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Abstract Purpose This study aimed to examine the levels of physical activity (PA) among children and adolescents in western China, and the influence of parents on their PA, in the era of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Methods This cross-sectional study used a multistage questionnaire to evaluate 4800 children and adolescents of grades 4–12 (9–17 years old) from 48 primary and secondary schools across 16 districts and counties in western China. In addition to PA, questionnaires collected data on demography, family structure, and exercise habits. Data were assessed using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire-Short Form (IPAQ-SF) and analyzed using chi-square tests, t-tests, Spearman’s correlation, and logistic regression models in SPSS. Results In this study, a minority (42.1%, n = 1553) of children and adolescents met the daily exercise target (60 min) recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO). Moderate- to vigorous-intensity physical activity (MVPA) level of boys was significantly higher than that of girls. Regardless of sex, children with the highest MVPA levels were those in grades 4–6, and PA levels decreased with increasing age. Furthermore, for every hour of increase in the daily MVPA of parents, the MVPA also increased by 6.1–13.9 min in children and adolescents. Moreover, areas of higher economic development were associated with lower levels of MVPA. Conclusions Overall, this study found a low level of MVPA in children and adolescents of western China; both family structure and parental activity have a significant influence on the children's PA levels. Besides, the impact of COVID-19 on PA levels has not been entirely negative.

Purpose: This study aimed to examine the levels of physical activity (PA) among children and adolescents in western China, and the influence of parents on their PA, in the era of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).Methods: This cross-sectional study used a multistage questionnaire to evaluate 4800 children and adolescents of grades 4-12 (9-17 years old) from 48 primary and secondary schools across 16 districts and counties in western China. In addition to PA, questionnaires collected data on demography, family structure, and exercise habits. Data were assessed using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire-Short Form (IPAQ-SF) and analyzed using chi-square tests, t-tests, Spearman's correlation, and logistic regression models in SPSS.Results: In this study, a minority (42.1%, n = 1553) of children and adolescents met the daily exercise target (60 min) recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO). Moderate- to vigorous-intensity physical activity (MVPA) level of boys was significantly higher than that of girls. Regardless of sex, children with the highest MVPA levels were those in grades 4-6, and PA levels decreased with increasing age. Furthermore, for every hour of increase in the daily MVPA of parents, the MVPA also increased by 6.1-13.9 min in children and adolescents. Moreover, areas of higher economic development were associated with lower levels of MVPA.Conclusions: Overall, this study found a low level of MVPA in children and adolescents of western China; both family structure and parental activity have a significant influence on the children's PA levels. Besides, the impact of COVID-19 on PA levels has not been entirely negative. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background In China, ethnic minorities often live in frontier areas and have a relatively small population size, and tremendous social transitions have enlarged the gap between eastern and western China, with western China being home to 44 ethnic minority groups. These three disadvantages have health impacts. Examining ethnicity and health inequality in the context of western China is therefore essential. Methods This paper is based on data from the 2010 China Survey of Social Change (CSSC2010), which was conducted in 12 provinces, autonomous regions and province-level municipalities in western China and had a sample size of 10,819. We examined self-rated health and disparities in self-rated health between ethnic minorities and Han Chinese in the context of western China. Self-rated health was coded as poor or good, and ethnicity was coded as ethnic minority or Han Chinese. Ethnic differences in self-rated health was examined by using binary logistic regression. Associations among sociodemographic variables, SES variable, health behaviour variable, health problem variables and self-rated health were also explored. Results Fourteen percent of respondents reported their health to be poor. A total of 15.75% of ethnic minorities and 13.43% of Han Chinese respondents reported their health to be poor, indicating a difference in self-rated health between ethnic minorities and Han Chinese. Age, gender, marital status, education, alcohol, and health problems were the main factors that affected differences in self-rated health. Conclusion In western China, there were obvious ethnic disparities in self-rated health. Elderly ethnic minorities, non-partnered ethnic minorities, ethnic minorities with an educational level lower than middle school, and ethnic minorities with chronic disease had higher odds of poor self-rated health.

Abstract Background The purpose of this study was to evaluate the coverage of HIV health education among rural residents in western China by ascertaining their awareness of HIV/AIDS and its transmission routes, and to investigate how these residents receive health information. Methods A survey was conducted through stratified clustered sampling at 99 county hospitals in 11 provinces in western China. Information was collected on awareness of HIV/AIDS and its transmission routes, as well as residents’ access to health knowledge. Chi-square analysis was used to analyse the differences in HIV/AIDS awareness (knowing of the existence of HIV/AIDS, hereinafter referred to as “HIV awareness rate”) between different subgroups categorized by demographic status, regional factors, and different methods of access to health knowledge. To further analyse the effects of access to health knowledge on HIV awareness, a logistic regression model was established. The relationship between access to health knowledge and transmission routes was also examined using chi-square analysis. Results The HIV awareness rate of the total 9274 participants was 80.9%. There were statistically significant differences between subgroups classified by age (χ 2 = 482.118, p

Background: Lifestyle diseases could be prevented and controlled by disseminating health knowledge. This study explored the health knowledge awareness and the impact factors of health knowledge awareness, and the way people received health knowledge in western China. Methods: We undertook a cross-sectional survey in 8 counties, 24 townships and 72 villages from July 2011 to April 2012 in Inner Mongolia, Xinjiang, Chongqing and Qinghai in China. Collected data, which were publicly available, consisted of two parts, namely, socio-demographic information and the 1466 corresponding rural residents' awareness and the approach of health knowledge. Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) was used to explore the impact factors of health knowledge awareness. Multiple linear regressions was then applied to examine the potential predictors of health knowledge awareness. Results: Four predictors-age (negative factor), educational level (positive factor), distance from home to the nearest medical institution (negative factor) and annul disposable household income (negative factor) were in the final liner regression model (p < 0.05). The results showed that awareness of health knowledge associated with risk factors was the highest (58.85%). The highest awareness rate of health knowledge is the title "Whether secondhand smoke is harmful to myself" (69.78%) and the lowest title is "Whether eating with hepatitis B patients will be infected Hepatitis B" (21.69%). The main way to receive health knowledge was traditional way such as doctors (80.45%). About more than half of the residents received health knowledge through television, video, newspaper and magazines (65.78%), family members, neighbors (67.38%) and the village health bulletin boards (53.16%). Conclusion: Health knowledge awareness of rural residents was quite low and the way of receiving health knowledge was simple and traditional. One of the critical factors was education level. Direct results showed that lower income families always obtained higher health knowledge level than the rich families. The main way to receive health knowledge was traditional ways. In the process of health education, different means of education should be adopted for different groups so as to achieve ideal effect. Potential interventions may be different from education process which should be adapted to different income level families. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Childhood undernutrition adversely impacts child health and is one of China's largest health burdens. However, there is limited information on the current rate of childhood undernutrition in rural Western China. The purpose of this study was to investigate the prevalence of childhood undernutrition and explore its association with socio-economic characteristics in Western China. Methods A total of 13,532 children of 0 ~ 36 months of age were recruited as subjects from 45 counties and 10 provinces in Western China with a 3-stage probability proportion to size sampling. The composite index of anthropometric failure (CIAF) was used to assess the childhood undernutrition. The association between socio-economic characteristics and childhood undernutrition was analyzed using a two-level logistic regression. Results Based on CIAF, the prevalence of undernutrition among children under three years of age in rural Western China in 2005 was 21.7%. The two-level logistic analysis presented a large difference in undernutrition among the 10 provinces with the highest odds ratio in Guizhou (OR: 2.15, 95%CI: 1.50, 3.08). Older children had a higher prevalence of undernutrition. As compared to girls, boys were more likely to be undernourished (OR 1.27, 95%CI: 1.16, 1.39). The likelihood of undernutrition was lower in subjects of Han ethnicity as opposed to subjects of minority ethnicities (OR 0.77, 95%CI: 0.65, 0.90). In addition, the education levels of the mother as well as wealth index were both negatively associated with childhood undernutrition. Conclusions Childhood undernutrition still remains a large health challenge in rural Western China. This study has important policy implications for the Chinese government to improve childhood undernutrition in the surveyed areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In China, ethnic minorities often live in frontier areas and have a relatively small population size, and tremendous social transitions have enlarged the gap between eastern and western China, with western China being home to 44 ethnic minority groups. These three disadvantages have health impacts. Examining ethnicity and health inequality in the context of western China is therefore essential.Methods: This paper is based on data from the 2010 China Survey of Social Change (CSSC2010), which was conducted in 12 provinces, autonomous regions and province-level municipalities in western China and had a sample size of 10,819. We examined self-rated health and disparities in self-rated health between ethnic minorities and Han Chinese in the context of western China. Self-rated health was coded as poor or good, and ethnicity was coded as ethnic minority or Han Chinese. Ethnic differences in self-rated health was examined by using binary logistic regression. Associations among sociodemographic variables, SES variable, health behaviour variable, health problem variables and self-rated health were also explored.Results: Fourteen percent of respondents reported their health to be poor. A total of 15.75% of ethnic minorities and 13.43% of Han Chinese respondents reported their health to be poor, indicating a difference in self-rated health between ethnic minorities and Han Chinese. Age, gender, marital status, education, alcohol, and health problems were the main factors that affected differences in self-rated health.Conclusion: In western China, there were obvious ethnic disparities in self-rated health. Elderly ethnic minorities, non-partnered ethnic minorities, ethnic minorities with an educational level lower than middle school, and ethnic minorities with chronic disease had higher odds of poor self-rated health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the coverage of HIV health education among rural residents in western China by ascertaining their awareness of HIV/AIDS and its transmission routes, and to investigate how these residents receive health information.Methods: A survey was conducted through stratified clustered sampling at 99 county hospitals in 11 provinces in western China. Information was collected on awareness of HIV/AIDS and its transmission routes, as well as residents' access to health knowledge. Chi-square analysis was used to analyse the differences in HIV/AIDS awareness (knowing of the existence of HIV/AIDS, hereinafter referred to as "HIV awareness rate") between different subgroups categorized by demographic status, regional factors, and different methods of access to health knowledge. To further analyse the effects of access to health knowledge on HIV awareness, a logistic regression model was established. The relationship between access to health knowledge and transmission routes was also examined using chi-square analysis.Results: The HIV awareness rate of the total 9274 participants was 80.9%. There were statistically significant differences between subgroups classified by age (χ2 = 482.118, p<0.001), education (χ2 = 853.465, p<0.001), occupation (χ2 = 340.553, p<0.001), income (χ2 = 186.448, p<0.001), cumulative HIV cases according to province (χ2 = 59.513, p<0.001), per capita annual net income of rural households according to province (χ2 = 64.676, p<0.001), proportion of minority population according to province (χ2 = 94.898, p<0.001), direct access to health knowledge (medical staff: χ2 = 419.775, p<0.001; mass media: χ2 = 740.238, p<0.001; family members: χ2 = 12.189, p<0.001; socializing: χ2 = 48.780, p<0.001; health education activities: χ2 = 154.400, p<0.001), and indirect access to health knowledge (having a non-communicable disease with medical instructions χ2 = 78.709, p<0.001; physical examinations: χ2 = 135.679, p<0.001). The logistic regression model showed that education and mass media had the strongest impacts on HIV awareness among all methods of access. Participants had the least awareness of HIV's mother-to-child transmission route.Conclusion: The HIV awareness rate indicated that previous HIV health education covered 80% of the rural population in western China. Mass media should take greater responsibility in HIV health education for the general population, and special attention should be paid to the elderly, the most impoverished population, minority community as well as the mother-to-child transmission route. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]