Oral health of a group of type 2 diabetic patients in Hong Kong

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Physical activity and constipation in Hong Kong adolescents

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Overestimation of peer smoking prevalence predicts smoking initiation among primary school students in Hong Kong

Purpose: To investigate the relationship between perceived prevalence of smoking and smoking initiation among Hong Kong primary second- to fourth-grade-students. Methods: A cohort of 2,171 students was surveyed in 2006 and again in 2008. Students who perceived ever-smoking prevalence in peers as "none" or "some" were considered as correct (reference group), whereas those who perceived it as "half" (overestimation) or "most/all" (gross overestimation) were considered as incorrect. Results: At baseline, overestimation was found to be cross-sectionally associated with ever-smoking (p < .01). At follow-up, 7.2% of never-smoking students with incorrect estimation at baseline had started smoking, which was 79% (95% confidence interval: 3%-213%), greater than that of 3.7% for those with correct estimation. Among the never-smoking students with incorrect estimation, subsequent correct estimation was associated with 70% (95% confidence interval: 47%-83%) lower risk of smoking initiation compared with persistent incorrect estimation. Conclusion: Overestimation of the prevalence of peer smoking predicted smoking initiation among children. Interventions should be carried out to evaluate whether correcting children's overestimation of peer smoking could reduce smoking initiation. © 2011 Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine.postprin

Alcohol consumption and sleep problems in Hong Kong adolescents

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Assessment of weight-related factors of adolescents by private practitioners

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The use of Stunkard’s figure rating scale to identify underweight and overweight in Chinese adolescents

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Secondhand Smoke Exposure and Health Services Use among Adolescent Current Smokers

Background:To investigate the associations of secondhand smoke (SHS) exposure with medical consultation and hospitalisation among adolescents in Hong Kong.Methods:A total of 35827 secondary 1 (US grade 7) to secondary 5 students from 85 randomly selected schools completed an anonymous questionnaire on smoking, SHS at home, SHS outside home, medical consultation in the past 14 days, hospitalisation in the past 12 months, and socio-demographic characteristics. Current smoking was defined as any smoking in the past 30 days. SHS exposure was classified as none (reference), 1-4 and 5-7 days/week. Logistic regression yielded adjusted odds ratios (AORs) for medical consultation and hospitalisation in relation to SHS exposure at home and outside home in current smokers. Analyses were also done among never-smokers for comparison.Results:Among all students, 15.9% had medical consultation and 5.2% had been hospitalised. Any SHS exposure at home was associated with AORs (95% CI) for medical consultation and hospitalisation of 1.69 (1.14-2.51) and 2.85 (1.47-5.52) in current smokers, and 1.03 (0.91-1.15) and 1.25 (1.02-1.54) in never-smokers, respectively, (P<0.01 for interaction between smoking status and SHS exposure at home). SHS exposure outside home was generally not associated with medical consultation and hospitalisation in smokers and never-smokers.Conclusions:SHS exposure at home was associated with health services use among adolescent current smokers. Adolescent smokers should be aware of the harm of SHS in addition to that from their own smoking. The evidence helps health care professionals to advise adolescent smokers to avoid SHS exposure and stop smoking. © 2013 Wang et al.published_or_final_versio

Independent association between parental smoking and non-authoritative parenting style as reported by Chinese adolescents in Hong Kong

Poster Discussion 35. Engaging New Partners: no. PD-1005-20Conference Theme: Tobacco and Non-Communicable DiseasesBACKGROUND: Both parental smoking and non-authoritative parenting style predict adolescent smoking, but the association between the two risk factors was seldom studied. We investigated this association in Chinese parents of adolescents in Hong Kong, where smoking is socially undesirable, especially in females. DESIGN/METHODS: In the Hong Kong Student Obesity Surveillance project 2006/07, 33692 adolescents aged 11-18 (44.9% boys, mean age 14.8, SD 1.9 years) from 42 randomly selected schools reported smoking status (yes vs no) and the level (frequent/sometimes as high; seldom/none as low) of care and control of each parent. Parenting style (dependent variable) was defined as authoritative …published_or_final_versio

The clinical course of polymyalgia rheumatica in Chinese

Polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR) is diagnosed based on clinical features that may overlap with other rheumatic conditions like rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Furthermore, a proportion of PMR patients may subsequently evolve into RA. The aim of this study was to examine the clinical characteristics of PMR patients in a Chinese cohort compared to a Caucasian series. Patients diagnosed to have PMR during 1997-2008 were reviewed for clinical features and compared to a reported Caucasian series. Rheumatoid factor (RF) and anticyclic citrullinated peptide (CCP) antibodies were determined by immunonephelometry and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, respectively. Forty-four patients of southern Chinese origin were diagnosed to have PMR according to specialist opinion. Seventy-five percent of patients (n = 33) were >65 years of age at diagnosis (mean ± standard deviation, 75.8 ± 9.6 years). The commonest feature at disease onset was elevated erythrocyte sedimentation rate >40 mm/h (100% vs. 95.7%; p = 0.17) and bilateral shoulder pain or stiffness (95.5% vs. 90.8%; p = 0.31), comparable in frequency to the Caucasian cohort. However, Chinese patients had significantly longer duration of symptoms before diagnosis (p < 0.001) but less bilateral upper arm tenderness (p < 0.001) and generalized stiffness (p = 0.01). Twelve (27.3%) patients evolved into RA after a median duration of 2 months from onset of PMR. RF and anti-CCP antibodies were positive in 66.7% and 60% of these patients compared to 9.4% and 6.2%, respectively, among those who did not evolve into RA during the period observed. Chinese patients with PMR have modestly different clinical profile compared to the Caucasian counterpart. RF and anti-CCP antibodies were more likely to be present in those who subsequently developed into RA. © 2009 Clinical Rheumatology.postprin

Exposure to secondhand smoke from neighbours and respiratory symptoms in never-smoking adolescents in Hong Kong: a cross-sectional study

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