Vaccination is one of the most effective ways to stop the spread of COVID-19. Understanding factors associated with intention to receive COVID-19 vaccines is the key to a successful vaccination programme. This cross-sectional study explored the rate of vaccination intention and identified its predictors using the health belief model (HBM) in the general population in Hong Kong during the pandemic. Data were collected between December 2020 and January 2021 via telephone surveys. Hierarchical logistic regression analysis was used to identify factors associated with intention to receive COVID-19 vaccines. A total of 1255 adults (>18 years, 53% female) completed the telephone survey. Overall, 42% indicated an intention to vaccinate, 31.5% showed vaccine hesitancy, and 26.5% reported refusal to receive any COVID-19 vaccines. Individuals who were men, older in age, working, with past experiences of other pandemics, less concerned with the vaccine safety, with poorer knowledge about COVID-19, and having greater levels of perceived susceptibility, self-efficacy, cues to action, and acceptance of governmental preventive measures related to COVID-19 were significantly more likely to report an intention to vaccinate. The low intention among the Hong Kong population reflects the importance of developing effective vaccination promotion campaigns with the predictors identified in this study.

This study provides reliable estimates of child victimization to facilitate resource allocation in health care settings in China. The strong associations between child sexual abuse and other forms of child victimization warrant screening for additional forms of child victimization once any one of them has been identified.

This study explored the meaning of sexuality for older Chinese people from diverse backgrounds and the role of traditional Chinese cultural values in shaping sexual expression. A total of 20 Hong Chinese elders were interviewed. Most reported a rigid definition of sexual behaviour, confining it to heterosexual sexual intercourse. Kissing, hugging and caressing were not considered 'sexual', and same-sex relationships were virtually absent from respondents' conceptions of sexuality. Traditional patriarchal values in relation to sexuality prevailed. Men and women attached different meanings to sexuality. Neither believed that sex was enjoyable for women or that women needed sex in the same way as men. Female participants saw sex as part of their responsibility to procreate and to fulfill their husband's needs. Male participants considered sex to be important for fulfilling their physical drives. The lack of an appropriate partner due to widowhood, the partner's physical condition or a poor spousal relationship apparently accounted for the low levels of sexual activity reported by informants.

Considering the high prevalence of traumatic events and how common the conditions associated with such events are in the general population, screening for adverse life events as part of comprehensive assessment will allow a deeper understanding of patients' needs.

BackgroundDistinctions have been made between the two main forms of intimate partner violence: intimate terrorism (IT) and situational couple violence (SCV), depending on whether the violence is part of a general pattern of control. Differential effects also exist between IT and SCV. However, the IT/SCV distinction and their differential effects have yet to be demonstrated in violent intimate relationships in China. We aimed to identify IT and SCV among Chinese women who reported partner violence in Hong Kong and to differentiate the effects of IT and SCV on their mental health outcomes.MethodsA mixed-method design was used in a cross-sectional study to collect quantitative and qualitative data from women 18 years of age or older who had been victims of intimate partner violence in the past year. Six hundred and thirteen women were recruited from 18 districts in Hong Kong. Quantitative instruments were administered to assess intimate partner violence, control by an intimate partner, and mental health outcomes. Individual face-to-face interviews were conducted with 200 of the women to capture their experiences of intimate partner violence and the context in which it occurred.ResultsOf the 613 women, 215 (35.1%) were identified as victims of IT and 324 (52.9%) as victims of SCV. Compared to SCV victims, IT victims reported significantly more violence-related physical injury (p < 0.001), higher use of medical services (p < 0.001), and more symptoms of depression (p < 0.001) and posttraumatic stress disorder (p < 0.001). The interviews revealed two broadly different pictures with IT victims describing their relationship problems as serious and life-threatening, and physical violence was part of the controlling behaviors used by their partners. Such details were not reported by those in the SCV group.ConclusionOur findings indicate that violence in intimate relationships in China is not a unitary phenomenon, and it has at least two forms, IT and SCV, which were shown to have differential effects on Chinese women. The findings regarding the IT/SCV distinction and their differential effects on mental health outcomes have implications for policy, research and practice.Trial registrationTrial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01206192.