Residents In Beijing Research Articles

Adenovirus-associated acute conjunctivitis in Beijing, China, 2011\u20132013

BackgroundHuman adenovirus (HAdV)-associated acute conjunctivitis is a common infectious disease and causes significant morbidity among residents in Beijing, China. However, little is known about the epidemiology and type distribution of acute adenoviral conjunctivitis in Beijing.MethodsAcute conjunctivitis surveillance was conducted in 18 hospitals in Beijing from July through October during 2011–2013. HAdVs were detected by PCR from eye swab and types were determined by partial hexon and fiber gene sequencing. Risk factors associated with adenoviral conjunctivitis were analyzed.ResultsOf 876 conjunctivitis cases, 349 (39.8%) were HAdV positive. HAdV detection was most common in conjunctivitis patients aged 18–40 years; patients with contact history with a conjunctivitis case; patients with specimen collected on days 4–6 post symptom onset and patients who worked in food service as catering attendants. Fifteen types were identified among adenoviral conjunctivitis cases. Five HAdV types (HAdV-4, − 37, − 53, − 64 and − 8) accounted for 81.1% of all adenoviral conjunctivitis cases. HAdV-37, − 4 and − 53 were the most common types associated with adenoviral conjunctivitis in 2011, 2012 and 2013, respectively.ConclusionMultiple HAdV types were associated with acute conjunctivitis in Beijing. Predominant types associated with adenoviral conjunctivitis circulating in Beijing varied from year to year.

Prevalence of urinary incontinence and its impact on life quality self-assessment in community-dwelling elderly residents of Beijing

Objective To find out the prevalence of urinary incontinence(UI), as well as its impact on self-assessed life quality in community-dwelling elderly Beijing residents. Methods A total of 2 878 local elderly residents(≥65 years)were enrolled through stratified cluster random sampling from July 2013 to December 2014 in Beijing.A face-to-face questionnaire survey and physical examination were conducted by trained investigators.UI was screened using ICIQ-SF.Prevalence of UI was adjusted by the standard population of Beijing and the number of elderly people with UI was estimated. Results The overall prevalence of UI was 24.6%.The morbidity of UI was 18.5%in male and 29.8%in female participants.The estimated number of elderly UI patients in Beijing was about 445 thousands, with 153 thousand male and 292 female patients.After adjustment for potential confounding demographic, lifestyle and chronic disease factors, logistic regression analysis revealed that UI was negatively correlated with several self-assessed measures, including quality of life, health, sleep quality, activities of daily life, sexual life and relationship with other people(all P<0.05). Moreover, negative emotions in the last four weeks increased in the elderly with UI. Conclusions Nearly one quarter of the aged population, especially among aged women, in Beijing suffer from UI.UI severely affects the quality of life and emotions in aged persons.It is necessary to take early interventions to improve quality of life and promote healthy aging. Key words: Urinary incontinence; Quality of life

Health and economic benefits of building ventilation interventions for reducing indoor PM2.5 exposure from both indoor and outdoor origins in urban Beijing, China

China is confronted with serious PM2.5 pollution, especially in the capital city of Beijing. Exposure to PM2.5 could lead to various negative health impacts including premature mortality. As people spend most of their time indoors, the indoor exposure to PM2.5 from both indoor and outdoor origins constitutes the majority of personal exposure to PM2.5 pollution. Different building interventions have been introduced to mitigate indoor PM2.5 exposure, but always at the cost of energy expenditure. In this study, the health and economic benefits of different ventilation intervention strategies for reducing indoor PM2.5 exposure are modeled using a representative urban residence in Beijing, with consideration of different indoor PM2.5 emission strengths and outdoor pollution. Our modeling results show that the increase of envelope air-tightness can achieve significant economic benefits when indoor PM2.5 emissions are absent; however, if an indoor PM2.5 source is present, the benefits only increase slightly in mechanically ventilated buildings, but may show negative benefit without mechanical ventilation. Installing mechanical ventilation in Beijing can achieve annual economic benefits ranging from 200yuan/capita to 800yuan/capita if indoor PM2.5 sources exist. If there is no indoor emission, the annual benefits above 200yuan/capita can be achieved only when the PM2.5 filtration efficiency is no <90% and the envelope air-tightness is above Chinese National Standard Level 7. Introducing mechanical ventilation with low PM2.5 filtration efficiency to current residences in urban Beijing will increase the indoor PM2.5 exposure and result in excess costs to the residents.

Association between short sleep duration and carotid atherosclerosis modified by age in a Chinese community population

Background and aimShort sleep duration is a risk factor of cardiovascular disorder; however, the association between short sleep duration and carotid atherosclerosis has not been completely characterised. The aim of...

Analysis of the Characteristics of Pregnancy and Delivery before and after Implementation of the Two-child Policy.

Background:After the two-child policy is fully implemented, new challenges regarding pregnancy management and the treatment of pregnancy complications will arise. The aim of this study was to analyze the characteristics of pregnancy and delivery before and after the implementation of the two-child policy to make suggestions on the quality assurance of the new era of obstetrics.Methods:In total, 5895 cases of pregnant women who delivered from April 2016 to March 2017 in Peking University Third Hospital served as the study group and 5103 cases of pregnant women who delivered from January to December 2015 served as the control group. The characteristics of pregnancy and delivery were retrospectively analyzed.Results:In the study group, the percentage of pregnant women who were older (over 40 years) (3.6% vs. 2.2%), were multipara (30.3% vs. 17.0%), received irregular prenatal care (1.5% vs. 0.9%), were transferred for treatment from a subordinate hospital (4.4% vs. 2.8%), and were not residents of Beijing (3.8% vs. 2.2%), were significantly increased compared with the control group (P < 0.05). In the study group, the rate of a hypertensive disorder complicating pregnancy (6.4% vs. 5.0%), gestational diabetes mellitus (25.3% vs. 23.1%), dangerous placenta previa (3.0% vs. 2.3%), placental implantation (2.4% vs. 1.8%), and severe postpartum hemorrhage (2.8% vs. 1.9%) was significantly increased compared with the control group (P < 0.05). In the study group, the cesarean section rate during primipara was significantly reduced compared with the control group (42.0% vs. 44.2%). However, the rate during multipara was significantly increased compared with the control group (P < 0.05). Indications for cesarean section in the study group as well as the percentages of scared uterus and placenta previa were significantly increased compared with the control group (P < 0.05).Conclusions:According to the current situation, better methods are needed to strengthen pregnancy and delivery management, reduce the rate of cesarean section, and ensure a positive outcome for mothers and babies.

Performance Review: Two Decades of Selling Peking Opera White Snakes to Foreigners: From Tourist Peking Opera in Beijing (1996) to Zhang Huoding at Lincoln Center (2015)

After ten years of Model Peking Opera (yangban xi 樣板戲), Chinese audiences, especially residents of Beijing, were euphoric to see the return of “traditional” (chuantong 傳統) Jingju 京劇 plays to the st...

Cancer incidence in Beijing, 2014.

To analyze cancer incidence data in Beijing in 2014 and temporal trends for selected common cancers during 2005 and 2014. A total of 144 secondary and tertiary hospitals reported newly diagnosed cancer cases to Beijing Cancer Registry, which covers 13 million residents in Beijing. The cancer incidence rate was calculated in strata by cancer type, sex, age group and area. The population composition of China in 1982 and Segi's population structure were used to calculate age-standardized rates. Extensive procedures were used to assure the quality of the data. The overall data quality indicators of the percentage of morphology verification (MV) (%), the percentage of death certificate-only (DCO) (%) and the mortality to incidence ratio (M/I) were 72.15%, 0.94% and 0.54 respectively. A total of 45,300 new cancer cases were diagnosed in Beijing in 2014. The incidence rate was 341.92/100,000 (343.50/100,000 in males, 340.33/100,000 in females), and the age-standardized incidence rates by Chinese standard population (ASIRC) and by world standard population (ASIRW) were 143.48/100,000 and 182.99/100,000, respectively. The cumulative incidence rate for cancer before 75 years was 20.61%. Cancers of lung, colorectum, liver, stomach and prostate were the top five common cancer types for males, while cancers of breast, lung, thyroid, colorectum and uterus were the top five common cancer types for females. The different patterns were also observed between rural and urban areas. Regarding temporal trends, the incidence of thyroid cancer has the fastest growth between 2005 and 2014. The incidence of liver cancer decreased, and stomach and esophageal cancer also decreased significantly for males in the last decade. Incidence rate for lung cancer was relatively stable during that period of time. With more than 45,000 new cases in Beijing in 2014, cancer remains an important public health problem. Actions should be taken to diminish total cancer incidence in Beijing.

Beating long trips with a smartphone? A case study of Beijing residents

Smartphone has become a desired product and even a necessity for more and more workers. This manuscript first proposes a framework for the effects of smartphone use on travel based on existing studies and anecdotal evidence. It then hypothesizes that usage of smartphone can increase the tolerance (or in other words, increase perceived benefits or positive utility of travel time) of a long trip (one type of “productivity effect” as per the above framework). It undertakes a survey of local residents in Beijing (valid sample n=271) to validate the above hypothesis. Based on an ordered probit model, it examines whether and how the tolerance varies by factors such as socio-demographic characteristics, personal preference, and smartphone usage pattern. Its main findings are that: (a) smartphone usage significantly increases the tolerance of travel time; (b) the above tolerance varies across residents of different ages, preference, and employment statuses; (c) the tolerance is correlated to whether residents value the jobs-housing proximity; (d) younger, unemployed, or low-income smartphone users bear on average longer travel time than other users; (e) railway transit riders tend to see fewer productivity effects as compared to riders of other transit modes (e.g., regular bus). The findings indicate that the emergence of smartphone has some potential to ameliorate the situations of increased travel time, traffic congestion, and jobs-housing separation and to increase perceived benefits of travel time among some residents. This potential, nevertheless, is moderated by other factors such as preference, age, mode of travel, and employment status. Policy analysts and scholars need to probe further into the above tolerance and its influencing factors so as to take fuller advantage of the productivity effect of smart phones.

Human exposure to live poultry among residents during the second wave of avian influenza A (H7N9) epidemic in Beijing, 2013-2014

Objective: To investigate human exposure to live poultry (poultry feeding and purchasing) in the residents in Beijing and related factors during the second wave of avian influenza A(H7N9) epidemic during 2013-2014, and provide scientific evidence for avian influenza prevention and control. Methods: A total of 7 366 adults aged ≥18 years were selected through multi-stage stratified sampling in Beijing for a questionnaire survey. Logistic regression model was used to analyze the influence factors of human exposure to live poultry. Results: The live poultry feeding rate and live poultry purchasing rate in residents in Beijing in the past year were 5.3% (95%CI: 4.8%-5.8%) and 6.0% (95%CI: 5.5%-6.5%) respectively. Logistic regression analysis indicated that lower educational level of primary school and below, (OR=1.82, 95%CI: 1.22-2.72); being farmer (OR=2.49, 95%CI:1.89-3.29) or being unemployed (OR=1.65, 95%CI: 1.08-2.52); being non local resident (OR=1.54, 95%CI: 1.10-2.16); living in suburban area (OR=2.36, 95%CI: 1.77-3.16); having one child (OR=1.76, 95%CI: 1.42-2.17) or ≥2 children (OR=2.15, 95%CI: 1.43-3.22) in the family were the risk factors associated with feeding poultry compared with higher educational level of college and above, being employed, being local resident, living in urban area and having no child. And being farmer (OR=1.61, 95%CI: 1.27-2.02); being non local resident (OR=1.76, 95%CI: 1.31-2.35); living in suburban area (OR=2.05, 95%CI: 1.61-2.61); having one child (OR=1.24, 95%CI: 1.02-1.52) or ≥2 children (OR=1.78, 95%CI: 1.21-2.63) were the risk factors for purchasing live poultry. Conclusion: Some residents living in Beijing still have exposure to live poultry, and targeted measures should be taken to reduce the exposure to poultry.

Trends in the prevalence of antihypertensive drug treatment in the Beijing Longitudinal Study of Aging

ObjectiveThis study aimed to explore the epidemiological characteristics of antihypertensive drug use by community residents in Beijing, China. MethodsBased on well-established statistical sampling techniques such as cluster, stratification, and random selection, 2832, 1828, and 2277 elderly residents aged ≥60 years in Beijing in 2000, 2004, and 2007, respectively, were included. The trend in antihypertensive drug use by elderly patients with hypertension was analyzed. ResultsThe proportion of patients using angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEIs) or β-blockers increased, while the proportions of both male and female patients using Chinese single-pill combination decreased. The proportion of relatively young patients using ACEIs or β-blockers increased, as did the proportion of relatively old patients using calcium channel blockers (CCB), ACEIs, or β-blockers. The proportions of both relatively young and relatively old patients using Chinese single-pill combination decreased. The proportion of urban patients using ACEIs, or β-blockers and the proportion of rural patients using CCBs or diuretics increased, while the proportion of both urban and rural patients using Chinese single-pill combination decreased. ConclusionDuring the 7-year study period in Beijing, the proportion of patients using CCBs, ACEIs, diuretics, or β-blockers increased, while the proportion of patients using Chinese single-pill combination decreased. Our results provide important data for the limited evidence on the trend of prevalence of antihypertensive drug used in China.

Research on the Carbon Emissions of Beijing Residents Based on the Input-Output Model

Research on the Carbon Emissions of Beijing Residents Based on the Input-Output Model

Window opening behavior of occupants in residential buildings in Beijing

Window opening behavior has a vital influence on indoor air quality, thermal comfort, and energy consumption. In residential buildings, the window opening behavior of occupants may vary considerably owing to different indoor and outdoor environmental parameters and personal habits. In this study, we investigated the factors influencing the window opening behavior of occupants in 19 residences in Beijing by monitoring the open/closed status of windows, and eight environmental parameters, including temperature and relative humidity of indoor and outdoor air, indoor CO2 concentration, outdoor PM2.5 concentration, and outdoor wind speed and direction. The influence of the season and time of day was also analyzed, and typical window operation schedules were determined. Predictive models of the occupants' window opening behavior were established based on multivariate linear logistic regression. The results indicated that outdoor air temperature was the most influential factor, followed by indoor CO2 concentration, indoor air temperature, outdoor and indoor relative humidity, ambient PM2.5 concentrations, and outdoor wind direction and wind speed.

An Empirical Analysis of the Impact of Disposable Income of Urban Residents on Consumption Expenditure in Beijing

This paper analyzed the effect of per capita disposable income on the per capita consumption expenditure of urban residents in Beijing based on the urban residents' per capita disposable income and per capita consumption expenditure in Beijing from 1990 to 2015, by using the linear regression model based on Keynesian consumption function. And discovered that there are high dependency and put forward relevant suggestions to improve the per capita disposable income of urban residents in Beijing.

Residents’ preferences for roses, features of rose plantings and the relations between them in built-up areas of Beijing, China

Rose (Rosa spp.), in addition to its commercial importance as a cut flower, forms part of the urban fabric of many cities and contributes to many ecological functions. To increase purchases by consumers and choose appropriate types of roses for urban planning, there is growing interest in understanding differences in residents’ rose preferences, the distribution and features of roses, as well as the relations between them. The present study focuses on well-known ornamental roses, specifically on which cultivars should be chosen to promote their potential for the retail market and in urban planning. To determine the rose preferences of residents in Beijing, we analyzed responses to a questionnaire that required the residents to choose their preferred colors, types, and functions. To address the distribution and features of roses in Beijing, we surveyed 546 sites covering different types of urban green spaces in the built-up areas. The survey showed that roses served a significant ecological function in urban green space. They exhibited high resistance to the influence of environment stress, as well as different growth habits in the built-up areas of Beijing. In terms of residents’ main expectations for roses, the predominant expectation was color, and particularly ecological outcome. The predominant preference for rose color was red. Our results indicated that the rose color, type preferences among residents were consistent with the rose color, type predominantly planted in Beijing. The best way to integrate such civic-led interventions into urban planning and retail markets remains to be determined.

Awareness of health co-benefits of carbon emissions reduction in urban residents in Beijing: a cross-sectional survey

Objective: To understand the awareness of the health co-benefits of carbon emission reduction in urban residents in Beijing and the influencing factors, and provide information for policy decision on carbon emission reduction and health education campaigns. Methods: Four communities were selected randomly from Fangshan, Haidian, Huairou and Dongcheng districts of Beijing, respectively. The sample size was estimated by using Kish-Leslie formula for descriptive analysis. 90 participants were recruited from each community. χ(2) test was conducted to examine the associations between socio-demographic variables and individuals' awareness of the health co-benefits of carbon emission reduction. Ordinal logistic regression analysis was performed to investigate the factors influencing the awareness about the health co-benefits. Results: In 369 participants surveyed, 12.7% reported they knew the health co-benefits of carbon emission reduction. The final logistic regression analysis revealed that age (OR=0.98), attitude to climate warming (OR=0.72) and air pollution (OR=1.59), family monthly average income (OR=1.27), and low carbon lifestyle (OR=2.36) were important factors influencing their awareness of the health co-benefits of carbon emission reduction. Conclusion: The awareness of the health co-benefits of carbon emissions reduction were influenced by people' socio-demographic characteristics (age and family income), concerns about air pollution and climate warming, and low carbon lifestyle. It is necessary to take these factors into consideration in future development and implementation of carbon emission reduction policies and related health education campaigns.

Distribution, seasonal variation and inhalation risks of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans, polychlorinated biphenyls and polybrominated diphenyl ethers in the atmosphere of Beijing, China.

Spatial distribution, seasonal variation and potential inhalation risks of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) were investigated in the atmosphere of Beijing, using passive air samplers equipped with polyurethane foam disks. Concentrations of ΣPCDD/Fs, ΣPCBs and ΣPBDEs ranged from 8.4 to 179fg WHO2005-TEQ/m3, 38.6-139 and 1.5-176pg/m3, respectively. PCDFs showed higher air concentrations than those of PCDDs, indicating the influence of industrial activities and other combustion processes. The non-Aroclor congener, PCB-11, was detected in air (12.3-99.4pg/m3) and dominated the PCB congener profiles (61.7-71.5% to ∑PCBs). The congener patterns of PBDEs showed signatures from both penta-BDE and octa-BDE products. Levels of PCDD/Fs, PCBs and PBDEs at the industrial and residential sites were higher than those at rural site, indicating human activities in urban area as potential sources. Higher air concentrations of PCDD/Fs, PCBs and PBDEs were observed in summer, which could be associated with atmospheric deposition process, re-volatilization from soil surface and volatilization from use of technical products, respectively. Results of inhalation exposure and cancer risk showed that atmospheric PCDD/Fs, dioxin-like PCBs and PBDEs did not cause high risks to the local residents of Beijing. This study provides further aid in evaluating emission sources, influencing factors and potential inhalation risks of the persistent organic pollutants to human health in mega-cities of China.

Application of Traditional Chinese Medicine in medical practice: a survey of community residents in Beijing, China

ObjectiveTo investigate how community residents in Beijing understood and used Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) in their medical practice. MethodsThis was a cross-sectional study conducted on 3410 community residents from four large communities of Tongzhou district in Beijng, China. A validated, self-administered questionnaire comprised of three sections was used to gather the data. A systematic sampling procedure was applied to recruit the community residents. ResultsA total of 3410 participants completed the questionnaire survey. It showed that in highly educated residents, 33.4% (170) knew of the names of 3–10 Chinese herbals, 35.8% (182) knew of names of 3–10 traditional Chinese patent drug. Among all the respondent residents, 80.7% (2753) believed that TCM herbal therapy and TCM non-drug treatments were effective in disease treatment, health enhancement, 85.7% (2923) had taken traditional Chinese patent drug in their life, 56.8% (1937) of residents had used herbal decoction, 40.0% (1365) had received non-drug treatment of TCM, such as acupuncture, massage, cupping, auricular acupuncture. Among the elderly residents, 11.4% (98) often used Chinese patent drug and 9.8% (85) often used herbal decoction. In addition, 70.8% (2415) of residents were willing to accept knowledge and information on TCM for health enhancement and disease prevention, such as medicated diet, medicinal tea, Tai Chi and Qi Gong, although 82.8% (2825) of residents had never used them. ConclusionChinese patent drug and herbal decoction are widely used in the communities in Beijing, and there existed a possible close correlation between high educational level and better understanding of TCM. Age and occupation also correlated with the attitude to TCM therapies. The characteristics of the residents should be considered seriously in the course of promoting the understanding and application of TCM.

The Forest and the Trees: How Population-Level Health Protections Sometimes Fail the Individual

The Forest and the Trees: How Population-Level Health Protections Sometimes Fail the Individual

Reduction in population exposure to PM2.5 and cancer risk due to PM2.5-bound PAHs exposure in Beijing, China during the APEC meeting

Radical measures for controlling ambient air pollution sources were employed by the Chinese government during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meeting in 2014, providing a unique case to evaluate the health effect benefits from such measures. To examine the cancer risk reduction from the source control measures during the APEC meeting, we estimated the reduction in population exposure to PM2.5 and PAHs and the reduction in PAHs-associated cancer risk if the control measures were sustained over time. We determined the population exposure to PM2.5 and PM2.5-bound PAHs for the 21.52 million Beijing residents using a Land Use Regression model to determine the spatial distribution of PM2.5 and a Monte Carlo approach to revise indoor/outdoor infiltration factor and time activity patterns. Into the model and approach, we incorporated the spatial variance and indoor/outdoor differences in the PM2.5 and PM2.5-bound PAHs concentrations, based on measurements. We then estimated lung cancer risk using the population attributable fraction (PAF), assuming the control measures were sustained over time. The mean PM2.5 exposure concentration decreased from 37.5 μg/m3 (CI:17.1–74.9 μg/m3) to 24.0 μg/m3 (CI:10.2–47.7 μg/m3), whereas the mean PM2.5-bound equivalent benzo[a]pyrene (BaPeq) exposure concentration decreased from 7.1 ng/m3 (CI:3.3–14.2 ng/m3) to 4.2 ng/m3 (CI:1.8–7.7 ng/m3), resulting in a reduction in the lung cancer PAF from 0.75% to 0.45%, if the measures were sustained over time.

Hospitalization for Congenital Heart Disease in Beijing: Patient Characteristics and Temporal Trends

Background: The hospitalization burden of congenital heart disease (CHD) at the national or regional level in China remains unknown. We aimed to evaluate the recent patient characteristics and temporal trends of hospitalizations for CHD in Beijing. Methods: Patients hospitalized for CHD in Beijing from 2007 to 2011 were identified from the Hospital Discharge Information System. Patient characteristics were recorded, and trends in hospitalization rates were analyzed by Poisson regression after adjustment for age and sex. Results: A total of 53,064 patients were admitted for CHD in Beijing during the study period, among whom 50.5% were children younger than 5 years, 30.0% were adults, 18.5% had severe CHD, 86.9% were nonpermanent Beijing residents, and 81.3% were admitted to cardiac-specific tertiary hospitals. The hospitalization rate increased from 10.2 per 100,000 population in 2007 to 12.4 per 100,000 population in 2011, representing a significant increase after adjustment for age and sex (P = 0.009). However, the trends varied in different groups. The rates halved in 2011 for both nonsevere CHD and severe CHD compared with the rates in 2010, whereas increasing trends were noticed in children aged 1–4 years and adults for nonsevere CHD across the study period. Conclusions: The overall rate of CHD hospitalization has been increasing in Beijing, whereas not all patient groups have the same trend. The hospitalization rate decreased among infants, while the rate for nonsevere CHD increased significantly among adults. These findings will be of importance for future allocation of health resources.