Using the WHO Self-Reporting Questionnaire-20 (SRQ-20) to Detect Symptoms of Common Mental Disorders among Pregnant Women in Vietnam: a Validation Study.

Purpose: Detection of antenatal common mental disorders in low-resource settings like Vietnam is important and requires a reliable, valid and practical screening tool. Currently, there is no such tool validated for use among pregnant women in Vietnam. This study aims to assess the validity of the Vietnamese version of the 20-item Self Reporting Questionnaire (SRQ-20) by evaluating its reliability, factorial structure, and performance in detecting common mental disorder (CMD) symptoms, thereby identifying the optimum cut-off score for CMD screening among pregnant women in Vietnam. Participants and Methods: A total of 210 pregnant women from four rural communes participated in a face-to-face interview using the Vietnamese version of the SRQ-20, followed by a clinical diagnostic interview based on ICD-10 diagnostic criteria of CMDs. The reliability of the SRQ-20 was assessed by calculating the scale's Cronbach's alpha to measure internal consistency. Factor analyses were undertaken to examine the factor structure of the instrument. The Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was performed to assess the performance of the SRQ-20 against the clinical diagnosis and to identify the optimum cut-off score. Results: Internal consistency was good, with a Cronbach's alpha of 0.87. Factor analyses resulted in a 4-factor solution. The area under the ROC curve (AUC) for detection of CMDs was 0.90. The optimum cut-off score of the SRQ-20 for detection of CMD symptoms among Vietnamese pregnant women was 5/6. Conclusion: The Vietnamese version of the SRQ-20 has the capacity to detect CMDs among pregnant women effectively and is recommended for use as a screening tool for CMDs in antenatal care settings in Vietnam.

Protocol for a realist synthesis of health systems responsiveness in low-income and middle-income countries.

INTRODUCTION: Health systems responsiveness is a key objective of any health system, yet it is the least studied of all objectives particularly in low-income and middle-income countries. Research on health systems responsiveness highlights its multiple elements, for example, dignity and confidentiality. Little is known, however, about underlying theories of health systems responsiveness, and the mechanisms through which responsiveness works. This realist synthesis contributes to bridging these two knowledge gaps. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: In this realist synthesis, we will use a four-step process, comprising: mapping of theoretical bases, formulation of programme theories, theory refinement and testing of programme theories using literature and empirical data from Ghana and Vietnam. We will include theoretical and conceptual pieces, reviews, empirical studies and grey literature, alongside the primary data. We will explore responsiveness as entailing external and internal interactions within health systems. The search strategy will be purposive and iterative, with continuous screening and refinement of theories. Data extraction will be combined with quality appraisal, using appropriate tools. Each fragment of evidence will be appraised as it is being extracted, for its relevance to the emerging programme theories and methodological rigour. The extracted data pertaining to contexts, mechanisms and outcomes will be synthesised to identify patterns and contradictions. Results will be reported using narrative explanations, following established guidance on realist syntheses. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: Ethics approvals for the wider RESPONSE (Improving health systems responsiveness to neglected health needs of vulnerable groups in Ghana and Vietnam) study, of which this review is one part, were obtained from the ethics committees of the following institutions: London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (ref: 22981), University of Leeds, School of Medicine (ref: MREC19-051), Ghana Health Service (ref: GHS-ERC 012/03/20) and Hanoi University of Public Health (ref: 020-149/DD-YTCC).We will disseminate results through academic papers, conference presentations and stakeholder workshops in Ghana and Vietnam. PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER: CRD42020200353. Full record: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?ID=CRD42020200353.

Controlling the COVID-19 Pandemic in Vietnam: Lessons From a Limited Resource Country.

The lessons learned from Vietnam, a country that the world acclaimed for its management of the fight against COVID-19, could stand out as an example of how to do more with less. The Vietnamese government has acted swiftly at the very early stage of the pandemic with a focus on containment efforts and extensive public health measures, particularly (1) the commitment from the government with a multisectoral approach; (2) a timely, accurate, and transparent risk communication; (3) active surveillance and intensive isolation/quarantine operation, case management with tracing all new arrivals and close contact up to three clusters; and (4) suspension of flights, shutting schools, and all nonessential services.

A Secular Trend in Birth Weight and Delivery Practices in Periurban Vietnam During 2005-2012.

The remarkable increase in Vietnamese economic conditions can increase the birth weight in neonates and better delivery practices among women. The Chi Linh Health and Demographic Surveillance System started in 2004. An open cohort of data consisting of about 57 561 people from 17 993 households has been followed primarily with respect to demography, economy, and education. The aim of this research is to study secular trends in delivery practice and birth weight in the past decade (2005-2012) in Chi Linh. We found a significant change in delivery rates at hospitals and cesarean section rates, but the birth weights over a decade of drastic economic development were stable. Furthermore, the findings show significant associations of birth weight and delivery practices with the child's sex, mother's age, and household income. Our results might be considered as representative for other similar periurban settings in Vietnam. We suggest that appropriate policies should be developed given the reduction in the use of delivery services in commune health centers in urban areas.

Sex Ratio at Birth in Vietnam: Results From Data in CHILILAB HDSS, 2004 to 2013.

This study aimed to explore the association of demographic and socioeconomic characteristics and imbalanced sex ratio at birth (SRB) in Chi Linh district, Hai Duong. The data were collected from a longitudinal study using a community-based periodic, referred as Chi Linh Health and Demographic Surveillance System (CHILILAB HDSS) during 2004 to 2013. A total of 7568 children were analyzed. Results showed that SRB in Chi Linh dramatically increased to the imbalanced sex ratio (114.6 boys to 100 girls) by 2013. SRB was associated with birth order and sex of preceding siblings. SRB was extremely high among families without any sons (136/100). SRB was highest among families having third or more children (175/100). Imbalanced SRB was more likely to occur among women working in small business/homemakers and others, women who attained high education level, and women in wealthy households. We suggested further efforts to tackle imbalanced SRB in periurban areas in Vietnam.

The Chi Linh Health and Demographic Surveillance System (CHILILAB HDSS).

The Chi Linh Health and Demographic Surveillance System (CHILILAB HDSS) is the only health and demographic surveillance system (HDSS) in an urbanizing area of the Chi Linh district of Hai Duong, a northern province of Vietnam. It is one of the few field laboratories in the world that links operational research and health interventions with field training. The CHILILAB HDSS provides longitudinal data on demographic and health indicators for the community of Chi Linh. In 2012, when the CHILILAB HDSS included 57,561 people from 17 993 households in 3 towns and 4 communes, it used structured questionnaires to collect information on population changes (birth, death, migration, marriage, and pregnancy) in the community. As of December 2012, 5 rounds of a baseline survey and 17 periodic update surveys or re-enumeration surveys had been conducted. In addition, several specialized public-health research projects, focused particularly on adolescent health, have been implemented by the CHILILAB HDSS. The information that the CHILILAB HDSS has gathered provides a picture of the health status of the population and socio-economic situation in Chi Linh district. The contact person for data sharing is the director of the CHILILAB (E-mail: thb@hsph.edu.vn).