Shengyong Wang

Trends in road traffic crashes and associated injury and fatality in the People's Republic of China, 1951-1999.

The burden of road traffic injuries in the People’s Republic of China is increasing as evidenced by trends since 1951. Data from the National Statistical Office, Ministry of Communications and the Traffic Administration Bureau were analyzed. Absolute numbers of crashes, fatalities, and injuries, as well as fatalities per 100,000 population and motorization (number of vehicles per 1000 population) were used as indices to measure trends. Regional variations in trends and the characteristics of people injured or killed were also analyzed. Road traffic crashes increased 68- fold, from around 6000 in 1951 to 413,000 in 1999. Excessive speed was the main reported cause of the crashes. The injuries increased 56-fold – from around 5000 to 286,000 – and fatalities 97-fold – from 852 to around 84,000 – over the same period. The crash, fatality and injury rates also increased after 1985, due to increased motorization spurred by rapid economic growth. The number of four-wheel motor vehicles increased from 60,000 in 1951 to just under a million four-wheel motor vehicles in 1975 and to 10 million in 1987. The number of four-wheel motor vehicles then rose to 50 million in 1999, with an additional 30 million motorcycles. The increase in motorization and fatalities affected all the provinces. Road traffic injuries are the leading cause of death for populations up to the age of 45 years and the leading cause of working-life years lost in China.

The Association of Road Safety Knowledge and Risk Behaviour with Paediatric Road Traffic Injury in Guangzhou, China

Background This study describes road traffic injuries among school-aged children in Guangzhou, China, and examines the effect of road safety knowledge and risk behaviours on road traffic injuries. Methods A stratified cluster sample of 3747 children from six primary schools and six middle schools in Guangzhou, China, was surveyed. Data were collected on sociodemographic factors and road traffic injuries during the past year. Knowledge about road safety rules was assessed using a 14-item road safety knowledge index, and risky road safety behaviours were measured using a 25-item road safety behaviour index. Results A total of 403 (10.8%) students reported having at least one road traffic injury during the past 12 months. A high proportion of injuries was found among children who were boys, in primary school and from the suburbs. Bicycle-related injuries were the most common (46.0% of all injuries). Motor vehicle-related injuries had higher hospitalisation rates and worse psychological impact than bicycle or pedestrian injuries. Children with low and medium road safety knowledge had 1.5 to 3 times the odds of injury compared with students with high road safety knowledge. Students with high scores on the risky road behaviour index had twice the odds of injury (OR 2.04, 95% CI 1.47 to 2.84) compared with students with low scores. Conclusion Better road safety knowledge and the avoidance of walking or cycling-related risk behaviours are protective factors for road traffic injuries among Chinese school children. More injury prevention programmes are needed to improve road safety knowledge and reduce risk behaviours.

Sexual violence experienced by male and female Chinese college students in Guangzhou

Objectives Sexual violence research in China is in its early stages. This study described the sexual violence experience of college students in Guangzhou, China, and examined the individual and family factors associated with increased sexual perpetration and victimisation. Methods A cross-sectional survey of 2200 college students from three universities in Guangzhou, China, was conducted in 2010. Data on sexual perpetration and/or victimisation experienced during the past 12 months were collected. Multinomial logistic regression was used to assess the individual and family factors associated with odds of sexual assault perpetration, victimisation, or both. Results Over a quarter (25.4%) of students experienced at least one form of sexual violence during the past 12 months, either as a perpetrator or as a victim, and nearly 10% of students experienced both perpetration and victimisation. The number of students who identified themselves as being solely a victim was almost three times lower than being a perpetrator only (n=87 vs n=246). Engaging in risky behaviours was associated with increased odds of being a perpetrator and being both a perpetrator and a victim. Prior mistreatment by teachers or bullying by others was linked to increased risk of both perpetration and victimisation. Male students who had indulgent parents (responsive but not demanding) were at increased risk of perpetration compared with those students with authoritative parents (responsive and demanding). Conclusions The findings add to empirical data on sexual violence in college students and reinforce the urgent need for implementation of successful sexual violence prevention programmes in China.

Time-Dependent Changes in Increased Levels of Plasma Irisin and Muscle PGC-1 α and FNDC5 after Exercise in Mice

Exercise induces the expression of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma co-activator 1-α (PGC-1α) in skeletal muscle, which promotes the cleavage of fibronectin type III domain-containing protein 5 (FNDC5) to irisin. To explore the relationship between irisin and its regulators, we analyzed the plasma irisin levels and the muscle levels of FNDC5 and PGC-1α after exercise. Male C57BL/6J mice underwent a treadmill exercise (60% of VO2max) for 30 min or one hour (h), and blood and gastrocnemius samples were collected before exercise (pre-exercise), immediately after exercise, and during 24-h recovery after 1-h exercise. We found that plasma irisin levels were significantly increased during exercise (P < 0.05), while FNDC5 protein levels were not significantly increased. Moreover, PGC-1α mRNA and protein levels were significantly increased during 30-min exercise, but were decreased during 1-h exercise. After 1-h exercise, the irisin levels peaked at 6 h (20.71 ± 0.25 ng/ml) and decreased to pre-exercise levels by 24 h (15.45 ± 0.27 ng/ml). Likewise, PGC-1α mRNA and protein levels were increased at 1 h and maintained at elevated levels for 6 h; thereafter, the expression levels of PGC1-α protein were decreased to pre-exercise levels at 12 h. Thus, the restoration of PGC-1α expression to the pre-exercise levels was followed by the decrease in plasma irisin levels. By contrast, during 24-h recovery, the expression levels of FNDC5 mRNA and protein were maintained at elevated levels. These results suggest that the coordinated expression of FNDC5 and PGC-1α may contribute to the increased levels of plasma irisin after exercise.