title: Improving ability of married women to prevent reproductive tract infections in rural western China.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purposes of this study are to investigate and analyze the status of reproductive tract infections (RTIs) in married women in rural western China, and to develop effective strategies for improving the ability of married women to prevent RTIs in this region.
  
  
  METHODS
  We conducted in-depth interviews of 142 married women from four villages in three townships. Two questionnaires were used to gather data on married women's health care status, family income, knowledge about RTIs, relevant behaviors, and attitudes toward RTIs. Descriptive, parallel, and logistic regression analyses and the Chi-square test were applied to analyze the relationships between basic conditions and several influential factors.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Over 80% of the respondents were of limited income and had with poor knowledge of and a lack of experience in preventing RTIs. Some 83.3% of the married women had experienced menstrual irregularities; 70.3% of those interviewed had experienced malodorous vaginal discharge with or without perineal itching. It was found that 80.7% of the interviewees did not have good personal hygiene habits in daily living regarding RTIs. It was found that the prevalence of RTIs was lower in women who had accurate information about RTIs. Most married women lacked basic knowledge of ways to prevent RTIs, and this, together with the limited support of the health care system and the absence of medical insurance schemes, was responsible for the observed high prevalence of RTIs.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There is an urgent need to improve the capability of married women in rural China to prevent RTIs, and it is important to find effective ways to prevent these diseases. Three health promotion strategies are presently being implemented to prevent RTIs and to build capacity for disease prevention among married women in rural western China.
authors: Department of Public Health, Qinghai University Medical School, Xining, China.
authors: Li Rong
authors: LR
authors: Yang
authors: Hong
authors: H
authors: Zhao
authors: He Ping
authors: HP
authors: Wang
authors: Yai
authors: Y
authors: Li
authors: Jing Ping
authors: JP
authors: Niu
authors: Ke Jian
authors: KJ
authors: Su
authors: Hui Qing
authors: HQ
authors: Mao
authors: Hua
authors: H
authors: Yang
authors: Chang Nian
authors: CN
authors: Wei
authors: Atsushi
authors: A
authors: Ueda