Huangyuan Li

Workplace violence and influencing factors among medical professionals in China

BACKGROUND Workplace violence has attracted increasing public attention over the past few decades in China. This study was conducted to evaluate the frequency of workplace violence in healthcare settings by various job titles and hospital departments, and to explore the related risk factors among Chinese medical professionals. METHODS A total of 2,464 medical professionals in 12 hospitals of two provinces were surveyed by using a stratified cluster sampling method. The Chinese version of the Workplace Violence Scale was used to measure the frequencies of workplace violence, classified as physical assault, emotional abuse, threat of assault, verbal sexual harassment and sexual assault experienced by the subjects over the previous 12 months. A structured questionnaire was administered to collect information on potentially influencing factors for workplace violence. Multivariate analysis was applied to determine the risk factors for workplace violence. RESULTS About 50% of study subjects reported at least one type of workplace violence. The rates of experiencing two episodes or more of physical assault, emotional abuse, threat of assault, verbal sexual harassment, and sexual assault were 11%, 26%, 12%, 3%, and 1%, respectively. Identified risk factors for workplace violence included working in the departments of psychiatry, emergency, pediatrics and surgery, male gender, divorce/widowed status, long working hours (≥10 hr/day), and night shift. CONCLUSIONS The study suggested that workplace violence occurs commonly in Chinese healthcare settings. Effective intervention strategies targeting workplace violence should be formulated in terms of major risk factors.

A Comparison of the Effect of Work Stress on Burnout and Quality of Life Between Female Nurses and Female Doctors

ABSTRACT The objective of this study was to compare the effect of work stress on job burnout and quality of life between female nurses and doctors in China. The participants were 947 female nurses and 685 female doctors selected from Fujian provinces by using stratified cluster sampling method. The Chinese version of Short Form-36 Health Survey was used to measure quality of life; the Occupation Stress Inventory—Revised Edition was applied for occupational stress; and the Maslach Burnout Inventory—General Survey was used to assess job burnout. Occupational stress (indicated by different stressors) played an important role in job burnout and quality of life among female nurses and female doctors when taking into account other potential influencing factors simultaneously. These results show that it is important to adopt different preventive measures to prevent burnout and improve quality of life among the 2 populations according to the different stressors.

A study on workplace violence and its effect on quality of life among medical professionals in China.

ABSTRACT The present study was conducted to investigate workplace violence and to examine how it is associated with quality of life (QOL) among medical professionals in China. A total of 2,464 medical professionals were selected from Fujian Province and Henan Province by using stratified cluster-sampling method. A Chinese version of the workplace violence scale was used to measure the incidence of workplace violence. The Short Form-36 Health Survey was employed to assess their QOL. Approximately 50% of the participants reported at least one type of workplace violence occurring in the previous 12 months. The multivariate analysis demonstrated workplace violence as a significant predictor for QOL among medical professionals, after controlling for other potential predictors. It suggests that the implementation of violence prevention policies and strategies to reduce workplace violence may improve QOL of medical professionals in China.

Quality of life and its influencing factors among medical professionals in China

PurposeThe present study is to evaluate quality of life (QOL) among Chinese medical professionals and explore its main influencing factors.MethodsA total of 2,721 medical professionals were selected from two provinces by using stratified cluster sampling method. The Chinese version of Short Form-36 Health Survey (SF-36) was used to measure QOL; Occupation Stress Inventory-Revised Edition (OSI-R) was used for occupational stress and coping resources. Other potential influencing factors for QOL were collected using a structured questionnaire. Multivariate analysis approach was applied to determine the influencing factors for QOL.ResultsQOL in the medical professionals was less desirable in comparison with the general population. Occupational stress, long working hour, occupation (being nurse), department (working in surgery) were unfavorable factors for PCS and MCS, and recreation, performance recognized, drinking and physical activity were protective factors for PCS, while rational coping, recreation, social support, performance recognized, drinking and physical activity were favorable factors for MCS.ConclusionsThe results suggest that occupational factors, behavioral factors and coping resources, as well as age, play significant roles in QOL in the medical professionals. Accordingly, interventional program designed to target relieving occupational stress, adjusting behavioral habits and increasing coping resources may be useful to improve QOL among medical professionals.

Workplace violence and its effect on burnout and turnover attempt among Chinese medical staff

ABSTRACT The present study was to evaluate workplace violence and examine its effect on job burnout and turnover attempt among medical staff in China. A total of 2,020 medical employees were selected from Fujian province by using stratified cluster sampling method. The Chinese version of the Workplace Violence Scale and the Maslach Burnout Inventory–General Survey were used to measure the workplace violence and job burnout, respectively. Other potential influencing factors for job burnout and turnover attempt were collected using a structured questionnaire. The incidence of workplace violence among medical staff was 48.0%. Workplace violence had a positive correlation with emotional exhaustion and cynicism and a negative correlation with professional efficacy. Workplace violence, marital status, employment type, working time (≥ 10 h/day), performance recognition, and life satisfaction were significant predictors for turnover attempt among Chinese medical staff.

A structural equation model relating work stress, coping resource, and quality of life among Chinese medical professionals.

BACKGROUND Work stress and coping resource may contribute to the quality of life in medical professionals. This study is to determine the relationships among work stressor, personal strain, coping resource and the quality of life (QOL) and its two dimensions in medical professionals. METHODS The Chinese version of Short Form-36 Health Survey was used to measure QOL, the modified edition of the Occupational Stress Inventory was applied to evaluate the work stressor, personal strain and coping resources among 2,721 medical professionals. The structural equation model was established to assess the relationships among these variables. RESULTS Work stressor and coping resources had both direct and indirect effects on QOL and its two dimensions, the indirect effects were mediated by personal strain. Personal strain had a negative direct effect on QOL and its two dimensions. CONCLUSIONS This study confirmed a complex relationship among these variables. Countermeasures targeting work stressor, reducing personal strain and strengthening coping resources are necessary in order to improve the QOL among medical professionals.

The mediating and moderating role of personal strain and coping resource in the relationship between work stressor and quality of life among Chinese nurses

ObjectiveTo determine whether personal strain and coping resources act as either mediator or moderator or both in the relationship between work stressor and quality of life among Chinese nurses.MethodsA total of 1,012 nurses were selected from eight hospitals located in two provinces in China. Quality of life was measured with the Chinese version of the Short Form-36 Health Survey; work stressor, personal strain, and coping resources were evaluated using the Occupation Stress Inventory-Revised Edition. The hierarchical multiple regression procedure and Baron and Kenny’s model of mediation were applied to test for moderation and mediation, respectively. A structural equation model was fit to assess the interrelationships among these variables.ResultsWork stressor was closely associated with quality of life, which was mediated and moderated by personal strain and coping resources. Personal strain also acted both as moderator and mediator in the relationship between coping resources and quality of life. The relationships were verified in the structural equation model. The greatest absolute value of the standardized total effects was seen in personal strain (0.817), followed by work stressor (0.634) and coping resources (0.488).ConclusionsPersonal strain and coping resources have both mediating and moderating effects on the relationship between work stress and quality of life in a sample of Chinese nurses. An effective intervention strategy is needed to reduce work stress and ensure better quality of life.

Hypomethylation of the Angiotensin II Type I Receptor (AGTR1) Gene Along with Environmental Factors Increases the Risk for Essential Hypertension

Objectives: The present study aimed to evaluate the hypertension status of community residents, analyze environmental and epigenetic factors, and propose prevention measures for hypertension. Methods: In our study, different methylation levels were distinguished utilizing melting temperature (Tm) values in both the case and the control group. Multiple logistic regression analysis was used to estimate the risk of having essential hypertension (EH) between hypertensive and nonhypertensive participants. A receiver-operating characteristic curve was used to analyze Tm cutoff levels of methylation. Results: The average DNA Tm was 71.784 with a standard deviation of 0.210. The Tm value of community residents (Fujian, China) was inversely correlated with systolic and diastolic blood pressure. Student t test analysis showed a clear separation in Tm expression levels between the hypertensive and the control group (p < 0.05). The Tm value was lower in the hypertension group than in the normotensive group. Multivariate regression analysis showed that high levels of DNA methylation were a protective factor in hypertension with adjustment of demographic and environmental factors, whereas when the Tm value increased by 0.1 units, the risk of hypertension was reduced by 0.652 times. Patients that smoked and consumed an irregular diet demonstrated a lower degree of methylation in the presence of hypertension. Conclusions: DNA methylation affects the risk for the development of hypertension; therefore, epigenetic markers could be used to measure hypertension levels to help elucidate the pathogenesis of EH.

Paraquat and MPTP induce alteration in the expression profile of long noncoding RNAs in the substantia nigra of mice: Role of the transcription factor Nrf2

Parkinsons disease (PD) is a common age-related degenerative disease of the central nervous system caused mainly by hereditary, pesticides, metals, and polychlorinated biphenyls. Paraquat (PQ), a widely used herbicide, causes PD. Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are nonprotein-coding transcripts, expressed in the brain and play irreplaceable roles in neurodegenerative diseases. NF-E2-related factor-2 (Nrf2) is an important genetic transcription regulator in oxidative stress. We aimed to discover novel PQ or 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP)-Nrf2-related lncRNAs and explore their association with PD. 17157 lncRNAs and 13707 mRNAs (fold change ≥2, P < 0.05) were identified by Microarray. And the expressions of six lncRNAs were confirmed by using qRT-PCR and two by FISH. Coding-noncoding analysis and qRT-PCR were applied to discover the functions of lncRNAs and predict the targeted genes. In mice, PQ and MPTP exposure caused alteration of the lncRNA expression profile, suggesting lncRNAs may be involved in PQ- and MPTP-induced neurotoxicity. The changes in their lncRNA expression were distinct but related. PQ caused lncRNA expression profiling alteration in the substantia nigra (SN) through an interaction with Nrf2, thus changing the NR_027648/Zc3h14/Cybb and NR_030777/Zfp326/Cpne5 mRNA pathways. Similarly, MPTP caused lncRNA expression profiling alteration in SN through an interaction with Nrf2. Nrf2 may be involved in the development of neurodegeneration induced by PQ and MPTP via interaction with lncRNAs as the molecular mechanism. Our findings indicate the potential roles of lncRNAs in the development of PD by PQ or MPTP and provide positive insights into future mechanism studies.