The Prevalence of Heat-related Illnesses and Associated Factors among Rice Farmers in Vietnam.

Objective: The aim of this study was to examine the prevalence of heat-related illnesses (HRI) and their associated factors among rice farmers in Central Vietnam. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted using a sample of 379 farmers from August to September 2021 in Ha Tinh province on the north-central coast of Vietnam. A structured questionnaire was used to collect demographic information, farming activities, heat exposure, and health issues. Multivariable logistic regression was used to identify the factors associated with HRI. Results: At least one HRI symptom was experienced by 83.4% of farmers, and two or more HRI symptoms were experienced by 55.1% of farmers during the last harvesting season (the summer-autumn rice season, 2021). Factors significantly associated with HRI were age, having chronic diseases, type of farming tasks, the number of hours working in the heat, and water intake. Farmers working outdoors for more than 4 hours in the heat were 2.3 times [95%CI: 1.14-4.69] more likely to experience HRI than those working fewer than 2 hours. A higher risk of HRI was also associated with heavy farming tasks (OR = 2.35, [1.34-4.14]), having hypertension (OR = 3.75, [1.90-7.81]), cardiovascular diseases (OR = 2.53, [1.03-6.93]), and other chronic conditions (OR = 2.51, [1.51-4.25]). In contrast, a lower risk of HRI was found in the older group (OR = 0.44, [0.22-0.87]) and increased water intake (OR = 0.46, [0.27-0.77]). Conclusions: Hot weather is a significant occupational health risk for farmers in Vietnam. Changing the working schedule, working in shorter intervals, and remaining well-hydrated should be considered in HRI prevention strategies.

Stress, anxiety and depression in clinical nurses in Vietnam: a cross-sectional survey and cluster analysis.

BACKGROUND: Hospital nurses are exposed to various work-related factors that may be associated with increased risk of developing different mental disorders. Empirical evidence on the prevalence and correlates of individual mental health problems such as stress, anxiety and depression is widely reported, while a combined pattern of these conditions is unknown. This study aims to examine the co-occurrence of stress, anxiety and depression among clinical nurses, and to explore socio-demographic characteristics of, and working conditions experienced by, nurses that may be associated with these three mental health conditions. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was implemented in one tertiary hospital in Hanoi city, Vietnam, from May to September 2015. A self-reported questionnaire including a short version of the Depression, Anxiety and Stress scale 21 items and questions on demographic and work-related characteristics was delivered to 787 registered nurses. 600 completed questionnaires was used in the final analysis (76.2% response rate). The two-step clustering analysis was performed to identify sub groups. Chi square test and post hoc ANOVA analysis with Bonferroni correction were used to examine differences in psychological status, demographic characteristics and working conditions among the clusters (two-tailed p < 0.05). RESULTS: The prevalence of self-reported stress, anxiety and depression were 18.5%, 39.8% and 13.2%, respectively. 45.3% participants reported symptoms of at least one mental disorder, 7.3% had all three. Nurses in the first cluster (high prevalence of mental disorders), had high task demand and conflict at work with low job control and reward. The second cluster nurses (moderate percentage of mental strain) were significantly older and in marital relationship, high task demand and job control, and presence of chronic diseases. The lowest proportion of self-perceived mental disorders were observed in the cluster three who were younger and had fewer years of services, moderate task demand and low job control and better physical health in comparison with those in the other two clusters (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Stress, anxiety and depression were prevalent among clinical nurses. Heterogeneity in demographic characteristics and working conditions were observed across clusters with different patterns of mental disorders. Institutional effort should be emphasized to support nurses in their career development to reduce psychological strains.

Heavy rainfall and risk of infectious intestinal diseases in the most populous city in Vietnam.

The association between heavy rainfall and infectious intestinal diseases (IID) has not been well described and little research has been conducted in developing countries. This study examines the association between heavy rainfall and hospital admissions for IID in Ho Chi Minh City, the most populous city in Vietnam. An interrupted time-series method was used to examine the effect of each individual heavy rainfall event (HRE) on IID. The percentage changes in post-HRE level and trends of IID were estimated for 30days following each HRE. Then a random-effect meta-analysis was used to quantify the pooled estimate of effect sizes of all HREs on IID. The pooled estimates were calculated over a 21day lag period. The effects of a HRE on IID varied across individual HREs. The pooled estimates indicate that the levels of IID following a HRE increased from 7.3% to 13.5% for lags from 0 to 21days, however statistically significant increases were only observed for lags from 4 to 6days (13.5%, 95%CI: 1.4-25.4; 13.3%, 95%CI: 1.5-25.0; and 12.9%, 95%CI: 1.6-24.1 respectively). An average decrease of 0.11% (95%CI: -0.55-0.33) per day was observed for the post-HRE trend. This finding has important implications for the projected impacts on residents living in this city which is highly vulnerable to increased heavy rainfall associated with climate change. Adaptation and intervention programs should be developed to prevent this additional burden of disease and to protect residents from the adverse impacts of extreme weather events.

Estimating the incidence of malignant mesothelioma in Vietnam: a pilot descriptive cancer registration study.

INTRODUCTION: Global asbestos consumption has shifted toward lower income countries, particularly in the Asian region including Vietnam where asbestos and asbestos-containing products have been imported since the late 1960s. METHODS: This pilot descriptive epidemiological study aimed to provide contemporary estimates of malignant mesothelioma incidence (histological subtype M9050/3; ICD-O-3) by gender and age group as recorded across nine cancer registries in Vietnam. RESULTS: We identified 148 incident cases of malignant mesothelioma during 1987-2013. The majority of cases were recorded in the Hanoi region (n = 93) and were aged 55 years or older (n = 96). DISCUSSION: By carefully reviewing existing cancer registry records in Vietnam, we identified a larger number of malignant mesothelioma cases than previously estimated. We recommend the use of cancer registry data in tracking future asbestos-related disease in Vietnam.

Impact of mandatory motorcycle helmet wearing legislation on head injuries in Viet Nam: results of a preliminary analysis.

OBJECTIVE: To compare estimated prevalence of head injuries among road traffic injury patients admitted to hospitals, before and after the introduction of a mandatory helmet law in the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam. METHODS: Before and after study of all road traffic injury patients with head injuries admitted to 20 provincial and central hospitals 3 months before and after the new law came into effect on 15 December 2007. Relative risk was computed and comparison made for the periods of 3 months before and after the new law. RESULTS: The study found a 16 percent reduction in the risk of road traffic head injuries (4683 to 3522; relative risk [RR] 0.84; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.81-0.87) and an 18 percent reduction in the risk of road traffic death (deaths in hospital plus injured patients discharged to die at home; 566 to 417; RR 0.82; 95% CI 0.73-0.93). CONCLUSIONS: Over the first 3 months of the comprehensive mandatory helmet legislation there has been a significant reduction in the risk of road traffic head injuries among patients admitted to 20 hospitals. The Viet Nam Government's decision to require all motorcycle riders and passengers to wear helmets is suspected of leading to positive road safety benefits and should be seen as a policy example for other low- and middle-income countries with a high utilization of motorcycles for transport.