CEG 453/653: Embedded Systems

ObjectivesTo examine how Chinese people in Hong Kong view healthcareprioritization and to compare the findings with those from a United Kingdom survey.MethodsA cross-sectional opinion survey was conducted in Hong Kong and 1512 participants were interviewed.ResultsData show that the highest rankings were accorded to “treatment for children” and “high technology services.” Services for the elderly, whether in the community or in hospitals, and including end-of-life care, were ranked among the lowest. This view was also shared by healthcare professionals. Compared with the UK findings, there are stark contrasts in the low ranking of end-of-life care and the high ranking of high technology services among the HK population.ConclusionsIt is evident that most people would give priority to the young over the old in distributing a given amount of healthcare services. To meet the needs of ageing societies and to meet the needs of all users equitably, healthcare policy needs to acknowledge constraints and the needs for prioritization. Both the public and professionals should engage with policy makers in formulating a policy based on cost benefit considerations as well as overall societal view of prioritization that is not based on age alone

Short version of the Smartphone Addiction Scale in Chinese adults: Psychometric properties, sociodemographic, and health behavioral correlates

Background and aims: Problematic smartphone use (PSU) is an emerging but understudied public health issue. Little is known about the epidemiology of PSU at the population level. We evaluated the psychometric properties of the Smartphone Addiction Scale – Short Version (SAS-SV) and examined its associated sociodemographic factors and health behaviors in Chinese adults in Hong Kong. Methods: A random sample of 3,211 adults aged ≥18 years (mean ± SD: 43.3 ± 15.7, 45.3% men) participated in a population-based telephone survey in Hong Kong and completed the Chinese SAS-SV. Multivariable linear regressions examined the associations of sociodemographic factors, health behaviors, and chronic disease status with SAS-SV score. Data were weighted by age, sex, and education attainment distributions of the Hong Kong general population. Results: The Chinese SAS-SV is internally consistent (Cronbach’s α = .844) and stable over 1 week (intraclass correlation coefficient = .76, p < .001). Confirmatory factor analysis supported a unidimensional structure established by previous studies. The weighted prevalence of PSU was 38.5% (95% confidence interval: 36.9%, 40.2%). Female sex, younger age, being married/cohabitated or divorced/separated (vs. unmarried), and lower education level were associated with a higher SAS-SV score (all ps <.05). Current smoking, weekly to daily alcohol drinking, and physical inactivity predict greater PSU after controlling for sociodemographic factors and mutual adjustment. Discussion and conclusions: The Chinese SAS-SV was found valid and reliable for assessing PSU in Hong Kong adults. Several sociodemographic and health behavioral factors were associated with PSU at the population level, which may have implication for prevention of PSU and future research

SARS-CoV Antibody Prevalence in All Hong Kong Patient Contacts

A total of 1,068 asymptomatic close contacts of patients with severe acute respiratory (SARS) from the 2003 epidemic in Hong Kong were serologically tested, and 2 (0.19%) were positive for SARS coronavirus immunoglobulin G antibody. SARS rarely manifests as a subclinical infection, and at present, wild animal species are the only important natural reservoirs of the virus

Hot Weather and Suicide Deaths among Older Adults in Hong Kong, 1976–2014: A Retrospective Study

Findings of the association between hot weather and suicide in a subtropical city such as Hong Kong are inconsistent. This study aimed to revisit the association by identifying meteorological risk factors for older-adult suicides in Hong Kong using a time-series approach. A retrospective study was conducted on older-adult (aged &ge;65) suicide deaths in Hong Kong from 1976 to 2014. Suicides were classified into those involving violent methods and those involving nonviolent methods. Meteorological data, including ambient temperature, were retrieved. Transfer function time-series models were fitted. In total, 7314 older-adult suicide deaths involving violent methods and 630 involving nonviolent methods were recorded. For violent-method suicides, a monthly average daily minimum ambient temperature was determined to best predict the monthly rate, and a daily maximum ambient temperature of 30.3 &deg;C was considered the threshold. For suicide deaths involving nonviolent methods, the number of days in a month for which the daily maximum ambient temperature exceeded 32.7 &deg;C could best predict the monthly rate. Higher ambient temperature was associated with more older-adult suicide deaths, both from violent and nonviolent methods. Weather-focused preventive measures for older-adult suicides are necessary, such as the provision of more public air-conditioned areas where older adults can shelter from extreme hot weather

Statistical methods for surveillance and monitoring systems

published_or_final_versionStatistics and Actuarial ScienceDoctoralDoctor of Philosoph

Summary statistics of EMWS Indices (in percentages) among Hong Kong population aged 65 and above, 1976–2010.

<p>Note:</p><p>^# Models without adjusting for meteorological variables;</p><p>NS: Not significant</p><p>Summary statistics of EMWS Indices (in percentages) among Hong Kong population aged 65 and above, 1976–2010.</p

Mortality trends among the older Hong Kong population, 1976–2010.

<p>(A) Number of deaths. (B) Age-standardized mortality rate (per 1,000 population).</p

Summary statistics of annual extreme weather variables in summer and winter, Hong Kong, 1976–2010.

<p>Note: Cold Days: days with minimum temperature below 12°C; Very Hot Days: days with maximum temperature over 33°C; Hot Nights: days with minimum temperature over 28°C; NET: Net Effective Temperature; NS: Not significant</p><p>Summary statistics of annual extreme weather variables in summer and winter, Hong Kong, 1976–2010.</p

Reproductive concerns among young adult women with breast cancer: a systematic review protocol

Introduction Reproductive concerns refer to worries about impaired or lost reproductive ability due to disease or/and treatment. Many young female patients with breast cancer experience reproductive concerns because they still desire to have children at the time of diagnosis. Reproductive concerns can impact patients’ treatment decision-making as well as their psychological health and quality of life. Understanding the situation, contributing factors and health-related consequences of reproductive concerns among patients with breast cancer is essential to minimise their impacts.Methods and analysis A systematic review will be conducted. We will search five English databases (PubMed, Embase, CINAHL, Web of Science and APA PsycInfo) and four Chinese databases (Wang Fang database, VIP, CBM and CNKI) for pertinent studies. Other relevant studies will be identified from the reference lists of included studies. Two reviewers will independently perform study selection, data extraction and quality appraisal. Any discrepancies between the two reviewers will be resolved through consultation and discussion with the senior reviewer. A formal narrative synthesis will be performed to summarise the findings of individual studies. This review aims to improve understanding of the level of reproductive concerns, factors associated with reproductive concerns and health-related consequences of reproductive concerns among patients with breast cancer. The findings can contribute to the development of tailored interventions to alleviate reproductive concerns of patients with breast cancer, enhancing their psychological health and quality of life.Ethics and dissemination Ethical approval is not required for this review, as it will be based on published studies. The findings will be disseminated by publishing in a journal.PROSPERO registration number CRD42022375247

Trends in EMWS Index by causes of death, gender and age group, 1976–2010.

<p>(A) IHD, Male. (B) IHD, Female. (C) Cerebrovascular diseases, Male. (D) Cerebrovascular diseases, Female. (E) Chronic lower respiratory diseases, Male. (F) Chronic lower respiratory diseases, Female. (G) Pneumonia, Male. (H) Pneumonia, Female. (I) Others, Male. (J) Others, Female.</p