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Background: Vitiligo is an acquired, idiopathic skin disorder that can significantly affect the health-related quality of life (QoL). The vitiligo-specific QoL instrument (VitiQoL), recently developed by an American group, was found to be a reliable patient-reported outcome measure in both Brazilian and Iranian patients. Methods: The VitiQoL was initially cross-culturally adapted to Chinese through forward-backward translation. The Chinese version of the VitiQoL was then distributed to 182 vitiligo patients together with the dermatology life quality index (DLQI) and Skindex-16 questionnaire. Then, the reliability and validity of the Chinese version of the VitiQoL was assessed by statistical analysis. Results: The Chinese version of the VitiQoL showed high internal consistency (Cronbach alpha = 0.958) and test–retest reliability (intraclass correlation coefficient = 0.887). Convergent validity testing showed that the correlation coefficient for the Chinese VitiQoL and DLQI was 0.70 (P < 0.01), the Chinese VitiQoL and Skindex-16 each was 0.84 (P < 0.01), and for the Chinese VitiQoL (questions 1–15 and 16) was 0.62 (P < 0.01). Confirmatory factor analysis revealed two important factors within the VitiQoL: Participation limitation and stigma. Conclusion: The Chinese version of the VitiQoL questionnaire has sufficient reliability and validity to be used to evaluate Chinese vitiligo patients' QoL.

Abstract Background Herpes simplex virus type-2 (HSV-2) infection is the main cause of genital ulcer disease and increases the risk of HIV acquisition. Little information is available regards the epidemiological characteristics of HSV-2 among general population in China. The aim of this study was to explore seroprevalence and associated factors of HSV-2 and provide information for design of HSV-2 control strategy in Shandong, China. Methods In this cross-sectional study, a total of 8074 persons, 18–49 years of age, were selected using multi-stage probability sampling to represent the general population of Shandong in 2016. Demographic data were collected through face-to-face interviews. Other variables were obtained by self-administered questionnaire surveys. Blood was collected for HSV-2 IgG detection with ELISA. Results A total of 7256 sexually-active participants were included in the analysis. The weighted seroprevalence of HSV-2 infection was 4.2% (95% confidence interval [CI], 3.2–5.3) in females, which was significant higher than that in males (2.7%; 95% CI, 1.1–4.2) (P = 0.04). The seroprevalence of HSV-2 was higher in individuals from eastern region (6.4%; 95% CI, 5.9–6.9) and urban areas (4.3%; 95% CI, 2.6–6.0) of Shandong than those from other regions (P

Abstract Background A population-based study of Chlamydia trachomatis (CT) infections is essential in designing a specific control program; however, no large investigation of CT infections among the general population in mainland China has been conducted since 2000. We aimed to determine the prevalence, risk factors, and associated medical costs of CT among residents, 18–49 years of age, in Shandong, China. Methods From May to August 2016, a multistage probability sampling survey involving 8074 individuals was distributed. Data were collected via face-to-face interviews, followed by self-administered questionnaire surveys. First-void urines were collected and tested for CT and Neisseria gonorrhoeae (NG) using nucleic acid amplification. Results The weighted prevalence of CT infection was 2.3% (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.5–3.2) in females and 2.7% (1.6–3.8) in males. Women, 30–34 years of age, had the highest prevalence of CT infections (3.5%, 2.6–4.4), while the highest prevalence of CT infections in males was in those 18–24 years of age (4.3%, 0.0–8.8). Neisseria gonorrhoeae infection had a prevalence of 0.1% (0.0–0.3) in women and 0.03% (0.0–0.1) in men. Risk factors for CT infections among females included being unmarried, divorced, or widowed (odds ratio [OR], 95% CI 3.57, 1.54–8.24) and having two or more lifetime sex partners (3.72, 1.14–12.16). Among males, first intercourse before 20 years of age (1.83, 1.10–3.02) and having two or more lifetime sex partners (1.85, 1.14–3.02) were associated with CT infections. The estimated lifetime cost of CT infections in patients 18–49 years of age in Shandong was 273 million (range, 172–374 million) China Renminbi in 2016. Conclusions This study demonstrated a high burden of CT infections among females