The purpose of the study was to investigate parents’ perceptions of antibiotic use for their children, interactions between parents and physicians regarding treatment with antibiotics, and factors associated with parents self-medicating children with antibiotics. A cross-sectional study was conducted in vaccination clinics in two rural Chinese counties. Primary caregivers (the child’s parents in 97% of cases) visiting these clinics for the vaccination of their young children were given a 55-item structured questionnaire to collect information on the parents’ knowledge and attitudes regarding when, why, and how to use antibiotics and on their practices of purchasing antibiotics and medicating children. Of the 854 participating primary caregivers, 79% thought antibiotics could cure viral infections, and half believed that antibiotics could shorten the duration of upper respiratory tract infection. Parents reported a median of two hospital visits for their children during the previous 6 months, equal to the median number of antibiotic prescriptions received from physicians. Sixty-two percent of the parents had self-medicated their children with antibiotics. Living in rural villages (Adj OR = 1.643, 95% CI: 1.108–2.436), raising more than one child (Adj OR = 2.174, 95% CI: 1.485–3.183), increasing age of child (Adj OR = 1.146, 95% CI: 1.037–1.266), purchasing antibiotics without a prescription (Adj OR = 6.264, 95% CI: 4.144–9.469), storing antibiotics at home (Adj OR = 2.792, 95% CI: 1.961–3.975) and good adherence to physicians’ advice (Adj OR = 0.639, 95% CI: 0.451–0.906) were independently associated with self-medicating behavior. Low levels of knowledge on the use of antibiotics and a high prevalence of self-medicating children with antibiotics were observed among parents in rural China. Interventions for the rational use of antibiotics in children should focus on strengthening mass health education, improving effective communication between physicians and patients, and enforcing supervision of the sale of antibiotics in retail pharmacies.

Background: Improving utilization of antenatal care is a critical strategy for achieving China’s Millennium Development Goal of decreasing the maternal mortality ratio (MMR). While overall utilization has increased recently in China, an urban vs. rural disparity in access remains. Here we aim to assess utilization of antenatal care in rural-to-urban migrant women and identify its risk and protective factors. Methods: Migrant women who had been living in Shanghai for more than six months, delivered in one of the two study hospitals between August 2009 and February 2010, and provided written consent were interviewed using a structured questionnaire. Results: Of 767 women, 90.1% (691) made at least one antenatal care visit, while 49.7% (381) had adequately utilized antenatal care (i.e., made five or more antenatal care visits). Only 19.7% of women visited an antenatal care center during the first trimester (12 weeks). Women between the ages of 25 and 30 and women older than 30 were more likely than younger women to have adequately utilized antenatal care (AOR=2.2 and 1.9, 95%CI=1.4-3.5 and 1.1-3.2, respectively). Women whose husbands held Shanghai residency status (AOR=4.9, 95%CI=2.2-10.9) or who had more than 10 years of education (AOR=1.8, 95%CI=1.2-2.9), previously experienced a miscarriage or abortion (AOR=2.2, 95%CI=1.3-3.8), had higher household income (AOR=1.6, 95%CI=1.0-2.5) were more likely to have adequately utilized antenatal care. Women from high-income households were also more likely to receive antenatal care during the first 12 weeks (AOR=3.5, 95%CI=1.7-5.5). Conclusions: Many migrant women in Shanghai did not receive adequate antenatal care and initiated antenatal care later than the optimal first 12 weeks of pregnancy. Poor antenatal care utilization was associated with low socioeconomic status, education, and certain demographic factors. Tailored health education for both migrant women and their husbands should be strengthened to improve maternal health. Financing supports should be provided to improve the utilization of antenatal care.

This study examined the association of obesity and dyslipidemia according to body measurements among Chinese adults in Shanghai, a place in the process of rapid urbanization. Using the baseline data of the Shanghai Suburban Adult Cohort and Biobank study (SSACB), the subjects completed questionnaires and physical examinations, and fasting blood was collected for biochemical assays. We estimated the odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) by multivariable logistic regression. The prevalence was 12.9% and 28.8% in both general and central obesity, respectively. Compared with the non-obese, the general or central obesity participants had a higher level of TC, TG, LDL-C and lower level of HDL-C. The OR (95%CI) for dyslipidemia was 1.79 (1.69–1.91) and 1.91 (1.83–2.00) in general or central obesity, respectively. Positive associations were also observed between obesity and high TC, high LDL-C, low HDL-C and high TG, with the adjusted OR ranging from 1.11 to 2.00. Significant modifying effect of gender, age, hypertension, and diabetes were found in the association of obesity and different forms of dyslipidemia. The findings of our study indicated that participants with obesity, including general or central obesity, have a higher prevalence of dyslipidemia and gender, age, hypertension, and diabetes might be potential modifiers of the association. More effective attention and interventions should be directed to managing body weight to reduce the prevalence of dyslipidemia.

Purpose The Shanghai Suburban Adult Cohort and Biobank (SSACB) was established to identify environmental, lifestyle and genetic risk factors for non-communicable chronic diseases (NCDs) in adults (20–74 years old) living in a suburban area of Shanghai with rapid urbanisation. Participants Two of eight suburban district were purposely selected according to participant willingness, health service facilities, population, geographic region and electronic medical record system. From these suburban districts, four communities were selected based on economic level and population size. At stage three, one-third of the committees/villages were randomly selected from each community. All residents aged 20–74 years old were invited as study participants. Findings to date The baseline data on demographics, lifestyle and physical health-related factors were collected using a face-to-face questionnaire interview. All participants completed physical examinations and had blood and urine tests. Blood and urine samples from these tests were stored in a biobank. From 6 April 2016 through 31 October 2017, we conducted face-to-face interviews and clinical examinations in 44 887 participants: 35 727 from Songjiang District and 9160 from Jiading District. The average age of participants was 56.4±11.2 years in Songjiang and 56.6±10.5 years in Jiading. The prevalence of hypertension, diabetes and dyslipidaemia was 34.0%, 8.2% and 11.1%, respectively. Future plans In-person surveys will be conducted every 5 years. For annual tracking, baseline data was linked to the local health information system, which was composed of an electronic medical record system, a chronic disease management system, a cancer registry system, an infectious disease report system and a death registry system. The data of the SSACB cohort is located in the School of Public Health, Fudan University. International and domestic collaborative research projects are encouraged and inherent in the project.