Measuring health equity in the ASEAN region: conceptual framework and assessment of data availability.

Background: Existing research on health equity falls short of identifying a comprehensive set of indicators for measurement across health systems. Health systems in the ASEAN region, in particular, lack a standardised framework to assess health equity. This paper proposes a comprehensive framework to measure health equity in the ASEAN region and highlights current gaps in data availability according to its indicator components.

Comorbidities of diabetes and hypertension in Vietnam: current burden, trends over time, and correlated factors.

Background: Vietnam conducted the national Noncommunicable Disease Risk-Factor Surveillance (STEPs) surveys in the years 2010, 2015, and 2021. This study aims to use STEPs data to assess the burden of comorbidity between diabetes and hypertension, analyze trends over time, and identify factors associated with this comorbidity.

Methods: The study extracted data for the population aged 25-64 years old from three STEPs surveys.

School-based universal mental health promotion intervention for adolescents in Vietnam: Two-arm, parallel, controlled trial.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of Happy House, a universal school-based programme, in reducing adolescents' depressive symptoms and improving their mental well-being, coping self-efficacy and school connectedness. This was a school-based, two-arm parallel controlled trial. Depressive symptoms were measured using the Centre for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale.

Health staff's job motivation post COVID-19 pandemic: A case study in Vietnam.

Objectives: Vietnam has witnessed a severe shortage of qualified staff in the public health sector after the COVID-19 pandemic. Our cross-sectional study aimed to identify job motivation and associated factors among experienced frontline health staff working in public health in order to have preventive measures in the event of future pandemics.

Methods: A cross-sectional study, from March 2022 to November 2022 at a Vietnamese public hospital, on the job motivation and the predicted factors of 381 healthcare workers who participated in the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic from 2020 to 2021.

Effect of ambient air pollution on hospital admission for respiratory diseases in Hanoi children during 2007-2019.

Air pollution poses a threat to children's respiratory health. This study aims to quantify the association between short-term air pollution exposure and respiratory hospital admissions among children in Hanoi, Vietnam, and estimate the population-attributable burden using local data. A case-crossover analysis was conducted based on the individual records where each case is their own control.

Health financing policies during the COVID-19 pandemic and implications for universal health care: a case study of 15 countries.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic was a health emergency requiring rapid fiscal resource mobilisation to support national responses. The use of effective health financing mechanisms and policies, or lack thereof, affected the impact of the pandemic on the population, particularly vulnerable groups and individuals. We provide an overview and illustrative examples of health financing policies adopted in 15 countries during the pandemic, develop a framework for resilient health financing, and use this pandemic to argue a case to move towards universal health coverage (UHC).

Health and Economic Benefits of Air Pollution Reductions in Vietnam During 2020-2021.

This paper explores the potential reduction in the number of deaths and the corresponding economic benefits in Vietnam that could have arisen from the decreased in concentrations of particulate matter with a diameter of 2.5 μm or less (PM) and nitrogen dioxide (NO). Using Global Exposure Mortality Models, we estimated the potential health and economic benefits on people aged 25 and above across Vietnam's 63 provinces.

Waterpipe tobacco smoking and risk of all-cause mortality: a prospective cohort study.

Background: Despite an increasing proportion of smokers who use non-cigarette products, the harmfulness of these is inconsistent. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of waterpipe tobacco (WTP) smoking on all-cause mortality.

Methods: A prospective cohort study followed up on 35 646 participants from 2007 to 2019 in Northern Viet Nam.

Assessing the knowledge and practice toward food safety: An investigation of food selection and processing among primary food caregivers in a town of Ha Tinh province, Vietnam.

The food selection and processing stage are important stages to prevent food poisoning. A good level of knowledge and practice regarding food selection and processing among people who are responsible for the family meals are important. In this study, we aimed to investigate the knowledge and practice of primary food caregivers regarding food poisoning prevention in food selection and processing and identify the factors that influence these outcomes.

Depression, anxiety and stress among healthcare workers in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic: a cross-sectional study in a tertiary hospital in Northern Vietnam.

Introduction: The outbreak of coronavirus severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV2) had significant effects on the mental well-being in general, particularly for healthcare professionals. This study examined the prevalence of depression, anxiety, and stress, and identified the associated risk factors amongst healthcare workers during the COVID-19 outbreak in a tertiary hospital located in Vietnam.

Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study at a tertiary-level hospital, where the Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale 21 (DASS-21) web-based questionnaire was employed.

Psychometric properties and factor structure of the Vietnamese Copenhagen Burnout Inventory.

Objectives: This article examines the validity and reliability of the Vietnamese version of the Copenhagen Burnout Inventory (CBI-V) among hospital nurses in Vietnam in 2022.

Methods: This article examined data from 587 nurses in two city hospitals in Vietnam in 2022. The reliability was determined via internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha coefficient) and test-retest reliability (Intraclass correlation coefficient).

Individual-, social- and policy- factors associated with smoking cessation among adult male cigarette smokers in Hanoi, Vietnam: a longitudinal study.

Background: Nearly one-in-two Vietnamese men smoke cigarettes placing them among the highest tobacco consumers in the world. Despite the need for smoking cessation to curb the burden of tobacco-related diseases in Vietnam, this rate remains at less than 30%. Therefore, this study examines individual-, social- and policy factors associated with smoking cessation among adult male smokers in Vietnam.

Reducing antimicrobial use in chicken production in Vietnam: Exploring the systemic dimension of change.

Antibiotic use in livestock production is one of the drivers of antibiotic resistance and a shift towards better and reduced antibiotic usage is urgently required. In Vietnam, where there are frequent reports of the misuse and overuse of antibiotics, little attention has been paid to farmers who have successfully changed their practices. This qualitative study aims to understand the transition process of Vietnamese chicken farmers toward reduced antibiotic usage.

Impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on access to healthcare among people with disabilities: evidence from six low- and middle-income countries.

Background: The pandemic has placed considerable strain on health systems, especially in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), leading to reductions in the availability of routine health services. Emerging evidence suggests that people with disabilities have encountered marked challenges in accessing healthcare services and supports in the context of the pandemic. Further research is needed to explore specific barriers to accessing healthcare during the pandemic, and any strategies that promoted continued access to health services in LMICs where the vast majority of people with disabilities live.

Predicting Antibiotic Resistance in ICUs Patients by Applying Machine Learning in Vietnam.

Introduction: Artificial Intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) are used extensively in HICs to detect and control antibiotic resistance (AMR) in laboratories and clinical institutions. ML is designed to predict outcome variables using an algorithm to enable "machines" to learn the "rules" from the data. ML is increasingly being applied in intensive care units to identify AMR and to assist empiric antibiotic therapy.

Effect of light-touch intervention and associated factors to microbial contamination at small-scale pig slaughterhouses and traditional pork shops in Vietnam.

Traditional pork value chains dominate the production and distribution of pork in Vietnam; however, the high level of microbiological contamination in pork may increase the risk of food-borne disease for consumers. There is limited evidence about how to feasibly and scalably reduce microbial contamination in pork sold in traditional markets. This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of light-touch interventions for changing worker behaviour in small-scale slaughterhouses and vendors at traditional pork shops, as well as to identify risk factors for pork contamination.

The impact of early rehabilitation in intensive care unit for COVID-19 patients.

Purpose: To evaluate the impact of early rehabilitation in intensive care unit (ICU) on the survival and functional outcomes of COVID-19 patients admitted to ICU at acute phase.

Materials And Methods: We conducted a prospective quasi-experimental study including 346 eligible COVID-19 patients from all admitted cases in an ICU in Vietnam, divided into three groups: no rehabilitation ( = 32), late rehabilitation ( = 109), and early rehabilitation ( = 205). Baseline characteristics and survival information of patient were collected with BORG-CR10 scale and PFIT; the data were collected at different time points: before intervention, when switching to oxygen-therapy, and at discharge.

Prevalence of obesity and abdominal obesity and their association with metabolic-related conditions in Vietnamese adults: an analysis of Vietnam STEPS survey 2009 and 2015.

Background: The abdominal obesity trends and prevalence are important contributing factors to significant rise of many noncommunicable diseases in Vietnam but have not been well-documented in the literature. This study aimed to describe the prevalence and trends of obesity and abdominal obesity in Vietnam from 2009 to 2015 and evaluate how different definitions of obesity and abdominal obesity are associated with metabolic-related conditions.

Methods: We conducted a secondary analysis based on the Vietnam STEPS (STEPwise approach to Surveillance) cross-sectional Survey 2009 and 2015.

Study protocol for type II hybrid implementation-effectiveness trial of strategies for depression care task-sharing in community health stations in Vietnam: DEP Project.

Background: It is not clear what the most effective implementation strategies are for supporting the enactment and sustainment of depression care services in primary care settings. This type-II Hybrid Implementation-Effectiveness study will compare the effectiveness of three system-level strategies for implementing depression care programs at 36 community health stations (CHSs) across 2 provinces in Vietnam.

Methods: In this cluster-randomized controlled trial, CHSs will be randomly assigned to one of three implementation conditions: (1) Usual Implementation (UI), which consists of training workshops and toolkits; (2) Enhanced Supervision (ES), which includes UI combined with bi-weekly/monthly supervision; and (3) Community-Engaged Learning Collaborative (CELC), which includes all components of ES, combined with bi-monthly province-wide learning collaborative meetings, during which cross-site learning and continuous quality improvement (QI) strategies are implemented to achieve better implementation outcomes.

Information needs of informal caregivers in caring and rehabilitation for dioxin victims in Vietnam.

Background: Health outcomes among Agent Orange/dioxin (dioxin) victims are significant due to many individuals requiring daily assistance, informal care, and rehabilitation support. This study aimed to identify the information needs of informal caregivers of dioxin victims in Vietnam.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in Quynh Phu district, Thai Binh province - an area with a large number of dioxin victims, from June 2019 to June 2020.

Ante-, Peri-, and Neonatal Factors Associated with Autism Spectrum Disorders in Vietnam: A Population-Based Cross-Sectional Survey.

Background: Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs) are common behavioral syndromes but limited critical evidence in Vietnam. This study aimed to identify ante-, peri- and neonatal factors for ASDs amongst children in Vietnam.

Methods: This population-based study applied the cross-sectional design with a multistage sampling in 21 urban and rural districts in seven cities/provinces in Vietnam during 2017-2018.

Host-pathogen relationship in retreated tuberculosis with major rifampicin resistance-conferring mutations.

Introduction: It is assumed that host defense systems eliminating the pathogen and regulating tissue damage make a strong impact on the outcome of tuberculosis (TB) disease and that these processes are affected by rifampicin (RIF) resistance-conferring mutations of (Mtb). However, the host responses to the pathogen harboring different mutations have not been studied comprehensively in clinical settings. We analyzed clinico-epidemiological factors and blood transcriptomic signatures associated with major mutations conferring RIF resistance in a cohort study.

The case for individualised public health interventions: Smoking prevalence and inequalities in Northern Ireland 1985-2015.

Background: While smoking prevalence in high income countries has declined over time, socioeconomic inequalities in smoking have widened. This study is one of the few studies to examine the longitudinal pattern of income-related smoking inequalities and only the second using concentration indices in its analysis.

Method: Income-related smoking inequalities were measured using concentration indices using the Northern Ireland Continuous Household Survey data.

Willingness to Pay for Colorectal Cancer Screening in Vietnam: Policy Implications From a Contingent Valuation Survey.

Objectives: To determine the willingness to pay (WTP) for the fecal occult blood test (FOBT) and colonoscopy among the general population to provide evidence for policymakers in deciding whether to include them in the social health insurance benefit package and facilitate the pricing practice.

Methods: The conventional double-bounded dichotomous choice contingent valuation survey was used to determine the WTP. We recruited 402 people aged 50 to 75 who came to 3 primary healthcare clinics in Hanoi from February 2019 to April 2019.

Illustrating the impact of commercial determinants of health on the global COVID-19 pandemic: Thematic analysis of 16 country case studies.

Previous research on commercial determinants of health has primarily focused on their impact on non-communicable diseases. However, they also impact on infectious diseases and on the broader preconditions for health. We describe, through case studies in 16 countries, how commercial determinants of health were visible during the COVID-19 pandemic, and how they may have influenced national responses and health outcomes.