Socioeconomic distribution of health and health care utilization in a new town in Hong Kong, China / 生物医学与环境科学（英文）

<p><b>OBJECTIVES</b>To assess the association of socioeconomic indicators with various chronic and acute illnesses and the utilization of public health care in a new town in Hong Kong, China.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Illness experience and socioeconomic and demographic data of 7570 residents from 2022 randomly selected households were collected through telephone interviews. The relationships between socioeconomic indicators and illnesses/choice of health care were explored using stepwise logistic regressions after adjusting for sex and age.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Significant positive associations were noted between low household income and diabetes mellitus, any chronic illnesses among adults and flu among younger subjects; low educational level and accident-related illness among adults; being born in Chinese mainland and flu, any acute illness in adults. For the utilization of public health care, low household income was the most consistent risk factor.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>This study did not demonstrate a unidirectional socioeconomic gradient in health but supported the hypothesis that socioeconomic deprivation was associated with the utilization of public health care.</p>

A cross-sectional study of health-related behaviors in rural eastern China / 生物医学与环境科学（英文）

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>This study examined the status of health-related behaviors among rural residents and the factors influencing the practice of such behaviors.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>One thousand and ninety subjects aged 15 years or over in a rural community, Anhui Province, China were surveyed. A questionnaire was used to collect information on the health knowledge, attitude and behavior of the subjects. Information on health behavior included smoking, drinking, dietary habits, regular exercises, sleeping pattern and oral health behavior.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The prevalence of smoking and drinking in the male subjects was 46.5% and 46.9%, respectively. There was a positive significant association between smoking and drinking. Only 8.3% of all subjects ate three regular meals a day regularly. Among subjects who ate two meals a day, 89.7% did not have breakfast. Only 1.7% of subjects took part in regular exercise. About 85% of subjects slept 6 to 8 h per day. Only 38.4% of the respondents had the habit of hand washing before eating and after using the lavatory. 79.3% of the subjects brushed their teeth every day, and among them, only 10.6 percent brushed their teeth twice a day. Further analyses showed that 64.8% of subjects had 3-5 items of positive health behaviors out of 8 items and only 16.9% had six or more items. Logistical regression analyses suggested that better health behavior was affected by sex, age, years of education, income and health knowledge.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The status of health behaviors among rural residents was generally poor. It is thus urgent to reinforce health education in rural communities in China.</p>