Burden of disease
China is the world’s most populated nation. The number of people predisposed to cardiovascular disease is still low compared to other countries like the United States. However, it’s alarmingly increasing over the last few decades, depicting a picture of becoming an epidemic soon if it is not checked (Bruckert & Ferrières, 2015). China has always had a lean population; that’s probably part of the lack of enthusiasm in physical exercises in the general population. However, that is changing due to modernity and the entry of fast foods into the nation.
China has a high population of school-going children, especially in its urban centers and big cities. The changing lifestyles due to adopting a sedentary lifestyle and consuming modern food like fast foods have changed the way children gain and manage weight. Fast foods increase children’s chances of obesity, predisposing them to cardiovascular diseases. The use of modern transport such as buses has led to fewer instances of excise (Alissa, 2015). The advance in technology has also significantly contributed to obesity and overweight issue in teens as they get addicted to their gadgets. Through having more screen time, less time is spent socializing with others physically, and snacking becomes past time activity. All these factors work together to increase incidences of obesity in children. The obesity level predisposes children to cardiovascular diseases such as hypertension and heart diseases because their bodies develop rapidly. Cases of childhood obesity and cardiovascular diseases have been ballooning in recent times. Cardiovascular diseases have contributed to early mortalities in children in both children and adults.
Mortality rates of rural vs. urban population in China
(Dong et al., 2017)
Risk factors of cardiovascular disease in China
(Stevens et al., 2016)
Comparisons of cardiovascular disease with other significant ailments in China
(Shen & Ge, 2018)
Population of vulnerability
Chinese society is male-dominated, women’s issues are less focused on. Obesity affects both genders, but less attention is paid to females. Boys are also advantaged in dealing with obesity because they are more physical than girls.
Schools provide an excellent avenue of addressing weight issues in children. They offer a learning environment conducive to impacting learners with the necessary information and knowledge to adopt a healthy lifestyle. To begin with, schools can use their platform to encourage exercising through mandatory lessons that will ensure that learners are staying fit by performing physical tasks. The school environment can use screening to acquire information that will help gauge those learners who are at a critical stage of getting obese (Mi et al., 2017). They can use the data to institute measures to negate these impending catastrophes. The schools can also use their curricula to influence students by teaching a healthy lifestyle of eating right and encouraging healthy behavior by promoting healthy sleeping habits. They should set the bar for healthy lifestyles that students will emulate.
Schools, however, need to reevaluate their way of teaching to accommodate health education in line with Chinese laws and culture. The government of the Republic of China does not place much focus on the Chinese issue of obesity which is the leading cause of cardiovascular ailments. The culture of the people is also responsible since they do not undertake enough exercise. The political environment is not doing justice to the cardiovascular issue as the government does not highlight this epidemic. The government can institute policies that can ensure that their population remains healthy by supporting school curricula to promote health and curtailing the most significant factors contributing to obesity, such as fast food and lack of exercise. The nation needs to change its focus to help schools teach more on health education by removing barriers and supporting the schools in their efforts.
Cardiovascular diseases have become a global problem due to urbanization and progress in technology. The focus on a healthy lifestyle should ensure that people attain better health. Government and relevant institutions in China should focus on highlighting the needs of their population through instituting measures that encourage a healthy lifestyle. They should invest more in healthy living methods by encouraging eating and healthy exercise.
References
Alissa, E. M. (2015). Antioxidants and cardiovascular diseases: A summary of the evidence. Journal of Cardiovascular Disease, 3(3). https://doi.org/10.18281/jcvd.2015.3.3
Bruckert, E., & Ferrières, J. (2015). Evidence supporting primary prevention of cardiovascular diseases with statins: Gaps between updated clinical results and actual practice. Archives of Cardiovascular Diseases, 107(3), 188-200. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.acvd.2014.01.011
Dong, H., Yan, Y., Liu, J., Zhao, X., Cheng, H., Hou, D., Huang, G., Li, S., Wang, Y., & Mi, J. (2017). Alarming trends in ideal cardiovascular health among children and adolescents in Beijing, China, 2004 to 2014. International Journal of Cardiology, 231, 264-270. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijcard.2016.12.027
Mi, J., Yan, Y., & Dong, H. (2017). [Op.5c.01] status of cardiovascular health in Chinese children and adolescents. Journal of Hypertension, 35(Supplement 2), e51. https://doi.org/10.1097/01.hjh.0000523109.61513.b8
Shen C., & Ge J. (2018). Epidemic of Cardiovascular Disease in China Current Perspective and Prospects for the Future. https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.118.033484
Stevens, W., Peneva, D., Li, J. Z., Liu, L. Z., Liu, G., Gao, R., & Lakdawalla, D. N. (2016). Estimating the future burden of cardiovascular disease and the value of lipid and blood pressure control therapies in China. BMC Health Services Research, 16(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-016-1420-8
Zhao, D., Liu, J., Wang, M., Zhang, X., & Zhou, M. (2018). Epidemiology of cardiovascular disease in China: Current features and implications. Nature Reviews Cardiology, 16(4), 203-212. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41569-018-0119-4
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