Lifestyle and diet in relation to risk of type 2 diabetes in Vietnam: a hospital-based case-control study.

BACKGROUND: Lifestyle and diet are important determinants of type 2 diabetes (T2D). Their impact on T2D can be evaluated using clinical and epidemiological approaches. Randomised controlled trials are the most rigorous design but expensive to conduct, whereas prospective cohort studies are time-consuming and less powerful for populations with a low incidence of the disease. Case-control studies are considered appropriate in resource-limited settings. A hospital-based case-control study protocol has been developed to investigate the role of lifestyle and dietary factors in T2D aetiology for adults in Vietnam. METHODS: A total of 1100 patients aged 40-65 years (550 T2D cases and 550 controls) will be recruited from a tertiary hospital in Hanoi, the capital city of Vietnam. Cases and controls will be frequency-matched on age (±3 years), gender, and residential location. T2D will be diagnosed according to the 2006 World Health Organisation criteria. Habitual physical activity will be assessed by the Vietnamese version of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire-Short Form. Food and beverage consumption will be ascertained using a Validated Food Frequency Questionnaire, specifically developed for the Vietnamese population. Information on demographic and other personal characteristics will be collected, together with anthropometric and blood pressure measurements. Descriptive statistics and unconditional logistic regression analyses will be performed to examine factors associated with the T2D prevalence. DISCUSSION: The proposed study will elucidate the role of lifestyle and diet in T2D prevalence among Vietnamese adults. Findings concerning pertinent factors will provide epidemiological evidence for the development of focused interventions, and contribute to the formulation of national policies to prevent and control T2D in Vietnam.

Prevalence of and Risk Factors for Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus in Vietnam: A Systematic Review.

This systematic review examined trends in the prevalence of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and identified its risk factors among adults in Vietnam. PubMed, Web of Science, Wiley Online Library, and Scopus databases were searched to identify relevant literature. The search yielded 10 studies, including 2 national surveys and 8 regional investigations. National prevalence estimates of T2DM were 2.7% in 2002 and 5.4% in 2012. The estimates for the northern region were 1.4% in 1994 and 3.7% in 2012 and those for the southern region were 3.8% in 2004, 7.0% in 2008, and 12.4% in 2010. The major determinants of T2DM included older age, urban residence, high levels of body and abdominal fat, physical inactivity, sedentary lifestyle, genetic factors, and hypertension. The prevalence rate by gender was variable in both national and regional studies. There was insufficient information available on some potentially important risk factors such as smoking, dietary intake, income, and educational level. Our review signifies a rapidly growing prevalence of T2DM in Vietnam and suggests that extra effort is required to prevent and control this disease.

Reliability and validity of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire-Short Form for older adults in Vietnam.

ISSUES ADDRESSED: The International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) was developed as a global standard questionnaire to monitor physical activity across diverse populations. In Vietnam, the IPAQ-Short Form (SF) has only been tested for reliability and validity among adolescents. The present study determined test-retest reliability and criterion validity of the IPAQ-SF for older Vietnamese adults aged 60-75 years. METHODS: In all, 197 participants were recruited from the community. Subjects were requested to wear a pedometer, record daily steps and list all physical activities in a log-book for 7 consecutive days. Those who completed the requirements were interviewed using the IPAQ-SF (IPAQ1). A repeated interview was arranged 3 days later (IPAQ2). RESULTS: The final sample consisted of 150 participants (75 men, 75 women) with mean (± s.d.) age of 66.8±5.1 years. The intraclass correlation coefficients between IPAQ1 and IPAQ2 exceeded 0.80 for all physical activity domains and sitting, indicating good reliability. However, fair to weak validity was evident between IPAQ1 measures and activity log and pedometer readings, with Spearman correlations of 0.46 and 0.20, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The Vietnamese translated version of IPAQ-SF appears to be a reliable and reasonably valid instrument to assess and monitor habitual physical activity for older adults in Vietnam. SO WHAT? The IPAQ-SF could provide useful physical activity data to evaluate the effectiveness of health promotion intervention programs and for international comparison purposes.

National influenza surveillance in Vietnam, 2006-2007.

In 2006, national influenza surveillance was implemented in Vietnam. Epidemiologic and demographic data and a throat swab for influenza testing were collected from a subset of outpatients with influenza-like illness (ILI). During January 1, 2006 through December 31, 2007, of 184,521 ILI cases identified at surveillance sites, 11,082 were tested and 2112 (19%) were positive for influenza by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. Influenza viruses were detected year-round, and similar peaks in influenza activity were observed in all surveillance regions, coinciding with cooler and rainy periods. Studies are needed to ascertain the disease burden and impact of influenza in Vietnam.