Prevalence of anemia among primary school students from Kazakh ethnic groups in agricultural and pastoral areas of Altay Prefecture, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region / 预防医学

Objective@#To investigate the prevalence of anemia and its influencing factors among primary school students from Kazakh ethnic groups in agricultural and pastoral areas of Altay Prefecture, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, so as to provide insights into improvements of nutrition and prevention of anemia among students.@*Methods@#Grade 1 to 3 Kazakh ethnic students were sampled using a cluster sampling method from 7 primary schools in agricultural and pastoral areas of Altay Prefecture, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region from April to June, 2022. Demographics and dietary behaviors were collected using questionnaire surveys, and the height and body weight were measured, while peripheral blood hemoglobin was detected. Factors affecting anemia were identified using a multivariable logistic regression model.@*Results@#A total of 2 378 questionnaires were allocated, and 2 214 valid questionnaires were recovered, with an effective rate of 93.10%. The respondents included 1 123 men (50.72%) and 1 091 women (49.28%), and had a mean age of (8.12±1.41) years. The prevalence of anemia was 22.49%, and the detection rates of mild and moderate anemia were 15.31% and 7.18%, with no severe anemia detected. Multivariable logistic regression analysis identified frequency of eating eggs (0, OR=2.532, 95%CI: 2.114-3.015; 1 to 3 times/week, OR=1.926, 95%CI: 1.648-2.216), frequency of eating meat (1 to 3 times/week, OR=1.468, 95%CI: 1.256-1.689; 4 to 7 times/week, OR=2.212, 95%CI: 1.823-2.641), frequency of healthy check-up (0, OR=2.872, 95%CI: 2.523-3.231; 1 time/year, OR=1.826, 95%CI: 1.546-2.108), monthly mean household income (1 500 Yuan and lower per month, OR=1.324, 95%CI: 1.071-1.582; 1 501 to 3 000 Yuan per month, OR=1.124, 95%CI: 1.029-1.221) and caregiver (grandparents, OR=1.175, 95%CI: 1.038-1.324; others, OR=1.241, 95%CI: 1.032-1.466) as factors affecting anemia.@*Conclusions@#The prevalence of anemia is 22.49% among primary school students from Kazakh ethnic groups in agricultural and pastoral areas of Altay Prefecture, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, with mild anemia as the predominant type. Dietary behaviors, frequency of healthy check-up, economic status and caregiver may affect the development of anemia.

Correlation between waist circumference and psychological sub health of middle school students in Xinjiang / 中国学校卫生

Objective@#To understand the association between waist circumference with psychological sub health among middle school students in Xinjiang, and to provide evidence for the management of waist circumference and effective prevention of mental health problems.@*Methods@#By using the stratified cluster sampling, 6 191 middle school students aged 13-15 in Urumqi, Karamay, Yining, and Kashgar of Xinjiang were surveyed on demographic information, lifestyle, waist circumference, and psychological sub health symptoms. Chi square test, one way ANOVA, and Logistic regression analysis were used to analyze the association between waist circumference and mental sub health.@*Results@#The detection rate of psychological subhealth among secondary school students in Xinjiang was 21.4%. The detection rates of emotional problems, behavioral problems, and social adjustment difficulties were 28.4 %, 28.1%, and 17.7%, respectively. Significant differences in the detection rate of emotional problems, social adjustment difficulties, and psychological sub health scores were observed among students with different waist circumference levels ( F= 4.03 , 10.90 , 5.81, P <0.05). Logistic regression analysis showed that secondary school students with high waist circumference had a higher risk of social adjustment difficulties ( OR=1.45, 95%CI =1.20-1.75) and psychological sub health problems ( OR=1.46, 95%CI =1.22-1.74) compared to those with normal waist circumference ( P <0.01).@*Conclusion@#Psychological sub health problems of middle school students in Xinjiang are prominent, and the waist circumference is positively related to the psychological sub health problems. Schools should pay attention to the mental health education of middle school students, ensure reasonable diet, sleep and living habits, and promote their physical and mental health development.

Co-transfection of hepatocyte growth factor and truncated TGF-ß type II receptor inhibit scar formation

Wound scarring remains a major challenge for plastic surgeons. Transforming growth factor (TGF)-β plays a key role in the process of scar formation. Previous studies have demonstrated that truncated TGF-β type II receptor (t-TGF-βRII) is unable to continue signal transduction but is still capable of binding to TGF-β, thereby blocking the TGF-β signaling pathway. Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) is a multifunctional growth factor that promotes tissue regeneration and wound healing. Theoretically, the combination of HGF and t-TGF-βRII would be expected to exert a synergistic effect on promoting wound healing and reducing collagen formation. In the present study, lentivirus-mediated transfection of the two genes (t-TGF-βRII/HGF) into fibroblasts in vitro and in a rat model in vivo was used. The results demonstrated that the expression of t-TGF-βRII and HGF in NIH-3T3 cells was successfully induced. The expression of both molecules significantly reduced collagen I and III expression, and also inhibited fibroblast proliferation. Furthermore, histological examination and scar quantification revealed less scarring in the experimental wound in a rat model. Moreover, on macroscopic inspection, the experimental wound exhibited less visible scarring compared with the control. Therefore, the present study demonstrated that the combination gene therapy of t-TGF-βRII and HGF promoted wound healing, with less scarring and more epithelial tissue formation, not only by suppressing the overgrowth of collagen due to its antifibrotic effect, but also by promoting tissue regeneration.