Temperature-related emergency injury visits in Hanoi, Vietnam.

BACKGROUND: The short-term association between increasing temperatures and injury has been described in high-income countries, but less is known for low-income and-middle-income countries, including Vietnam. METHODS: We used emergency injury visits (EIV) data for 2017-2019 from 733 hospitals and clinics in Hanoi, Vietnam to examine the effects of daily temperature on EIV. Time-series analysis with quasi-Poisson models was used to estimate a linear relative risk increase (RRI) for overall populations and ones stratified by age and sex. Exposure-response curves estimated non-linear associations as an RR between daily temperature and injury. Models were adjusted for the day of week, holidays, daily relative humidity, daily particulate matter, and long-term and seasonal trends. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: A total of 39 313 EIV were recorded averaging 36 injuries daily. Injuries more likely occurred in males and those aged 15-44, and aged 44-60. For linear effects, a 5°C increase in same day mean temperature was associated with an overall increased EIV (RRI 4.8; 95% CI 2.3 to 7.3) with males (RRI 5.9; 95% CI 3.0 to 8.9) experiencing a greater effect than females (RRI 3.0; 95% CI -0.5 to 6.5). Non-linear effects showed an increase in EIV at higher temperatures compared with the threshold temperature of 15°C, with the greatest effect at 33°C (RR 1.3; 95% CI 1.2 to 1.6). Further research to investigate temperature-injury among different populations and by the cause of injury is warranted.

Avoidance of healthcare service use and correlates among HIV-positive patients in Vietnam: a cross-sectional study.

OBJECTIVE: The prevention of HIV/AIDS is not making sufficient progress. The slow reduction of HIV/AIDS infections needs to prioritise hesitancy towards service utilisation, including treatment duration, social support and social stigma. This study investigates HIV-positive patients' avoidance of healthcare services and its correlates. DESIGN: A cross-sectional study. SETTING: The secondary data analysis used cross-sectional data from a randomised controlled intervention, examining the effectiveness of HIV-assisted smartphone applications in the treatment of HIV/AIDS patients in the Bach Mai and Ha Dong clinics in Hanoi. METHODS: Simple random sampling was used to identify 495 eligible patients. Two-tailed χ2, Mann-Whitney, multivariate logistic and ordered logistic regression models were performed. PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOME MEASURES: The main study outcome was the patients' healthcare avoidance and frequency of healthcare avoidance. The association of individual characteristics, social and behavioural determinants of HIV patients' usage of health services was also determined based on the collected data using structured questionnaires. RESULTS: Nearly half of the participants avoid health service use (47.3%), while 30.7% rarely avoid health service use. Duration of antiretroviral therapy and initial CD4 cell count were negatively associated with avoidance of health services and frequency of health service avoidance. Similarly, those with the middle and highest income were more likely to avoid health services compared with those with the lowest income. People having health problems avoided health service use more frequently (OR 1.47, 95% CI 1.35 to 1.61). CONCLUSIONS: Our study's findings identify characteristics of significance in relation to health service avoidance and utilisation among HIV-positive patients. The results highlighted the need to improve satisfaction, adherence and utilisation of treatment. Moreover, identifying ways to address or incorporate those social determinants in new policy may also help the treatment of HIV/AIDS and strategically allocate funding in the changing financial and political climate of Vietnam. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: Thai Clinical Trials Registry TCTR20220928003.

Efficacy of a Mobile Phone-Based Intervention on Health Behaviors and HIV/AIDS Treatment Management: Randomized Controlled Trial.

BACKGROUND: Antiretroviral therapy (ART) is considered the most important intervention for HIV-positive patients; thus, encouraging the use of and adherence to ART are vital to HIV treatment outcomes. Advances in web and mobile technologies hold potential in supporting HIV treatment management. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the feasibility and efficacy of a theory-based mobile health (mHealth) intervention on health behaviors and HIV treatment adherence among patients with HIV/AIDS in Vietnam. METHODS: We performed a randomized controlled trial on 425 HIV patients in two of the largest HIV clinics in Hanoi, Vietnam. Both the intervention group (238 patients) and the control group (187 patients) received regular consultations with doctors and then participated in 1-month and 3-month follow-up visits. Patients in the intervention group received a theory-driven smartphone app to facilitate medication adherence and self-efficacy in HIV patients. Measurements were developed based on the Health Belief Model, which included the visual analog scale of ART Adherence, HIV Treatment Adherence Self-Efficacy Scale, and HIV Symptom Management Self-Efficacy Scale. We also included the 9-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) to assess patients' mental health throughout treatment. RESULTS: In the intervention group, the adherence score increased significantly (ß=1.07, 95% CI .24-1.90) after 1 month, whereas the HIV adherence self-efficacy was significantly higher after 3 months (ß=2.17, 95% CI 2.07-2.27) compared to the control group. There was a positive but low level of change in risk behaviors such as drinking, smoking, and drug use. Factors related to positive change in adherence were being employed and having stable mental well-being (lower PHQ-9 scores). Factors associated with self-efficacy in treatment adherence and symptom management were gender, occupation, younger age, and having no other underlying conditions. A longer duration of ART increased treatment adherence but decreased self-efficacy in symptom management. CONCLUSIONS: Our study demonstrated that the mHealth app could improve the overall ART adherence self-efficacy of patients. Further studies with larger sample sizes and longer follow-up periods are needed to support our findings. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Thai Clinical Trials Registry TCTR20220928003; https://www.thaiclinicaltrials.org/show/TCTR20220928003.

Etiology and Clinical Features of Bacterial Meningitis in Adults at National Hospital for Tropical Diseases during 2015-2018.

To evaluate the etiology and clinical features of bacterial meningitis (BM) in adults during 2015-2018 in Vietnam, a retrospective study using 102 patients was performed at the National Hospital of Tropical Diseases. BM occurred throughout the year, peaking in July-September. A total of 80.4% BM patients were males over 40 years old. The proportion of patients with underlying diseases was 41.2% and those in contact with pigs or pork products was 30.4%. Common manifestations include stiff neck, Kernig's sign, headache, fever/hypothermia, and altered consciousness. The cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) had high protein concentration (median: 3.2 g/L, range: 1.3-6.2) and leukocytes (median: 1,312 cell/mm3, range: 234-2,943). Moreover, 29.4% meningitis cases were associated with septicemia. Streptococcus suis was the main cause (72.5%), followed by Pneumococcus (6.8%) and a few other bacteria. Factors associated with S. suis risk were male sex (OR: 8.29, 95% CI: 2.83-24.33), over 40 years old (OR: 3.55, 95% CI: 1.28-9.87), drinking habits (OR: 3.78, 95% CI: 1.03-13.72), headache (OR: 6.19, 95% CI: 2.17-17.65), fever/hypothermia (OR: 5.17, 95% CI: 1.97-13.56) and ≥2.0 ng/mL procalcitonin (OR: 2.72, 95% CI: 1.07-6.89). Education on S. suis and nosocomial infection prevention, as well as pneumococcal vaccination use, should be continued.

Corrigendum: Interdisciplinary Assessment of Hygiene Practices in Multiple Locations: Implications for COVID-19 Pandemic Preparedness in Vietnam.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2020.589183.].

Cross-cultural adaptation and measurement properties of Youth Quality of Life Instrument-Short Form (YQOL-SF) in a developing South-East Asian country.

This study was performed to evaluate the measurement properties of Youth Quality of Life-Short Form (YQOL-SF) in assessing the quality of life (QOL) among general youths in Vietnam. An online cross-sectional study was conducted to validate the YQOL-SF. Factor analysis (including exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was utilized to determine the factorial structure of this tool. The psychometric properties (reliability and validity) of the new factorial model were assessed. The factor analysis revealed the two-factor model of YQOL-SF including factor 1 "Belief in self and family", and factor 2 "Environment and relationships". Cronbach's alpha value showed excellent internal consistency in both factors (0.911 and 0.910, respectively). Results also indicated good convergent, divergent, concurrent, and know-group validity of the two-factor model. Our study provided a promising model with different domains that were proved to be essential for the assessment of quality of life among Vietnamese youth aged 16-24. Our two-factor model affirmed that a balance between detail and length of the assessment is important to consider when selecting YQOL-SF for youths' QOL assessment. It helped reduce the risk of redundancy and encourages high survey completion rates among participants.

Smartphone Use and Willingness to Pay for HIV Treatment-Assisted Smartphone Applications among HIV-Positive Patients in Urban Clinics of Vietnam.

This study aimed to examine the effectiveness of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)-assisted smartphone applications in the treatment of HIV/AIDS patients in Vietnam. A cross-sectional study was performed in two urban outpatient clinics in Hanoi from May to December 2019. A simple random sampling method and a structured questionnaire were used to recruit 495 eligible participants and to collect data. Multivariable modified Poisson regression and multivariable linear regression models were employed to investigate the factors associated with the willingness to pay (WTP) and amount of money patients were willing to pay. Approximately 82.8% of respondents were willing to pay for the hypothetical applications, with the mean amount the participants were willing to pay of Vietnam Dong (VND) 72,100/month. Marital status (separate/divorced/widow: Odds ratio (OR) = 1.28, 95% confidence interval (CI) = (1.09; 1.50) and having spouse/partner: OR = 1.18, 95% CI = (1.03; 1.36)) and using health services (OR = 1.03, 95% CI = (1.01; 1.04)) were positively associated with nominating they would be WTP for the app, whereas the duration of antiretroviral treatment (ART) (OR = 0.98, 95% CI = (0.96; 0.99)) had a negative association. The frequency of using health services (ß = 0.04, 95% CI = (-0.07; -0.01)) was negatively associated with the amount of WTP. High levels of WTP revealed the feasibility of implementing smartphone-based apps for HIV treatment. This study implied the necessity to consider a co-payment system to reach populations who were in need but where such applications may be unaffordable in lieu of other treatment-associated expenses. Developers also need to pay attention to privacy features to attract single people living with HIV/AIDS and additional measures to initiate people with a long duration on ART into using the applications.

Interdisciplinary Assessment of Hygiene Practices in Multiple Locations: Implications for COVID-19 Pandemic Preparedness in Vietnam.

Due to the shared border with China, Vietnam faced risks from the COVID-19 pandemic at the early stages of the outbreak. Good hygiene practices were considered an effective prevention method, but there were only minimal data on the effectiveness of hygiene practices against the pandemic at the community level. Thus, this study aims to assess hygiene practices in society by using a community-based survey. A cross-sectional study using survey monkey was conducted from December 2019 to February 2020. The Snowball sampling technique was used to recruit participants and exploratory factor analysis was applied to scrutinize the construct validity of the measurement. We used the Tobit regression model to assess the association. Hygiene in a high-risk environment and hygiene in the social and educational environment were two main factors after applying the EFA method. Participants grade community sanitation quite low (around 6 out of 10). Furthermore, the mean score of hygiene practice at a local level in a high-risk environment was slightly low at 6.0. The score of sanitation in the Central region (5.3) was quite low compared to the North (5.8) and the South (6.2). The most high-risk environment was construction, industrial zone and food safety. Moreover, younger respondents were more likely to report poorer hygiene practices in high-risk environments (Coefficient = -1.67; 95% CI = -3.03; -0.32) and social and educational environment (Coefficient = -1.29; 95% CI = -2.54; -0.04). Our study gives an insight into pandemic preparedness at the grassroots level. The findings suggest the necessity of specific communication education for society to improve the compliance of hygiene practices to prevent the spreading of COVID-19.

Emotional violence exerted by intimate partners and postnatal depressive symptoms among women in Vietnam: A prospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Previous studies have shown a relation between intimate partner violence (IPV) and postpartum depression (PPD). However, these studies have primarily focused on physical and sexual violence as predictors for postpartum depression and little attention has been given to emotional violence (EV), despite emotional violence having been well reported as the most common type of violence experienced by women. This present study aimed to investigate the association between various types of emotional experience during life with present partner and postnatal depressive symptoms among women in Vietnam. METHODS: A total of 1,274 pregnant women were recruited from 24 communities in the Dong Anh District, Hanoi, Vietnam. They were interviewed four times: (a) at enrolment (before week 24 of pregnancy); (b) at a gestational age of 30-34 weeks; (c) 24-48 hours after delivery; and (d) 4-12 weeks after delivery. Emotional violence and postnatal depressive symptoms were measured using a questionnaire developed by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Edinburgh Postpartum Depression Scale (EPDS), respectively. RESULTS: A total of 639 (50.4%) women experienced at least one type of emotional violence with their present partner, whereas 104 women (8.2%) experienced postnatal depressive symptoms. Women exposed to emotional violence were more likely to experience postnatal depressive symptoms (OR = 3.15; 95%CI: 1.17-8.51). Other statistically significant predictors of increased postnatal depressive symptoms included type of employment, lack of family support after delivery, lower level of education, husband's preference for a specific sex of child, presence of mental disorder, and depression during pregnancy. CONCLUSIONS: Among Vietnamese women, there was a statistically significant association between exposure to emotional violence with their present partner and postpartum depression. The findings indicate an urgent need for screening for all acts of emotional violence as risk factors for postnatal depressive symptoms.

Intimate partner violence during pregnancy in Vietnam: prevalence, risk factors and the role of social support.

Background: Violence against women is a global public health problem. A better understanding of risk factors for intimate partner violence (IPV) exposure during pregnancy is important to develop interventions for supporting women being exposed to IPV. Objective: The purpose of this study was to measure the prevalence of IPV during pregnancy and analyse how social support and various risk factors are associated with IPV. Methods: A cross-sectional study conducted among 1309 pregnant women in Dong Anh district, Vietnam. Information about socio-economic conditions and previous exposure to IPV was collected when women attended antenatal care before the 24th gestational week. Information about social support information and exposure to IPV during pregnancy was collected in the 30th-34th gestational week. Multivariable regression was used to identify associations between IPV, social support and other potential risk factors. Results: The prevalence of IPV exposure during pregnancy was 35.2% (Emotional violence: 32.2%; physical violence: 3.5% and sexual violence: 9.9%). There was a statistically significant association between previous IPV exposure, lack of social support and IPV exposure during pregnancy. After adjustment for socioeconomic characteristics, pregnant women who had previously been exposed to IPV were more likely to be exposed IPV at least one time (AOR = 6.3; 95% CI: 4.9-8.2) as well as multiple times (AOR = 6.0; 95% CI: 4.5-8.0). Similarly, pregnant women having a lack of social support had a higher likelihood of being exposed to IPV at least one time (AOR = 3.1; 95% CI: 2.4-3.9) or multiple times (AOR = 2.9; 95% CI: 2.2-3.8). Conclusion: IPV is relatively high during pregnancy in Vietnam. Previous exposure to IPV and lack of social support is associated with increased risk of violence exposure among pregnant women in Vietnam.