Evaluation of activities and instrumental activities of daily living and correlated factors of traumatic brain injury patients in Vietnam.

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is among the leading causes of death in Vietnam. Survivors of TBI suffer from functional and cognitive deficits. Understanding that Activities of Daily Living (ADLs) and Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADLs) are crucial in measuring the treatment and health-related quality of life among patients with TBI. This study aims to evaluate ADLs and IADLs among the TBI population in Vietnam and determine the correlated factors to these two indices. A cross-sectional study was conducted on 212 patients with TBI in Vietnam from February to September 2020. ADLs and IADLs scales were applied. Depression, quality of sleep, and social support scales were used. Multivariate Tobit regression was adopted to identify factors associated with ADLs and IADLs. Patients who received first aid had higher ADLs scores than those who had not, by a statistical difference with a p value = 0.04. The mean ADLs score was 5.4 (SD = 1.4). The mean score of IADLs was 7.3 (SD = 1.7). Female patients (Mean = 7.6, SD = 1.1) performed better in IADLs than male patients (Mean = 7.1, SD = 1.9). Both ADLs and IADLs were affected strongly by depression and Injury Severity scores (p < 0.01), whereas IADLs were significantly correlated to caregiver types and quality of sleep (p < 0.01). Family support was observed as a negatively correlated factor to IADLs. Findings from the study provided evidence for authorities to adjust the health strategies among patients with TBI. Proper prehospital care, a basic low-cost hospital care model, and mental health counseling services should be considered when developing health interventions in Vietnam.

Economic burden and financial vulnerability of injuries among the elderly in Vietnam.

Falls are a leading cause of death among elderly people. However, research on the cost of fall-related injuries is limited in Vietnam. We estimated treatment costs and associated factors among 405 elderly patients in Thai Binh hospitals. Costs were estimated through self-reported data on medical and non-medical expenses. Logistic regression and GLM were used to identify payment and affordability factors. Inpatient and outpatient care costs for fall-related injuries were US$98.06 and US$8.53, respectively. 11.85% of participants couldn't pay for treatment. Payment ability and cost decline were linked to family income, medical history, and hospital stay length. Elderly with fall-related injuries in Vietnam experienced high costs and severe health issues. Primary healthcare services and communication campaigns should be strengthened to reduce disease burden and develop effective fall injury prevention strategies.

Factors correlated with neuropathic pain among industrial workers in Vietnam: a multi-site cross-sectional study.

Introduction: Neuropathic pain is a debilitating condition resulting from various etiologies such as diabetes, multiple sclerosis, and infection, and is associated with decreased quality of life, poor health outcomes, and increased economic burden. However, epidemiological studies on neuropathic pain have been largely limited in Vietnam. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on adult Vietnamese industrial workers across three manufacturing plants. Demographic, socioeconomic, occupational and health data were collected. Prevalence of neuropathic pain was assessed using the Douleur Neuropathique 4 (DN4) scale. Regression modeling was utilized to identify predictors of pain. Results: Among 276 workers, 43.1 and 24.3% reported that they had suffered from spinal pain and osteoarthritis pain, respectively. In terms of work conditions, people maintaining constant posture when working from 30 to 60 min (OR = 3.15, 95% CI = 1.07; 9.29), or over 60 min (OR = 2.59; 95% CI = 1.12; 5.98) had a higher risk of suffering from spinal pain. People who worked in conditions lacking adequate lighting and with exposures to toxic chemicals were also likely to be suffering from osteoarthritis pain with OR = 4.26, 95% CI = 1.02; 17.74 and Coef. = 1.93; 95% CI = 1.49; 2.50, respectively. Regular health examinations and higher expenditure for healthcare were correlated with a lower prevalence of neuropathic pain. Discussion: These results may inform the adoption of pain screening and other programs that increase health care access for this population, as well as more stringent occupational health and safety standards.

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.

Treatment adherence amongst drug users attending public and private methadone maintenance clinics in a northern province of Vietnam.

BACKGROUND: Methadone maintenance treatment (MMT) has been proven to be effective in improving health status and the quality of life of illicit drug users. Due to the quick expand of methadone program, socialization through co-payment service is a critical to the success of it. In Nam Dinh, Vietnam, MMT has been used in public clinics and one private clinic. Such effectiveness of this treatment has been found to depend largely on adherence to treatment. This study aims to explore the compliance rate and its influencing factors among drug users between public and private clinics in Nam Dinh province, Vietnam. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 395 participants from January to September in 2018 in three MMT clinics in Nam Dinh, Vietnam. We applied the convenience sampling technique to recruit respondents. Data on socioeconomics characteristics, MMT adherence (measured by Visual Analogue Scale - VAS) and level of social/family support were collected. RESULTS: 43.3% of participants reported complete adherence to the MMT program during the time of research. Significant factors affect MMT adherence among illicit drug users including family income, history of drug rejections, concurrence in drug usage, far distance from MMT clinics, and having only peer. Patients in MMT private clinic had higher complete adherence than that of public MMT (OR = 1.82, 95% CI = 1.13; 2.94). Having contacts with peer drug users associated with a higher rate of incomplete adherence (OR = 2.83, 95% CI = 1.39; 5.73). CONCLUSIONS: The findings support the establishment of private MMT clinics alongside public ones, while further researches to determine the optimal dose and ways to reduce the impact of peer drug user's influence are encouraged to be conducted.

Fear of Falling among Older Patients Admitted to Hospital after Falls in Vietnam: Prevalence, Associated Factors and Correlation with Impaired Health-Related Quality of Life.

Fear of falling (FOF) diminishes older people's independence in daily activities, as well as causes serious health and economic consequences. This study examined the prevalence of FOF in older patients hospitalized due to fall-injuries, its effect on health-related quality of life (HRQOL), and its associated factors. We conducted a cross-sectional study in seven hospitals in Thai Binh, Vietnam. FOF was assessed using a single close-ended question. HRQOL was evaluated by the EQ-5D-5L instrument. Multilevel logistic regression and Tobit regression models were utilized. The prevalence of FOF in 405 older patients admitted to hospitals after fall injuries was 88.2%, with a mean EQ-5D index and EQ-VAS of 0.34 (SD = 0.38) and 61.6 (SD = 15.2), respectively. Factors associated with FOF included living alone (OR = 0.13, 95%CI = 0.04; 0.50.,), history of eye diseases (OR = 4.12; 95%CI = 1.91; 8.89), and experiencing psychological distress (OR= 3.56, 95% CI = 1.05; 12.00). After adjusting for confounders, the EQ-5D index in the FOF group reduced by 0.15 points (Coef. = -0.15; 95%CI= -0.24; -0.05) compared to that of non-FOF group. Our study shows that FOF had an independent negative relationship with HRQOL of patients. Improving knowledge about fall prevention in patients and caregivers could reduce the burden of falls in older people.

Individual and Environmental Factors Associated with Recurrent Falls in Elderly Patients Hospitalized after Falls.

Falls and recurrent falls cause great health and social consequences in older people. However, these problems are poorly understood in Vietnam. A cross-sectional study was performed at seven hospitals in Thai Binh province, Vietnam, to investigate the individual and environmental factors associated with recurrent falls among elderly patients hospitalized due to fall injuries in Vietnam. A history of recurrent falls within the last 12 months, sociodemographic, health, and clinical characteristics, as well as environmental conditions, were obtained via self-reported interviews. Multivariate logistic and Poisson regression models were used to identify associated factors. Overall, the mean fall episodes in the last 12 months were 1.8 (Standard deviation-SD = 1.2) episodes, and the 12-month prevalence of recurrent falls was 40.5%. The individual risk factors included not receiving fall prevention guidelines, walking with devices, loss of sensation in hand or foot, and using pain relief medications. The environmental risk factors comprised having too-high stairs and not having dry, clean, and nonslippery bathrooms. This study highlights a significantly high 12-month prevalence of recurrent falls in older patients hospitalized after falls in Vietnam. Moreover, regular assessments of functional disabilities and hazardous environmental conditions, as well as the provision of prevention programs, have potential to prevent falls and recurrent falls.

Passive Smoking Exposure and Perceived Health Status in Children Seeking Pediatric Care Services at a Vietnamese Tertiary Hospital.

Understanding the predictors of health conditions and exposure to secondhand smoke among children is necessary to determine the severity of the issues and identify effective solutions. Despite the significant prevalence in smoking and child exposure to secondhand smoke, there have been only a few studies focusing on this area in Vietnam, and thus the current study aims to fill in this gap. The questionnaires of 435 children aged between 0 and 6 and their caregivers, who agreed to participate in the research, were collected at the Pediatric Department of Bach Mai hospital, Hanoi, in 2016. Multivariable logistic regression was employed to identify factors associated with perceived health status and exposure to secondhand smoke among children in the last 24 h and the last 7 days from the date of the survey. Our study found that 43% of the respondents had smokers in the family, and 46.4% of children were exposed to passive smoking in the last 7 days. Urban children were most frequently exposed to passive smoking at home and in public, whereas in the rural area, the home and relatives' houses were the most common places for exposure. Compared to children whose caregivers were farmers, children of non-government workers were more likely to be exposed to passive smoking in the last 7 days. Moreover, children in a family having smoking rules and no smokers were less likely to be exposed to passive smoking in the last 24 h and 7 days than those living in a family allowing smoking and having smokers. In conclusion, our study shows that the government needs to implement better public smoking monitoring and encourage caregivers to implement smoke-free households or smoking rules in their houses.

Prevalence and Factors Associated with Psychological Distress among Older Adults Admitted to Hospitals After Fall Injuries in Vietnam.

Although psychological distress is one of the major health issues among aging populations, little is known about how this challenge affects older patients after falls. A cross-sectional study was conducted in Thai Binh province, Vietnam, to explore the prevalence of psychological distress and associated factors among 405 older patients after falls. The 6-item Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K6) was used to measure psychological distress. Socio-demographic and clinical characteristics were collected using a structured questionnaire. Multivariate Tobit and Logistic regressions were used to determine factors associated with psychological distress. The prevalence of psychological distress among participants was 26.2%. Patients who were alone or older had a higher likelihood of psychological distress. Patients with a history of falls in the past 12 months were more likely to suffer from psychological distress (OR = 2.87, 95%CI = 1.74; 4.72). Having two and three comorbidities was significantly associated with greater K6 scores and a higher risk of psychological distress. This study underlined a significantly high prevalence of psychological distress among older patients after falls. Providing frequent mental health monitoring, screening, treatment, and facilitating social engagements are important implications to improve the mental health of this population.

Effects of Chronic Comorbidities on the Health-Related Quality of Life among Older Patients after Falls in Vietnamese Hospitals.

Although comorbidities are prevalent in older people experiencing falls, there is a lack of studies examining their influence on health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in this population. This study examines the prevalence of comorbidities and associations between comorbidities and HRQOL in older patients after falls in Vietnamese hospitals. A cross-sectional design was employed among 405 older patients admitted to seven hospitals due to fall injuries in Thai Binh province, Vietnam. The EuroQol-5 Dimensions-5 Levels (EQ-5D-5L) was used to measure HRQOL. Socio-demographic characteristics were collected using a structured questionnaire, while comorbidities and other clinical characteristics were examined by physicians and extracted from medical records. Multivariate Tobit regression was used to determine the associations between comorbidities and HRQOL. Among 405 patients, 75.6% had comorbidities, of which hypertension and osteoarthritis were the most common. Lumbar spine/cervical spine diseases (Coefficient (Coef.) = -0.10; 95%CI = -0.18; 0.03) and stroke (Coef. = -0.36; 95%CI = -0.61; -0.10) were found to be associated with a significantly decreased EQ-5D index. Participants with three comorbidities had EQ-5D indexes 0.20 points lower (Coef. = -0.20; 95%CI = -0.31; -0.09) in comparison with those without comorbidities. This study underlined a significantly high proportion of comorbidities in older patients hospitalized due to fall injuries in Vietnam. In addition, the existence of comorbidities was associated with deteriorating HRQOL. Frequent monitoring and screening comorbidities are critical to determining which individuals are most in need of HRQOL enhancement.

Multi-level predictors of psychological problems among methadone maintenance treatment patients in difference types of settings in Vietnam.

BACKGROUND: Methadone, a long-acting opioid agonist maintenance treatment (MMT) is used to treat opioid addiction by preventing opioid withdrawal and reducing cravings. However, it is important to note that mental conditions may persist, or even remain undetected while methadone maintenance treatment is ongoing. This study aimed to examine the level of psychological problems among MMT patients at public and private health facilities and identify associated factors. METHOD: From January to September 2018, a cross-sectional study was performed in Nam Dinh province, one of the largest epicenters providing HIV/AIDS surveillance and treatment services in the North of Vietnam. 395 male respondents currently receiving MMT agreed to participate in a face-to-face interview. Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale-21 (DASS-21) were used to assess psychological problems among patients. RESULTS: The percentage of patients suffering from mild to extremely severe anxiety was the highest among psychological problems (18%). 2.8% of participants had mild depressive symptoms and the percentage of those having mild or moderate stress was approximately 4%. In addition, the longer treatment duration, the lower mental health scores regarding three types of psychological problems. Respondents who received MMT services in public health facilities were more likely to have a higher score of all psychological problems. Participants who lived with partners or spouse, having higher monthly family income had a lower likelihood of having severe depression and stress status. Freelancers or blue-collars/farmers had lower score of depression and anxiety compared to people being unemployed. CONCLUSION: This study suggests that among our sample, MMT patients receiving treatment in public health facilities might have higher rate of psychological problems, including depression, anxiety, and stress than that of those in the private health facility. These results highlight the necessity of taking psychological counseling adequately for MMT patients and psychological assessment should be prioritized in the early stage of treatment.

Polysubstance Use among Patients Enrolling in Methadone Maintenance Treatment Program in a Vietnam Province with Drug-Driven HIV Epidemic.

Methadone maintenance treatment (MMT) has been scaled up significantly in recent years. This study aimed to investigate the pattern of polysubstance use in 395 MMT patients and its contextualized associated factors. A cross-sectional study was performed in three outpatient MMT clinics in Nam Dinh Province. Multivariate Poisson regression was used to identify factors associated with polysubstance use status. The mean MMT duration and the current MMT dose was 3.3 years and 69.2 mg, respectively. Among participants, 24.8% reported daily alcohol use, 68.6% smoked regularly, and 6% used illicit drugs. Peer pressure and MMT suboptimal adherence were found to associate with continual usage of drugs (47.8%). Participants who lived with a spouse/partner, were self-employed, and smoked were more likely to drink alcohol. Those who drink were also more likely to smoke, and vice versa. Recommendations for policymakers include community-based education and promotional programs aiming to decrease substance usage in the community as well as encouraging and supporting the private health sector in establishing private MMT services and clinics. Further longitudinal studies on polysubstance usage among MMT patients should also be conducted.

Alcohol Use Disorder among Patients Suffered from Road Collisions in a Vietnamese Delta Province.

Traffic collisions have continuously been ranked amongst the top causes of deaths in Vietnam. In particular, drinking has been recognized as a major factor amplifying the likelihood of traffic collisions in various settings. This study aims to examine the relationship between alcohol use and traffic collisions in the current context of Vietnam. A cross-sectional study was conducted on 413 traffic collisions patients in six health facilities in the Thai Binh Province to investigate the level of alcohol consumption and identify factors influencing alcohol use among these patients. The Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test-Consumption (AUDIT-C) scale was used to determine the problematic drinking behavior of the participants. The percentage of patients having problematic drinking was more than 30%. Being male, having a high household income, and working as farmer/worker were risk factors for alcohol abuse. People causing accidents and patients with a traumatic brain injury had a higher likelihood of drinking alcohol before the accidents. This study highlights the necessity of more stringent laws on reducing drink-driving in Vietnam. In addition, more interventions, especially those utilizing mass media like educational campaign of good behavior on social networks, are necessary to reduce alcohol consumption in targeted populations in order to decrease the prevalence and burden of road injuries.

Determining Risk for Depression among Older People Residing in Vietnamese Rural Settings.

(1) Background: Major causes of the burden of disease in older persons include mental disorders and neurological diseases, such as depression. This study aims to explore the prevalence of older people at risk for depression and identify the factors associated with this risk in rural Vietnam. (2) Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in Soc Son, Hanoi with 523 community dwelling elders aged 60 and over. Face-to-face interviews were performed to collect data about socioeconomic status, risk for depression, health status, and health utilization. The Geriatric Depression Scale-4 items (GDS-4) was used to assess the risk for depression occurrence. Multivariable logistic regression was employed for determining the factors associated with the risk for depression. (3) Results: Among 523 participants, there were 26.4% of participants at risk for depression. The proportion of females at risk for depression (29.0%) was significantly higher than males (20.4%). Differences were found in economic status (near poor group had higher risk for depression compared to the poor group) (p < 0.01). Older adults living with spouse/partner, living in near-poor household, and suffering pain/discomfort were all more likely to be at risk for depression. (4) Conclusions: Being female, living in a near poor household, being in pain or experiencing discomfort are all factors strongly correlated to high risk for depression. These findings highlight the urgent need for additional research among Vietnamese community-dwelling older people.

Rubella Vaccination Coverage Among Women of Childbearing Age in Vietnam.

Despite the availability of effective and safe rubella vaccines for women of childbearing age, prevention and control of congenital rubella syndrome in children remains challenging in Vietnam. In order to examine this issue, we conducted a cross-sectional study, examining the current coverage of rubella vaccination before pregnancy among 807 pregnant women and women with children under 12 months of age in urban and rural districts, Dong Da and Ba Vi, in Hanoi, Vietnam. In this population, we observed an alarming non-compliance rate with rubella vaccination before pregnancy in both localities. Among the 82.0% of participants who remained unvaccinated against this contagious viral infection, 95.8% of them were in Ba Vi district, compared to 68.0% in Dong Da district (p < 0.001). Besides the differences in age, number of children, education levels, primary occupations and monthly incomes among the participants between the two districts, other reasons for noncompliance with rubella vaccination includeddisinterest in rubella vaccination, the high cost and long distance to vaccination sites as well as unawareness of vaccination locations. In addition to addressing the unique socio-economicchallenges behind one's accessibility to vaccination services in urban and rural areas, our study supports a continued effort in ensuring proper access to and education about pre-pregnancy vaccines and vaccination among women of childbearing age in order to achieve and sustain sufficient immunization coverage of rubella and other vaccine-preventable diseases in both settings.

Health-Related Quality of Life Profiles among Patients with Different Road Traffic Injuries in an Urban Setting of Vietnam.

Road traffic injuries (RTIs) cause a substantial disease burden in Vietnam. Evaluating health-related quality of life (HRQOL) among patients having a diversity of RTIs informs an integral part of treatment effectiveness. This study aims to examine HRQOL of patients suffering different RTIs in Vietnam's urban areas. A cross-sectional study was conducted on 408 patients from October to December 2018 in six hospitals in Thai Binh. The EuroQol-5 dimensions-5 levels (EQ-5D-5L) and visual analog scale (VAS) were used to assess the HRQOL of patients. Multivariable Tobit regression was applied to measure the difference of HRQOL among different kinds of injuries. The mean EQ-5D-5L and VAS score was 0.40-0.66, respectively. Mean EQ-5D-5L index was lowest in patients with oral and facial injuries (0.22) and fracture injuries (0.23), while patients having hand injuries had the highest EQ-5D-5L index (0.54). EQ-5D-5L index had a negative association with oral, facial, and fracture injuries. Meanwhile, patients with brain, fracture, and multiple injuries tended to have lower VAS score. Poor HRQOL among patients injured in road traffic were observed. Pain management, early rehabilitation, and mental health counseling services should be considered during treatment time, especially among those having the brain, oral and facial trauma, fracture, and multiple injuries.

Global Evolution of Obesity Research in Children and Youths: Setting Priorities for Interventions and Policies.

BACKGROUND: Childhood obesity has become a major global epidemic that causes substantial social and health burdens worldwide. The effectiveness of childhood obesity control and prevention depends largely on understanding the issue, including its current development and associated factors in a contextualized perspective. OBJECTIVES: Our study aimed to gauge this kind of understanding. METHODS: We systematically searched the Web of Science database for studies concerning child obesity published up to 2017 and analyzed the volume of publications, growth rates, impact scores, collaborations, authors, affiliations, and journals. A total of 57,444 research papers were included. RESULTS: The three subject categories with the highest number of papers (over 3,000) were (1) nutrition and dietetics, (2) pediatrics, and (3) public, environmental, and occupational health. We found a dramatic increase in the amount of scientific literature on childhood obesity in the past one or two decades, led by scholars from the USA - ranking at the top regarding the total number of papers (23,965 papers; 30.8%) and total number of citations (859,793 citations) - and multiple Western countries where the obesity epidemic is prevalent. CONCLUSIONS: The findings highlight the need for improving international and local research capacities and collaboration to accelerate knowledge production and translation into contextualized and effective childhood obesity prevention.

Knowledge, Attitude and Practice about Dengue Fever among Patients Experiencing the 2017 Outbreak in Vietnam.

There is a gap in the literature on the understanding of the general Vietnamese population toward dengue fever (DF). This study aimed to explore knowledge, attitudes, practice (KAP) of dengue fever among Vietnamese participants and the potential associated factors. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 330 patients at the Bach Mai Hospital in Northern Vietnam. A Tobit regression model was utilized to investigate the associated factors. The average knowledge score was 4.6/19. Respondents perceived their risk of DF infection to be very low (39.5%) to low (20.7%) and had a neutral attitude about the necessity of hospitalization when being infected with DF (60.9%). A total of 17.6%, 9.8% and 6.6% of respondents reported frequently changing water, properly disposing of waste and covering water storage containers to eliminate larvae. Gender, education level, duration of illness and travel history were correlated with knowledge. Occupation, the presence of DF in the neighborhood, mosquito density at home and DF symptom severity were associated with attitudes. Occupation, mosquito density at home, type of patient, knowledge and attitudes were associated with practices. To enhance the KAP towards DF, further efforts should first be directed to improve knowledge through education, especially at the school level and people in less developed areas.

Lack of Knowledge about Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs): Implications for STDs Prevention and Care among Dermatology Patients in an Urban City in Vietnam.

Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) are a substantial global burden of diseases, especially in developing countries. Lack of awareness of STDs may lead to a delay in treatment. This study aimed to assess knowledge about STDs and the associated factors among dermatological patients. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 622 patients at Vietnam National Hospital of Dermatology and Venereology (NHD). Structured questionnaires were used to investigate the knowledge about STDs. A multivariate Tobit regression was employed to determine factors associated with knowledge about STDs. The percentage of patients knowing that syphilis was an STD was highest (57.8%), followed by herpes warts (57.7%) and HIV/AIDS (57.4%). By contrast, 26.6% and 17.2% of patients knew that chlamydia and hepatitis C were STDs. The most commonly stated symptom of STDs was purulent genital (53.5%). Nearly two-thirds of participants were aware of the curability of STDs, and 34.7% knew about vaccines for STDs. Living with partners, young age, and acquired knowledge of STDs via the Internet, social networks, and health staff were positively related to having better knowledge about STDs. Based on the results of this study, peer education, informal conversations within clusters, mass community campaigns through the Internet and social networks, and the use of online health care providers should be promoted in order to improve awareness of STDs.

Social Determinants of Stigma and Discrimination in Vietnamese Patients with Chronic Hepatitis B.

Vietnam is among the countries with the highest prevalence of chronic hepatitis B (CHB) and individuals who suffer from CHB oftentimes perceive high levels of stigma and discrimination. Our study aimed to provide evidence on the prevalence of stigma against hepatitis B virus (HBV), HBV infection, and social determinants of stigma and discrimination in patients. A cross-sectional study was conducted at Viet-Tiep Hospital, Hai Phong, Vietnam. Stigma and discrimination against CHB in the last month were measured via four dimensions: (1) Blame/Judgment; (2) Shame; (3) Discrimination in different settings; (4) Disclosure of CHB status. Multivariate Logistic and Tobit regressions were used to identify factors associated with CHB-related stigma and discrimination. Among 298 enrolled patients, 4.8% experienced blame/judgement, 10.2% perceived shame, 48.5% felt discriminated in healthcare facilities, and 90.6% disclosed their health status with spouses/partners. Factors associated with lower odds of CHB-related stigma/discrimination included living with spouses/partners, old age, being employed, and the existence of comorbidities was linked with higher odds of stigma. Anti-stigma programs should target those who are younger and have comorbidities. This could be done by community-based interventions which focus on inaccurate beliefs about viral hepatitis. Furthermore, families, healthcare providers, and society should play a crucial role in supporting CHB patients.