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At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2000

The study of TSP, PM(2.5-10) and PM2.5 during Taiwan Chi-Chi Earthquake in the traffic site of central Taiwan, Taichung.

Ambient particle concentration was taken on the traffic sampling site over the Chung-Chi Road over bridge (CCROB) in front of Hungkuang Institute of Technology (HKIT). The sampling time was from August 1999 to December 1999. During the sampling period, Taiwan's biggest earthquake in more than a century registered 7.3 on the Richter scale (Taiwan Chi-Chi Earthquake). Besides, there were more than 20,000 aftershocks that followed the Taiwan Chi-Chi Earthquake within three months. Thus, the PM2.5, PM(2.5-10) particle concentrations were also collected then and compared with total suspended particle (TSP) in this study. The average PM(2.5-10), PM2.5 and TSP concentrations are 24.6, 58.0 and 106 microg/m3, respectively, after the Taiwan Chi-Chi Earthquake. The average TSP concentrations before and after Taiwan Chi-Chi Earthquake were 70 and 127 microg/m3, respectively. It is clearly shown that the average concentration of TSP after Taiwan Chi-Chi Earthquake was about 1.8 times as that of TSP concentration before Taiwan Chi-Chi Earthquake in the traffic site of central Taiwan. And the ratios of PM2.5/PM(2.5-10), PM2.5/PM10 and PM2.5/TSP are 2.2%, 67.2%, 38.9%, respectively. The results also indicated about Chi-Chi fine particle concentration (PM25) and the TSP increases in the traffic site of central Taiwan after Taiwan Chi-Chi Earthquake.

Air Pollutants↗
PubMed1994

Prevalence of Taiwan variant of Epstein-Barr virus in throat washings from patients with head and neck tumors in Taiwan.

The prevalence of the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) Taiwan variant was investigated in the throat washing (TW) samples from patients with head and neck tumors, persons with nonmalignant diseases, and healthy adults in Taiwan. By using the EBV (BNLF-1 gene)-specific primers and PCR, the EBV latent membrane protein gene BNLF-1 was detected in 91 (61%) of the 150 TW samples from patients with tumors, including 25 (78%) of 32 patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma and 66 (56%) of 118 other patients with head and neck tumors. The TW samples from the 26 patients with nonmalignant tumors and 53 healthy adults were also examined. Approximately 47% of these samples were positive for the EBV gene. The PCR products of the BNLF-1 gene were then subjected to XhoI digestion. Sixty-eight of 91 PCR products (75%) showed the loss of the XhoI site, which indicated the presence of a Taiwan strain of EBV in patients with tumors. The DNA sequence of the BNLF-1 gene of the Taiwan variant revealed that the loss of the XhoI site was due to a nucleotide change from a G to a T at position 169,426 in comparison with the sequence of prototype EBV B95-8 cells. Furthermore, the Taiwan strain appeared significantly more frequently in the TWs and tissue samples from patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (88%; P < 0.001) and laryngeal carcinoma (80%; P < 0.02) than in those samples from healthy adults (about 40%). These data indicate that a Taiwan variant of EBV may be closely associated with head and neck tumors and suggest that this variant may be important in the pathogenesis of head and neck tumors.

Base Sequence↗
PubMed2004

The status of antimicrobial resistance in Taiwan among gram-negative pathogens: the Taiwan surveillance of antimicrobial resistance (TSAR) program, 2000.

In a nationwide surveillance of antimicrobial resistance (Taiwan Surveillance of Antimicrobial Resistance, TSAR), isolates were collected from 21 medical centers and regional hospitals throughout Taiwan over a three-month period in 2000 (TSAR II). This report summarizes susceptibility data of 7 common Gram-negative bacilli (Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Serratia marcescens, Proteus mirabilis, Enterobacter cloacae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Acinetobacter baumannii) in the TSAR II collection and compared selected key forms of resistance by epidemiologic factors and with isolates collected in 1998 (TSAR I) as well as with data from international surveillance studies. Resistance of the 5 Enterobacteriaceae species to most of the commonly prescribed "first-line" antimicrobials in Taiwan, such as ampicillin (78% in E. coli, 68% in P. mirabilis), gentamicin (19% in K. pneumonia to 66% in S. marcescens), and trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole (29% in K. pneumoniae to 70% in P. mirabilis), was high, several of which are higher than other countries. Resistance to certain broad-spectrum antimicrobials is also more acute in Taiwan than most Western countries, such as ceftazidime resistant A. baumannii (73%) and ciprofloxacin resistant E. coli (12%). Differences in geographic regions and specimen types were associated with certain forms of resistance in TSAR II; however, the resistance problem is prevalent among both inpatients and outpatients of not only medical centers but also regional hospitals throughout Taiwan.

Anti-Bacterial Agents↗
PubMed1997

Universal hepatitis B vaccination in Taiwan and the incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma in children. Taiwan Childhood Hepatoma Study Group.

BACKGROUND: A nationwide hepatitis B vaccination program was implemented in Taiwan in July 1984. To assess the effect of the program on the development of hepatocellular carcinoma, we studied the incidence of this cancer in children in Taiwan from 1981 to 1994. METHODS: We collected data on liver cancer in children from Taiwan's National Cancer Registry, which receives reports from each of the country's 142 hospitals with more than 50 beds. Data on childhood liver cancer were also obtained from Taiwan's 17 major medical centers. To prevent the inclusion of cases of hepatoblastoma, the primary analysis was confined to liver cancers in children six years of age or older. Data were also obtained on mortality from liver cancer among children. RESULTS: The average annual incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma in children 6 to 14 years of age declined from 0.70 per 100,000 children between 1981 and 1986 to 0.57 between 1986 and 1990, and to 0.36 between 1990 and 1994 (P<0.01). The corresponding rates of mortality from hepatocellular carcinoma also decreased. The incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma in children 6 to 9 years of age declined from 0.52 for those born between 1974 and 1984 to 0.13 for those born between 1984 and 1986 (P<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Since the institution of Taiwan's program of universal hepatitis B vaccination, the incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma in children has declined.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1999

Identity of a novel swine hepatitis E virus in Taiwan forming a monophyletic group with Taiwan isolates of human hepatitis E virus.

Recently, we found that more than 10% of the cases of acute non-A, non-B, non-C hepatitis in Taiwan were caused by a novel strain of hepatitis E virus (HEV). Since none of these patients had a history of travel to areas where HEV is endemic, the source of transmission remains unclear. The recent discovery of a swine HEV in herd pigs in the United States has led us to speculate that HEV may also circulate in herd pigs in Taiwan and may serve as a reservoir for HEV in Taiwan. Of 275 herd pigs obtained from 10 pig farms in Taiwan, 102 (37%) were seropositive for serum anti-HEV immunoglobulin G (IgG). A 185-bp genomic sequence within the ORF-2 of the HEV genome was amplified and cloned from serum samples of an anti-HEV positive pig and subsequently from serum samples of a patient with acute hepatitis E. Sequence comparison revealed that the swine and human isolates of HEV share 97.3% identity. Phylogenetic analyses further showed that the Taiwan swine and human isolates of HEV form a distinct branch divergent from all other known strains of HEV, including the U.S. swine strain. To examine the potential risk of cross-species transmission of swine HEV to humans, the seroprevalences of anti-HEV IgG in 30 swine handlers, 20 pork dealers, and 50 control subjects were assessed and were found to be 26.7, 15, and 8%, respectively (for swine handlers versus controls, P = 0.048). Our findings may help provide an understanding of the modes of HEV transmission and may also raise potential public health concerns for HEV zoonosis.

Animals↗
PubMed2002

Prevalence of dyslipidemia and mean blood lipid values in Taiwan: results from the Nutrition and Health Survey in Taiwan (NAHSIT, 1993-1996).

This paper reports the blood lipid status of people aged 4 years and older in Taiwan. The data is based on the Nutrition and Health Survey in Taiwan (NAHSIT: 1993-1996), which adopted a multi-stage, stratified clustering sampling scheme. Altogether, 5097 subjects (2451 males and 2646 females) had data on triglyceride and 5643 subjects (2736 males and 2907 females) had data on cholesterol. We found that (a) cholesterol levels of males were lower than females in mid-to old age group (> or = 45 years old); (b) triglyceride values of females were lower than males in young adulthood (19-44 years), but higher than males after the age of 45 years, and (c) adult females had higher HDL-C value and lower ratio of total cholesterol to HDL-C than males. The prevalence of hypercholesterolemia was 10.2% in adult males and 12.6% in mid-to-old aged men, and that in females was 11.2% and 24.4%, respectively. The prevalence of hypertriglyceridemia was 13.4% and 6.1% in adult males and females (> or = 19 years as a whole), respectively. It was 12.3% in mid-to-old aged men (> or = 45 years), and 11.9% in women. The mean cholesterol values were similar to values of several previous surveys in different areas of Taiwan. But it was higher than those in some areas of Mainland China, and lower than those of western countries. People in metropolitan cities had a higher level of blood cholesterol than other areas. The average triglyceride values of males and females were higher than those of previous studies in Taiwan and of people in Mainland China. Mountainous stratum with predominantly aboriginal residents had higher level of triglycerides and body mass index (BMI) than other strata. The associations between dietary intakes of men and women and blood lipids were examined controlling for age and BMI. Result showed that Keys score, which was derived from saturated fat, polyunsaturated fat and dietary cholesterol of a 24-hour recall, was positively related to blood cholesterol and LDL-C in men, but not in women. Average alcohol intakes per day were related to HDL-C positively, but LDL-C negatively in men and women. The regional differences in blood lipid profiles in Taiwan are consistent with the dietary and life-style variations island-wide.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1998

Lyme disease in Taiwan: primary isolation of Borrelia burgdorferi-like spirochetes from rodents in the Taiwan area.

To investigate the prevalence of Lyme disease infection in Taiwan, we conducted a zoonotic survey for spirochetal infection in the small mammals. Ear tissues of trapped rodents collected from various localities in Taiwan were incubated into BSK-H culture medium and examined for the evidence of spirochetal infection by dark-field microscopy. Spirochetes cultured from six species of wild and peridomestic rodents and seven isolates, designated TWKM 1-7, were purified by serial dilution and membrane filtration. Infection was detected in 16.6% (53 of 320) of captured rodents and the highest infection rate (36.4%) was observed in the brown country rat (Rattus losea, Swinhoe). Higher infection rates based on the geographic distribution were observed in the eastern localities and on Kimmen Island. Reactivity with Borrelia burgdorferi-specific monoclonal antibodies and Western blot analysis indicated that these Taiwan isolates were closely related to the causative agent of Lyme disease, B. burgdorferi sensu lato. These results provide the first evidence of the existence of Lyme disease spirochetes in the Taiwan area.

Animals↗
PubMed2001

Hyperuricemia and gout in Taiwan: results from the Nutritional and Health Survey in Taiwan (1993-96).

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the prevalence of hyperuricemia in Taiwan. METHODS: A multi-stage stratified sampling scheme was used in Nutrition and Health Survey, which was conducted in Taiwan between 1993 and 96. Complete biochemical and questionnaire data for 2754 males and 2953 females aged 4 years and older were included in the analysis. The colorimetric enzymatic method was used to measure plasma uric acid in fasting blood samples. Information on self-reported, physician-diagnosed gout was also obtained. RESULTS: The uric acid values of males were found to reach a peak between the ages of 13 and 18 and decrease slightly after 18. The uric acid values of females were stable before the age of 18, decreasing slightly between 19 and 44 years, and increasing in the mid to older age groups (> or = 45 years). Twenty-six percent of adult males (> or = 19 years) and 22% of older males (> or = 45 years) either had hyperuricemia (serum uric acid > 458.0 microM or 7.7 mg/dl) or were taking medication for it. Seventeen percent of adult females and 23% of older females either had hyperuricemia (serum uric acid > 392.57 microM or 6.6 mg/dl) or were taking medication for it. Both adult males and females in mountainous areas, who were primarily aboriginal, had the highest prevalence of hyperuricemia (> 50%) among the 7 survey areas. Mean body mass index (BMI), alcohol consumption, and prevalence of gout were among the highest in mountainous people compared to all included in the study. Multivariate analysis showed that mountainous area, age and BMI are important factors associated with hyperuricemia in males, whereas mountainous area, Class II townships, and BMI are the factors associated with hyperuricemia in females. CONCLUSIONS: We found a high prevalence of hyperuricemia in Han Chinese in Taiwan despite a lack both of obesity and high alcohol consumption. Mountainous people (mainly aborigines) in Taiwan have an even higher prevalence of hyperuricemia, which cannot be completely explained by obesity and alcohol consumption. Genetic components and other environmental factors may have contributed to this pattern of hyperuricemia.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2004

Epidemiology, clinical features and treatment outcome of Wilms' tumor in Taiwan: a report from Taiwan Pediatric Oncology Group.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Taiwan Pediatric Oncology Group (TPOG)-W-91 is the first multi-institutional Wilms' tumor study for children in Taiwan. This clinical trial used a multidisciplinary approach, based on and similar to the National Wilms' Tumor Study 4. The study was conducted to evaluate the epidemiological characteristics and analyze the outcome of Wilms' tumor patients treated with this protocol. METHODS: Ninety eight children with Wilms' tumor (WT) were analyzed for distributions of age, gender, associated congenital anomalies, tumor sites, histology, tumor weights, and clinical stages. Patients received individualized multimodality treatment based upon the histology of the tumor and clinicopathologic stage. The treatment included surgery, radiotherapy and 2-, 3-, and 4-agent active chemotherapeutic agents. Seventy patients were eligible for analysis of treatment outcome. The endpoints were progression-free and overall survival (PFS, OS). Patients were divided into various subgroups according to the chemotherapy regimen used, tumor stage, age at diagnosis, gender, and tumor weight. The prognostic factors were evaluated and the survival rates of various clinical subgroups were compared using log-rank test. RESULTS: The average annual incidence rate of WT was 2.9 per million children under 15 years of age. The M/F ratio was 1.04. The mean age at diagnosis was 3.7 years. All bilateral tumors occurred in females. Congenital anomalies were present in 17.3% of patients. Anaplastic histology was found in 6 of 98 cases (6.1%). The stage distribution was: I, 43.2%; II, 19.3%; III, 23.9%; IV, 6.8%; and V, 6.8%. The median follow-up time was 89.1 months (range, 1.8 to 128.1 months). The 5-year PFS rate was 0.7841 (SE, 0.0494; 53 of 70 patients) and the 5-year OS rate was 0.886 (SE, 0.038; 63 of 70 patients). Gender was found to be the only significant prognostic variable. CONCLUSIONS: This study evaluated the epidemiological characteristics, clinical features, multimodality therapy regimens, and treatment outcome of WT in Taiwan. Data obtained from this study may lead to further improvement in the prognosis of pediatric malignant solid tumor.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Quality of life of breast cancer patients in Taiwan: validation of the Taiwan Chinese version of the EORTC QLQ-C30 and EORTC QLQ-BR23.

The objective of this study was to test the reliability and validity of the Taiwan Chinese version of the EORTC QLQ-C30 (version 3) and EORTC QLQ-BR23. The authors followed the guidelines of translation and pilot testing of the questionnaires. The questionnaires were given to 35 breast cancer patients under active treatment and 54 under follow-up at the National Taiwan University Hospital from November 2000 to October 2001. A retest was conducted one to two weeks after the first interview/form completion for the follow-up group. The intraclass correlation coefficients of the two questionnaires were moderate to high in the follow-up group. The Cronbach's alpha coefficients of most scales of the two questionnaires were > or = 0.70 except that of physical functioning (0.68), cognitive functioning (0.53), and arm symptoms (0.59). Correlations of scales measuring similar dimensions of the EORTC QLQ-C30 and the SF-36 were moderate. Patients in the active treatment group had more serious QOL problems due to disease and treatment. Results of this study showed that the Taiwan Chinese version of the two questionnaires had good test/retest reliability, high internal consistency in most scales, and could show the expected differences between patients in active chemotherapy and follow-up group.

Adult↗
PubMed1999

An epidemic of enterovirus 71 infection in Taiwan. Taiwan Enterovirus Epidemic Working Group.

BACKGROUND: Enteroviruses can cause outbreaks of hand-foot-and-mouth disease (characterized by vesicular lesions on the hands, feet, and oral mucosa) or herpangina, usually without life-threatening manifestations. In 1998 an epidemic of enterovirus 71 infection caused hand-foot-and-mouth disease and herpangina in thousands of people in Taiwan, some of whom died. METHODS: We assessed the epidemiologic aspects of this outbreak. Cases of hand-foot-and-mouth disease or herpangina in ambulatory patients were reported to the Taiwan Department of Health by a mean of 818 sentinel physicians. Severe cases in hospitalized patients were reported by 40 medical centers and regional hospitals. Viruses were isolated by 10 hospital laboratories and the department of health. RESULTS: The sentinel physicians reported 129,106 cases of hand-foot-and-mouth disease or herpangina in two waves of the epidemic, which probably represents less than 10 percent of the estimated total number of cases. There were 405 patients with severe disease, most of whom were five years old or younger; severe disease was seen in all regions of the island. Complications included encephalitis, aseptic meningitis, pulmonary edema or hemorrhage, acute flaccid paralysis, and myocarditis. Seventy-eight patients died, 71 of whom (91 percent) were five years of age or younger. Of the patients who died, 65 (83 percent) had pulmonary edema or pulmonary hemorrhage. Among patients from whom a virus was isolated, enterovirus 71 was present in 48.7 percent of outpatients with uncomplicated hand-foot-and-mouth disease or herpangina, 75 percent of hospitalized patients who survived, and 92 percent of patients who died. CONCLUSIONS: Although several enteroviruses were circulating in Taiwan during the 1998 epidemic, enterovirus 71 infection was associated with most of the serious clinical manifestations and with nearly all the deaths. Most of those who died were young, and the majority died of pulmonary edema and pulmonary hemorrhage.

Child, Preschool↗
PubMed2005

Antifungal susceptibilities of clinical isolates of Candida species, Cryptococcus neoformans, and Aspergillus species from Taiwan: surveillance of multicenter antimicrobial resistance in Taiwan program data from 2003.

The susceptibilities of nonduplicate isolates to six antifungal agents were determined for 391 blood isolates of seven Candida species, 70 clinical isolates (from blood or cerebrospinal fluid) of Cryptococcus neoformans, and 96 clinical isolates of four Aspergillus species, which were collected in seven different hospitals in Taiwan (as part of the 2003 program of the study group Surveillance of Multicenter Antimicrobial Resistance in Taiwan). All isolates of Candida species other than C. glabrata and C. krusei were susceptible to fluconazole. Among the 59 C. glabrata isolates, 16 (27%) were not susceptible to fluconazole, and all were dose-dependently susceptible or resistant to itraconazole. For three (5.1%) C. glabrata isolates, voriconazole MICs were 2 to 4 microg/ml, and for all other Candida species isolates, voriconazole MICs were </=0.5 microg/ml. The proportions of isolates for which amphotericin B MICs were >/=2 microg/ml were 100% (3 isolates) for C. krusei, 11% (23 of 207 isolates) for Candida albicans, 3.0% (2 of 67 isolates) for Candida tropicalis, 20% (12 of 59 isolates) for C. glabrata, and 0% for both Candida parapsilosis and Candida lusitaniae. For three (4%) Cryptococcus neoformans isolates, fluconazole MICs were >/=16 microg/ml, and two (3%) isolates were not inhibited by 1 mug of amphotericin B/ml. For four (4.2%) of the Aspergillus isolates, itraconazole MICs were 8 microg/ml. Aspergillus flavus was less susceptible to amphotericin B, with the MICs at which 50% (1 microg/ml) and 90% (2 microg/ml) nsrsid417869\delrsid7301351 of isolates were inhibited being twofold greater than those for Aspergillus fumigatus and Aspergillus niger. All Aspergillus isolates were inhibited by </=1 microg of voriconazole/ml, including isolates with increased resistance to amphotericin B and itraconazole. This study revealed the emergence in Taiwan of decreased susceptibilities of Candida species to amphotericin B and of C. neoformans to fluconazole and amphotericin B. Voriconazole was the most potent agent against the fungal isolates tested, including fluconazole- and amphotericin B-nonsusceptible strains.

Antifungal Agents↗
PubMed1997

Vaccination trials against Taiwan Taenia eggs in pigs injected with frozen oncospheres of Taiwan Taenia, Korea Taenia, T. saginata or T. solium.

When Small-Ear-Miniature pigs subcutaneously injected once with frozen oncospheres of Taiwan Taenia, Korea Taenia, T. saginata or T. solium emulsified with Freund's complete adjuvant (1.6 x 10(4)/0.4 ml) were challenged orally with 1.6 x 10(4) viable eggs of Taiwan Taenia 41 days later, they all showed strong resistance compared with pigs vaccinated with T. solium. Most pigs (5/8) of the former 3 groups harboured no cysticerci. The number of cysticerci was 5.5 +/- 9.1 (mean +/- S.D.), whereas pigs of the T. solium group and control group harboured 160 +/- 30.1 and 661 +/- 637.2 cysticerci, respectively. All cysticerci recovered from vaccinated pigs and most cysticerci in control pigs were degenerated or calcified at 36-55 days after oral egg challenge. These results strongly suggest that oncospheres of Taiwan Taenia and Korea Taenia are very similar to T. saginata in their immunogenicity in pigs.

Animals↗
PubMed2006

Atmosphic pollutants study of particles ionic species during high wind speed (>7 m s(-1)) near Taiwan strait in central Taiwan from 2004 to 2005.

This study monitored atmospheric pollutants during high wind speed (> 7 m s(-1)) at two sampling sites: Taichung Harbor (TH) and Wuci traffic (WT) during March 2004 to January 2005 in central Taiwan. The correlation coefficient (R (2)) between TSP, PM(2.5), PM(2.5-10) particle concentration vs. wind speed at the TH and WT sampling site during high wind speed (< 7 m s(-1)) were also displayed in this study. In addition, the correlation coefficients between TSP, PM(2.5) and PM(2.5-10) of ionic species vs. high wind speed were also observed. The results indicated that the correlation coefficient order was TSP > PM(2.5-10) > PM(2.5) for particle at both sampling sites near Taiwan strait. In addition, the concentration of Cl(-), NO(3) (-), SO(4) (2-), NH(4) (+), Mg(2+), Ca(2+) and Na(+) were also analyzed in this study.

Air Pollutants↗
PubMed2006

Addressing Taiwan's high incidence of cervical cancer: factors associated with the Nation's low compliance with Papanicolaou screening in Taiwan.

BACKGROUND: Despite cervical cancer being the leading female cancer, women in Taiwan have received fewer screening examinations for this disease than populations in Western countries. METHODS: Randomly selected telephone questionnaire interviews with women aged 20 years and over were conducted to investigate the factors associated with the subject's cancer screening practices. RESULTS: Among 1021 respondents, 51.6% self-reported no Papanicolaou (Pap) examination received within their lifetime. The multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that, in addition to marital status, cancer knowledge was the most significant factor associated with screening practice compliance. Compared with women with correct answers for 22-28 cancer knowledge questions, the odds ratios (OR) for non-compliance were 1.4 (95% confidence interval (CI)=1.0-2.0) for women with 17-21 correct answers and 2.3 (95% CI=1.6-3.4) for women with less than 17 correct answers. Women aged 40-49 years had the best cancer knowledge scores. Unmarried women were at an elevated risk for no Pap examination (OR=7.6, 95% CI=5.2-11.3). CONCLUSIONS: Women in Taiwan should be targeted for intervention to promote cancer knowledge and screening compliance.

Adult↗
PubMed2005

A population study of the self-care behaviors and their associated factors of diabetes in Taiwan: results from the 2001 National Health Interview Survey in Taiwan.

BACKGROUND: Diabetes has been the fifth leading cause of death in Taiwan since 1987, and the complications are a burden to the patients, their families, and society. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to examine the self-control behaviors of diabetics and associated factors. METHODS: Data for this study came from the 2001 National Health Interview Survey in Taiwan. Subjects with diabetes confirmed by medical professionals, aged 40 years or older, were included. Self-care behaviors included any of the following: taking medicine regularly, reducing weight, avoiding cigarettes or alcohol, exercising, practicing diet control, and maintaining a regular life style and avoiding late hours. The factors considered were demographic factors including age, sex, education, income, and health behavior factors including smoking, drinking alcohol, chewing betel nuts, and health conditions such as existence of other chronic diseases, limitation of activity of daily living (ADL), and self-perceived health. RESULTS: There were 764 subjects aged 40 years or older who were diagnosed with diabetes. Logistic regression showed that females, those with older age or chronic disease such as hypertension or dyslipidemia, and those with long duration of diabetes took medicine regularly. Old age group, middle school educated, and longer duration of the disease had a higher chance of using any self-care method than their counterparts. CONCLUSION: Attention should be given to the younger age group, shorter duration of the disease in practicing self-care of diabetes.

Adult↗
PubMed2001

Prevalence, awareness, treatment and control of hypertension in Taiwan: results of Nutrition and Health Survey in Taiwan (NAHSIT) 1993-1996.

The objective of this paper is to describe hypertension status in Taiwan using data from the Nutrition and Health Survey in Taiwan (NAHSIT) 1993-1996, which adopted a clustered stratified multistage sampling scheme. A total of 4838 males and 4876 females aged 4 years and above were interviewed and examined corresponding to a response rate of 74%. Almost all of them (97.5%) had blood pressures measured. The results show that the mean blood pressure of adult males was higher than that of adult females below 45 years of age. After that, the pattern was reversed. When defined by JNC IV criteria (SBP/DBP > or = 160/95 mm Hg or taking antihypertensive drugs), the prevalence was 13% in adult males (> or = 19 years) and 12% in adult females. When defined by JNC VI criteria (SBP/DBP > or = 140/90 mm Hg or taking antihypertensive drugs), the prevalence was 26% in adult males and 19% in adult females. The prevalence in the mountainous area, was the highest among the seven survey strata. Under the JNC IV definition, 43% males and 53% females with hypertension knew their disease status, 31% of males and 45% of females took medicine for it, and 15% of males and 22% of females had their blood pressure under control. Percentages of awareness, treatment, and control were much lower with the JNC V definition, which was introduced toward the end of survey period. People in metropolitan areas had the highest rates of awareness, treatment, control, and compliance to medication.

Adolescent↗