Colds and Age

 A critical factor that  plays a part  in susceptibility to colds is age. A

 study done by the University of Michigan School of Public Health revealed

 particulars that seem to hold true for the general population. Infants  are

 the most cold       ridden  group, averaging more than six colds in their first

 years. Boys have more colds than girls up to age three. After the age of

 three, girls are more susceptible than boys, and teenage girls average

three colds a year to boys' two. The general incidence of colds continues

 to decline into maturity. Elderly people who are in good health have as few

 as  one or  two colds annually. One exception  is found among  people  in 

 their twenties, especially women, who show a rise in cold infections,

 because people in this age group are most likely to have young children.

 Adults who  delay having children until their  thirties and forties

 experience the same sudden increase in cold infections. The study also

 found that economics plays an important role. As income increases, the

 frequency at which colds are reported in the family decreases. Families

 with the lowest income suffer about a third more colds than families at the

 upper end. Lower income  generally forces people to live  in more cramped

 quarters than those typically occupied by wealthier people, and crowding

 increases the opportunities for the cold virus to  travel from person  to

 person. Low income  may also adversely  influence diet. The  degree to

 which poor nutrition affects susceptibility to colds is not yet clearly

 established, but an inadequate diet is suspected of lowering resistance

generally.

感冒與年齡

 年齡是人們是否易患感冒的一個重要因素。  密歇根大學公共衛生學院揭示了一些對人 們普遍適用的細節。

 嬰兒期是最易感冒的時期，從出生到一周歲平均感冒六次。 在三周歲 前，男孩比女孩感冒次數要多。  但三周歲后，女孩就更易感冒了。  十幾歲的女孩年平均感

 冒三次，男孩則為兩次。  一般說來，隨著年齡的增長，感冒的次數也越來越少。  健康的老 年人每年只感冒一至兩次或更少。

 但在二十至三十歲之間的人尤其是婦女出現了例外。 他 們感冒的次數有所增加，其原因在于人們通常在這一時期帶養小孩。  那些晚育至三十幾歲

 或四十幾歲才有孩子的人，在那一時期感冒次數也會突然增加。  研究還發現，經濟狀況與 感冒息息相關。 隨著收入的增加，家庭成員的感冒次數呈下降趨勢。

 家境貧寒的人感冒次 數要比最富裕的人多三分之一。 低收入者被迫擠住在比富人居所狹小得多的空間里。 擁擠 的狀況為感冒病菌的傳播提供了條件。

 低收入同樣不利于合理的飲食結構。 營養不良到底 對患感冒造成多大的影響目前尚不清楚，但不合理的飲食通常降低了人體的抵抗力。

譯路通武漢翻譯公司

2012.7.16