Disordered eating and its psychosocial correlates among chinese adolescent females in Hong Kong

Objectives: To study the prevalence of disordered eating and its relationship with body dissatisfaction, family dysfunction, and depression among Chinese adolescent females in Hong Kong. Method: Two hundred ninety-four schoolgirls completed a demographic and weight history sheet, Eating Attitudes Test-26, Body Dissatisfaction Scale, cohesion and conflict subscales of the Family Environment Scale, and the Beck Depression Inventory. Results: 6.5% of subjects were EAT-26 high scorers. Disordered eating was positively predicted by body dissatisfaction and, to a lesser extent, family cohesion and conflict. Body dissatisfaction was in turn positively predicted by depression, which was negatively predicted by family cohesion. Discussion: Western patterns of body dissatisfaction and disordered eating attitudes are common among Chinese adolescent females. In the presence of psychosocial vulnerability factors, more weight control behavior and eating disorders may be expected to arise in Hong Kong. © 1996 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Physical development and lifestyle of Hong Kong secondary school students

BACKGROUND: Objectives of the present investigation were to study the growth and development of adolescents in Hong Kong, to analyze the interrelationship between their development and lifestyle, and to provide some helpful suggestions for lifestyle modification. METHODS: A total of 404 secondary students ages 12-18 years served as subjects. Morphological measures, blood pressure, blood lipids, aerobic fitness, and body composition were tested. A self-report questionnaire was administered to assess physical activity and dietary habits. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: Systolic blood pressure and diastolic blood pressure increased with age, and a gender difference was noted. Body height and body weight increased with age. Total cholesterol showed a lowering trend with age, and high-density lipoprotein had a slight rise. The percentage body fat for boys decreased with age but increased for girls. The higher percentage of overweight and obesity was closely associated with physical inactivity and inappropriate food selection such as eating snacks or food rich in fat or cholesterol. Tailor-made physical activity and nutritional education programs should be designed for adolescents, especially girls during puberty.     

Byssinosis in Hong Kong.

After a report in 1980 of the first three diagnosed locally cases and a preliminary epidemiological investigation that found little evidence of the disease, a survey was aimed at determining the prevalence of byssinosis in Hong Kong. Some 1776 workers in six cotton mills were studied using the standard MRC questionnaire and portable spirometers. Only 48 (2.7%) of the mill workers had symptoms acceptable for a diagnosis of byssinosis. The pattern of relation to dust exposure levels was similar to findings in other countries: blowing and carding process operatives had twice the prevalence rate of the spinners. Another 178 workers (10%) had symptoms of chest tightness or breathlessness or both that were not related to the first exposure after a break and therefore did not fit the standard diagnosis. Some 257 workers (14.5%) had chronic obstructive airflow disease but only 12 (4.7%) had chronic bronchitis. Job mobility had self selection of sensitive cases out of cotton dust exposure seem the most likely explanations for the low prevalence. The significance of non-specific lung ailments needs further assessment to elucidate the possible connection with cotton dust exposure.     

Early Childhood Education in Hong Kong and its Challenges

There is an increasing demand from the public and the field to improve the quality of early childhood education in Hong Kong. The Hong Kong Education Commission has recently released an "education blueprint for the 21st century", which presents a set of reform proposals for the education system in Hong Kong. In the document, early childhood education has been acknowledged as the foundation for life-long learning. A key reform proposal is to build a new culture for quality early childhood education through upgrading professional competence and enhancing quality assurance mechanisms. The present paper provides a general background of existing practices in the preschool years, highlights issues that require attention in order to improve quality, and outlines the reforms introduced by the Education Commission. The implications of these reforms and the associated challenges are then discussed in the areas of quality assurance, curriculum, professional development, parental involvement and financial assistance for the early childhood education sector.     

Patient satisfaction with telediabetes education in Hong Kong.

Forty-one patients suffering from type 2 diabetes mellitus were selected to receive diabetes education at a local health centre via low-cost videoconferencing equipment. The educational material was transmitted from the diabetic centre of a district hospital. Four educational sessions were carried out over 4.5 months. Satisfaction was measured using a self-administered questionnaire on the completion of the programme. Of the 41 subjects who participated in the study, 36 (88%) completed the questionnaire. Patients reported a high level of satisfaction with most aspects of the education process. The mean total score on the questionnaire was 61.9 (SD 9.4); the highest possible total score was 75. There was a significant positive correlation between age and satisfaction level (r=0.39). The results showed that diabetes education conducted via telemedicine was highly acceptable to diabetic patients.     

Resurgence of cholera in Hong Kong.

Cholera is one of the three diseases subject to the International Health Regulations. After a period of over 30 years, the seventh pandemic of cholera, which started in South East Asia in 1961, still shows no sign of a decline. On the contrary, it has increased its severity and invaded many other countries in Africa and Latin America. In the last two years, there has been a recrudescence of the disease in South East Asia and Western Pacific Regions. The discovery of a new strain of Vibrio cholerae 0139 in these regions is causing concern in view of its potential to cause major epidemics and higher mortality. Hong Kong had two intensive outbreaks of cholera in the last two years. The cause of these outbreaks was not clear, but adverse environmental conditions and increasing pollution of coastal waters have been implicated. The spread of cholera knows no geographical boundaries. There is a need for intensified efforts among health authorities in the affected areas to prevent the international spread of the disease.     

Violence and its relationship to substance use in adolescent pregnancy.

We surveyed 342 pregnant adolescents 17 years old and younger for a history of physical or sexual assault and substance use to investigate whether victims of childhood violence are at increased risk of smoking and using alcohol or drugs. A total of 95% of new patients who attended the university's teen pregnancy clinic between May 8, 1989, and December 8, 1990, were interviewed. Substance use was reported seven times more often in those with a history of combined physical and sexual assault, five times more frequently by those who had been sexually assaulted, and three times more often in those who had been physically assaulted than adolescents without a history of assault. Violence was associated with substance use in all ethnic groups although this relationship was modified by ethnicity. Among Hispanics, an association was observed between physical assault and tobacco use. Sexual and combined physical and sexual assault were strongly associated with use of alcohol among blacks. All categories of violence were associated with drug use among all ethnic groups. When use of each substance was analyzed by the adolescent's relationship to the perpetrator, drug use was most strongly associated with assault by a mate, whereas tobacco or alcohol use was more often associated with assault by a member of the victim's family of origin.     

HPV vaccination in Hong Kong: Uptake and reasons for non-vaccination amongst Chinese adolescent girls

Objectives

The study aims to determine HPV vaccine uptake (≥1 dose) amongst adolescent girls in Hong Kong and to explore the reasons for non-acceptance of the vaccine.

Study design

A total of 1832 secondary school girls (15.5 ± 2.0 years) were randomly surveyed. Their HPV vaccine uptake was estimated, and their reasons for non-vaccination summarised.

Results

A total of 131 (7.2%, 95% CI: 6.0–8.4%) adolescent girls had received the HPV vaccine (≥1 dose). Vaccine uptake was positively associated with a higher maternal education level and locally born status. Amongst the non-vaccinated girls, 20.6% had never heard of or knew little about the vaccine, 20.2% ‘did not know where to receive’, and 17.8% were concerned about the cost.

Conclusions

The HPV vaccine uptake amongst adolescent girls in Hong Kong is very low. A school-based education and service programme is needed to improve uptake and prevent disparities in the Chinese population.     

Byssinosis in Hong Kong

After a report in 1980 of the first three diagnosed locally cases and a preliminary epidemiological investigation that found little evidence of the disease, a survey was aimed at determining the prevalence of byssinosis in Hong Kong. Some 1776 workers in six cotton mills were studied using the standard MRC questionnaire and portable spirometers. Only 48 (2.7%) of the mill workers had symptoms acceptable for a diagnosis of byssinosis. The pattern of relation to dust exposure levels was similar to findings in other countries: blowing and carding process operatives had twice the prevalence rate of the spinners. Another 178 workers (10%) had symptoms of chest tightness or breathlessness or both that were not related to the first exposure after a break and therefore did not fit the standard diagnosis. Some 257 workers (14.5%) had chronic obstructive airflow disease but only 12 (4.7%) had chronic bronchitis. Job mobility had self selection of sensitive cases out of cotton dust exposure seem the most likely explanations for the low prevalence. The significance of non-specific lung ailments needs further assessment to elucidate the possible connection with cotton dust exposure.     

First report of byssinosis in Hong Kong.

There has been no report of byssinosis in Hong Kong although the textile industry has been one of the leading industries for many years. Three workers with a long history of exposure to cotton dust had chronic obstructive airways disease precipitated by their work environment. One had irreversible airways obstruction but none had chronic bronchitis, emphysema, or asthma. Only one gave a history of "Monday morning tightness," and this was attributed to the fact that most of the textile workers in Hong Kong work seven days a week. It was suggested that a survey be carried out to ascertain the importance of byssinosis in the textile workers of Hong Kong and tha byssinosis should there be added to the list of notifiable occupational diseases.     

Passive smoking and its impact on employers and employees in Hong Kong

Aims: To estimate the prevalence of passive smoking at work in the whole workforce in Hong Kong (population 6.8 million), the characteristics of the passive smokers, any extra use of health care among passive smokers, and who pays for that health care.

Methods: A random sample of 14 325 households was contacted by telephone; 6186 responding adults who worked full time were asked about their employment, their most recent use of health care and the cost of that care, their medical benefits, and their exposure to secondhand smoke in the workplace. After weighting the sample for sex, age, household size, and income, 4739 subjects were included in the analysis.

Results: Of 1961 full time workers who did not smoke, 47.5% were exposed to secondhand smoke in the workplace compared with only 26% exposed at home. Exposure at work was associated with being younger, male, married, less educated, and having a lower income. Those exposed at work were 37% more likely to report having visited a doctor for a respiratory illness in the previous 14 days. Employers were paying 28% of the cost of these visits, the government paid 8%, and the individuals paid 63%. If extrapolated to the 3 million workers in the Hong Kong population, employers would pay just over US$9 million per year, while the affected workers would pay around US$20 million.

Conclusion: As well as the costs of active smoking, the cost of extra health care utilisation associated with passive smoking is an additional cost being paid by those employers who have not established smoke free workplaces and by their employees.

     

Global budgeting of hospitals in Hong Kong.

Policy-makers in industrialized countries face the dilemma of having to contain soaring hospital costs while resisting any reduction in the quality and quantity of hospital services. Among the many hospital financing systems, centralized control via global budgeting is advocated by some to be the most effective in containing hospital costs. Containing hospital costs, however, is but one aspect of the trade-off between cost containment and quality of care. The hospital financing system of Hong Kong provides some insights into the extent to which cost control can be achieved through global budgeting; and its impact on the accessibility of hospital care. The case of Hong Kong highlights three necessary conditions for effective cost control: (1) the payer must have a clear policy stance on overall public spending; (2) the payer must have a clear policy stance on the importance of hospital care relative to other goods and services; and (3) the payer must also have the will and ability to limit hospital spending within finalized global budgets. However, successful cost containment in Hong Kong affects the accessibility of hospital care. In a time of population growth and economic prosperity, new community needs seem to have preceded government plans and actions to build hospital facilities.     

Terrestrial gamma radiation dose in Hong Kong.

The first reactor of the Daya Bay nuclear power plant, 30 km from Hong Kong, is expected to begin operation in 1992. As a result, residents in Hong Kong are concerned with potential exposure to man-made and natural radiation. Therefore, the Radioisotope Unit of the University of Hong Kong performed studies to estimate Hong Kong's natural background radiation and the potential exposure to local residents, the results of which are presented here.