Use of tracking technology to examine life-space mobility among people with depression: A systematic review protocol

Introduction People with depression often experience disabilities that limit their social and physical capacity, daily function, and quality of life. Depressive symptoms and their implications on daily activities are often measured retrospectively using subjective measurement tools. Recently, more objective and accurate electronic data collection methods have been used to describe the daily life of people with depressive disorders. The results, however, have not yet been systematically reviewed. We aim to provide a knowledge basis for the use of tracking technologies in examining life-space mobility among adults with depression and those with anxiety as a comorbidity.Methods and analysis A systematic review with a narrative approach for different types of study design will be conducted. The following databases will be used to gather data from 1994 to the present: MEDLINE, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, PsycINFO, Embase, Cochrane Library, Scopus, Web of Science, Health Technology Assessment Database and IEEE Xplore. The study selection will follow the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Protocols. Methodological appraisal of studies will be performed using the Crowe Critical Appraisal Tool as well as the Cochrane Risk-of-Bias Tool for randomised controlled trials. A narrative synthesis of all included studies will be conducted.Ethics and dissemination Because there will be no human involvement in the actual systematic review, no ethical approval will be required. The results will be disseminated in a peer-reviewed journal and in a conference presentation.</p

The alcohol use disorders identification test (AUDIT): validation of an instrument for enhancing nursing practice in Hong Kong

This paper describes the psychometric analysis of the alcohol use disorders identification test (AUDIT) after it was modified for use in Hong Kong and administered to examine the patterns of hazardous and harmful drinking. The modified version of AUDIT was an 18-item instrument in which 10 items were completely adopted from the original version and 8 items were added to improve its cultural sensitivity. It was translated into Chinese and back translation was undertaken to confirm the equivalence of the Chinese and English versions. Following a pilot study the instrument was administered to 450 subjects who were recruited from two acute general hospitals, a University Health Clinic and three community health centres. The content validity was judged as adequate by a panel of five international and local experts and the instrument achieved a high reliability coefficient of 0.99 during a test–retest procedure conducted with 20 subjects. Factor analysis was performed on the responses obtained from 450 subjects which supported the construct validity of the 18-item instrument. The modified instrument had a consistently high internal consistency reliability (Cronbach\u27s alpha=0.96–0.97) when tested in the different settings. It was found that a higher percentage of respondents from the hospitals (14.5%) drank at a hazardous or harmful levels compared to those from the community (6.2%) or the University (5.3%).The AUDIT proved a reliable and valid measure with potential applications in Chinese cultures. Early intervention and identification of ‘at risk’ drinking by the AUDIT is supported as a strategy to be implemented by nurses in primary and secondary health care settings in Hong Kong, where there are indications of increasing alcohol overuse

An evaluation of anti-corruption legislation in Hong Kong

published_or_final_versionPublic AdministrationMasterMaster of Social Science

Physical, mental, and behavioral health after adverse and benevolent childhood experiences: a comparison of two adversity conceptualizations

Objective: Adverse and benevolent childhood experiences (ACEs, BCEs) impact health across the lifespan. No known study has investigated these associations across different health domains using a representative adult sample. This study examined the associations between adult physical, mental, and behavioral health with ACEs and BCEs based on two ACEs conceptualizations. Methods: A cross-sectional population-based survey was conducted in Hong Kong. Thirteen ACEs were measured and conceptualized as cumulative ACE scores and ACE patterns. Selfreports of BCEs; ten physical health problems; current mental health; posttraumatic stress; history of diagnosed mental illness; suicidal thought and suicide attempt; and engagement in three health-risk behaviors (smoking, illicit substance misuse, binge drinking) were also included. A series of regression analyses were conducted to examine the association between childhood experiences and health. Results: In a random sample of 1,070 Hong Kong adults (mean age, 41.78 years; 53.93% female; mean ACEs=1.64), 649 (60.65%) reported at least one ACE. Four ACE patterns were identified (Low ACEs, Household Instability, Household Violence, and High ACEs). Higher ACE scores associated with poorer health in a dose-response fashion. Two ACE patterns shared similar average ACE scores but differentially linked with outcomes across health domains. High BCEs negatively associated with mental and behavioral health problems