Abstract: Recent studies on the use of Internet among youngsters suggest problematic behaviour and adverse impacts on overall health as there are uncharted boundaries of information and media through Internet. Such related problems include Internet addiction, shyness, alienation, psychological distress and academic performance decrement over time. As a consequence, the ability of students in tertiary education to communicate effectively and interact humanly could deteriorate as they become more accustomed to networking via Internet. However, students nowadays do increasingly rely on the Internet to perform research under the knowledge-based economy despite concerns over reliability and truthfulness of information available from Internet. There are a role and values of Personal Knowledge Management (PKM) for an optimal use of Internet. With reference to an interdisciplinary review, we suggest an interventionist approach to orient students in tertiary education to develop a strategic mindset that exploits Internet as a source for developing knowledge about learning outcomes while mitigating the risks associated with over-reliance and inadequate uses.
Abstract: Breast cancer is the most common cancer and one of the top five major causes of cancer deaths among Hong Kong women. Screening is regarded as the critical component in early detection as well as the initial step in making a definitive diagnosis. Researches have indicated that mammography is the most commonly employed examination to detect breast cancer in the early stage, resulting in the reduction of mortality from breast cancer.
Currently, there are some non-territory wide breast screening programmes in Hong Kong and their effectiveness is considered to be low. With reference to screening programmes in the Asian-pacific perspectives, the purpose of this paper is to focus on the effectiveness of mammography in order to make some recommendations to the Breast Cancer screening programme in Hong Kong. To maximize its effectiveness, both public education and collaboration between the government and healthcare organizations are needed to develop a comprehensive community-based breast screening programme.
Abstract: This research aimed to understand health promoting practices of Hong Kong college students by collecting some preliminary data. The research was a cross-sectional study, which was conducted in Hung Hom Bay and West Kowloon campuses of the College of Professional and Continuing Education (CPCE). Participants were mainly college students who studied in CPCE. Information about health promoting behavior of the college students were obtained by a self-administered questionnaire. The participants were chosen by random selection. The data were collected from March to April 2015 in the two campuses and were analyzed generally and by gender through the application of the SPSS. A total of 616 questionnaires were distributed and 610 were returned. The response rate was 99%. 40.4% seldom did physical activity as a routine and only 35.4% lived on a balanced diet. About two-thirds of the college students were mentally well because of enough sleep and seldom having insomnia. The majority of the students was positive in their spiritual well-being, and found life interesting and challenging. It is nice to know that over three quarters of the subjects were confident with their outlook and thus self-esteem.
Abstract: Technology grows fast in recent decades and has contributed to the development of health information system. The Government has established the eHR sharing system to bring about a host of benefits to the community through more efficient health care services, reduction on medical costs as a result of more effective and early treatment. The system would also enhance the availability and transparency of information through sharing of patient records between healthcare providers in both the public and private sectors, with the objectives to reduce the frequency of consultations, to improve the accuracy of diagnosis and patient management, to avoid duplicate investigations and errors associated with paper records, and to enable disease surveillance and public health research leading more effective policy formulation. In this essay, the authors suggest that there is much to be learned from the development and implementation of their electronic medical record system in Taiwan. A social marketing approach is recommended in order to improve and promote the electronic health record project in Hong Kong.
Abstract: Hong Kong citizens enjoy a high quality of health care service. However, it mainly relies on government subsidy through public health services, particularly in hospital utilisation. After years of healthcare reform process, a new government-regulated voluntary health insurance scheme has been proposed for public consultation. In the neighbouring Taiwan and Singapore, innovative and practical healthcare financing systems have been shown to be working well for their communities. In this essay, the authors reveal that there are lessons of learning for the Hong Kong Government and community. A new department is recommended to manage the new insurance scheme to make the health care system sustainable within an ageing population. Nonetheless, people need to bear some of the responsibility because health is essentially a personal affair.
Abstract: The prevalence of academic stress among the undergraduate students in Hong Kong is serious. The objective of this study is to discuss the causes and effects of academic stress among undergraduate students. It is found that the high expectation on their study, academic overload and friendship network are the major causes of academic stress. High academic stress has a negative impact on academic performance, and will also result in internet addiction, insufficient sleeping time, change in dietary behaviour and mental health problems. After reviewing the causes and effects of academic stress, and some relevant studies and reports of the situations in Hong Kong, recommendations to develop the strategies in dealing with academic stress are suggested.
Abstract: In Hong Kong, the need for psychiatric care has been increasing. However, a shortage of medical resources, separation of public psychiatric services from primary health care, imbalance of public-private psychiatric services, and inefficient education and professional training system have created challenges for the current mental health system. Though psychiatrists, clinical psychologists, psychiatric nurses, medical social workers, and family doctors play the principal roles of medical service team in mental health system, their service capacity is limited. In order to improve the problematic and imperfect mental health system, several recommendations are proposed. Integrating mental health care in primary care and increasing service capacity of mental health professionals such as increasing the supply of and providing more training to clinical psychologists, psychiatric nurses and psychiatrists are effective solutions. In the long term, a sustained effort in mental health promotion plays a critical role in the future. In return, mental well-being leads to a happy and prosperous society. The challenges are concerning all stake holders.
Abstract: The Hong Kong healthcare system is well-known for its good performance and supreme efficiency, but it is facing the problem of long-term sustainability. The shift of epidemiological pattern, increasing medical costs, and the imbalanced demands between the public and private sectors have caused huge financial burden on public healthcare services. There is also resource misallocation in the public system. Therefore, the Hong Kong healthcare system may be unsustainable in the long term. Re-structuring of the healthcare system and health reform are the effective ways for improving healthcare sustainability. Voluntary Health Insurance Scheme, performance measurement system, public private partnership, and fare adjustment scheme can be considered and implemented into the healthcare system for enhancing the efficiency and effectiveness of resource utilisation in future.
Abstract: “Globesity” has been coined by the World Health Organization to describe the increasing prevalence of overweight and obesity all over the world. Obesity is a condition involving personal and social dimensions. There are studies investigating different risk factors of obesity, including the history and behaviours of family members, unhealthy diet as well as inadequate exercise. In a fast food culture, people tend to eat various types of food containing higher proportion of fat, sugar and salt. Inadequate physical activities also increase the risk of overweight and obesity. Weight control is an important strategy of health promotion in the community. The Hong Kong government has implemented the nutrition labelling scheme in order to help customers make informed food choices. The Department of Health has co-operated with schools to promote healthy eating and adequate exercise as well as a comprehensive weight control education. However, community awareness is also an important component that can affect the long-term maintenance of weight control in Hong Kong. Factors influencing community awareness include low health literacy, inadequate personal interest, and insufficient allocation of technical and financial resources. In order to increase the effectiveness of weight control promotion, education of weight control should be strengthened to enhance health literacy in the society. The health professionals should be encouraged to enrich and acquire more professional knowledge in obesity and weight management. To alleviate the prevalence of obesity continuously, the government, the schools and the public should take initiatives in the promotion of weight control in Hong Kong.
Abstract: The “EatSmart@restaurant.hk” Campaign has been launched since 2007 in order to cultivate a healthy eating habit in Hong Kong. EatSmart restaurants provide customers with the healthier dishes, containing more vegetables and less oil, salt and sugar. This Campaign is a good way to encourage citizens to eat healthily and fit into their eating out culture. There are some deficiencies in its promotion, namely the sustainability of the Campaign. The supervision of EatSmart restaurants is not enough and can hardly guarantee the quality of healthier dishes. Moreover, it cannot attract restaurants to join due to the lack of incentives. The contents of promotion materials are also unclear. Although the Campaign has been implemented for around 9 years, the obesity rate is still increasing slightly. The majority of people consume inadequate daily fruits and vegetables intake even nowadays. Besides, there are very few restaurants participating in it. As a result, the effectiveness of the Campaign seems to be doubtful. As such, it is necessary to improve the Campaign. The Government plays the crucial role in this health promotional initiative, not only in its sustainably, but also provides a supporting policy, such as incentives to participate and regular checking of the EatSmart restaurants.
Abstract: Although Guidelines on Sex Education in Schools was released in 1997, adolescents have perceived the sex education as useless while the teachers have negative comments on their roles in the implementation of sex education. Apart from the different perceptions among the adolescents and teachers, the effectiveness of the current sex education in Hong Kong is questionable. It may be attributed to the teachers’ attitudes, background; manpower; lack of training for the teachers; traditional teaching method; depthless topic coverage; and the school environment. It is critical that the government, school administrators, teachers, social workers and health professionals should be cooperating with each other to provide a comprehensive sex education for the adolescents. The government should support the schools financially and provide a clear direction to them by the policies, together with the encouragement for adoption of liberal and comprehensive approaches. The schools should focus on the implementation of sex education, include changing the traditional lecturing method; attempting to provide the sex education on the internet; strengthening the training of the teachers; involving the health professionals and covering comprehensive knowledge and practical skills with a logical sequence in sex education.
Abstract: With the low fertility rate over the years and the increasing longevity of people in Hong Kong, it is expected that population aged 65 or above will be as high as 32 percent by mid-2046. Primary health care offers a comprehensive and holistic service package to improve and strengthen primary care and health functions, highlighting the importance of assigning a long-term health partner so as to make better use of healthcare resources and to enhance quality of care. The reform consultation documents, Your Health, Your Life and Building a Healthy Tomorrow, introduce a basic model in which a system is established to register medical professionals, provide subsidies and improve primary care. Primary care adopts an integrative approach involving professionals to deliver a wide range of services comprising of health promotion, prevention of treatment and care for acute and chronic diseases, health risk assessment and disease identification, self-management support, and supportive care for end-stage diseases or disabilities. The Hong Kong Government has put great efforts in interdepartmental and cross-sectoral collaboration to provide professional, high quality and timely services. An example of this is public-private partnership offering healthcare programmes to individuals and the community, and it has proven beneficial in terms of resource allocation and continuation of long-term service packages. In the latest Policy Address, the Government intends to facilitate the partnership and to draw up a blueprint for expansion and provision of primary healthcare services. To achieve total primary care, input of expertise and experience of all stakeholders are desired to establish a quality care system that is within the easy reach of everyone in the community.
Abstract: Electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) have become progressively ubiquitous in smokers and their roles of smoking cessation give rise to much controversy. With reference to the increasing prevalence of e-cigarettes use, the paper aims to examine the efficacy of e-cigarettes in quitting smoking and to make recommendations to existing policies. Health impacts of e-cigarettes are still not being proven in the long-term and cessation effectiveness is not well established. However, e-cigarettes constitute a gateway to cigarette smoking, nicotine addiction as well as dual use of e-cigarettes and traditional tobaccos among smokers and youth population. Current policies on e-cigarettes in Hong Kong pose certain grey areas. The Government should put greater efforts into regulatory measures regarding the sale and promotion of e-cigarettes. Increased public education is also important in order to safeguard public health of the community.
Abstract: The waiting time of total joint replacement (TJR) is very long in the public hospitals of the Hospital Authority (HA). It may lead to negative impacts on the outcomes of TJR. While HA continuously develops joint replacement centres, it still cannot reduce the waiting time of TJR significantly. The quality of healthcare services in both the public and private sectors is comparable but there are very large differences in the charges. Hence, patients are willing to wait on the list. To reduce the waiting time of TJR, two approaches are recommended. There can be a Government subsidisation programme of TJR to shift patient to private hospitals. Adequate manpower, particularly in physiotherapists, Chinese Medicine Practitioners, clinical psychologists and nurses, should be a top priority to reduce the length of stay in the hospitals, releasing more beds for patients in the queue.
Abstract: “Picky eating” is a common behaviour among Hong Kong children. It may be caused by the unhealthy eating habits developed during childhood, the children’s impressions on food and bad parental education. Children who are “picky eaters” may have different kinds of health problems such as obesity, malnutrition and poor immunity. It may also result in poor growth development among these children. Therefore, the behaviour of “picky eating” should be avoided and the children can then improve the behaviour of “picky eating” step by step. In Japan, the government has implemented the School Lunch Programme, which aims at promoting food and nutrition education among students. Europe has a Food and Nutrition Policy for Schools. The policy aims at changing the eating environment of the children in order to promote healthy eating. The Hong Kong Government can consider and adopt the practices in Japan and Europe. Besides, schools, parents and media should be responsible for promoting healthy eating among children. Education, healthy public policy, changes to the lunchboxes and promotion of healthy eating are useful in stopping the behaviour of “picky eating” among children.
Abstract: Sleep is a naturally recurring state that is significant and crucial factor for physical development and mental health. However, it is often neglected by many people, especially in developed countries. Many people, adults and children, are affected by sleeping disorder and the problem of sleeplessness has become a common complaint. The attributing factors of sleeplessness include environment, drugs, beverages and alcohol, smoking, stress, anxiety, biorhythm, chronic diseases and lifestyle behaviours. Insomnia affects both physical or mental health. Weight gain, depression, mood disorder, chronic diseases, injuries and even death are the consequences. Leaving treatment by cognitive behavioural therapy and medications aside, prevention is the preferred action. Stress management, attention and improvement to the environment, avoidance of alcohol, smoking and certain food and beverages like caffeine containing drinks, management of chronic conditions, and the appropriate and sensible use of electronic screen devices are key preventive measures, that helps to promote quality sleep and thus avoiding insomnia.
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