chongqing College Students (MARHCS) cohort study in 2014. Among these participants, acrosin activity and chromatin integrity were measured in 378 and 604 subjects, respectively. These two determinants of sperm fertility potential were first compared among high-, moderate- and low-MMP groups in the college population. The effects of MMP collapse caused by carbonyl cyanide 3-chlorophenylhydrazone (CCCP) on acrosin activity, AR, DNA fragmentation, reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, and ATP content in human spermatozoa were evaluated in vitro. The sperm MMP was evaluated by using JC-1 staining, acrosin activity was measured using a N-α-benzoyl-dl-arginine-para-nitroanilide HCl (BAPNA) substrate method, the integrity of chromatin represented by DNA fragmentation index (DFI) was measured by sperm chromatin structure assay (SCSA), AR was evaluated with chlortetracycline staining, and intracellular ROS production was evaluated with dihydroethidium. ATP concentration was determined with luciferase. Measurements were performed by spectrophotometry or flow cytometry. Nonparametric analysis revealed significantly higher acrosin activity and a lower DFI in subjects with moderate or high MMP compared to those with low MMP. After adjustment for potential confounders, increases of 7.9 and 44.4% in sperm acrosin activity and deceases of 12.0 and 25.2% in the sperm DFI were found in the moderate- and high-MMP groups, respectively. The MMP dissipation induced by CCCP caused significant declines in acrosin activity and AR capacity and increased DFI in human spermatozoa. Moreover, sperm MMP dissipation induced ROS overproduction and decreased ATP content. We cannot exclude a contribution of leukocytes to ROS production and no size gating was used to exclude these cells from the FACS measurements. No simultaneous live-dead staining was done and a contribution of dead sperm to the MMP and acrosome assays cannot be excluded. Mitochondrial functionality might be necessary to maintain sperm acrosin activity, AR and chromatin integrity. Tests of mitochondrial functionality should be developed and used independently of or in addition to conventional semen parameters in infertility diagnosis or risk-assessment processes. This study was supported by the Key Program of the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 81630087) and the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 81703254). None of the authors have any competing interests to declare.

Food safety related knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) among the students from nursing, education and medical college in Chongqing, China

This study aims to examine the food safety knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) among the students from nursing, education and medical colleges. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 3454 college students in Chongqing, China in 2016. On food safety knowledge, the medical students scored the highest (10.29 ± 2.54) and the nursing students scored the lowest (8.51 ± 2.56). On food safety attitudes, the education students scored the highest (40.07 ± 5.88) and the medical students scored the lowest (39.53 ± 5.34). On food safety practices, the education students scored the highest (27.06 ± 4.59) and the nursing students scored the lowest (24.66 ± 4.82). The differences on food safety KAP scores among three school categories were all statistically significant (p < 0.05). The percentages of correct responses of nursing, education and medical students on “Frozen foods should be thawed in refrigerators”, “Shelf life means the period in which prepackaging foods maintain quality” and “Spices and flavors can be used in milk” were lower than 50%. More than 70% of the students were concerned or very concerned about pesticide residues in vegetables, the veterinary drug residue of meat, the heavy metal pollution of food and the transfer of plasticizers in food containers and packaging materials. More than 80% of the students were willing to improve their knowledge of food safety and to change their inappropriate food safety practices. Almost 30.0% of the students often or always asked businesses to deal with or complaints to the relevant departments when encountered with food safety problems. About 40.0% of the students often or always stored food according to the food labels. The multivariable analyses indicated that the school category was associated with food safety knowledge and practices scores. Compared with those who did not pay attention to food safety information through We-media, those who paid had higher scores on food safety KAP. In conclusion, college students were very concerned about some food safety problems, and they had inadequate knowledge and inappropriate practices toward food safety. More effective food safety interventions should be conducted among nursing, education and medical students. The role of We-media in food safety intervention needs further study.

A study on the reading behavior of college students in Chongqing under the new media

Objective The objective was to investigate new media influence on college student's reading behaviors. Methods A cross-sectional survey on internet use, reading behavior and influence on sleep and life of college students was conducted. The sample was selected using a multi-stage sampling among college students in Chongqing. Results 92.5% students used smart phone to access information through Internet. Entertainment is the main motivation of digital reading. 58.39% students preferred tradi-tional paper reading for academic study. 97.6% students used smart phone for reading before sleep and 27.4% used smart phone before sleep caused sleep problem. 53.6% students believed that in terms of life and study, the new media reading is more helpful than harmful. Conclusion College students are heavy users of new media, and that some forms of media use may adversely impact sleep and academic perfor-mance. Key words: New media; Reading behavior; Digital reading; Traditional paper reading

Survey of health literacy level and related influencing factors in military college students in Chongqing, China: A cross-sectional analysis.

Health literacy (HL) has become an important public health issue and is receiving growing attention. However, the HL levels of military college students in China have never been analyzed. This study aimed to investigate the HL and related associate factors in military college students in Chongqing, China. Data was obtained with the “Chinese Citizen Health Literacy Questionnaire (2012 edition)” from 3183 military college students aged 16–28 years at Chongqing in December 2015. A total score of ≥80 points determined adequate HL, and HL level was defined as the proportion of students who had adequate HL out of the total number of participants. Multiple logistic regression analysis with a stepwise forward likelihood ratio (LR) method was used to determine the effects of sociodemographic characteristics, health-related behaviors, and family-related factors on HL level. The mean score of HL was 68.56, and the HL level of military college students was 21.05%; the overall knowledge rate was 71.33%. The independent factors that were associated with HL level were years in college, educational system, time playing online games, annual household income and father's education level. Senior (odds ratio [OR] = 1.229, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.018∼1.484), undergraduate (OR = 1.509, 95% CI 1.151∼1.978), time played games more than 5 hours each week (OR = 0.638, 95% CI 0.486∼0.837), annual household incomes more than 50,000 yuan (OR = 1.231, 95% CI 1.027∼1.476) and father's education level (high school: OR = 2.327, 95% CI 1.186∼4.565; university: OR = 2.450, 95% CI 1.244∼4.825), were independently associated with higher HL level. HL levels of military college students in Chongqing need to be improved across the board. Our data suggests that special emphasis should be placed on students in junior and those in the specialist educational system. School departments may also benefit from incorporating health literacy into their curricula and helping students manage the time they spend playing online games.

Social Media and Socialization of International Students in China -Taking International College Students in Chongqing as an Example-

Social Media and Socialization of International Students in China -Taking International College Students in Chongqing as an Example-

Mitochondrial Biomarkers Reflect Semen Quality: Results from the MARCHS Study in Chongqing, China.

Unexplained infertility requires that more sensitive and mechanism-based biomarkers should be developed and used independently of or in addition to conventional semen parameters for an infertility diagnosis. In the present study, semen samples were collected from young men participating in the Male Reproductive Health in Chongqing College students (MARCHS) cohort study in the follow-up stage in 2014. Conventional semen parameters were measured in all 656 participants, whereas sperm mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP), mitochondrial DNA copy number (mtDNAcn), mtDNA integrity and apoptotic parameters were measured among 627, 386, 362, and 628 participants, respectively. We found that sperm MMP was significantly positively correlated with all of conventional semen parameters including semen volume (r = 0.090, p = 0.025), sperm concentration (r = 0.301, p<0.01), total sperm count (r = 0.324, p<0.01), and progressive motility (r = 0.399, p<0.01); sperm MMP was also negatively correlated with Annexin V+ sperm (r = -0.553, p<0.01); mtDNAcn was significantly negatively correlated with sperm concentration (r = -0.214, p<0.01), total sperm count (r = -0.232, p<0.01), and progressive motility (r = -0.164, p = 0.01); mtDNA integrity was also significantly positively correlated with sperm concentration (r = 0.195, p<0.01), total sperm count (r = 0.185, p<0.01), and progressive motility (r = 0.106, p = 0.043). After adjusting for potential confounders, these relationships remained significant. Furthermore, we explored the potential effects of lifestyles on such mitochondrial biomarkers and found that the current drinkers displayed a higher level of sperm MMP; additionally, mt DNAcn was increased with age. The results indicated that certain mitochondrial biomarkers could serve as predictors of semen quality in a general population, and the study provides a baseline for the effects of population characteristics and lifestyles on such mitochondrial markers.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons exposure decreased sperm mitochondrial DNA copy number: A cross-sectional study (MARHCS) in Chongqing, China

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are widespread environmental pollutants that have adverse effects on the male reproductive function. Many studies have confirmed that PAHs preferentially accumulate in mitochondria DNA relative to nuclear DNA and disrupt mitochondrial functions. However, it is rare whether exposure to PAHs is associated with mitochondrial damage and dysfunction in sperm. To evaluate the effects of PAHs on sperm mitochondria, we measured mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP), mitochondrial DNA copy number (mtDNAcn) and mtDNA integrity in 666 individuals from the Male Reproductive Health in Chongqing College Students (MARHCS) study. PAHs exposure was estimated by measuring eight urinary PAH metabolites (1-OHNap, 2-OHNap, 1-OHPhe, 2-OHPhe, 3-OHPhe, 4-OHPhe, 2-OHFlu and 1-OHPyr). The subjects were divided into low, median and high exposure groups using the tertile levels of urinary PAH metabolites. In univariate analyses, the results showed that increased levels of 2-OHPhe, 3-OHPhe, ∑Phe metabolites and 2-OHFlu were found to be associated with decreased sperm mtDNAcn. After adjusting for potential confounders, significantly negative associations of these metabolites remained (p = 0.039, 0.012, 0.01, 0.035, respectively). Each 1 μg/g creatinine increase in 2-OHPhe, 3-OHPhe, ∑Phe metabolites and 2-OHFlu was associated with a decrease in sperm mtDNAcn of 9.427%, 11.488%, 9.635% and 11.692%, respectively. There were no significant associations between urinary PAH metabolites and sperm MMP or mtDNA integrity. The results indicated that the low exposure levels of PAHs can cause abnormities in sperm mitochondria.