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This study aimed to examine the association between constipation and mild cognitive impairment (MCI); and further elucidate the possible mechanisms involved. A cross-sectional study was conducted among community-dwelling elders (N = 789) in Nanning, China. Trained research staffs collected detailed information through questionnaires and physical examinations. A Bayesian network model was used to explore the hypothesized causal path. Synergistic effects of constipation with infrequent fruit consumption, inactive physical exercise, or history of stroke were observed in the risks of MCI occurrence. The Bayesian network model analyses showed 3 hypothesized causal-association paths leading to MCI occurrence. Among these, constipation, history of stroke, and years of schooling were directly related to the occurrence of MCI. Years of schooling indirectly affected MCI through infrequent fruit consumption and constipation; or through inactive physical exercises and history of stroke. This study demonstrates a direct association between constipation and increased risks of MCI., Competing Interests: The authors have no conflicts of interest to disclose., (Copyright © 2024 the Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc.)

Introduction: China has the world's largest number of older adults with cognitive impairment (CI). We aimed to examine secular trends in the prevalence of CI in China from 2002 to 2018., Methods: Generalized estimating equations (GEE) was used to assess changes in CI trend in 44,154 individuals (72,027 observations) aged 65 to 105 years old., Results: The prevalence of CI increased from 2002 to 2008 and then decreased until 2018. The age-standardized prevalence increased from 25.7% in 2002, 26.1% in 2005, to 28.2% in 2008, then decreased to 26.0% in 2011, 25.3% in 2014, and 24.9% in 2018. Females and those ≥ 80 years old had greater CI prevalence., Discussion: The prevalence of CI showed an inverted U shape from early 2000s to late 2010s with a peak in 2008. Follow-up studies are needed to confirm the decreasing trend after 2008 and examine the contributing factors and underlying mechanisms of this trend., Highlights: Generalized estimating equations (GEE) were used to assess trends of changes in cognitive impairment (CI). CI prevalence in China increased from 2002 to 2008 and then decreased until 2018. Females and those ≥ 80 years old had greater CI prevalence. Stroke, diabetes, and cigarette smoking were risk factors for CI., (© 2023 The Authors. Alzheimer's & Dementia published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of Alzheimer's Association.)

The purpose of this study was to examine the impacts of academic stress on physical activity and sleep, and subsequently their impacts on anxiety and depression., Methods: This cross-sectional study collected data from a convenience sample of 1533 adolescents in an eastern province in China. Surveys were used to collect data on academic stress, anxiety, depression, sleep, physical activity, and demographics. Descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, and path analysis were used to analyze data., Results: The participants reported about 6.77 ± 0.89 h of sleep per day and 1.62 ± 1.79 days of 60 min of physical activity each week. Academic stress was positively correlated with anxiety and depression, which were negatively correlated with physical activity and sleep. The path analysis showed that academic stress directly predicted anxiety (β = 0.54) and depression (β = 0.55), and hours of sleep (β = 0.024) and the number of days of 60 min physical activity (β = 0.014) mediated the relation., Conclusion: The results largely supported our hypotheses and supported the need to lessen academic stress experienced by Chinese adolescents, in effort to enhance mental health indices directly, and by allowing for engagement in health-related behaviors such as physical activity and sleep.

During the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, physical activity (PA) behaviors were altered worldwide due to public health measures such as "lockdown." This study described PA among adults residing in 11 countries during COVID-19 lockdown and examined factors associated with PA engagement. We conducted a cross-sectional anonymous survey among adults (≥18 years old) in 11 countries (Brazil, Bulgaria, China, India, Ireland, Malaysia, North Macedonia, Singapore, Spain, Turkey, United States). Of 11,775 participants, 63.7% were female and 52.8% were 18-34 years old. More than 40% of participants were insufficiently active (43.9%) and reported a decrease in their PA during lockdown (44.8%). Statistically significant differences were observed in (1) proportions of participants being insufficiently active, (2) level of PA, and (3) decrease in PA across the 11 countries. More stringent governmental policy responses were associated with greater likelihood of being insufficiently active during lockdown (adjusted odds ratio = 1.22, 95% confidence interval = 1.03, 1.45). Higher depression or anxiety scores were associated with greater likelihood of decreased level of PA during lockdown.We found substantial reductions in PA levels during COVID-19 lockdown across countries. Country-specific PA promotion interventions are needed during this and similar global emergencies.

Background: Reactivity occurs when research participants alter their behaviours due to the awareness of being monitored, which is a concern with using wearable devices to measure physical activity. The purpose of this study was to examine reactivity to accelerometer measurement among youth with moderate and severe intellectual disabilities (ID)., Methods: A sample of 175 youth with ID (108 with moderate and 67 with severe ID) was recruited from residential centres in China. Demographic data were measured using a parent-reported questionnaire, and light physical activity (LPA) and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) were measured using the ActiGraph GT3X accelerometers. Data were analysed using an analysis of covariances where Day 1 LPA/MVPA, Day 2-6 LPA/MVPA, and Day 7 LPA/MVPA were repeated measures., Results: Youth with moderate ID had significantly higher LPA (8.01%) and MVPA (10.30%) on Day 1 than Day 2-6. Similarly, youth with severe ID had significantly higher LPA (21.69%) and MVPA (19.48%) on Day 1 than Day 2-6. An inverse reactivity was also found on Day 7 among youth with severe ID for LPA (-10.65%) and MVPA (-14.82%)., Conclusions: Reactivity to accelerometer measurement was found for youth with moderate and severe ID. Findings support the utilisation of a 1-day familiarisation period, as well as discounting the final day of measurement, when examining physical activity behaviours among youth with moderate and severe ID., (© 2020 MENCAP and International Association of the Scientific Study of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

The purposes of this study were (a) to examine the proportions of adolescents in China who partially or fully meet three 24-h movement guidelines on physical activity, screen-time, and sleep duration and (b) to examine whether there were gender differences in the proportion of boys and girls meeting these guidelines. The sample was made up of high school adolescents from an eastern province of China ( N = 1338). The participants completed a self-reported survey on demographic variables and weekly health behaviors including physical activity, screen-time, and sleep duration. A frequency analysis was conducted to summarize the number of 24-h movement guidelines met of the total sample and by gender; chi-squared tests were used to examine the gender differences in the proportion of students meeting different guidelines, independently and jointly. A high proportion of adolescents did not meet physical activity (97.2%, 95% CI = 96.2-98.0%), or sleep (92.1%, 95% CI = 90.6-93.5%) guidelines, but met screen-time (93.6%, 95% CI = 92.4-94.7%) guidelines. Overall, only 0.3% (95%CI = 0.1-0.6%) of the sample met all three guidelines, 8.8% (95%CI = 7.5-10.2%) met two, 85.8%% (95%CI = 84.0-87.4%) met one, and 5.1% (95%CI = 4.0-6.4%) met none. There was no statistically significant percentage difference between female and male participants in meeting physical activity, screen-time viewing, or sleep duration guidelines, independently or jointly ( p values > 0.05). These figures of participants meeting all three guidelines or physical activity and sleep independently are much lower than many estimates in prior research internationally. Considerations to improve adherence to physical activity and sleep guidelines are critical in this population.

Background/objectives: Poorer motor development is reported in infants with iron deficiency (ID). The role of timing, duration and severity is unclear. We assessed relations between ID timing, duration, and severity and gross motor scores, neurological integrity, and motor behavior quality at 9 months., Subjects/methods: Iron status was determined at birth and 9 months in otherwise healthy term Chinese infants. The 9-month motor evaluation included the Peabody Developmental Motor Scale (PDMS-2), Infant Neurological International Battery (INFANIB), and motor quality factor. Motor outcomes were analyzed by ID timing (fetal-neonatal, infancy), duration, and severity. For severity, we also considered maternal iron status., Results: The data were available for 1194 infants. Iron status was classified as fetal-neonatal and infancy ID (n = 253), fetal-neonatal ID (n = 256), infancy ID (n = 288), and not ID (n = 397). Compared with not ID, infants with fetal-neonatal or infancy ID had lower locomotion scores (effect size ds = 0.19, 0.18) and those with ID in both periods (longer duration) had lower locomotion and overall PDMS-2 gross motor scores (ds = 0.20, 0.18); ID groups did not differ. More severe ID in late pregnancy was associated with lower INFANIB Vestibular function (p = 0.01), and total score (p = 0.03). More severe ID in infancy was associated with lower scores for locomotion (p = 0.03), overall gross motor (p = 0.05)., Conclusions: Fetal-neonatal and/or infancy ID was associated with lower overall gross motor development and locomotion test scores at 9 months. Associations with ID severity varied by ID timing: more severe ID in late pregnancy, poorer neurological integrity; more severe ID in infancy, poorer gross motor development.

Background: Previous trials of iron supplementation in infancy did not consider maternal iron supplementation., Objective: This study assessed effects of iron supplementation in infancy and/or pregnancy on infant iron status, illnesses, and growth at 9 mo., Methods: Enrollment occurred from December 2009 to June 2012 in Hebei, China. Infants born to women in a pregnancy iron supplementation trial were randomly assigned 1:1 to iron [∼1 mg Fe/(kg · d) as oral iron proteinsuccynilate] or placebo from 6 wk to 9 mo, excluding infants with cord ferritin <35 μg/L. Study groups were pregnancy placebo/infancy placebo (placebo/placebo), pregnancy placebo/infancy iron (placebo/iron), pregnancy iron/infancy placebo (iron/placebo), and pregnancy iron/infancy iron (iron/iron). The primary outcome was 9-mo iron status: iron deficiency (ID) by cutoff (≥2 abnormal iron measures) or body iron <0 mg/kg and ID + anemia (hemoglobin <110 g/L). Secondary outcomes were doctor visits or hospitalizations and weight or length gain from birth to 9 mo. Statistical analysis by intention to treat and dose-response (between number of iron bottles received and outcome) used logistic regression with concomitant RRs and general linear models, with covariate control as applicable., Results: Of 1482 infants randomly allocated, 1276 had 9-mo data (n = 312-327/group). Iron supplementation in infancy, but not pregnancy, reduced ID risk: RRs (95% CIs) were 0.89 (0.79, 0.998) for placebo/iron compared to placebo/placebo, 0.79 (0.63, 0.98) for placebo/iron compared to iron/placebo, 0.87 (0.77, 0.98) for iron/iron compared to placebo/placebo, and 0.86 (0.77, 0.97) for iron/iron compared to iron/placebo. However, >60% of infants still had ID at 9 mo. Receiving more bottles of iron in infancy was associated with better infant iron status at 9 mo but only among iron-supplemented infants whose mothers were also iron supplemented (i.e., the iron/iron group). There were no group differences in hospitalizations or illnesses and no adverse effects on growth overall or among infants who were iron sufficient at birth., Conclusions: Iron supplementation in Chinese infants reduced ID at 9 mo without adverse effects on growth or illness. Effects of iron supplementation in pregnancy were observed only when higher amounts of iron were distributed in infancy. This trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT00613717., (© 2016 American Society for Nutrition.)