Search

The aim of this study was to explore the compliance of epilepsy patients in the Phenobarbital Epilepsy Management Project in a rural area of China and its influencing factors, so as to provide the basis for further strategies. A retrospective study researching on the compliance of epilepsy patients in the Phenobarbital Epilepsy Management Project of Rural China was conducted. The Nan County, Hunan Province as a typical rural China was selected as the study site. We collected the compliance and other relative factors from 2017 to 2019 though the Phenobarbital Epilepsy Management Project data system. The good compliance patients in the Phenobarbital Epilepsy Management Project in a rural area of China were 98.99% (393/397); only 4 cases had poor compliance. The factors affecting the compliance of epilepsy patients were “adverse reactions of digestive tract symptoms,” “how the patient felt physically, mentally, or working and learning ability during this period," and “the ratio of the attack to the previous one.” The rate of good compliance among the epilepsy patients in the Phenobarbital Epilepsy Management Project in a rural area of China was high. More attention to education, patients’ psychology, and the curative effect of family members may improve the compliance of patients with epilepsy further.

Xiao-kun Liu,1– 3 Shui-yuan Xiao,2,4 Dan Luo,4 Jiang-hua Zhang,5 Lu-lu Qin,6 Xun-qiang Yin4 1The First Affiliated Hospital of Hainan Medical University, Haikou, People’s Republic of China; 2Mental Health Center, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410008, People’s Republic of China; 3Key Laboratory of Brain Science Research & Transformation in Tropical Environment of Hainan Province; 4Xiangya School of Public Health, Central South University, Changsha, People’s Republic of China; 5Student Affairs Office of Central South University, Hunan, People’s Republic of China; 6Department of Social Medicine and Health Management, School of Medicine, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, People’s Republic of ChinaCorrespondence: Shui-yuan Xiao Mental Health Center, Xiangya Hospital, 87 Xiangya Road, Changsha 410087, Hunan, People’s Republic of ChinaFax +86-0731-84327332Email shuiyuanxiao1503@163.comPurpose: The aim of this study was to develop a scale to quantify the negative life events of graduate students; and to identify the associations between negative life events and emotional disorders among them.Methods: Based on a literature review, qualitative interviews and direct consultation with experts in relevant fields, the study served to identify the items that could be included in the Negative Life Events Scale for graduates (LES-GS). Psychometrics was used to analyze the items for reliability and validity. A cross-sectional survey was conducted in Changsha, China to explore the association between negative life events and emotional disorders among master’s and PhD students. LES-GS, Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), and the Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale-7 (GAD-7) were utilized in the survey.Results: The LES-GS exhibited acceptable reliability and validity. A total of 13.24% of master’s and 16.60% of PhD students experienced moderate to severe depression symptoms. Additionally, a total of 9.04% of master’s students and 15.47% of PhD students experienced moderate to severe anxiety symptoms. Among the master’s students, five long-term events and one short-term event life events (these included “tension with family members”; “the graduation project is not going well”; “not interested in the major”; “poor relationship with partner or spouse”, “long-term financial stress”, and “dispute with the mentor”) were associated with an increased likelihood of emotional disorders among them. Among the PhD students, “death of a close family member” and “the publication of academic papers fails to meet the graduation requirements” were associated with an increased likelihood of emotional disorders.Conclusion: The LES-GS could be used to assess life events for graduate students. The treatment of emotional problems for the master’s students and the doctorial students should be designed differently.Keywords: graduate students, negative life events, emotional disorders, depression, anxiety

Background. Emerging studies have explored the association between the famine exposure during early life and the risk of the metabolic syndrome, and the results remain controversial. This meta-analysis was performed to summarize the famine effects on the prevalence of metabolic syndrome (MetS) in adulthood. Materials and Methods. We searched the PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, ScienceDirect, and Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure for relevant studies up to December 2019. Pooled odd ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were used to estimate the effect exposure to famine on MetS using a random-effects model, and the I2 was used to evaluate the heterogeneity. Results. The analyses included 39 studies from 10 articles with a total of 81504 participants. Fourteen studies from 10 articles for fetal famine exposure, 20 studies from 7 articles for childhood famine exposure, and 5 studies from 3 articles for adolescence/adult famine exposure were included in this meta-analysis. Compared with a nonexposed group, famine exposure significantly increased the risk of MetS for early life famine exposure (OR=1.27, 95% CI: 1.18-1.38), fetal famine exposure (OR=1.27, 95% CI: 1.14-1.43), and childhood famine exposure (OR=1.29, 95% CI: 1.16-1.44). Subgroup analyses showed that the result was consistent regardless of the study designs, definitions of MetS, and causes of famine, with or without adjustment for age, smoking, drinking, and physical activity. Conclusions. This meta-analysis suggests that exposure to famine during early life may increase the risk of MetS in adulthood.