Measuring antenatal depressive symptoms across the world: A validation and cross-country invariance analysis of the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) in eight diverse low-resource settings.

Measures that produce valid and reliable antenatal depressive symptom scores in low-resource country contexts are important for efforts to illuminate risk factors, outcomes, and effective interventions in these contexts. Establishing the psychometric comparability of scores across countries also facilitates analyses of similarities and differences across contexts. To date, however, few studies have evaluated the psychometric properties and comparability of the most widely used antenatal depressive symptom measures across diverse cultural, political, and social contexts.

Associations Between ADHD Symptoms and Maternal and Birth Outcomes: An Exploratory Analysis in a Multi-Country Cohort of Expectant Mothers.

Objective: ADHD symptoms can adversely impact functioning in a range of domains relevant for maternal well-being and fetal development; however, there has been almost no research examining their impact during pregnancy. We aimed to address this gap.

Method: We used data ( = 1,204) from a longitudinal birth cohort study spanning eight countries to address this gap.

Patterns of adverse childhood experiences and associations with prenatal substance use and poor infant outcomes in a multi-country cohort of mothers: a latent class analysis.

Background: This paper enumerates and characterizes latent classes of adverse childhood experiences and investigates how they relate to prenatal substance use (i.e., smoking, alcohol, and other drugs) and poor infant outcomes (i.

The impact of maternal adverse childhood experiences and prenatal depressive symptoms on foetal attachment: Preliminary evidence from expectant mothers across eight middle-income countries.

Background: Mothers from middle-income countries (MIC) are estimated to have higher rates of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and depression during pregnancy compared to mothers from high income countries. Prenatal depression can adversely impact on a mother's feelings towards her foetus and thus may be partially responsible for intergenerational transmission of risk associated with maternal ACEs. However, the extent to which prenatal depressive symptoms mediate the association between maternal ACEs and foetal attachment is unknown.

Evidence for Better Lives Study: a comparative birth-cohort study on child exposure to violence and other adversities in eight low- and middle-income countries - foundational research (study protocol).

Introduction: Violence against children is a health, human rights and social problem affecting approximately half of the world's children. Its effects begin at prenatal stages with long-lasting impacts on later health and well-being. The (EBLS) aims to produce high-quality longitudinal data from cities in eight low- and middle-income countries-Ghana, Jamaica, Pakistan, the Philippines, Romania, South Africa, Sri Lanka and Vietnam-to support effective intervention to reduce violence against children.

Alcohol consumption and attributable harm in middle-income South-East Asian countries: Epidemiology and policy options.

Background Factors and policies which potentially explain the changes in alcohol consumption and related harms from 2010 to 2017 in 11 middle-income countries in the South-East Asian region (Cambodia, Lao PDR, Indonesia, the Philippines, Malaysia, Maldives, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Timor-Leste, and Vietnam) were examined. Methods Using secondary data from UN agencies, we analyzed trends in alcohol consumption, alcohol-attributable deaths and the burden of disease. Results Starting from a level of consumption significantly below the global average-especially among the Muslim-majority countries (Maldives, Indonesia, and Malaysia)-the majority of the countries in this region had markedly increased their alcohol consumption along with the economic development they experienced between 2010 and 2017.

Mass masking as a way to contain COVID-19 and exit lockdown in low- and middle-income countries.

In new guidelines published on June 5th 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that in areas with ongoing COVID-19 community transmission, governments should encourage the general public to wear face masks in specific situations and settings as part of a comprehensive approach to suppress COVID-19 transmission. Recent online surveys in 206,729 persons residing in nine low- and middle-income countries showed that 32.7%-99.

Incidence of snakebites in Can Tho Municipality, Mekong Delta, South Vietnam-Evaluation of the responsible snake species and treatment of snakebite envenoming.

Background: Data on incidence of snakebites and the responsible snake species are largely missing in Vietnam and comprehensive national guidelines for management of snakebite envenoming are not yet available. They are needed to estimate the scope of this health problem, to assess the demand for snake antivenom and to ensure the best possible treatment for snakebite victims.

Methodology/principle Findings: A cross-sectional community-based survey was conducted from January to April 2018.

What Research Questions Should the Next Generation of Birth Cohort Studies Address? An International Delphi Study of Experts.

Objective: Birth cohort studies (BCS) have generated a wealth of invaluable basic scientific and policy-relevant information on a wide range of issues in child health and development. This study sought to explore what research questions are currently a priority for the next generation of BCS using a 3-round Delphi survey of interdisciplinary experts.

Methods: Twenty-four (Round I, N = 17; Round II, N = 21; Round III, N = 18) experts across a wide range of fields (eg, psychology, public health, and maternal/child health) agreed to participate.

Associated Factors of Hypertension in Women and Men in Vietnam: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Background: Hypertension is a direct cardiovascular disease risk. It causes a heavy burden on the healthcare system globally. We aim to assess hypertension occurrence and its associated factors among women and men in Vietnam.

Cultural Sensitivity and Global Pharmacy Engagement in Asia: India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, and Vietnam.

Schools and colleges of pharmacy in the United States increasingly interact with those in Asian countries for various purposes such as education and research. For both those visiting and those hosting, it is important to understand and respect the culture of the other's country to enrich these interactions. This paper, the second of two manuscripts on Asian countries, focuses on India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, and Vietnam.

Assistance for parents with unsettled infants in Central Vietnam: a qualitative investigation of health professionals' perspectives.

Background: Unsettled infant behaviours are a common concern for parents internationally, and have been associated with maternal stress, reduced parenting confidence, and postnatal mental health problems among parents. Little information currently exists regarding available support for the parents of unsettled infants in low-and-middle income countries such as Vietnam. We aimed to describe how unsettled infant behaviour was understood and investigated by Vietnamese health professionals, and what health education was provided to parents regarding infant sleep and settling.

Mothers' experiences of settling infants in central Vietnam "through their eyes": A photo-elicitation study.

There is little research on beliefs and practices regarding unsettled infant behavior and infant sleep in low and lower-middle income countries such as Vietnam. Here, researchers used a participatory qualitative visual method (photo-elicitation) to investigate how infant settling was perceived "through the eyes" of new mothers in Central Vietnam. Four qualitative themes emerged from the data: "loneliness in the midst of the crowd", "finding the right position", "protecting from cold", and "affection and exhaustion".

The Intergenerational Effects of Intimate Partner Violence in Pregnancy: Mediating Pathways and Implications for Prevention.

Prenatal intimate partner violence (P-IPV) can have significant adverse impacts on both mother and fetus. Existing P-IPV interventions focus on the safety of the mother and on reducing revictimization; yet expanding these to address the adverse impact on the fetus has considerable potential for preventing long-term negative developmental outcomes. In this review, we draw together evidence on major pathways linking exposure to P-IPV and child outcomes, arguing that these pathways represent potential targets to improve P-IPV intervention efforts.

Incidence of snakebites in 3 different geographic regions in Thua Thien Hue province, central Vietnam: Green pit vipers and cobras cause the majority of bites.

Background: The annual incidence of snakebites in Vietnam is not known and only few publications about snakebite envenoming and medically relevant snakes can be found in English language literature. The present community-based surveys provide data on incidence of snakebites in three different geographic regions of Thua Thien Hue (TT Hue) province, central Vietnam and snake species responsible for bites in this region.

Methodology/results: The cross-sectional community based surveys were conducted from March to July 2017.

Association Between a Wider Availability of Health Information and Health Care Utilization in Vietnam: Cross-Sectional Study.

Background: The rapid and widespread development of mass media sources including the Internet is occurring worldwide. Users are being confronted with a flood of health information through a wide availability of sources. Studies on how the availability of health information has triggered users' interest in utilizing health care services remain limited within the Vietnamese population.

Hemoglobin Constant Spring is markedly high in women of an ethnic minority group in Vietnam: a community-based survey and hematologic features.

A community-based survey was conducted to determine the prevalence and gene frequency of Hemoglobin Constant Spring (Hb CS) and other forms of thalassemia among an ethnic minority in Vietnam. A total of 298 ethnic minority women, the Có-Tu, participated. Hematological parameters and hemoglobin profiles were analyzed using standard automated analyzers.