Individual-, social- and policy- factors associated with smoking cessation among adult male cigarette smokers in Hanoi, Vietnam: a longitudinal study.

BACKGROUND: Nearly one-in-two Vietnamese men smoke cigarettes placing them among the highest tobacco consumers in the world. Despite the need for smoking cessation to curb the burden of tobacco-related diseases in Vietnam, this rate remains at less than 30%. Therefore, this study examines individual-, social- and policy factors associated with smoking cessation among adult male smokers in Vietnam. METHODS: We established a longitudinal International Tobacco Control study of male smokers in Hanoi, Vietnam, in September 2018. This paper analyses 1525 men who participated in baseline and one-year follow-up. We applied a weighted multivariable logistic regression to examine the association between smoking cessation and individual-, social- and policy predictors. RESULTS: At follow-up, 14.8% of participants had quit smoking for at least 30 consecutive days during the last year. Among the persistent smokers, 56.6% expressed intention to quit smoking. Factors associated with smoking cessation included a lower number of cigarettes smoked per day (aOR = 0.96, 95% CI: 0.94, 0.99) and having several attempts to quit smoking (aOR = 2.16, 95% CI 1.13, 4.12). Intention to quit smoking was associated with multiple quit attempts, a chronic condition diagnosis, more tobacco-related knowledge, greater self-efficacy, and more worries about their future health. The perceived impact of smoke-free policy and health warning labels were positively associated with intention to quit at any stage. CONCLUSIONS: Interventions aimed at increasing smoking cessation should focus on all aspects of individual, social, and policy factors. Persistent smokers are more motivated to quit if they have made multiple quit attempts, more self-efficacy of quitting and worried about their future health, indicating that increasing smokers' beliefs and knowledge may be important for behavioural change. Health warning labels and tobacco taxation policies should be maintained and promoted as they are perceived to be particularly useful for persistent smokers' intention to quit.

Combinations of lifestyle behaviors and cancer risk among Korean adults.

Combinations of lifestyle behaviors may lead to different cancer risks. This study aimed to identify the latent classes based on lifestyle behavior trajectories and to investigate the association between these latent classes and cancer risk. Participants in the 2002-2003 National Health Insurance Service general health examination were included. Data on smoking, alcohol drinking, body mass index (BMI), and physical activity measured four times between 2002 and 2009 were analyzed. Incident cancer cases were tracked from 2010 to 2018. Patterns of alcohol drinking, smoking, BMI, and physical activity and latent classes based on trajectories of smoking, alcohol drinking, BMI, and physical activity were identified. Among 2,735,110 adults (1,787,486 men and 947,624 women), 111,218 (69,089 men and 42,129 women) developed incident cancer. Six latent classes of lifestyle behavior were identified, with Class 1 (healthy class) involving only 0.2% of men and 0.5% of women. The highest risk class in males tended to be steady light drinkers and steady moderate smokers, have steady low frequency of physical activity, and be obese. This class showed a 1.47 times higher (95% CI = 1.29-1.69) risk of all cancers than did the healthy class. Among women, there was only an association between the highest risk class (tendency to be non-drinkers, light smokers) and colorectal cancer (HR = 1.70, 95% CI = 1.02-2.83). Only a small percentage of participants maintained a long-term healthy lifestyle. Identifying classes of behavior combinations and their links to cancer development is therefore critical for cancer prevention.

Mortality risk according to smoking trajectories after cancer diagnosis among Korean male cancer survivors: A population-based cohort study.

INTRODUCTION: Previous research on post-diagnosis smoking among cancer survivors mainly relied on smoking status, which may not fully reflect the impact of changes in smoking levels. This study aimed to evaluate mortality risk according to smoking trajectories among Korean male cancer survivors, using a trajectory approach to comprehensively capture smoking patterns. METHODS: The study included 110555 men diagnosed with cancer between 2002 and 2018 from the Korean National Health Information Database. Group-based trajectory modelling was used to identify post-diagnosis smoking trajectories among pre-diagnosis current smokers (n=45331). Cox hazards models were fitted to evaluate mortality risk according to smoking trajectories for pooled cancers, pooled smoking-related cancers, smoking-unrelated cancers, and gastric, colorectal, liver, and lung cancers. RESULTS: Smoking trajectories included light-smoking quitters, heavy-smoking quitters, consistent moderate smokers, and decreasing heavy smokers. Smoking significantly increased all-cause and cancer mortality risks in cancer patients for pooled cancers, pooled smoking-related cancers, and pooled smoking-unrelated cancers. Compared to non-smokers, all-cause mortality risk for pooled cancers significantly increased according to smoking trajectories:(AHR=1.33; 95% CI: 1.27-1.40), (AHR=1.39; 95% CI: 1.34-1.44), (AHR=1.44; 95% CI: 1.34-1.54), and (AHR=1.47; 95% CI: 1.36-1.60), respectively. Smoking increased all-cause and cancer mortality risks in gastric and colorectal cancer patients and cancer-specific mortality in lung cancer patients. The significant associations of smoking trajectories with all-cause and cancer mortality risks were primarily observed in 5-year survivors but not in short-term survivors. Among heavy smokers, smoking cessation significantly reduced all-cause mortality risk in the long-term. CONCLUSIONS: The post-diagnosis smoking trajectory independently predicts cancer prognosis among male cancer patients. Proactive cessation support should be strengthened, particularly for those who smoke heavily.

Trajectory of physical activity frequency and cancer risk: Findings from a population-based cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Physical activity (PA) changes throughout an individual's life, but the association between such changes and cancer risk seems to be overlooked in the literature. Thus, this study aimed to examine the association between the trajectories of PA frequency and cancer incidence among middle-aged Korean adults. METHODS: A total of 1,476,335 eligible participants (992,151 men and 484,184 women) aged ≥40 years from the National Health Insurance Service cohort (2002-2018) were included. Assessment of PA frequency was a self-reported measure, based on the question: "How many times per week do you perform exercise that makes you sweat?". PA frequency trajectories (i.e., trajectory classes of change in PA frequency) from 2002 to 2008 were identified using group-based trajectory modeling. Cox proportional hazards regression was used to assess the associations between the PA trajectories and cancer incidence. RESULTS: Five PA frequency trajectories over 7 years were identified: persistently low (men:73.5%; women:74.7%), persistently moderate (men:16.2%; women:14.6%), high-to-low (men:3.9%; women:3.7%), low-to-high (men:3.5%; women:3.8%), and persistently high (men:2.9%; women:3.3%). Compared with persistently low frequency, maintaining a high PA frequency was associated with a lower risk of all cancers (Hazard ratio (HR) = 0.92, 95%CI = 0.87-0.98) and breast cancer (HR = 0.82, 95%CI = 0.70-0.96) among women. There was a lower risk for thyroid cancer among men in the high-to-low (HR = 0.83, 95%CI = 0.71-0.98), low-to-high (HR = 0.80, 95%CI = 0.67-0.96), and high PA trajectories (HR = 0.82, 95%CI = 0.68-0.99). There was a significant association between moderate trajectory and lung cancer in men (HR = 0.88, 95%CI = 0.80-0.95), in both smoking and non-smoking men. CONCLUSION: Long-term persistent high frequency of PA as part of the daily routine should be widely promoted and encouraged to reduce the risk for all cancer development in women.

Alcoholic liver disease in relation to cancer incidence and mortality: Findings from a large, matched cohort study in South Korea.

AIM: To estimate the risk of cancer incidence and mortality among patients with alcoholic liver disease in South Korea. METHODS: A matched cohort study was conducted, including 1,042,185 men (alcoholic liver disease cases: 208,437; controls: 833,748) and 100,400 women (alcoholic liver disease cases: 20,080; controls: 80,320), matched for sex, age, smoking, alcohol consumption, and body mass index at a 1:4 ratio. The risk of cancer incidence and mortality in the alcoholic liver disease group was assessed using Cox proportional hazards regression models. RESULTS: Both men and women with alcoholic liver disease had an elevated risk of all-cancer and liver cancer incidence and mortality in comparison with the control group. In men, alcoholic liver disease was associated with a significantly higher risk of development of 10 cancer types, including lip, oral cavity, and pharynx; esophagus; liver; gallbladder and biliary tract; pancreas; larynx; lung; kidney; thyroid gland; and leukemia. Subgroup analysis by hepatitis B and C infection showed increased hazard ratios of all cancer incidences and mortality in the alcoholic liver disease group, regardless of hepatitis B or C infection status. In both sexes, a higher number and more years of hospital or clinic visits for alcoholic liver disease were associated with an increased risk of incidence and mortality from all cancers and liver cancer. A more profound dose-response relationship between alcoholic liver disease and alcohol consumption was observed in women than in men. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings emphasize the need for a clinical surveillance program and the early detection of cancer in patients with alcoholic liver disease.

Cancer Risk According to Alcohol Consumption Trajectories: A Population-based Cohort Study of 2.8 Million Korean Men.

BACKGROUND: Alcohol drinking behaviors change temporally and can lead to changes in related cancer risks; previous studies have been unable to identify the association between the two using a single-measurement approach. Thus, this study aimed to investigate the association of drinking trajectories with the cancer risk in Korean men. METHODS: A trajectory analysis using group-based trajectory modeling was performed on 2,839,332 men using data on alcohol drinking levels collected thrice during the Korean National Health Insurance Service's general health screening program conducted between 2002 and 2007. Cox proportional hazards regression was performed to evaluate the associations between drinking trajectories and cancer incidence, after adjustments for age, income, body mass index, smoking status, physical activity, family history of cancer, and comorbidities. RESULTS: During 10.5 years of follow-up, 189,617 cancer cases were recorded. Six trajectories were determined: non-drinking, light, moderate, decreasing-heavy, increasing-heavy, and steady-heavy. Light-to-heavy alcohol consumption increased the risk for all cancers combined in a dose-dependent manner (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR] 1.03; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.02-1.05 for light drinking, aHR 1.06; 95% CI 1.05-1.08 for moderate drinking, aHR 1.19; 95% CI, 1.16-1.22 for decreasing-heavy drinking, aHR 1.23; 95% CI, 1.20-1.26 for increasing-heavy drinking, and aHR 1.33; 95% CI, 1.29-1.38 for steady-heavy drinking [P-trend <0.001]). Light-to-heavy alcohol consumption was linked to lip, oral cavity, pharyngeal, esophageal, colorectal, laryngeal, stomach, and gallbladder and biliary tract cancer risks, while heavy alcohol consumption was associated with hepatic, pancreatic, and lung cancer risks. An inverse association was observed for thyroid cancer. The cancer risks were lower for decreasing-heavy drinkers, compared to steady-heavy drinkers. CONCLUSION: No safe drinking limits were identified for cancer risks; reduction in heavy intake had protective effects.

Abundance and sources of plastic debris on beaches in a plastic hotspot, Nha Trang, Viet Nam.

Viet Nam is challenged by extensive marine plastic pollution, however, remediation efforts are hampered by undefined sources to the coastal environment. This study surveyed the abundance, type, and source of beached plastic litter at seven beaches along the coast of Nha Trang, Viet Nam. A total of 4754 beached plastic litter items (>2 cm) yielded a mean abundance of 19.8 ± 19.5 items m-2 corresponding to 116 ± 226 g DW m-2. Our results demonstrate that plastic litter related to fishing and aquaculture constituted at least 62 % of the total by weight and 38 % by number, showing that these two sectors are responsible for a significant part of the plastic pollution along the coast. Hence, we argue that improved management of the fishing and aquaculture sectors could substantially reduce marine plastic pollution along Viet Nam's coast.

Liver Angiosarcoma with Poor Prognosis in a 61-Year-Old Woman: A Case Report and Literature Review.

Purpose: Hepatic angiosarcoma is very rare malignancy and more common in men than in women. To date, only a few female cases of liver angiosarcoma have been reported. Here, we report a female case of liver angiosarcoma, first detected in Vietnam, with a high malignancy stage, rapid progression, and poor prognosis. Case Presentation: A 61-year-old woman was admitted to the Bach Mai Hospital with fatigue, anorexia, weight loss, and severe pain in the right upper quadrant for 2 weeks prior. Clinical examination detected a firm 4-cm hepatomegaly below the right costal margin and grade I splenomegaly. Abdominal ultrasonography and CT revealed diffuse lesions in the entire liver parenchyma, spreading to the spleen, while MRI showed signs of bone metastasis. Blood tests showed elevated transaminase enzymes, especially Gamma Glutamyl Transferase 501 U/L; thrombocytopenia; no anemia; and other tumor markers such as AFP, CEA, and CA19-9 were within normal limits. On CT images, the dots and nodules in the liver and spleen appeared hyperenhanced in the arterial phase and washout in the venous phase. The results of both histopathology and immunohistochemistry showed liver angiosarcoma. Surgery and radiation were not indicated due to the suspicion of bone metastasis. Chemotherapy with doxorubicin at a dose of 60 mg/m2 and intravenous infusion once every 21 days was administered. Unfortunately, during the first dose of chemotherapy with doxorubicin, side effects appeared. Since the disease developed continuously and uncontrollably, the patient was subsequently exhausted, anemic, presented peritoneal fluid, and eventually died of intra-abdominal bleeding. Conclusion: For the diagnosis of liver angiosarcoma, ultrasound-guided liver biopsy could be applied for safe and effective histopathology, and selective embolization of the hepatic artery is necessary to prevent bleeding complications. The disease has a very poor prognosis, and if chemotherapy does not respond, the patient can die within six months of diagnosis.

Weight-change trajectory in relation to cancer risk: findings from a nationwide cohort study in South Korea.

OBJECTIVE: This study examined relationships between weight-change trajectories and all cancers and obesity-related cancer risks. METHODS: A total of 1,882,304 men and 899,912 women from the 2002 to 2017 National Health Insurance Service cohort were included. Weight-change trajectories in 2002 to 2009, according to BMI, were determined using group-based trajectory modeling. Cox proportional hazards regression assessed associations between trajectories and cancer incidence. RESULTS: Overall, >50% of individuals maintained stable weight, as did two-thirds of those in the overweight and obesity groups. A total of 64,725 men and 37,608 women developed incident cancer. Weight stability in overweight or obesity groups was associated with greater cancer risk. In both sexes, higher weight across BMI groups increased risks of all cancers, obesity-related cancers and thyroid, colorectal, stomach, liver, prostate, and postmenopausal breast cancer. Stratified by BMI, weight gain increased risks of all cancers and obesity-related cancers in men with obesity class I and women with overweight. Weight loss decreased risks of obesity-related cancers, thyroid cancer, and kidney cancer among men with overweight, premenopausal breast, endometrial, and ovarian cancer in women with overweight, and obesity-related cancers and thyroid cancer in women with class I obesity. CONCLUSIONS: Maintaining weight and avoiding weight gain are crucial for reducing cancer risk, but achieving a stable, normal BMI optimizes cancer prevention.

Association between perceived harm of tobacco and intention to quit: a cross-sectional analysis of the Vietnam Global Adult Tobacco Survey.

BACKGROUND: Perception of harm plays an important role in predicting intention to quit-an integral part of the cessation process. Perception on harm from bamboo waterpipe tobacco was unknown, even the predominant of this type of tobacco use. This study investigated the effects of perceived harm from cigarette and bamboo waterpipe tobacco on intention to quit among adult male Vietnamese tobacco users. METHODS: From the nationally-representative 2015 Global Adult Tobacco Survey, we included 1,351 adult males (≥ 18 years old) who used cigarettes, bamboo waterpipes, or both. Demographic characteristics, tobacco use behaviors, perceived harm from tobacco use, and regulation/policy exposure were measured. Effects of perceived harm from cigarette and bamboo waterpipe tobacco on intention to quit were assessed by logistic regression. RESULTS: Intention to quit prevalence was 59.0%, 55.0%, and 58.4% for cigarette, waterpipe, and dual users, respectively. Tobacco users who perceived that "using cigarettes and/or waterpipe could cause severe illness" and "waterpipe use is less harmful than cigarette smoking", had tobacco use bans at home, or were exposed to anti-smoking campaigns or encouragement to quit information were more likely to intend to quit. When analyzed by tobacco users, intention to quit was more likely for those users who perceived their tobacco product as more harmful than the other product type, although statistical significance was only observed for cigarette users. CONCLUSIONS: Misperceptions regarding harm from tobacco use could negatively affect intention to quit. Dissemination of accurate information on the risks from all forms of tobacco use and enforcement of tobacco control policies are important for encouraging intention to quit.

Chronic pancreatitis and cancer risk in a matched cohort study using national claims data in South Korea.

This study aimed to examine the association between chronic pancreatitis (CP) and cancer incidence and mortality among the Korean population. Based on a cancer-free cohort of 8,317,616 individuals between 2002 and 2010, a matched cohort study was conducted, including 10,899 patients with CP, matched for sex and age with 32,697 individuals without CP. The case and control groups were followed up until the date of onset of cancer or death or the end of follow-up date (December 31, 2018). Cox proportional hazards regression was performed to assess the risk of cancer incidence and mortality. Compared to the control group, patients with CP had a higher risk of all cancers with a hazard ratio (HR) of 1.2 [95% confidence interval (CI) 1.1-1.3]. CP was associated with an increased risk of esophageal cancer (HR 3.9, 95% CI 1.8-8.5) and pancreatic cancer (HR 3.9, 95% CI 2.7-5.5) and a decreased risk of colorectal cancer (HR 0.7, 95% CI 0.5-0.9). Regarding cancer mortality, patients with CP had a 1.2-fold risk of all cancer mortality (95% CI 1.1-1.4), compared with the control group. Patients with CP had a higher risk of death from esophageal cancer (HR 3.5, 95% CI 1.5-8.0) and pancreatic cancer (HR 3.3, 95% CI 2.3-4.7) but had a lower risk of death due to stomach cancer (HR 0.4, 95% CI 0.2-0.8). Patients with CP had a higher risk for both incidence and mortality of all cancer types, especially pancreatic and esophageal cancers, compared with the sex- and age-matched control group.

Formation of the upper digestive tract by the ileum - right colon for patient with concurrent cancers of the esophagus and the stomach: A case report.

INTRODUCTION AND IMPORTANCE: A very rare case with presence of both esophageal and gastric cancers raised questions on how to perform optimal surgery for such cases. To date, reports on experimental surgery strategies for these rare cases remained sparse in the literatures. CASE PRESENTATION: A 61-year-old male patient having epigastric abdominal pain and swallowing difficulties for a month prior to the hospital. Esophagoscopy and gastroscopy results showed a 2-cm lesion in the esophagus, located around 25 cm away from the teeth arch; and a 2-cm ulcer lesion with high ridge line at the corner of the lesser curvature of stomach. Biopsy results revealed esophageal squamous epithelium carcinoma and poorly differentiated gastric adenocarcinoma. The surgery was esophago-gastrectomy with curettage of the lymph nodes and reconstruction of the upper gastrointestinal tract with the ileum - right colon in the left side of the neck. CLINICAL DISCUSSION: We did not remain the stomach and performed thoracoscopic Ivor Lewis esophagectomy with chest anastomosis, as in previous studies to prevent cancer recurrence. Here, we performed a new surgical method of reconstruct the upper gastrointestinal tract by connecting the upper part of the esophagus at the neck, to the ileum - right colon. CONCLUSIONS: This case could suggest an effective surgical strategy that the ileum - right colon was an organ to be used in replacing the upper gastrointestinal tract in cases of removing the entire stomach and thoracic esophagus, which could serve as a valuable reference for similar rare cases in the future.

Associations of physical activity at work and household income with obesity: a cross-sectional study among rural adults in Korea / 한국역학회지

OBJECTIVES@#This study was performed to identify the effect of physical activity at work on obesity and to analyze the contribution of socioeconomic factors and health behaviors to this association, which has been relatively little studied. @*METHODS@#From the Korean National Cancer Center Community Cohort, a total of 5,587 adults (2,125 men; 3,462 women) aged more than 30 years living in rural areas were enrolled. Information on socio-demographic factors, health behaviors, and body mass index was gathered using face-to-face interviews and measurements of height and weight. @*RESULTS@#Inverse associations were identified between vigorous-intensity physical activity at work and obesity in both men and women, while no association was found between vigorous-intensity physical activity during leisure time and obesity. High household income was independently associated with a lower risk of obesity among those who had low levels of vigorous-intensity physical activity at work. Vigorous physical activity at work showed an inverse association with obesity in rural areas where heavy manual labor is common. @*CONCLUSIONS@#Our findings indicate the necessity to account for various types of physical activity to improve the assessment and prevention of obesity.

Associations of physical activity at work and household income with obesity: a cross-sectional study among rural adults in Korea / 한국역학회지

OBJECTIVES@#This study was performed to identify the effect of physical activity at work on obesity and to analyze the contribution of socioeconomic factors and health behaviors to this association, which has been relatively little studied. @*METHODS@#From the Korean National Cancer Center Community Cohort, a total of 5,587 adults (2,125 men; 3,462 women) aged more than 30 years living in rural areas were enrolled. Information on socio-demographic factors, health behaviors, and body mass index was gathered using face-to-face interviews and measurements of height and weight. @*RESULTS@#Inverse associations were identified between vigorous-intensity physical activity at work and obesity in both men and women, while no association was found between vigorous-intensity physical activity during leisure time and obesity. High household income was independently associated with a lower risk of obesity among those who had low levels of vigorous-intensity physical activity at work. Vigorous physical activity at work showed an inverse association with obesity in rural areas where heavy manual labor is common. @*CONCLUSIONS@#Our findings indicate the necessity to account for various types of physical activity to improve the assessment and prevention of obesity.

Effect of Additional Motivational Interviewing on Smoking Abstinence for 1-Year among Korean Adolescents: Results from A Comparative Retrospective Study in Quitline.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of additional motivational enhancement through telephone-based counseling on short- and long-term smoking abstinence among Korean adolescents. METHODS: A comparative retrospective study was conducted based on the longitudinal follow up in Quitline from 2010 to 2017. A total of 533 and 178 adolescent smokers voluntarily participated in the 1-year quitting counseling only (group A, who were ready to quit) and the additional 4-week motivational interviewing before 1-year quitting counseling (group B, who were ambivalent about quitting), respectively. The outcomes were self-reported continuous abstinence at 30-day, 6-month, and 1-year follow up. Logistic regression was applied to estimate the effect of potential factors, including motivational enhancement, on cessation outcome. RESULTS: At baseline, adolescents in group B had a lower motivation to quit than those in group A (p < 0.001). The successful quit rates at 30-day, 6-month, and 1-year follow up were 37.2%, 12.8%, and 11.4% in group A and 33.7%, 15.2%, and 11.2% in group B, respectively. After adjusting factors as appropriate, successful quit rates in group B were not significantly different from the rates in group A. Higher self-efficacy increased the successful quit rate at 30-day, 6-month, and 1-year follow up, similar in subgroup analysis by gender. Never-drinking showed significant association with 30-day successful quit in the whole population and among boys. The lower number of smoking triggers was associated with an increased 30-day successful quit rate among boys only. CONCLUSIONS: Counseling for motivational enhancement could be a promising approach for better quitting outcomes. Improving self-efficacy and eliminating smoking triggers should be continuously strengthened during the quitting process.

Rapid response to the COVID-19 pandemic: Vietnam government's experience and preliminary success.

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic has hit all corners of the world, challenging governments to act promptly in controlling the spread of the pandemic. Due to limited resources and inferior technological capacities, developing countries including Vietnam have faced many challenges in combating the pandemic. Since the first cases were detected on 23 January 2020, Vietnam has undergone a 3-month fierce battle to control the outbreak with stringent measures from the government to mitigate the adverse impacts. In this study, we aim to give insights into the Vietnamese government's progress during the first three months of the outbreak. Additionally, we relatively compare Vietnam's response with that of other Southeast Asia countries to deliver a clear and comprehensive view on disease control strategies. METHODS: The data on the number of COVID-19 confirmed and recovered cases in Vietnam was obtained from the Dashboard for COVID-19 statistics of the Ministry of Health (https://ncov.vncdc.gov.vn/). The review on Vietnam's country-level responses was conducted by searching for relevant government documents issued on the online database 'Vietnam Laws Repository' (https://thuvienphapluat.vn/en/index.aspx), with the grey literature on Google and relevant official websites. A stringency index of government policies and the countries' respective numbers of confirmed cases of nine Southeast Asian countries were adapted from the Oxford COVID-19 Government Response Tracker (https://www.bsg.ox.ac.uk/research/research-projects/coronavirus-government-response-tracker). All data was updated as of 24 April 2020. RESULTS: Preliminary positive results have been achieved given that the nation confirmed no new community-transmitted cases since 16 April and zero COVID-19 - related deaths throughout the 3-month pandemic period. To date, the pandemic has been successfully controlled thanks to the Vietnamese government's prompt, proactive and decisive responses including mobilization of the health care systems, security forces, economic policies, along with a creative and effective communication campaign corresponding with crucial milestones of the epidemic's progression. CONCLUSIONS: Vietnam could be one of the role models in pandemic control for low-resource settings. As the pandemic is still ongoing in an unpredictable trajectory, disease control measures should continue to be put in place in the foreseeable short term.

Tobacco and Alcohol Use Among Ethnic Minorities in Vietnam.

This study investigates the prevalence of tobacco and alcohol uses and associated factors among 12 ethnic minorities in Vietnam in 2019. A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 5172 people aged ≥15 years. The prevalence of smoking and drinking was 19.7% and 29.9%, respectively, and significantly higher among men than women. These numbers were heterogeneous across ethnic minorities. Smoking prevalence was high among Ba Na (25.9%), Cham An Giang (22.3%), Khmer (23.5%), La Hu (26.3%), Ta Oi (30.7%), and Bru Van Kieu (29.6%) ethnicities whereas that of Gie Trieng and Mnong ethnicities was low (3.7% and 9.5%, respectively). Drinking prevalence ranged from 1.4% in Cham An Giang ethnicity to 68.6% in Ba Na ethnicity. A wide ethnic disparity on tobacco and alcohol use could be explained by the ethnic variation of lifestyles, social norms, and cultural features. Our findings suggest the need to develop ethnic-specific interventions to mitigate the smoking and drinking prevalence.

New cycloartanes and new iridoids from Dolichandrone spathacea collected in the mangrove forest of Soc Trang province, Vietnam.

Two new cycloartanes, named dolichandrone A (1) and dolichandrone B (2), as well as two new iridoids, named [6-O-[(E)-4-methoxycinnamoyl]-1ß-hydroxy-dihydrocatalpolgenin (3) and 6-O-[(E)-4-methoxycinnamoyl]-1α-hydroxy-dihydrocatalpolgenin (4), together with four known iridoids (5-8), were isolated from the leaves and barks of Dolichandrone spathacea. Their structures were elucidated by means of extensive analysis of their HRESIMS, 1D and 2D NMR spectroscopic data. All of these compounds have been isolated for the first time from this plant. Compounds 1, 2, 5, and 7 were evaluated for their cytotoxic activity in vitro against four human cancer cell lines KB, Lu, HepG2, and MCF7. The results showed that only compound 2 exhibited a good cytotoxicity against KB cell line with IC50 of 18.77 µM.