Nutritional status of Vietnamese infants assessed by Fenton growth chart and related factors: A cross-sectional study.

Importance: Nutritional status of infants, measured by birth weight and length, is an essential factor in neonatal development. Malnutrition in newborns may lead to a higher risk of mortality, neurological and cognitive impairment, and poor language development. Objective: This study aims to assess the nutritional status of infants and related factors regarding maternal anthropometric characteristics and medical history. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted at the National Hospital of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Vietnam from May 2021 to May 2022 on 340 infants and mothers. Low birth weight was defined following the Intergrowth-21 standards. Stunting was evaluated using the Fenton growth chart when the length was below the 10% percentile line of the gestational week. Multivariate regression models were applied to identify factors associated with the nutritional status of infants. Results: We found that 12.4% and 14.1% of infants in our study fell into stunted and underweight categories, respectively. Infants of mothers over 35 years old, having a height lower than 150 cm or experiencing anemia during pregnancy were more likely to be stunted or have low birth weight. Serum albumin deficiency during pregnancy was strongly associated with the infant being underweight (odds ratio [OR] = 2.8, 95% confidence interval [95%CI] 1.1-7.3). Newborns were more likely to be stunted if their mothers had a history of preterm birth (OR = 3.3, 95%CI 1.1-10.2). Interpretation: Maternal nutritional status is closely related to infant malnutrition, particularly in preterm infants. Improving the understanding of mothers regarding prenatal care, reproductive healthcare, adequate nutritional diet, and multi-micronutrient supplements during pregnancy is therefore important.

Sleep disorders among patients suffering from road traffic injuries in an urban setting of Vietnam: an exploratory study.

Sleep quality is an important indicator of treatment outcome for patients with traffic accident injuries. In Vietnam, the impacts of injury on sleep status are usually amplified in urban areas due to disproportionate distribution of mental care services between the city and less developed settings. Our study investigated deterioration in sleep quality and identified associated demographic factors among traffic injury patients in an small urban setting of Vietnam. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 408 patients in one provincial hospital and five district hospitals in Thai Binh, Vietnam from October to December 2018. A structured questionnaire was designed based on 3 standardized scales: Health-related Quality of Life, the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index and the Kessler Scale. Face-to-face interviews and medical records were conducted by trained health professionals on patients hospitalized in the Trauma-Orthopedic/Burn Department and Surgery and General Department. About 16.9% of respondents had sleep disturbances, and there was a statistically significant difference between age group (p < 0.01), education level (p < 0.01), and monthly household income (p < 0.01) between participants who with and without sleep disturbances. Furthermore, more than half (50.7%) of respondents sleep less than 5 h per day, while 18.7% of the sampled also reported that the habitual sleep efficiency was below 85%. Current results indicated that people being female, suffering from traumatic brain injury, being comatose at hospitalization, and having higher psychological distress scores were more likely to suffer from sleep problems. Our study is one of the first evidence in Vietnam to assess sleep disturbances in road traffic injury patients and their correlated factors. It is important to identify patients who are at risk of sleep disturbances based on socio-demographic and clinical characteristics, as well as psychological distress status. Therefore, a holistic approach should be taken to include sleep quality and psychological state in the treatment process and outcome assessment for road traffic injury patients.

Bullying experience in urban adolescents: Prevalence and correlations with health-related quality of life and psychological issues.

This study examined the 3-month rate of bullying experience, associated factors, and measure the relationships between bullying experience with health-related quality of life and different mental disorders among secondary school students. We performed a cross-sectional study in four secondary schools in Hanoi, Vietnam. Bullying experience was evaluated by using questions about eighteen specific-bullying behaviors. EuroQol-5 dimensions-5 levels (EQ-5D-5L) and Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale- 21 items (DASS-21) were used to measure health-related quality of life (HRQOL) and mental health of participants, respectively. Among 712 secondary school students, the 3-month prevalence of physical, social aggression, verbal, and sexual bullying experience were 8.4%; 31.2%; 11.9%, and 2.7%, respectively. Being bullied were negatively associated with levels of classmates and family support, as well as levels of school security. Being overweight or obese was related to a higher likelihood of suffering social aggression compared to normal BMI. Being bullied was significantly associated with the decrement of HRQOL, and the increased risk of depression, anxiety, and stress among adolescents. Findings of this study suggested that holistic approaches involving family, peers, and schools, along with enhancing school security, are potential approaches to reduce the impact of bullying on adolescents' life and well-being.