The attitude, intention, and related factors of purchasing antibiotics without prescription: a survey in Vietnam.

Background: The abuse of antibiotics is a global problem, and the form of abuse varies among different countries and cultures. The study explored antibiotic self-medication attitudes and intentions to use antibiotics among the public in Can Tho City, Vietnam. Study design: Questionnaire survey on a sample of volunteers. Methods: Between February and August 2023, a paper-based questionnaire survey was conducted among the public in 4 districts of Can Tho City, Vietnam. The data was analyzed with SPSS version 20.0. Descriptive and analytical statistics using multivariate logistic regression analysis were performed to identify the factors associated with antibiotic self-medication. Results: Of the 414 people interviewed, 56% were female, and the majority were aged 30-45 (48.49%). People with a university pro-fessional degree accounted for 39.4%, of whom 10.6% were the medical staff. The overall average score on attitude was 4.43±1.589 (on a 10-point scale), and 85.7% of people had inappropriate attitudes. Average scores of the indicators (a) Positive attitude towards the use of non-prescription antibiotics, (b) Negative attitude towards the use of non-prescription antibiotics, (c) Subjective norms, (d) Perceived behavioral control, and (e) Intention to purchase antibiotics without a prescription were 3.73±0.043, 2.29±0.944, 4.36±1.45, 3.4±1.027, and 3.63±1.145, respectively. The rate of people intending to buy non-prescribed antibiotics was 63.8%. Factors related to people's intention to purchase antibiotics without a prescription included place of residence, education level, occupation, and income. All three factors, attitude, subjective norm, and perceived behavioral control, impacted the intention to buy non-prescription antibiotics, of which the subjective norm factor had the most substantial impact. Conclusions: The rate of people having incorrect attitudes about antibiotics, leading to the intention to buy antibiotics without a prescription, was relatively high. Factors affecting people's intention to purchase non-prescribed antibiotics included factors related to the impact of other people around them and factors originating from themselves.

Correction: Trinh et al. LMP1-EBV Gene Deletion Mutations and HLA Genotypes of Nasopharyngeal Cancer Patients in Vietnam. Pathophysiology 2023, 30, 1-12.

The authors would like to make the following corrections to the paper published [...].

LMP1-EBV Gene Deletion Mutations and HLA Genotypes of Nasopharyngeal Cancer Patients in Vietnam.

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is the most common cancer among head and neck cancers in Vietnam. We aimed to identify the rate of a 30 bp deletion mutation of the LMP1-EBV gene in nasopharyngeal biopsy tissue samples, the HLA genotypes of NPC patients, and the relationship between these two targets. Patients with NPC at Can Tho Oncology Hospital from September 2014 to December 2018 were selected. A length of 30 bp of the del-LMP1-EBV gene was analyzed using a PCR technique, and the HLA genotypes in patients' blood samples were analyzed with PCR-SSO technology. HLA-B*15 gene carriers had the highest risk of 30 bp LMP1-EBV gene deletion mutation, which was found in 51 out of 70 patients (72.9%). Carriers of the HLA-B*15 allele had a 4.6-fold increased risk of a 30 bp del-LMP1-EBV gene compared with non-carriers of this allele. The initial identification of NPC was related to the 30 bp del-LMP1-EBV gene and high frequencies of the -A*02, -B*15, -DRB1*12, -DQB1*03, and -DQA1*01 HLA alleles. Our study results suggest an association of the 30 bp del-LMP1-EBV gene and the HLA-B*15 allele with NPC susceptibility.

Medication Adherence in Vietnamese Patients with Cardiovascular and Endocrine-Metabolic Diseases.

(1) Background: COVID-19 has significantly affected the quality of life and the medication adherence of patients with chronic diseases. Attitudes towards the disease and preventive measures are the things that need to be considered for patient adherence to medication during the COVID-19 pandemic. We aimed to evaluate the rate and compare the medication adherence and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on medication adherence in Vietnamese patients with cardiovascular and endocrine−metabolic diseases. (2) Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on outpatients having chronic diseases such as cardiovascular or/and endocrine−metabolic diseases in some southern provinces in Vietnam. In each group of patients, medication adherence was measured and assessed with the General Medication Adherence Scale (GMAS), adjusted and validated in Vietnam. In addition, the study also investigated attitudes and practices to prevent COVID-19. (3) Results: Out of 1444 patients in our study, the level of adherence was recorded in 867 cases, accounting for 61.1%. The group of patients with only cardiovascular disease and patients with only endocrine−metabolic disease had relatively similar compliance rates of 62 and 61.1%, respectively. The leading cause of non-adherence to treatment in all three groups of patients in the study, as assessed by the GMAS, was non-adherence due to financial constraints. Our study showed that 71.6% of patients felt anxious when going to the hospital for a medical examination. However, only 53.7% identified the COVID-19 pandemic as obstructing treatment follow-up visits. The research results showed that the COVID-19 epidemic influences the patient's psychology with regard to re-examination and treatment adherence, with p coefficients of 0.003 and <0.001, respectively. (4) Conclusion: Medication adherence rates in two disease groups are close, and financial constraint is the fundamental reason for medication non-adherence. Regulatory agencies must take care of people's welfare to improve adherence in the epidemic context.