Socio-demographic predictors of health and environmental co-benefit behaviours for climate change mitigation in urban China.

OBJECTIVE: This study aims to examine the patterns and socio-demographic predictors of health and environmental co-benefit behaviours that support climate change mitigation in a densely populated Asian metropolis-Hong Kong. METHODS: A population-based, stratified and cross-sectional random digit dialling telephone survey study was conducted between January and February 2016, among the Cantonese-speaking population aged 15 and above in Hong Kong. Socio-demographic data and the self-reported practice of 10 different co-benefit behaviours were solicited. Ethics approval and participant's verbal consent were sought. FINDINGS: The study sample consisted of 1,017 respondents (response rate: 63.6%) were comparable to the age, gender and geographical distributions of the Hong Kong population found in the latest 2011 Hong Kong Population Census. Among the co-benefit behaviours, using less packaging and disposable shopping bags were practiced in the highest frequency (70.1%). However, four behaviours were found to have never been practiced by more than half of the respondents, including bringing personal eating utensils when dining in restaurants or small eateries, showering less than five minutes, having one vegetarian meal a week, and buying more organic food. Results of multivariable logistic regression showed that frequency of practicing co-benefit behaviours were consistently associated with gender and age. CONCLUSION: Urban residents in Hong Kong do not engage in the practice of co-benefit behaviours in a uniform way. In general, females and older people are more likely to adopt co-benefit behaviours in their daily lives. Further research to assess the knowledge and attitudes of the population towards these co-benefit behaviours will provide support to relevant climate change mitigation policies and education programmes.

Genetic effects of multiple asthma loci identified by genomewide association studies on asthma and spirometric indices.

BACKGROUND: Genomewide association study (GWAS) published by GABRIEL consortium identified 10 asthma-associated loci. However, their relationship with lung functions is unclear. This study investigated the association between asthma traits and single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of these GWAS loci. METHODS: Rs3894194 and rs9273349 were not genotyped due to unavailable TaqMan assays. Genetic associations of remaining eight SNPs were investigated in 903 school-age asthmatics and 1205 non-allergic controls. Four significant SNPs were then replicated in 479 adult asthmatics and 746 adult controls, and 1341 Chinese preschool children. Meta-analyses were performed by combining data from school-age children and adults. Generalized multifactor dimensionality reduction (GMDR) was used to analyze their interactions for asthma traits. RESULTS: Childhood asthma was associated with GSDMB_rs2305480 (odds ratio [OR] 0.69, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.57-0.83). IL13_rs1295686 was associated with all asthma (OR 1.64, 95% CI 1.16-2.32) and early-onset asthma (OR 1.92, 95% CI 1.20-3.06) in adults, whereas GSDMB_rs2305480 was only associated with early-onset asthma (OR 0.69, 95% CI 0.49-0.96). According to meta-analyses, the minor allele of rs2305480 was inversely associated with FEV1 , FVC, and FEV1 /FVC (p < 0.01). GMDR analyses revealed 2-locus models of SLC22A5 with SMAD3 to modulate FEVt /FVC in both preschool children and adults, with IL13 to determine FVC in both school-age children and adults, and with IL2RB to modulate FEV1 /FVC in school-age children. CONCLUSIONS: IL13 and GSDMB are replicated as asthma genes. Rs2305480 of GSDMB is also associated with low FEV1 , FVC, and FEV1 /FVC among asthmatics. Moreover, SLC22A5, IL13, SMAD3, and GSDMB interact to modulate spirometric indices.

Socio-demographic Predictors for Urban Community Disaster Health Risk Perception and Household Based Preparedness in a Chinese Urban City.

OBJECTIVES: There is limited evidence on urban Asian communities' disaster risk perceptions and household level preparedness. Hong Kong is characterized by high population density, and is susceptible to large-scale natural disasters and health crises such as typhoons, fires and infectious disease outbreaks. This research paper investigates the rates and predictors of urban community disaster risk perception, awareness and preparedness, at individual and household levels. METHODS: A randomized cross-sectional, population-based telephone survey study was conducted among the Cantonese-speaking population aged over 15 years in Hong Kong. Descriptive statistics were reported. A stepwise multivariate logistic regression analysis was conducted to determine the independent associations between risk perceptions, socioeconomic factors, household characteristics, and personal background. FINDINGS: Final study sample comprised of 1002 respondents with a 63% response rate. The majority of respondents (82.3%) did not perceive Hong Kong as a disaster-susceptible city. Half (54.6%) reported beliefs that the local population had lower disaster awareness than other global cities. Infectious disease outbreak (72.4%), typhoon (12.6%), and fire (7.1%) were ranked as the most-likely-to-occur population-based disasters. Although over 77% believed that basic first aid training was necessary for improving individual disaster preparedness, only a quarter (26.1%) of respondents reported participation in training. CONCLUSION: Despite Hong Kong's high level of risk, general public perceptions of disaster in Hong Kong were low, and little preparedness has occurred at the individual or household levels. This report has potential to inform the development of related policies and risk communication strategies in Asian urban cities.

Childhood asthma and spirometric indices are associated with polymorphic markers of two vitamin D 25-hydroxylase genes.

BACKGROUND: Polymorphic markers of vitamin D pathway genes have been associated with asthma traits in different White populations. This study investigated the relationship between asthma phenotypes and single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of vitamin D receptor (VDR), vitamin D binding protein (GC), two 25-hydroxylases (CYP2R1 and CYP27A1), and 1α-hydroxylase (CYP27B1) in Hong Kong Chinese children. METHODS: 23 SNPs of the five vitamin D pathway genes were successfully genotyped in 914 asthmatic children and 1231 non-allergic controls. Genotypic and haplotypic associations with asthma phenotypes (diagnosis, spirometric indices, total IgE, and eosinophil percentage) were analyzed by multivariate regression. Generalized multifactor dimensionality reduction was used to detect epistatic interactions between SNPs for asthma phenotypes. RESULTS: Several SNPs of CYP27A1, CYP27B1, GC, and CYP2R1 were associated with asthma or spirometric indices, although only the association between FEV1 and CYP2R1 rs7935792 passed Bonferroni correction (p = 2.73 × 10(-4) ). Patients with CC genotype of rs7935792 had higher FEV1 than those with the other two genotypes. Asthma was also associated with TT haplotype of CYP27A1 and AGGATA haplotype of CYP2R1 (p = 0.021 and 0.024, respectively). Besides, strong association was found between FEV1 and GATAG of CYP2R1 (ß = 13.37, p = 4.83 × 10(-4) ). GMDR failed to identify any 2-locus to 4-locus interaction that modulated asthma or spirometric indices. CONCLUSIONS: Several SNPs and haplotypes of CYP2R1 are associated with asthma diagnosis and FEV1 in children. Asthma is also modestly associated with a CYP27A1 haplotype. These two 25-hydroxylase genes may be genetic determinants for asthma phenotypes in children.

Vitamin D deficiency is associated with diagnosis and severity of childhood atopic dermatitis.

BACKGROUND: Recent studies implicated the importance of vitamin D in innate immune defense and pathogenesis of allergic diseases. However, the impact of vitamin D deficiency on atopic dermatitis (AD) diagnosis and severity remains unclear. This case-control study investigated such relationship in Hong Kong Chinese children. METHODS: Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] levels of 498 AD children and 328 non-allergic controls were measured by immunoassay. Subjects were categorized into deficient (< 25 nm), insufficient (25-49.9 nm), and sufficient (≥ 50 nm) groups. Short-term and long-term AD severity was evaluated by physician-diagnosed SCORing Atopic Dermatitis (SCORAD) and Nottingham Eczema Severity Score (NESS), respectively. Atopy biomarkers were also measured for analysis. RESULTS: The mean (s.d.) serum 25(OH)D levels in AD patients and controls were 28.9 (15.3) and 34.2 (14.5) nm, respectively (p < 0.001). More patients had serum 25(OH)D levels <25 nm than controls (47.8% vs. 26.6%). AD severity as indicated by both SCORAD and NESS showed inverse associations with serum 25(OH)D levels (respective p = 3.6 × 10(-4) and 0.004 when adjusted for age, sex, month of assessment, and immunoassay batch as covariates). Vitamin D-deficient patients (3.08 ± 0.76) had higher logarithm-transformed total IgE than those with insufficient (2.74 ± 0.69) and sufficient (2.72 ± 0.72) serum 25(OH)D levels (p < 0.001). The proportion of subjects with elevated IgE was higher in vitamin D-deficient (43.2%) than vitamin D-sufficient (20.0%) groups. CONCLUSIONS: Vitamin D deficiency and insufficiency are prevalent in Hong Kong Chinese children. Vitamin D deficiency is associated with childhood AD and high total IgE. Serum 25(OH)D levels correlate inversely with both long- and short-term AD severity.

Circulating immunoglobulins, leucocytes and complements in childhood-onset atopic eczema.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate if eczema severity is associated with blood levels of immunoglobulins, white cell differentials and complements. METHODS: White cell differentials, levels of serum immunoglobulins and complements of patients with eczema and miscellaneous non-eczema skin diseases were measured. Eczema severity and quality of life were assessed by SCORAD, Nottingham Eczema Severity Score (NESS) and Children's Dermatology Life Quality Index (CDLQI). Correlations were analyzed by Pearson's correlation test for parametric data and Spearman's rho correlation test for non-parametric data. RESULTS: Serum IgE and peripheral blood eosinophil percentage were significantly higher in patients with eczema than other non-eczema skin diseases. Levels of IgE (log-transformed), IgA and IgG correlated with objective SCORAD (r = 0.52, 0.40, 0.29, respectively). Levels of eosinophil, neutrophils, lymphocytes and complements also correlated with objective SCORAD, with the eosinohil/lymphocyte ratio showing the highest correlation (r = 0.60, p < 0.01). Ratios of IgE/IgA, IgE/IgG, eosinophils/lymphocytes, eosinophils/neutrophils correlated positively with CDLQI. IgM appeared to have no correlation with eczema. CONCLUSIONS: Blood levels of IgE, IgA, IgG,eosinophils, lymphocytes, neutrophils and complements pathophysiologically correlate with eczema severity. Eosinophil/lymphocyte ratio may represent a readily-available objective laboratory correlate of eczema severity. Eczema is a complex atopic disease involving many cellular and humoral components of the immune system.