published_or_final_version / Nursing Studies / Master / Master of Nursing in Advanced Practice

Increasing number of people is diagnosed with colorectal neoplasms (CRN) in the form of polyps or cancers. Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most common causes of cancer deaths among Chinese in Hong Kong. Advances in diagnosis and treatments have increased the survival rate of CRN patients, resulting in a large group of cancer survivors. Preserving and maintaining health-related quality of life (HRQOL) has become an important direction in research and clinical care of patients with CRN. This research aimed to evaluate the HRQOL and its association with socio-demographics and disease-related characteristics among patients with CRN, and illustrate how HRQOL data could be converted to preference for the estimation of quality adjustment of life years in health economic evaluations. This research comprised of three parts. First was the establishment of the validity and reliability of the traditional Chinese version of Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Colorectal (FACT-C) as a HRQOL measure for Chinese patients by a cross-sectional sample of 536 adult patients with CRN. Psychometric testing and concurrent validation of the FACT-C with European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Core Questionnaire plus Colorectal-specific Module Questionnaire and the Short-Form 12-item Health Survey_Version2 (SF-12V2) were carried out. Second was a longitudinal study on the HRQOL of 554 CRN patients at baseline, six (n=479) and twelve (n=414) months of recruitment. The associations of HRQOL with socio-demographics and disease-related factors, and change of HRQOL over time were explored. Comparisons of HRQOL between CRN patients and the general population and among different CRN groups were made. Cross-sectional data were used to develop mapping functions to estimate SF-6D preference scores from FACT-C subscale scores. Third was the application of the health preference scores by CRN stages collected at baseline of the longitudinal study, in combination with survival data extracted from the literature in a Markov model on the cost-effectiveness of different CRC screening strategies (colonoscopy, guaiac and immunochemical fecal occult blood tests) in comparison to no screening in terms of quality-adjusted life-years gained. This research comprised of three parts. First was the establishment of the validity and reliability of the traditional Chinese version of Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Colorectal (FACT-C) as a HRQOL measure for Chinese patients by a cross-sectional sample of 536 adult patients with CRN. Psychometric testing and concurrent validation of the FACT-C with European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Core Questionnaire plus Colorectal-specific Module Questionnaire and the Short-Form 12-item Health Survey_Version2 (SF-12V2) were carried out. Second was a longitudinal study on the HRQOL of 554 CRN patients at baseline, six (n=479) and twelve (n=414) months of recruitment. The associations of HRQOL with socio-demographics and disease-related factors, and change of HRQOL over time were explored. Comparisons of HRQOL between CRN patients and the general population and among different CRN groups were made. Cross-sectional data were used to develop mapping functions to estimate SF-6D preference scores from FACT-C subscale scores. Third was the application of the health preference scores by CRN stages collected at baseline of the longitudinal study, in combination with survival data extracted from the literature in a Markov model on the cost-effectiveness of different CRC screening strategies (colonoscopy, guaiac and immunochemical fecal occult blood tests) in comparison to no screening in terms of quality-adjusted life-years gained. Psychometric analysis confirmed that FACT-C had satisfactory reliability, construct validity and responsiveness in Chinese patients Patients with CRN reported worse physical HRQOL but better mental HRQOL and similar health preference score compared to the general population. Disease severity indicated by tumor stage at initial diagnosis was the most significant determinant of HRQOL of CRN patients. Rectal cancer also significantly associated with a decrease in physical HRQOL and health preference scores. Markov modelling showed that immunochemical fecal occult blood (I-FOBT) yearly was the most effective and two-yearly was the most cost-effective screening strategy compared to no screening. / published_or_final_version / Family Medicine and Primary Care / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

published_or_final_version / Social Work / Master / Master of Social Sciences

published_or_final_version / Statistics / Master / Master of Philosophy

Background. Subjective quality of life (SQOL) is increasingly gaining attention in psychiatric practice and research. To date, few studies have examined the SQOL in outpatients with schizophrenia in China. / Conclusions. Despite considerable differences between the two sites in terms of socio-cultural background, health care delivery and the economic conditions of the subjects, the SQOL did not differ significantly between HK and BJ. SQOL was more strongly related to the severity of depressive symptoms and had only weak association with socio-demographic factors. / Method. In the psychiatric outpatient services of two university-affiliated teaching hospitals in BJ and HK, 522 (264 in BI and 258 in HK) clinically stable outpatients diagnosed with schizophrenia (age: 18-60 years) were randomly selected according to the same inclusion and exclusion criteria. The two samples were matched according to age, sex, educational level, and length of illness. The diagnosis of schizophrenia was confirmed on the basis of a chart review followed by a diagnostic interview on both sites by the candidate. Socio-demographic data were collected and clinical characteristics including psychotic and depressive symptoms, drug-induced extrapyramidal side effects (EPS), and SQOL were assessed by the candidate. Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) was used to compare the SQOL and its four domains between the two sites after controlling for the effect of the clinical condition of the subjects. Bi-variate correlation and multiple regression analyses were used to evaluate the relationship between SQOL and socio-demographic and clinical data. / Objectives of the study. This study compared SQOL in schizophrenia patients living with their families in Hong Kong (HK) and Beijing (BI) and explored the relationship between SQOL and socio-demographic and clinical factors. / Results. There was no significant difference in SQOL and its domains between the two cohorts after controlling for the effect of other confounding variables. Length of illness, history of suicide attempts, positive, negative, depressive and anxiety symptoms and EPS were all significantly correlated with SQOL. Multiple regression analysis revealed that depressive symptoms predicted all SQOL domains while positive symptoms predicted the psychological, the social relationship and environmental SQOL domains. Married status predicted the social relationship SQOL domain and length of illness predicted the environmental SQOL domain. / Xiang Yu-tao. / "October 2006." / Advisers: G. S. Ungvari; W. K. Tang. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 68-08, Section: B, page: 5131. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2006. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 107-122). / Electronic reproduction. Hong Kong : Chinese University of Hong Kong, [2012] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Electronic reproduction. [Ann Arbor, MI] : ProQuest Information and Learning, [200-] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Abstracts in English and Chinese. / School code: 1307.

published_or_final_version / abstract / Community Medicine / Master / Master of Philosophy

published_or_final_version / Dentistry / Master / Master of Dental Surgery

Ip Oi-ching. / Thesis submitted in: October 2001. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2002. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 142-152). / Abstracts in English and Chinese. / LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS --- p.ix / LIST OF TABLES --- p.xiv / LIST OF FIGURES --- p.xviii / LIST OF APPENDICES --- p.xxii / Chapter CHAPTER ONE --- INTRODUCTION / Chapter 1.1 --- Conceptual Framework --- p.1 / Chapter 1.2 --- Objectives --- p.4 / Chapter 1.3 --- Significance --- p.5 / Chapter 1.4 --- Study Area --- p.6 / Chapter 1.5 --- Organization Of Thesis --- p.8 / Chapter CHAPTER TWO --- LITERATURE REVIEW / Chapter 2.1 --- Quality of Life and Indicators --- p.9 / Chapter 2.1.1 --- Scope of study for quality of life --- p.9 / Chapter 2.1.2 --- Development and evolution of quality of life studies --- p.13 / Chapter 2.1.3 --- Quality of life indicators --- p.14 / Chapter 2.2 --- Quality of Life Studies using Remote Sensing data --- p.17 / Chapter 2.2.1 --- Attributes derived from remote sensing --- p.17 / Chapter 2.2.2 --- Environmental changes and landuse change --- p.17 / Chapter 2.2.3 --- Housing quality --- p.18 / Chapter 2.2.4 --- Integration of remote sensing data and census data --- p.19 / Chapter 2.3 --- Quality of Life Study and Application of Remote Sensing in Hong Kong --- p.20 / Chapter 2.4 --- Summary --- p.22 / Chapter CHAPTER THREE --- METHODOLOGY / Chapter 3.1 --- Data Description --- p.24 / Chapter 3.1.1 --- Biophysical data --- p.24 / Chapter 3.1.2 --- Socioeconomic indices --- p.28 / Chapter 3.1.3 --- Data extracted at Tertiary Planning Unit --- p.30 / Chapter 3.2 --- Satellite Data Preprocessing --- p.32 / Chapter 3.2.1 --- Radiometric and atmospheric correction --- p.38 / Chapter 3.2.2 --- Image normalization --- p.43 / Chapter 3.2.3 --- Geometric correction --- p.44 / Chapter 3.3 --- Landuse and Land-cover Classification --- p.45 / Chapter 3.4 --- Spectral Data Extraction and Transformation --- p.47 / Chapter 3.5 --- Integration of Spectral and Census Data for Quality of Life Modeling --- p.49 / Chapter 3.5.1 --- Inter-relationship between biophysical data and socioeconomic data --- p.50 / Chapter 3.5.2 --- Integrated quality of life modeling --- p.50 / Chapter 3.6 --- Summary --- p.51 / Chapter CHAPTER FOUR --- DATA DESCRIPTION / Chapter 4.1 --- Socioeconomic Data --- p.53 / Chapter 4.2 --- Spectral Data --- p.62 / Chapter 4.2.1 --- Raw data --- p.62 / Chapter 4.2.2 --- Landuse and land cover --- p.63 / Chapter 4.2.3 --- Vegetation indices --- p.66 / Chapter 4.2.4 --- Tasseled cap components --- p.67 / Chapter 4.2.5 --- Surface temperature --- p.69 / Chapter 4.2.6 --- Principal components extracted from biophysical variables --- p.70 / Chapter 4.3 --- Summary --- p.79 / Chapter CHAPTER FIVE --- INTERRELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SPECTRAL VARIABLES AND SOCIOECONOMIC VARIABLES / Chapter 5.1 --- Framework of Analysis --- p.82 / Chapter 5.2 --- Correlation among Socioeconomic and Biophysical data --- p.84 / Chapter 5.3 --- Stepwise Multiple Linear Regression Models --- p.91 / Chapter 5.3.1 --- Biophysical data as dependent variable --- p.91 / Chapter 5.3.1.1 --- NDVI as dependent variable --- p.95 / Chapter 5.3.1.2 --- URBANM as dependent variable --- p.98 / Chapter 5.3.2 --- Socioeconomic data as dependent variable --- p.101 / Chapter 5.3.2.1 --- POP´ؤDEN as dependent variable --- p.101 / Chapter 5.4 --- Summary and Discussion --- p.103 / Chapter CHAPTER SIX --- QUALITY OF LIFE ANALYSIS / Chapter 6.1 --- Indictors for Quality of Life Study --- p.105 / Chapter 6.2 --- QOL Indicators --- p.110 / Chapter 6.3 --- Spatial Variation of QOL --- p.114 / Chapter 6.4 --- Temporal Variation of QOL --- p.125 / Chapter 6.5 --- Summary and discussion --- p.131 / Chapter CHAPTER SEVEN --- CONCLUSION / Chapter 7.1 --- Summary of Findings --- p.134 / Chapter 7.1.1 --- Inter-relationship between socioeconomic and biophysical variables --- p.135 / Chapter 7.1.2 --- Quality of life indicators --- p.135 / Chapter 7.2 --- Limitations of the Study --- p.13 8 / Chapter 7.3 --- Recommendations for Further Studies --- p.140 / REFERENCES --- p.142 / APPENDIX A --- p.153 / APPENDIX B --- p.157 / APPENDIX C --- p.167

Zhang, Yin. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2013. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 164-180). / Electronic reproduction. Hong Kong : Chinese University of Hong Kong, [2012] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Abstracts also in Chinese; appendix includes Chinese.

Lee Shirley. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2003. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 178-184). / Abstracts in English and Chinese. / Abstract --- p.i / Acknowledgement --- p.iii / Chapter Chapter 1 --- Introduction --- p.1 / Chapter Chapter 2 --- Being Old and the Concept of Old Age --- p.28 / Chapter Chapter 3 --- The Pursuit of a Meaningful Life in Old Age --- p.45 / Chapter Chapter 4 --- Gender and the Pursuit of Meanings in Old Age --- p.77 / Chapter Chapter 5 --- Health and the Pursuit of Meanings in Old Age --- p.96 / Chapter Chapter 6 --- Money and the Pursuit of Meanings in Old Age --- p.118 / Chapter Chapter 7 --- Death and the Pursuit of Meanings in Old Age --- p.137 / Chapter Chapter 8 --- Conclusion --- p.156 / Appendix --- p.176 / Bibliography --- p.178