Objective: The research aimed at examining betel nut chewing and other risk factors associated with obesity among Taiwanese male adults. Design: The research analyzed the data obtained by the 2001 National Health Interview Survey in Taiwan that covered all the administrative divisions in Taiwan. Multistage stratified systematic sampling design was adopted for survey. All members of a sampled household received the interview. Subjects: The research analyzed questionnaires answered by nonaboriginal male respondents aged between 20 and 59 years old, and the total number of samples analyzed read 6126. Since very few female subjects chewed betel nut, they were excluded from the analysis. Measurements: Criteria of obesity was defined as body mass indexX27 kg/m 2 . The variables incorporated for analysis included the respondents' status of betel nut chewing, age, educational background, presence of hypertension and diabetes mellitus, drinking and smoking status, exercise status, and demand for physical strength at job. Generalized estimating equations model was employed to estimate the odd ratios (with 95% CI) of obesity of each independent variable. Results: Approximately 16.2% of respondents were obese. The distribution of betel nut chewing was current chewers 15.9%, ex-chewers 4.3%, and nonchewers 79.8%. After controlling above-mentioned independent variables, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, betel nut chewing, never exercising, and sedentary jobs were closely associated with obesity. Conclusion: The research found that betel nut chewing closely associated with obesity. The increased appetite of betel nut chewers is speculated as the underlying cause. The prospective study is needed to clarify this issue. In addition to increasing the risk of developing oral cancer, betel nut chewing seemed to be related with another health hazard: obesity.

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There were significant discrepancies between physicians and nurses in their awareness of, attitude toward, knowledge of, skill in, behavior toward, and barriers regarding EBP. In implementing EBP, strategies to overcome barriers and provide on-line evidence-retrieval systems should differ for physicians and nurses.

BackgroundProlong sitting has been found associated with metabolic disorders. Little is known about the self-reported cataract status in general population of Taiwan, not to mention its relation to prolong sitting. We aimed to examine the prevalence of cataract between 2001 and 2013 in Taiwan and to the association between prolonged sitting and cataract.MethodsWe used three data sets with those aged 40 years and older from the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) from 2001 (n = 8334), 2009 (n = 11207), and 2013 (n = 10940). Subsequent statistical analyses involved chi-square test, t test, and logistic regression modeling. SUDAAN was used to account for sampling scheme.ResultsThe prevalence of cataract ranged from 10.7% in 2001, 13.13% in 2009, to 11.84% in 2013. Participants who sat for more than 7 hours per day had a significantly higher risk of cataract (OR = 1.20, CI = (1.04-1.39)) compared with those who sat for fewer than 3 hours per day after controlling for age and other risk factors like being older or female, lower education level, not being currently employed, living in a highly urbanized area, having hypertension, diabetes, myopia, and being an former smoker (compared to a never smoker).ConclusionIncreased daily sitting time was associated with cataract, especially for people who sat more than 7 hours per day.

Types of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSB) can differ greatly between countries, with greater consumption of sweetened tea in Asia. This study aimed to understand changes in SSB consumption by adolescents in Taiwan over 18 years and their association with demographic characteristics and clinical outcome. This study used survey data from the 1993–1996 and 2010–2011 Nutrition and Health Surveys in Taiwan. Participants were high school students aged 13 to 18 years. Data were weighted and analysed using SUDAAN 11.0 and SAS 9.4. Participants were asked about intake frequencies of SSB and were grouped into four different SSB intake groups based on the combination of high or low frequency (including moderate frequency) of intake of sweetened tea and soda/sports/energy drinks. Results indicated over 99 % of teens reported having at least one SSB in the past week. Smoking status was significantly associated with SSB intake types with high tea intake (high tea and low soda (HL) group, OR 7·56, P < 0·001; high tea and high soda (HH) group, OR 9·96, P < 0·001). After adjustment for potential confounders, adolescents in the low tea and high soda (LH) group (β = 0·05, P = 0·034) had significantly higher mean serum uric acid values. In conclusion, sugary tea remains the SSB of choice for Taiwanese adolescents. Those with a frequent intake of soda/sports/energy drinks had a higher chance of being hyperuricaemic.