Man Ping Wang

The University of Hong Kong | HKU · School of Nursing

Background Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) have been associated with addictions such as substance use disorders. Few have examined ACEs on internet gaming disorder (IGD) as a newly established behavioral addiction, and the potential mediating role of insomnia remains unclear. We examined the associations between ACE number and types, IGD, and...

Objectives: We examined disparities in vaccine misinformation exposure and endorsement and the associations with vaccine hesitancy and vaccination uptake. Study design: Population-based survey. Methods: A population-based survey was conducted on 5,002 Hong Kong adults oversampling low socio-economic status (SES, n = 2,200). Information on expo...

Nurse educators share a major responsibility in shaping the future of nursing by preparing nurses to better understand and address health equity. In this chapter, we will share the experience of the School of Nursing of The University of Hong Kong in preparing the students to understand, recognize, and address social determinants of health and heal...

Investigating the oral care delivered by nursing staff in acute hospital setting is having a remarkable shortage within the current literature. This was provoked due to lack of previous performed investigation in the acute hospital setting besides inconsistent existence of a standardized and comprehensive oral care knowledge, attitude and practice...

Introduction Ecological momentary assessment (EMA)-based smoking cessation intervention may help personalize intervention for smokers who prefer to quit smoking unaided. This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of EMA-based phone counseling and instant messaging for smoking cessation. Methods/design This is a two-arm, accessor-blinded, simple...

Background Alcohol is widely used by university students worldwide and associated with mental health problems, but little is known about its prevalence amid the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly in Asian regions. We aimed to investigate alcohol use, mental health status, and alcohol-related problems in university students amid the COVID-19 pandemic....

Introduction: Tobacco use is associated with an increased risk of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection, severe COVID-19 outcomes requiring intensive care, and mortality. We investigated the perceived risk of and changes in cigarette, e-cigarette (EC) and heated tobacco product (HTP) use in relation to COVID-19 in Hong Kong adolescent toba...

Background Mask-wearing in outdoor public places in Hong Kong was mandated on 29 July 2020, amid the COVID-19 pandemic. We aimed to evaluate the impact of mandatory masking with no exemption for smoking on outdoor smoking. Methods We conducted 253 unobtrusive observations at 10 outdoor smoking hotspots in 33 months from July 2019 to March 2022 and...

Introduction Both perceived benefits and harms of COVID-19 have been reported, but whether they affect confidence in coping with the pandemic and mental health remains uncertain. Objective To examine the association of perceived benefits and harms of COVID-19 with confidence in coping with the pandemic and mental health symptoms. Methods A popula...

Introduction: Observational and experimental studies have suggested that messaging on smoking-related COVID-19 risk may promote smoking abstinence, but evidence from randomized clinical trials (RCTs) is lacking. Methods: This was a pragmatic RCT in Hong Kong, China, to compare the effectiveness of communicating smoking-related COVID-19 risk with...

Objective To evaluate the effects of eHealth-based interventions on sodium and blood pressure reduction in adults, and identify study characteristics and behaviour change techniques (BCTs) associated with greater sodium reduction effects. Design and method A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials (RCTs) was conducted i...

Introduction: Perceived risk of COVID-19 infection is associated with smoking behaviors, but the change in smoking across different settings are uncertain. We examined the associations of perceived increased susceptibility to COVID-19 due to smoking with change in smoking at home and on the streets. Methods: We analyzed data of 1120 current ciga...

Introduction Mobile interventions enable personalized behavioral support that could improve smoking cessation (SC) in smokers ready to quit. Scalable interventions, including unmotivated smokers, are needed. We evaluated the effect of personalized behavioral support through mobile interventions plus nicotine replacement therapy sampling (NRT-S) on...

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic drives psychological distress. Previous studies have mostly focused on individual determinants but overlooked family factors. The present study aimed to examine the associations of individual and family factors with psychological distress, and the mediating effect of individual fear and the moderating role of house...

Passive drinking is prevalent in adolescents worldwide, but its prevalence and harm are understudied. Secondary students (n = 5840, grades 7-12) from 23 selected schools in Hong Kong participated in the survey from 2015-16. Students reported the harm of passive drinking, perceived health status (Patient Health Questionnaire-2 and Perceived Stress S...

Objectives: To examine the trends in the prevalence of hardening indicators and hardened smokers in Hong Kong, where the low smoking prevalence has plateaued in the recent decade. Methods: This is an analysis of repeated cross-sectional data from 9 territory-wide smoking cessation campaigns conducted annually from 2009 to 2018 (except 2011). Par...

Background: Mobile instant messaging (IM) apps (eg, WhatsApp and WeChat) have been widely used by the general population and are more interactive than text-based programs (SMS text messaging) to modify unhealthy lifestyles. Little is known about IM app use for health promotion, including alcohol reduction for university students. Objective: This...

Objective Family services are open to the community at large as well as vulnerable groups; however, little is known about the willingness of communities to attend such services. We investigated the willingness and preferences to attend family services and their associated factors (including sociodemographic characteristics, family wellbeing, and fa...

Background: Passive drinking is prevalent in adolescents worldwide, but its prevalence and harm are understudied. Methods: Secondary students (n=5840, grades 7-12) from 23 selected schools in Hong Kong participated in the survey from 2015-16. Students reported the harm of passive drinking, perceived health status, Patient Health Questionnaire-2, Pe...

Background A progressive approach to quitting smoking has been a popular strategy for motivating smokers who are reluctant to quit. However, whether this strategy can effectively achieve complete cessation or is as successful as quitting immediately remains unresolved. This study aimed to determine whether quitting immediately or progressively was...

Background Independent studies on exhaled carbon monoxide (CO) and saliva cotinine levels in regular heated tobacco product (HTP) users, and how they compare with conventional cigarette (CC) smokers, are lacking. Methods A total of 3294 current users of CCs, HTPs or electronic cigarettes (ECs) from a household survey and a smoking hotspot survey w...

Passive and forced drinking harm was prevalent but less recognized in Chinese adolescents. We educated adolescents on such harm to reduce their intention to drink. Students (n = 1244) from seven secondary schools in Hong Kong participated in a video-based health talk on passive and forced drinking harm. Paired t-test was used to assess their change...

Introduction How changes in smoking routine due to COVID-19 restrictions (e.g. refraining from smoking outdoors and stockpiling tobacco products) influence smoking behaviors remains understudied. We examined the associations of changes in smoking-related practices with quit attempts and smoking consumption in current smokers using a mixed-methods d...

Introduction: We examined the association of workplace smoking cessation (SC) support from employers, in addition to SC interventions, and smoking abstinence. Methods: Smoking employees (≥1 cigarette daily, aged ≥18 years) from companies of various industries joined a workplace SC program in Hong Kong. Self-reported past 7-day point prevalence a...

Introduction With mobile technologies becoming more advanced and accessible, mobile health (mHealth) has been incorporated in delivering timely and convenient breastfeeding support. However, its feasibility and potential efficacy remain to be examined. Therefore, the primary objective of this study is to assess the feasibility and acceptability of...

BACKGROUND Text-messaging is effective for smoking cessation (SC). OBJECTIVE We assess if more interactive and adaptive instant messaging (IM) apps on a smartphone that allows personalization and chatting with SC advisors could further increase SC. METHODS 700 adult Chinese daily cigarette users were proactively recruited in communities in Hong K...

Introduction: We examined information and communications technology (ICT) use in family services and its perceived benefits and barriers amid the COVID-19 pandemic in Hong Kong. Methods: We invited all family service social workers of 12 NGOs to complete an anonymous online questionnaire in May 2020 (Part A) and a management representative from...

Background Hong Kong has proposed banning the sale of heated tobacco products (HTPs). Perceptions of reduced harms and effectiveness for quitting combustible cigarettes (CCs) of HTPs due to their promotions may erode public support for regulations. We assessed the associations between perceptions of HTPs and support for regulations in Hong Kong. M...

Background We have reported both perceived benefits and harms of the COVID-19 outbreak and their socioeconomic disparities amid the pandemic in Hong Kong. We further investigated whether such perceptions and disparities had changed after 10 months. Methods Under the Hong Kong Jockey Club SMART Family-Link Project, we conducted two cross-sectional...

Passive and forced drinking harm was prevalent but less recognized in Chinese adolescents. We educated adolescents on such harm to reduce their intention to drink. Students (n=1244) from 7 secondary schools in Hong Kong participated in a video-based health talk on passive and forced drinking harm. Paired t-test was used to assess their change in kn...

Background: This study explored the association of students' mental health with their support system, identified the preferred ways and sources of support, investigated the perceived usefulness of available university support, and recommended actionable strategies to enhance students' mental health. Method: An online questionnaire survey and sem...

BackgroundCOVID-19 vaccines are highly effective in preventing severe disease and death but are underused. Interventions to address COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy are paramount to reducing the burden of COVID-19. Objective We aimed to evaluate the preliminary efficacy, usability, and acceptability of a chatbot for promoting COVID-19 vaccination and exa...

Objective: To design a smartphone app and evaluate its effect on promoting mental well-being and awareness of anxious symptoms in adolescents. Materials and Methods: A pilot cluster randomized controlled trial was conducted with two secondary schools (390 students, mean age 13.1 years) randomized to the intervention and control groups. An app was d...

Pandemic fatigue is a growing public health concern of the lingering COVID-19 pandemic. Despite its widespread mass media coverage, systematic empirical investigations are scarce. Under the Hong Kong Jockey Club SMART Family-Link Project, we conducted online and telephone surveys amid the pandemic in February to March 2021 to assess self-reported p...

Background The acceleration of population aging calls for simple and effective interventions catered for older people. Gerontechnology, the combination of gerontology and technology, can promote quality of life in older adults. However, public health-related events incorporating information communication technology (ICT) for older people have seldo...

Heated tobacco products (HTPs) are increasingly popular in Hong Kong (HK) even though they have not been formally launched and the sale of duty‐not‐paid tobacco sticks is illegal. We investigated how Facebook was used against regulations to sell HTPs in HK. We screened Facebook pages run by HTP businesses targeting HK users in June 2019 and include...

Mindfulness-based art therapy has shown to improve psychological well-being. Zentangle is an easy-to-learn, mindfulness-based art therapy suitable for everyone. We reported the transition from face-to-face to online Zentangle workshops in family social services during COVID-19. We explored feedback from face-to-face workshops and the acceptability...

Background Mobile health (mHealth) is promising in developing personalised smoking cessation interventions. By using an adaptive trial design, we aim to evaluate the effectiveness of personalised mHealth intervention in increasing smoking cessation. Methods This study is a two-arm, parallel, accessor-blinded Sequential Multiple-Assignment Randomis...

Background Adversity coping capability (ACC) is important amid the COVID-19 pandemic. We examined the associations of ACC as measured by our one-item ACC scale (ACC-1) with mental health, family well-being and validity of ACC-1 in Hong Kong. Methods A cross-sectional survey was conducted on Hong Kong Chinese adults aged ≥ 18 years by landline, mob...

Objective We assessed the associations of family wellbeing with verifying and subsequently forwarding COVID-19-related information to family members and the mediating effect of the quality of family communication on these associations among Chinese adults in Hong Kong. Methods Under the Jockey Club SMART Family-Link Project, we conducted an online...

The main goal of the Social Technology and Research Laboratory (STAR Lab) in the University of Hong Kong (https://star.hku.hk) is to develop novel IT technologies for serving the society. Our team has more than three years of experience in project development, web, app, and game design, photography, and video production. We are interested in?Data S...

Objective Effective and brief positive parenting interventions could be adopted widely, but evidence is limited. We aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of a positive parenting programme in Hong Kong Chinese parents. Methods We conducted a pilot cluster randomised controlled trial in 2017 in 144 Hong Kong Chinese parents (84.7% women, mean age 42.5...

Introduction Changes in tobacco use and related personal and environmental factors amid the COVID-19 pandemic can be captured by qualitative studies, but they are few in non-Western populations. We assessed the perceived links between tobacco use and COVID-19, and changes in the use of cigarettes, electronic cigarettes (ECs) and heated tobacco prod...

BACKGROUND Mobile instant messaging (IM) apps (e.g., WhatsApp and WeChat) were widely used by population and provided an inexpensive alternative for text-based programs (short message service, SMS) to modify adverse lifestyle. Little is known about IM apps use for health promotion, including alcohol reduction for university students. OBJECTIVE Thi...

Objectives To explore associations of screen time (total, mobile gaming) with sleep problems in Chinese young adults. Methods This was a 4-week daily morning (completion rate=82.1%, 909/1107) and evening (completion rate=92.4%, 1061/1148) assessment study in 41 university students (22 female, mean age=22.3 [SD 4.2] years). Short sleep duration<7 h...

BACKGROUND COVID-19 vaccines are highly effective in preventing severe disease and death but are underused. Interventions to address COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy are paramount to reducing the burden of COVID-19. OBJECTIVE The primary aim is to evaluate the efficacy, usability, and acceptability of a chatbot for promoting COVID-19 vaccination. The se...

The COVID-19 pandemic caused different types of harms and benefits, but the combined patterns of perceived harms and benefits are unclear. We aimed to identify the patterns of perceived harms and benefits of the COVID-19 outbreak and to examine their associations with socio-demographic characteristics, happiness, and changes in smoking and drinking...

Background Both face-to-face and instant messaging (IM) communication are important for families, but face-to-face communication has reduced amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. We examined the use and contents of both communication methods amidst the pandemic, their associations with family wellbeing and personal happiness, and the mediation effects of c...

Family support through the sharing of information helps to shape and regulate the health and behaviours of family members, but little is known about how families are sharing COVID-19-related information, or about its associations with family communication quality and well-being. We examined the associations of COVID-19 information sharing methods w...

Background Mobile health, the use of mobile technology in delivering health care, has been found to be effective in changing health behaviors, including improving breastfeeding practices in postpartum women. With the widespread use of smartphones and instant messaging apps in Hong Kong, instant messaging groups could be a useful channel for deliver...

Introduction: Changes in tobacco use since the COVID-19 outbreak differed by countries and little is known about changes in the use of specific tobacco products. Methods: We analyzed data from four cross-sectional telephone/online surveys from April to June 2020 to investigate such changes since the 1st and 2nd wave outbreaks (February to April...

Introduction The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic had reduced access to traditional, in-person smoking cessation treatment. We examined the feasibility, acceptability, and potential effectiveness of mobile chat messaging in preventing smoking relapse in smokers who have recently quit smoking. Methods In this assessor-blinded, pilot randomized controlled...

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2021.797814.].

Objectives To examine the 15-year secular trends of self-rated health (SRH) and correlates in Chinese adolescents in Hong Kong. Design A territory-wide population-based panel data study. Setting Anonymised records of the annual health examination from the Student Health Service, Department of Health in Hong Kong. Participants 397 324 students in...

Aims To test the effectiveness of interactive, instant messaging chat-based mobile phone support versus text-based mobile phone support integrated with brief interventions on self-reported smoking abstinence in workplaces. Design A two-arm parallel cluster-randomised controlled trial with follow-up to 12 months. Setting 75 companies in Hong Kong,...

Background How weight status changes with time may affect self-esteem was seldom studied. We identified the distinct trajectories of overweight/obesity over age and assessed their associations with different domains of self-esteem in Hong Kong Chinese children. Methods Territory-wide longitudinal data of 48,558 children (girls: 50.0%; 6.3 ± 0.51 y...

Background: Delaying doctor consultation is harmful. Fear of COVID-19 leads to delays in seeking medical care at a time when pandemic information overflows. However, little is known about the role of COVID-19 related fear, attention to information, and fact-checking in such delay. Objective: Under the Hong Kong Jockey Club SMART Family-Link Project...

Background Although social networking services (SNSs) have become popular among young people, problematic SNS use has also increased. However, little is known about SNS addiction and its association with SNS use patterns and mental health status. Objective This study aims to test the mediating role of SNS addiction between SNS use patterns and men...

Purpose: To evaluate the factor structure and psychometric properties of the 10-item Family Communication Scale (FCS) in the Chinese population. Methods: Study 1 was a population-based survey [N = 687, 61.1% female; mean age (SD) 56.6 (19.1)]. Study 2 was a community-based intervention (N = 1983, 76.7% female; 57.8% aged 20–59 years). We conducted...

Objective To understand Hong Kong waterpipe smoking (WPS) sales and promotion, including strategies to avoid policy enforcement, from the perspective of WPS venue staff. Methods Qualitative interviews and observations were guided by interpretive description. 20 WPS venue staff who were responsible for preparing and serving waterpipes to patrons an...

A growing body of evidence shows smoking is a risk factor for coronavirus disease (COVID-19). We examined the associations of quitting-related behaviors with perceived susceptibility to and severity of COVID-19 in smokers. We conducted a telephone survey of 659 community-based adult smokers (81.7% male) in Hong Kong, where there was no lockdown. Ex...