People In Guangzhou Research Articles

Encountering not-so-smart technologies in urban spaces: QR codes, screens and the idiocy of smart living

ABSTRACT This article investigates people’s lived experiences of encountering the idiocy of digital technologies in their ordinary lives in smart cities. It regards the concept of “idiocy” as both the limited smartness in the digital society and a moment when actual users of technologies are fooled. Drawing upon mixed-method studies in Guangzhou, this article delineates a QR-coded and screen-mediated public lifestyle that simultaneously bridges the smartmentality and smart citizens and creates idiocy. Although people in Guangzhou are smart enough to participate in smart city projects and actively respond to digital technologies and their problems, they are inevitably subject to constant monitoring and discipline from the top-down operations of smart cities, and it is hard to reject the “smart” lifestyle. Digital technologies in smart cities, as well as their breakdowns, often fool people by interrupting their public events, datafying and categorizing them, reducing efficiency, alienating the “bookend generations”, and excluding some smart people who choose to bypass the algorithmic logic designed for the digital/smart urbanism. Ultimately, this research suggests that future works pay more attention to the tensions between digital technologies and smart people in order to search for an alternative and more hopeful urbanism in the digital era.

Analysis of the Black Population Flow in China and the United Kingdom

In recent years, an increasing number of black population has flowed into China and the United Kingdom. By viewing the impact of black people in China and the United Kingdom through the deaths of black people in Guangzhou, China in 2009 and 2012, this paper draws on books and reviews past cases to analyze the differences between the two countries. Some of the data comes from web pages, while others are found in books. The research results include: firstly, whether they have contributed to society and how they are living in the new country; secondly, studying their social status, achievements in different fields, assistance to the country, and household registration migration; thirdly, black people are now distributed in various countries with different purposes, but they are all helpful and make contributions to this country they live. This paper may offer some references for the population flow research in other countries.

Associations between type 2 diabetes mellitus and risk of falls among community-dwelling elderly people in Guangzhou, China: a prospective cohort study

BackgroundSeveral studies have demonstrated that older adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) have a higher risk of falls compared to those without T2DM, which may lead to disability and a lower quality of life. While, limited prospective studies have quantified the associations in southern China. We conducted a longitudinal cohort study to quantify the associations between T2DM and falls and investigate the risk factors of falls among community-dwelling elderly people in Guangzhou, China.MethodsThe population-based study included 8800 residents aged 65 and over in 11 counties of Guangzhou at baseline in 2020 and then prospectively followed up through 2022. Of 6169 participants had complete follow-up and were included in the present study. A fall event was identified by self-reported. The Cox regression was applied to quantify the associations between T2DM and falls, and hazard ratios (HRs) were calculated to the factors associated with falls among participants.ResultsThe median follow-up time for participants was 2.42 years. During the follow-up period, the incidence of falls among all participants was 21.96%. After adjusting for covariates in Cox regression models, T2DM remained a significant risk factor for falls, with HR of 1.781 (95% CI: 1.600-1.983) in the unadjusted covariates model and 1.757 (1.577–1.957) in the adjusted covariates model. Female (1.286, 1.136–1.457), older age (≥ 80: 1.448, 1.214–1.729), single marital status (1.239, 1.039–1.477), lower education level (primary school and below: 1.619, 1.004–1.361), hypertension (1.149, 1.026–1.286) and stroke (1.619, 1.176–2.228) were associated with a higher risk of falls, whereas everyday physical exercise (0.793, 0.686–0.918) was associated with a lower risk of falls.ConclusionFalls are common, with risks between T2DM and falls quantified and several factors investigated in the longitudinal cohort study among community-dwelling elderly people in Guangzhou, China. Targeted action on the risk factors may reduce the burden of falls in elderly people with T2DM in the future.

Optimizing the Layout of Service Facilities for Older People Based on POI Data and Machine Learning: Guangzhou City as an Example

Population aging is a global issue. China is facing the same challenge, especially in its megacities, with more than 10 million permanent urban residents. These densely populated cities urgently need the scientific planning and optimization of the layout of service facilities for older people. Taking Guangzhou, a megacity in China, as an example, this study uses point-of-interest (POI) data and the ID3 machine learning decision tree algorithm to train a site selection model for service facilities for older people. The model can help to select appropriate locations for new service facilities for older people more scientifically and accurately, and it can provide targeted suggestions to optimize the layout of the service facilities for older people in Guangzhou. First, Guangzhou city is divided into 29,793 grids of 500 m × 500 m based on the range of activities of older people, and 985 grids are found to contain service facilities for older people. Then, the POI data of the grid are fed into the ID3 algorithm for training to obtain a prediction model for the selection of sites for service facilities for older people. The effective prediction rate of the model reaches 87.54%. Then, we apply the site selection model to predict the whole city of Guangzhou, and 4534 grids are suitable for service facilities for older people. In addition, considering the degree of concentration of the elderly population in each street, we further filter out 1066 priority grids as the final site selection. Finally, taking into account the situation of the streets in different districts, we propose several strategies to optimize the layout of the construction of service facilities for older people.

Spatial Representation of Place Meaning in Urban Historical Parks – A Case Study of People’s Park in Guangzhou, China

As people’s demand for public space continues to rise, historical urban parks, which are an essential part of the city’s public space and people’s emotional space, are facing the need for renewal and renovation. By introducing the concept of Place Meaning and based on a systematic review of related literature, this paper selects Guangzhou People’s Park as a case study, empirically exploring the spatial representation of Place Meaning in Guangzhou People’s Park using the cognition map method. It is found that the spatial representation has differential characteristics when based on Historical and Cultural Factor, Leisure and Recreation Factor, Landscape Ecology Factor and Social Interaction Factor. By conducting scientific research on the spatial representation of place significance, this paper can provide a reference for the transformation of urban historical parks, highlighting the image of urban environment and historical culture, and meeting the construction of urban environmental engineering under the new situation.

The Construction of Place Meaning of Historic Parks – A Case Study of People’s Park in Guangzhou, China

Historical parks carry the memories and emotions of local people, and have a historical status and research value that cannot be ignored. This paper introduces the concept of place significance, and based on systematically sorting out related literature, selects Guangzhou People’s Park as the case study, and empirically explores the construction of place significance of it by using the Q method. It is found that the value perception of the place meaning of the People’s Park includes five dimensions: historical display, cultural identity, landscape recreation, physical and mental health, and leisure experience. The study on the perceived value of users of historical parks can provide a reference and some suggestions for historical parks to highlight the city’s image and historical culture as well as to meet the needs of urban leisure life in the context of urban construction.

Research on the Influence and Strategy of Cigarette Packages with Health Warnings on Consumer Perceptions and Consumer Demand

Nowadays, much more people are threatened by cigarettes. Many people die yearly because of cigarettes, leading to serious economic problems. This problem is very big in China because cigarette packaging is gorgeous. Compared with cigarettes in other countries, some pictures of health warnings will be inserted to guide people to stop smoking. This paper explores cigarette packaging with health warning pictures that affect smokers’ demand for cigarettes and its impact and strategies. Research on people of different ages and study the views of people of different ages on pictures with health warnings and whether they will continue to buy will be made to the people in Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China. The investigation concluded the impact and strategy of changing packaging on the cigarette economy. It can be concluded that the packaging of cigarettes will have a great impact on smokers, as well as a serious attack on the economy.

Association between meteorological factors and elderly falls in injury surveillance from 2014 to 2018 in Guangzhou, China

IntroductionWith rapid increase in the aging population, falls injuries have become an important public health problem. However, limited data have been reported on the associations between meteorological factors and falls injuries in the elderly. This study assessed the epidemiology of falls injuries and explored this association in the elderly in Guangzhou, China. MethodsData on elderly falls injury cases and meteorological variables from 2014 to 2018 in Guangzhou were collected from the Guangzhou Injury Monitoring System and Guangzhou Meteorological Bureau, respectively. The monthly average data on falls injuries and meteorological factors were applied to the data analysis. These correlations were conducted using Pearson correlation analysis. A multiple linear regression model was used to estimate the effects of meteorological factors on falls injuries in the elderly in Guangzhou, China. ResultsAccounting for 49.41% of causes of elderly injury were falls in the Guangzhou Injury Monitoring System from 2014 to 2018, which occupied first place for five consecutive years. The monthly number of elderly falls injury cases was lowest in April and highest in December, and had a positive correlation with monthly mean wind speed (r = 0.187, P < 0.01) and a negative correlation with monthly atmospheric pressure (r = -0.142, P < 0.05). A multiple linear regression model was constructed (F = 10.176, P < 0.01), which explained 23.7% of the variances (R2 = 0.237). Monthly mean wind speed (β = 76.85, P < 0.01) and monthly mean atmospheric pressure (β = −3.162, P < 0.01) were independent factors affecting monthly elderly falls injuries. ConclusionsFalls are the primary cause of injury among elderly people in Guangzhou, China. Meteorological factors are related to falls injuries in the elderly population. Decreasing activity during high wind and low atmospheric pressure weather may help reduce the number of elderly falls injury cases.

Prevalence and patterns of multimorbidity in chronic diseases in Guangzhou, China: a data mining study in the residents’ health records system among 31 708 community-dwelling elderly people

ObjectivesExamination of the prevalence, influence factors and patterns of multimorbidity among the elderly people in Guangzhou, China.DesignCross-sectional study.Participants31 708 community-dwelling elderly people aged 65 and over.Primary and secondary outcome measuresPrevalence,...

Research on the Difference Between Recreational Walking and Transport Walking Among the Elderly in Mega Cities With Different Density Zones: The Case of Guangzhou City.

Walking is the easiest method of physical activity for older people, and current research has demonstrated that the built environment is differently associated with recreational and transport walking. This study modelled the environmental characteristics of three different building density zones in Guangzhou city at low, medium, and high densities, and examined the differences in walking among older people in the three zones. The International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) was used to investigate the recreational and transport walking time of older people aged 65 years and above for the past week, for a total of three density zones (N = 597) and was analysed as a dependent variable. Geographic Information Systems (GIS) was used to identify 300, 500, 800, and 1,000 m buffers and to assess differences between recreational and transport walking in terms of the built environment [e.g., land-use mix, street connectivity, Normalised Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) data]. The data were processed and validated using the SPSS software to calculate Pearson's correlation models and stepwise regression models between recreation and transit walking and the built environment. The results found that land use mix and NDVI were positively correlated with transport walking in low-density areas and that transport walking was negatively correlated with roadway mediated centrality (BtE) and Point-of-Interest (PoI) density. Moreover, recreational walking in medium density areas was negatively correlated with self-rated health, road intersection density, and PoI density while positively correlated with educational attainment, population density, land use mix, street connectivity, PoIs density, and NDVI. Transport walking was negatively correlated with land-use mix, number of road crossings while positively correlated with commercial PoI density. Street connectivity, road intersection density, DNVI, and recreational walking in high-density areas showed negative correlations. Moreover, the built environment of older people in Guangzhou differed between recreational and transport walking at different densities. The richness of PoIs has different effects on different types of walking.

Planning a Christian campus in Quasi-colonial China: Lingnan University, Guangzhou, 1904–1931

ABSTRACT Constructed from 1904 to 1931 in Guangzhou, Lingnan University was among the thirteen Christian universities founded by Western missionaries in China. It featured a hybrid campus with ‘Chinese-style’ buildings disposed on a Beaux-Arts planning scheme. This article argues that the campus planning and architectural design of Lingnan University was shaped by the unique quasi-colonial power interactions in Guangzhou involving both cooperation and conflict between multiple forces – Western missionaries and architects, local governments, merchants both local and overseas, and ordinary people in Guangzhou. Responding to the shifting social contexts, Lingnan contributed to the modernization of Guangzhou’s city plan in the early twentieth century. The architectural design of Lingnan University exemplified a re-invention of Chinese architectural styles in response to Guangzhou’s quasi-colonial context, achieved through the efforts of its American architects to learn and adapt ‘Chinese-ness’ in their building designs, and the political and financial support of local Chinese people and overseas Chinese merchants. The concept of Chinese architecture was not settled at Lingnan, but nevertheless the Beaux-Arts campus and its building designs were interpreted by multiple groups and were later adopted and modified by Chinese architects, illuminating a broader cross-cultural dialogue between China and the West.

The Homeless People in China During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Victims of the Strict Pandemic Control Measures of the Government.

Background: By implementing aggressive control measures, China has rapidly and effectively controlled the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. However, the neglected homeless population may become victims of that perceived success. Due to political sensitivity, we know little about them.Aims: This study aimed to investigate how the pandemic and the pandemic control strategies of the government affected the lives of the homeless people in mainland China.Methods: A total of 103 eligible participants experiencing absolute homelessness were recruited from Guangzhou City during July and August 2020. Surveys measured demographic characteristics including health status, changes in daily living, and actions of the government toward the homeless during the pandemic. Sankey diagrams and ordered logit regression models were used to examine the impact on the homeless of inhumane government efforts to drive the homeless away. Qualitative materials were analyzed by using an inductive approach to provide more details.Results: First, the homeless people in Guangzhou tended to be male, aged 40 to 64 years, less well-educated, and they originated from outside Guangdong although they were living in the city center. Most had little connection with their families. After a long period of homelessness, almost half of the participants were in poor health with various conditions, which made them extremely vulnerable to COVID-19. Second, the pandemic caused a substantial decline in incomes of homeless people, had less of a negative impact on their food intake, and affected sleep time in different ways. Third, during the COVID-19 pandemic, humanitarian aid from local governments of China decreased, whereas inhumane efforts to drive the homeless away intensified. Fourth, quantitative models and qualitative materials demonstrate the devastating effect of the strict pandemic control strategy of the government on the lives of homeless people, which may further cause their health problems.Conclusion: This study for the first time illustrated the characteristic features of the street homeless population in mainland China and their living situation during the COVID-19 pandemic, and most importantly demonstrated the devastating effect of the strict pandemic control of the government, which has been considered a great success in previous studies, on lives of homeless people. Urgent measures should be taken to ensure the protection of the homeless population and prevent an impending humanitarian crisis.

Quantitative seasonal outdoor thermal sensitivity in Guangzhou, China

Recently, increasing attention is being given to the outdoor thermal environment. However, current results on thermal sensitivity are not uniform. Therefore, a field survey was conducted in a typical hot summer and warm winter city, Guangzhou, China. The qualitative sensitivity of microclimatic parameters was analyzed by standardized regression coefficient (SRC). Physiological Equivalent Temperature (PET), Universal Thermal Climate Index (UTCI), and Standard Effective Temperature (SET*) were modified and tested for sensitivity using linear regression. The results showed that people have different sensitivities to thermal parameters in different seasons, among which air temperature (Ta) is the most sensitive parameter, followed by mean radiation temperature (Tmrt) and wind speed (Va), whereas relative humidity (RH) had little effect. SET* had the best consistent thermal sensitivity of Guangzhou's people, compared with PET and UTCI. Generally, MTSV may change one grade with the ΔTa= 5.2 °C, ΔTmrt= 13.5 °C, or ΔVa= 1 m/s in spring; ΔTa= 3.9 °C, ΔTmrt= 11.9 °C, or ΔVa= 1 m/s in summer; ΔTa= 5.9 °C, ΔTmrt= 15.6 °C, or ΔVa= 1 m/s in autumn; ΔTa= 15.3 °C, ΔTmrt= 38 °C, or ΔVa= 2.3 m/s in winter. Therefore, the thermal sensitivity of microclimatic can support a reference for urban planning.

The Perceptions and Experiences of Mobile Health Technology by Older People in Guangzhou, China: A Qualitative Study

The study explores older people's perceptions and experiences with mobile technology adoption in hospitals. Twenty nine older people were interviewed at a tertiary hospital in Guangzhou from June to December 2020. All the interviews were analyzed using thematic analysis. Older people are a diversified group. Various factors impact their readiness for technology use, including their educational level, age, past experiences, living arrangements, etc. The older people in this study in general expressed a great concern about using the new health technology and many encountered barriers to its successful adoption. Yet, the barriers and difficulties that they encountered are embedded in a changed social context in China. The findings above provide insights into the adoption of health technology, and tailored measures to facilitate older people's technology adoption are suggested.

Short-term personal PM2.5 exposure and change in DNA methylation of imprinted genes: Panel study of healthy young adults in Guangzhou city, China.

DNA methylation (DNAm) plays a significant role in deleterious health effects inflicted by fine particulate matter (PM2.5) on the human body. Recent studies have reported that DNAm of imprinted control regions (ICRs) in imprinted genes may be a sensitive biomarker of environmental exposure. Less is known about specific biomarkers of imprinted genes after PM2.5 exposure. The relationship between PM2.5 and its chemical constituents and DNAm of ICRs in imprinted genes after short-term exposure was investigated to determine specific human biomarkers of its adverse health effects. A panel study was carried out in healthy young people in Guangzhou, China. Mixed-effects models were used to evaluate the influence of PM2.5 and its constituent exposure on DNAm while controlling for potential confounders. There was no significant correlation between DNAm and personal PM2.5 exposure mass. DNAm changes in eight ICRs (L3MBTL1, NNAT, PEG10, GNAS Ex1A, MCTS2, SNURF/SNRPN, IGF2R, and RB1) and a non-imprinted gene (CYP1B1) were significantly associated with PM2.5 constituents. Compared to non-imprinted genes, imprinted gene methylation was more susceptible to interference with PM2.5 constituent exposure. Among those genes, L3MBTL1 was the most sensitive to personal PM2.5 constituent exposure. Moreover, transition metals derived from traffic sources (Cd, Fe, Mn, and Ni) significantly influenced DNAm of the imprinted genes, suggesting the importance of more targeted measures to reduce toxic constituents. Bioinformatics analysis indicated that imprinted genes (RB1) may be correlated with pathways and diseases (non-small cell lung cancer, glioma, and bladder cancer). The present study suggests that screening the imprinted gene for DNAm can be used as a sensitive biomarker of PM2.5 exposure. The results will provide data for prevention of PM2.5 exposure and a novel perspective on potential mechanisms on an epigenetic level.

When the power of the purse meets the power of technology: a case study of Guangzhou People’s Congress in China

Technology in governance has never been as important as it is now. Yet, how legislatures use new technology to enhance their oversight of government is neglected in the existing literature. This study developed a framework of information capacity to explain how big data technology could contribute to stronger legislative budget oversight in China. The authors select Guangzhou as a case and found that the online budget supervision system in Guangzhou provided an opportunity for local people’s congresses in China to improve both their efficiency and effectiveness despite their lack of expertise and time. All things considered, the accountability of the entire budgeting system is being improved. However, China’s case may not be copied elsewhere. The use of big data technology requires a favourable environment and various resources. Both technological advances and behavioural change are likely to take a long time to accomplish.

Cross-cultural adjustment of successful aging scale and its reliability and validity in urban elderly

Objective To revised the Taiwan version successful aging inventory (SAI), and verify its reliability and validity in urban elderly in mainland China. Methods SAI was adjusted by culture and revised by pre-test to form a formal questionnaire. A sample of 600 elderly people in Guangzhou was chosen for a face-to-face questionnaire survey through convenient sampling. Half of the sample (n=300) was randomly selected for exploratory factor analysis, and the other was used to confirm the structural validity of SAI. Results Exploratory factor analysis extracted six common factors, including health autonomy, economic security, life adaptation, society and relative relationship, study and family. The cumulative contribution rate of six common factors was 65.366%. The fitting indexes of confirmatory factor analysis were χ2/df=1.861, CFI=0.930, IFI=0.930, TLI=0.923, GFI=0.823, RMSEA=0.054, RMR=0.073. There were significant ceiling effects in the four dimensions of health autonomy, economic security, life adaptation, and family. The internal consistency coefficient (Cronbach's α) of SAI was 0.930, and the test-retest reliability was 0.943. An average score of SAI ≥ 3.95 points was considered successful aging. Conclusion Reliability and validity of SAI are good, which can be used to measure the successful aging status of Chinese elders and track the effectiveness of health promotion measures. Key words: Successful aging; The elderly; Reliability; Validity

The "elimination of the four pests" movement in Guangzhou from 1949 to 1959: focusing on the report of Nanfang Daily and Guangzhou Daily

According to all the reports about "eliminating the four pests" in Nanfang Daily and Guangzhou Daily between 1949 and 1959, this paper reviews the formation and development of "eliminating four pests" movement in Guangzhou. The movement started from 1949, and its first stage ended in 1952. The focus of the movement was to improve the appearance and environment of Guangzhou. From 1952 to 1956, the Patriotic Public Health Campaign started, and reached its climax around 1958, yet the movement has moved from pragmatism to radicalism. In the 10 years of "eliminating the four pests" , the movement has greatly improved the public health in Guangzhou and played a positive role in improving the physical health of the people in Guangzhou. However, excessive activities such as wiping out sparrows have also caused serious ecological disasters and poor harvests.

Developmental regulation of lifelong dental experiences and beliefs in Guangzhou and Hong Kong.

The aim of this study was to explain through the life-course and life-span perspectives of developmental regulation theory the controls on dental experiences and beliefs throughout the lives of older people in Guangzhou and Hong Kong. Dental diseases and disabilities among older people are serious public health concerns in China. A facilitator conducted eight focus groups, three in Hong Kong and five in Guangzhou, involving a total of 51 participants. She encouraged discussions about lifetime events to explain dental experiences and beliefs. Transcripts were coded and analysed using a constant comparative approach to identify themes that explained the regulators of dental experiences throughout the participants' lives. Participants explained the influence of culture and history through critical events, and how external and internal factors regulated their current oral health status and beliefs. They emphasised the role of Traditional Chinese Medicine and family, and the stress of social upheaval compounded by a scarcity of dental services. They revealed also how current choice of dental services and health promotional programs, helped by personal food choice, self-reliance, and scepticism, helped them to adjust and cope with dental diseases and disabilities and the commercialisation of dental services. Dental experiences and beliefs of older people living in Guangzhou and Hong Kong were regulated strongly during personal development by culture and history during critical events, and by various controlling factors, such as health promotion and choice of services supplemented by food choice, nutritional balance, self-reliance, scepticism and social adjustments.

Analysis of community colorectal cancer screening in 50-74 years old people in Guangzhou, 2015-2016

Objective: To analyze the effect of colorectal cancer screening in the general population in Guangzhou, and provide evidence for the for development of colorectal cancer screening policy and strategy. Methods: The data of colorectal cancer screening in Guangzhou during 2015- 2016 were collected. The participation, the positive rate of fecal occult blood test, the detection rate of colonoscopy and screening effect of colonoscopy were evaluated. Results: A total of 220 834 residents aged 50-74 years received the screening, and the positive rate of the screening was 16.77% (37 040 cases). Colonoscopy was performed for 7 821 cases (21.12%). Colorectal lesions were found in 4 126 cases (52.76%), of which 614 (7.85%) and 73 (0.93%) and 230 (2.94%) were identified as advanced adenoma, severe dysplasia lesions and colorectal cancers, respectively. The detection rates of all colorectal lesions were higher in men than in women (all P<0.01). The diagnostic rate of early lesion was 87.24%, and 99 early cancer cases were found, accounting for 46.26% of the total cases. The overall screening detection rate of colorectal cancer was 104.15/100 000, higher than the incidence rate (81.18/100 000) in colorectal cancer surveillance (P<0.001), but age group <70 years had higher detection rate, age group ≥70 years had higher incidence rate. Conclusions: The colorectal cancer screening strategy in Guangzhou is effective in the detection of the population at high risk, increase the detection rate of colorectal lesions, early diagnosis rate of precancerous lesions and diagnosis rate of early colorectal cancer. The benefit in those aged ≤69 years was more obvious than that in those aged 70-74 years. It is necessary to improve the compliancy of colorectal cancer screening in population at high risk.