Assessing the factor structure of the Chinese conformity to masculine norms inventory.

The purpose of the present study was to examine the factor structure and assess the reliability of the Chinese Conformity to Masculine Norms Inventory-46 (CCMNI-46). Using a cohort of 254 Hong Kong-born Chinese males, scale reliability determination involved the internal consistencies of the entire instrument. Ages of respondents ranged from 18 to 81 years (M = 38.05; SD = 17.3). Confirmatory factor analysis provided support for the psychometric properties of the CCMNI-46, thus confirming the multidimensional structure of the CMNI-46 and the replicability of the CMNI using a Hong Kong Chinese sample. All items loaded onto the corresponding factor with the exception of one item from the emotional control subscale. The overall reliability of the CCMNI-46 was lower than previous Western studies and may well reflect the subtle diversity of masculinity across cultures. The findings offered psychometric support for use of the CCMNI-46 in research and practice regarding Hong Kong Chinese masculinity. The CCMNI-46 provides a useful template for the operationalization of masculine norms in Chinese society.

Factors associated with utilisation of traditional Chinese medicine among Hong Kong Chinese.

The present study explored factors associated with belief in, and utilisation of, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), as well as factors associated with trust in TCM practitioners (TCMPs) among Hong Kong Chinese individuals. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire. A sample of 300 Hong Kong Chinese aged between 18 and 90 years old were recruited. The study used a number of outcome variables including demographic variables, health status, as measured by the SF-12, attitude towards TCM and Western medicine as measured by the Chinese-Western Medical Beliefs Scale, traditional Chinese values as measured by the Chinese Values Scale and trust in physicians. Findings revealed an association between age, gender and education level, with older age, being female and lower educational attainment all being predictive of TCM utilisation. Utilisation norms was predictive of trust in practitioners, indicating that frequent use of TCM lead to higher levels of trust in TCMP. Chinese values were differentially associated with use of and belief in TCM. Confucian obligation was predictive of belief in TCM and utilisation of TCM, while tolerance and harmony was not associated with belief and use of TCM. Younger respondents tended to score higher in tolerance and harmony, while older respondents scored higher in Confucian obligation, which goes some way to explain these differing trends in Chinese values and associations with TCM as older respondents were much more likely to utilise TCM than their younger counterparts.

Single-tube nested PCR in the diagnosis of tuberculosis.

AIMS: To evaluate the usefulness of a single-tube nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay in the diagnosis of tuberculosis in 1497 pulmonary and 536 extrapulmonary specimens. METHODS: A single-tube nested PCR, utilising two sets of primers with different melting temperatures (88 degrees C for external primers; 70 degrees C for internal primers) to augment sensitivity and specificity without increasing the risk of amplicon contamination, was evaluated. Specimens were initially tested for the repetitive IS6110 sequences and if negative, retested for the universal 38 kilodalton sequence and for inhibitors. dUTP/Uracil-N-glycosylase and Instagene treatment were used to minimise contamination and the effect of inhibitors, respectively. RESULTS: Using culture as the gold standard, the overall sensitivity of the assay was 89% for pulmonary and 42% for extrapulmonary specimens. Sensitivity varied greatly with respect to sample type (92% for follow up specimens from a chest hospital and 70% for non-follow up specimens from a general hospital). The smear positivity rates were 15% for extrapulmonary specimens, and 69% and 45%, respectively, for follow up and non-follow up specimens from pulmonary sites. Specificity was 99.7%. Inhibitors were present more frequently in extrapulmonary than in pulmonary specimens (13.4% v 2.7%). CONCLUSION: Despite the high sensitivity of the PCR assay for the diagnosis of tuberculosis in pulmonary specimens, it was less effective in the extrapulmonary samples. This is probably because of the lower bacterial load in extrapulmonary specimens, the presence of more inhibitors adversely affecting the PCR assay and the higher volume of specimens used for culture.