Objectives
According to a recent national survey, tobacco use is a critical public health issue in China, with more than two thirds of Chinese males smoking. Findings in Western populations suggest that smoking may cluster with other health-risk behaviors. To explore these relationships in Chinese male adults, we utilized baseline data from the China Seven Cities Study (CSCS).
Methods
Male adults (N=12,122) were included. Smoking status was defined as never smokers, ex-smokers, current smokers, and current heavy smokers. Logistic regression was employed to investigate the association of cigarette smoking and patterns of food consumption, physical activity, and alcohol drinking.
Results
After controlling for age, socioeconomic status, and city residence, heavy smokers consumed significantly less vegetables, fruits, milk and other dairy products, spent significantly more time watching television, slept and exercised less, and got drunk or engaged in binge drinking more frequently compared to never, ex, or current smokers (p<0.05).
Conclusion
Findings suggest significant associations of heavy cigarette smoking with other health-risk behaviors in Chinese male adults, underscoring the need for tobacco control interventions for Chinese males.
IntroductionPancreatic cancer resections comprise a class of complex surgical operations with a high postoperative morbidity rate. Due to the complicated nature of pancreatic resection, individuals who undergo this procedure are advised to visit a high-volume medical center that performs such pancreatic surgeries frequently. However, this specialized treatment option may not be available for uninsured patients or patients with other socioeconomic limitations that may restrict their access to these facilities. To gain a better understanding of the impact of healthcare disparities on surgical outcomes, we aimed to explore if there were significant differences in mortality rate post-pancreatic resection between high-and low-volume hospitals within San Bernardino, Riverside, Los Angeles, and Orange Counties.
MethodsWe utilized the California Health and Human Services Agency (CHHS) California Hospital Inpatient Mortality Rates and Quality Ratings public dataset to compare risk-adjusted mortality rates (RA-MR) of pancreatic cancer resections procedures. We focused on procedures performed in hospitals within San Bernardino, Riverside, Los Angeles, and Orange County from 2012 to 2015. To assess post-resection outcomes in relation to hospital volume, we utilized an independent T-test (significance level was set equal to 0.05) to determine if there is a statistically significant difference in RA-MR after pancreatic resection between high-and low-volume hospitals.
ResultsDuring the 2012-2015 study period, 57 hospitals across San Bernardino, Riverside, Orange, and Los Angeles Counties were identified to perform a total of 6,204 pancreatic resection procedures. The low-volume hospital group (N=2,539) was associated with a higher RA-MR of M=4.45 (SD=11.86). By comparison, the high-volume hospital group (N=3,665) was associated with a lower RA-MR of M=1.72 (SD=2.61).
ConclusionPancreatic resection surgeries performed at low-volume hospitals resulted in a significantly higher RA-MR compared to procedures done at high-volume hospitals in California.
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