Little is known about the epidemiology of schizophrenia in the agricultural regions of China. This study examined the 1-month and lifetime prevalence of schizophrenia and their association with socio-demographic factors in Hebei province which is an important agricultural region of China. A multi-stage, stratified, cluster random sampling method was adopted. The diagnosis of schizophrenia was ascertained with the validated Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV Axis I Disorders-Patient Edition (SCID-I/P/C). Altogether, 23,675 subjects were screened, of whom, 20,884 were included for analyses. The weighted 1-month and lifetime prevalence of schizophrenia were 0.5 % [95 % confidence interval (CI): 0.4-0.5 %] and 0.6 % (95 %CI: 0.5-0.7 %), respectively. Multiple logistic regression analyses found that unmarried marital status [P < 0.001, Odd Ratio(OR)=2.670, 95 %CI:1.767-4.036], lower education level (primary school or below: P = 0.042, OR=2.447, 95 % CI: 1.034-5.933; secondary school: P = 0.002, OR = 4.261, 95 % CI:1.692-10.730), unemployment (P = 0.006, OR=1.870, 95 % CI:1.198-2.920), lower income (P < 0.001, OR=4.017, 95 % CI:2.207-7.310) and family history of psychiatric disorders (P < 0.001, OR=16.278, 95 % CI:10.435-25.393) were independently associated with a higher risk of schizophrenia, while age above 60 years (P = 0.004, OR=0.440, 95 % CI:0.253-0.765) was associated with a lower risk of schizophrenia. The prevalence of schizophrenia appeared to be lower in Hebei province compared to other regions of China or other countries. Socioeconomic factors should be further examined to inform the public health surveillance and policies relevant to schizophrenia in the agricultural regions of China.
Keywords: China; Epidemiology; Prevalence; Schizophrenia.
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