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.

Self-reported non-communicable diseases and associated socio-demographic status among ethnic minority populations in Vietnam, 2019

The aim of this study was to report the prevalence of self-reported non-communicable diseases among ethnic minority populations in Vietnam and related factors. A total of 5033 individuals aged 15 years and older who belonged to ethnic minority populations from 12 provinces in Vietnam completed a household survey. The overall prevalence of self-reported non-communicable diseases was 12.4% (95% CI: 11.5%–13.4%). Cardiovascular diseases were the most prevalent, followed by diabetes. Ethnicity was shown to have an independently significant correlation to having any non-communicable diseases. Older people, near-poor and non-poor people had significantly higher odds of having non-communicable diseases as compared to younger and poor people.

[Health indicators among students from Hô Chi Minh-Ville (Vietnam): comparison with other countries]

In Vietnam, as in most developing countries, adolescent health is not considered a priority, yet this population faces many health problems. This study aims to describe perceptions of health among high school students in Ho Chi Ming City, Vietnam. The study was carried out with a representative sample of 543 students between the ages of 16 and 19, using a tool adapted from a questionnaire that was created and validated by the Centre for Preventive Medicine in Nancy, France. The adolescents who participated in the study described their perceptions of health in diverse ways: on the one hand they described them in a classic manner (absence of sickness) and on the other hand they described them in a more comprehensive, positive way (fitness, strength, development, happiness). A comparison with other studies in Algeria and France that used the same questionnaire shows certain similarities across cultures with regard to perceptions of health, as well as certain characteristics that are particular to each society and each culture.