BackgroundSuboptimal health status (SHS) is the third state between good health and disease. SHS is the clinical or pre-disease status of psychosomatic disease and a major global public health challenge. Although its underlying causes remain unclear, lifestyle is one of the most important factors affecting health status.MethodsA cross-sectional survey was conducted at Renmin University of China in September of 2015. Data were collected from college freshmen using a questionnaire covering characteristics, lifestyle, nutrition status, and health status. A total of 6025 questionnaires were distributed during the study period, and 5344 completed responses were received.ResultsThe prevalence rates for the “healthy,” “SHS,” and “disease” groups of college freshmen were 46.7% (2433), 51.2% (2667), and 2.1% (111), respectively. It is notable that health status was significantly positively correlated with lifestyle (Spearman’s r = 0.4435, p < 0.001). The multivariate Logistic regression results showed that students who were relatively younger and students from rural areas had a higher percentage of SHS. Good sleep quality (aOR = 0.650, 95%CI = 0.612–0.690), abundant physical exercise (aOR = 0.889, 95%CI = 0.845–0.933), and adequate nutrition intake (aOR = 0.868, 95%CI = 0.864–0.908) are negatively associated with SHS. Overuse of electronic devices (aOR = 1.066, 95%CI = 1.013–1.121), smoking (aOR = 1.824, 95%CI = 1.195–2.755), and weight loss (aOR = 1.255, 95%CI = 1.043–1.509) are positively associated with SHS.ConclusionsPoor lifestyle behaviors are associated with SHS. In particular, the overuse of electronic devices is one of underlying causes of SHS. By altering lifestyle behaviors for the better, the health statuses of these college freshmen can be effectively improved.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (10.1186/s12889-017-5002-4) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

ObjectivesSelf-treatment is a widespread practice among patients with common symptoms and ailments; it is necessary to explore multiple aspects of it. Notably, there is little research into self-treatment among middle-aged and elderly people, who are more likely to fall ill. Our goals are to provide a comprehensive description of self-treatment and explore associated factors with insurance utilization and expenditures among the middle-aged and elderly populations in China.MethodsA survey was conducted in July 2016 in Shanxi, China. A stratified sampling scheme was applied to achieve representativeness. A total of 972 subjects were surveyed. Descriptive statistics, t- and Chi-squared tests, multivariate logistic regression, and multivariate linear regression were utilized.ResultsIn our study, 772 (79.4%) of the surveyed subjects self-treated during the previous twelve months. Among them, 253 (32.8%) used health insurance. Subjects’ characteristics were associated with insurance utilization and expenditures for self-treatment. Total cost was positively associated with insurance utilization. The subjects with a junior high education (p-value < 0.001, aOR = 0.049) and senior high education (p-value = 0.020, aOR = 0.146) had a lower probability of using insurance. For both total costs and out-of-pocket costs, subjects who were 51 to 60 years old had lower costs. The subjects who were seriously sick and had a primary school education, as well as enterprise occupations, had higher costs. Self-treatment times were also positively associated with costs. Finally, it was found that subjects who didn’t use insurance had lower total costs.ConclusionsThe prevalence of self-treatment was high (79.4%). Some characteristics were associated with insurance utilization and expenditures in self-treatment. Our results may be helpful for policy interventions, which are needed to further improve the effectiveness of health insurance in China.

This study aimed to investigate the associations of physical activity (PA) and screen time (ST) with physiological, psychological, and social health-particularly regarding effects on sleep quality-among Chinese college freshmen. A cross-sectional survey was conducted at Renmin University of China, in Beijing. A total of 5,233 students were surveyed in September 2015. Participants completed a self-report questionnaire on their demographic characteristics, tobacco and alcohol use, PA, ST, sleep quality, and health status. Multivariate logistic regression was performed to examine the independent and interactive associations between PA and ST with sleep quality and suboptimal health status. In total, 10.43%, 13.18%, and 13.26% of the 5,233 students had physiological, psychological, and social suboptimal health status, respectively. The prevalence of poor sleep quality was 37.94%. High ST and high PA were significantly associated with physiological suboptimal health status (