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Data on the disease pattern in rural China over the past hundred years show that chronic diseases have now replaced infectious diseases as the major health problems plaguing rural residents. From the perspective of life-course research, taken together with medical anthropology's emphasis on bio-sociocultural integrity, we can divide chronic diseases into two: the chronic diseases of excessive depletion and the chronic diseases of excessive intake. The former are mainly the result of societal experiences engraved on the body; chronic diseases represented by arthritis and intervertebral disc disease are the marks left on the human body by the "hard times" of the early years. The latter is the result of the transformation of working life in which the abundance of material resources and the reduction of physical exertion occur simultaneously; the rapid arrival of the "good times" mean that bodies that have long suffered from hunger and exhaustion find it hard to adapt. Hypertension and diabetes are the physical manifestations of this distress. Fundamentally, chronic diseases falling into the over-intake category may appear to originate from the sweetness of current life, but they are in fact the physical reproduction of earlier experiences. Our village case study fleshes out this explanatory framework, allowing us to see the complex relationship between social institutions, livelihood patterns, cultural mindsets, bodily habits, and disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In mainland China, the motivation behind voluntary blood donation is a relatively new and understudied behavior. In recent times provincial governments in China have implemented various institutional incentive measures. However, little is known regarding the effectiveness of such measures. This qualitative study investigated the nature and outcomes of some identified institutionalized mechanisms, in particular how these were created and distributed in the form of incentives for voluntary blood donation. Methods: Participatory observations were conducted at two blood donation stations and four blood collecting vehicles in Changsha city, China. In-depth interviews were conducted with 17 staff and 58 blood donors at the aforementioned venues from May to October 2008 in Changsha. Results: Thematic analysis revealed the operation of four primary type incentives: policy-driven, symbolic, information feedback and role models, which constituted the system of institutional incentives. The current blood reimbursement system was not the primary motivation for blood donation; instead this system was a subtheme of future assurance for emergency blood needs. It was evident that symbolic incentives stressed the meaning and value of blood donation. Furthermore, post-donation information services and the inherent mechanisms of communication, enhanced by some public role models, served to draw the public to donate blood. Conclusions: At the institutional level, blood donation was not only informed by altruism, but also carried a system of benefit and reward for the donors and their family members. We would recommend that such arrangements, if accommodated effectively into China's health promotion strategies, would increase the likelihood of blood donation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]