Validity of two physical activity questionnaires (IPAQ and PAQA) for Vietnamese adolescents in rural and urban areas

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Although physical activity is recognised to be an important determinant of health and nutritional status, few instruments have been developed to assess physical activity in developing countries. The aim of this study was to compare the validity of the short form of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) and a locally adapted version of the Physical Activity Questionnaire for Adolescents (PAQA) for use in school going adolescents in rural and urban areas in Vietnam.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Sixteen year old adolescents from rural areas (n = 137) and urban areas (n = 90) completed the questionnaires in 2006. Test-retest reliability was assessed by comparing registrations after 2 weeks. Criterion validity was assessed by comparison with 7 days continuous accelerometer logging. Validity of the two methods was assessed using Spearman correlation coefficient, intra class correlation coefficients (ICC) and Kappa statistics.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Reliability of both questionnaires was poor for both the IPAQ (ICC = 0.37) and the PAQA (ICC = 0.40). Criterion validity of both questionnaires was acceptable and similar for the IPAQ (ρ = 0.21) and the PAQA (ρ = 0.27) but a significantly lower validity was observed in rural areas. Both forms poorly estimated time spent on light, moderate and vigorous physical activity. Agreement of both questionnaires to classify individuals was also low but the IPAQ performed better than the PAQA.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Both questionnaires have a similar and overall poor validity to be used as a population instrument in Vietnam. Low reliability and classification properties in rural areas call for further research for specific use in such settings.</p

Multi-micronutrient-fortified biscuits decreased the prevalence of anaemia and improved iron status, whereas weekly iron supplementation only improved iron status in Vietnamese school children

In Vietnam, nutrition interventions do not target school children despite a high prevalence of micronutrient deficiencies. The present randomised, placebo-controlled study evaluated the impact of providing school children (n 403) with daily multiple micronutrient-fortified biscuits (FB) or a weekly Fe supplement (SUP) on anaemia and Fe deficiency. Micronutrient status was assessed by concentrations of Hb, and plasma ferritin (PF), transferrin receptor (TfR), Zn and retinol. After 6 months of intervention, children receiving FB or SUP had a significantly better Fe status when compared with the control children (C), indicated by higher PF (FB: geometric mean 36·9 (95% CI 28·0, 55·4) μg/l; SUP: geometric mean 46·0 (95% CI 33·0, 71·7) μg/l; C: geometric mean 34·4 (95% CI 15·2, 51·2) μg/l; P<0·001) and lower TfR concentrations (FB: geometric mean 5·7 (95% CI 4·8, 6·52) mg/l; SUP: geometric mean 5·5 (95% CI 4·9, 6·2) mg/l; C: geometric mean 5·9 (95% CI 5·1, 7·1) mg/l; P=0·007). Consequently, body Fe was higher in children receiving FB (mean 5·6 (sd 2·2)mg/kg body weight) and SUP (mean 6·1 (sd 2·5)mg/kg body weight) compared with the C group (mean 4·2 (sd 3·3)mg/kg body weight, P<0·001). However, anaemia prevalence was significantly lower only in the FB group (1·0%) compared with the C group (10·4%, P=0·006), with the SUP group being intermediate (7·4%). Children receiving FB had better weight-for-height Z-scores after the intervention than children receiving the SUP (P=0·009). Vitamin A deficiency at baseline modified the intervention effect, with higher Hb concentrations in vitamin A-deficient children receiving FB but not in those receiving the SUP. This indicates that vitamin A deficiency is implicated in the high prevalence of anaemia in Vietnamese school children, and that interventions should take other deficiencies besides Fe into account to improve Hb concentrations. Provision of biscuits fortified with multiple micronutrients is effective in reducing anaemia prevalence in school childre

Survey of Food-hygiene Practices at Home and Childhood Diarrhoea in Hanoi, Viet Nam

A cross-sectional study was conducted to investigate the potential factors of food-hygiene practices of mothers on the prevalence of diarrhoea among their children. Mothers who had children aged 6 months–5 years were recruited in a hamlet in Viet Nam. The food-hygiene practices included hand-washing, method of washing utensils, separation of utensils for raw and cooked food, and the location where foods were prepared for cooking. A face-to-face interview was conducted, and data on 206 mothers were analyzed. The risk of diarrhoea was significantly higher among children whose mothers prepared food for cooking somewhere other than the table (typically on the ground) compared to children whose mothers prepared food on the table (adjusted odds ratio=2.85, 95% confidence interval 1.11–7.28). The results indicate that food-hygiene practices of mothers, such as avoiding preparing food for cooking on the ground, has a potential impact in preventing diarrhoea among children in Viet Nam

Survey of Food-hygiene Practices at Home and Childhood Diarrhoea in Hanoi, Viet Nam

A cross-sectional study was conducted to investigate the potential factors of food-hygiene practices of mothers on the prevalence of diarrhoea among their children. Mothers who had children aged 6 months\u20135 years were recruited in a hamlet in Viet Nam. The food-hygiene practices included hand-washing, method of washing utensils, separation of utensils for raw and cooked food, and the location where foods were prepared for cooking. A face-to-face interview was conducted, and data on 206 mothers were analyzed. The risk of diarrhoea was significantly higher among children whose mothers prepared food for cooking somewhere other than the table (typically on the ground) compared to children whose mothers prepared food on the table (adjusted odds ratio=2.85, 95% confidence interval 1.11-7.28). The results indicate that food-hygiene practices of mothers, such as avoiding preparing food for cooking on the ground, has a potential impact in preventing diarrhoea among children in Viet Nam

Sub clinical vitamin A deficiency and anemia among Vietnamese children less than five years of age

The objective of the study was to assess the prevalence of sub clinical vitamin A deficiency and anemia in Vietnamese children. For this, a cross-sectional survey was conducted in 40 villages (clusters) of four ecological regions in Vietnam during Apr-May 2001. In total 1657 children less than 5 years old were included by a cluster random sampling method. The prevalence of sub clinical vitamin A deficiency (serum retinol &lt;0.70 μmol/L) was 12.0% and the prevalence of anemia (hemoglobin &lt;110g/L) was 28.4 %. In the children under 6 months the prevalence of sub clinical vitamin A deficiency was 35.1 % whereas the prevalence of anemia in this group was as high as 61.7%. The prevalence of children with both sub clinical vitamin A deficiency and anemia was 6.1%. Sub clinical vitamin A deficiency and anemia prevalence differed significantly across the regions, with highest prevalence in the Northern Mountainous areas for vitamin A deficiency and in the Northern Mountainous area and Mekong River Delta for anemia. It is concluded that sub clinical vitamin A deficiency and anemia are still important public health problems in Vietnam. Sustainable strategies for combating vitamin A deficiency and nutritional anemia are needed and should concentrate on target groups, especially infants and malnourished children in high risk regions

Usability and challenges of offshore wind energy in Vietnam revealed by the regional climate model simulation

This study revealed great potential and shortcoming of offshore wind energy in Vietnam by numerical simulations with Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model at 10-km resolution for 10 years (2006-2015). The greatest energy potential was found in the offshore area of Phu Quy island (Binh Thuan province). The area, alone, can provide the 38.2 GW power generation capacity corresponding to the increasing renewable-energy demand by 2030 planned by the country. There is also a drawback of the wind resource, which is associated with strong multiple-scale temporal variabilities. The seasonal variability associated with monsoon onsets and daily variability associated with the wind diurnal cycles were found ranging 30-50%. Meanwhile, the inter-annual variability could reach up to 10%. These variabilities must be considered when designing wind farms and grids over the region. Additionally, due to the fact that the WRF model performed climatological features of the winds well against the observations, this results indicate that it can be useful tools for wind-power assessment as compared to other reanalysis or QuikSCAT data with coarser spatio-temporal resolutions

Nutritional status, feeding practice and incidence of infectious diseases among children aged 6 to 18 months in northern mountainous Vietnam

To assess the prevalence of undernutrition, incidence of infectious diseases and the situation of feeding practices to determine the risk factors for undernutrition among children aged 6 to 18 months in rural Vietnam. Design : A cross-sectional study was conducted among one hundred eighty-eight mother-child pairs in Bac Giang, Vietnam. Weight and height of the children were measured and referred to data from the WHO/CDC/NCHS. Incidence of infectious diseases was diagnosed based on the WHO Recommended Surveillance Standards. Data on socio-demographic variables and feeding practices were obtained through a structured questionnaire. Result : The prevalence of underweight, stunting and wasting was 19.7%, 23.4% and 5.3%, respectively. The incidence of diarrhea and acute respiratory infections (ARIs) during the last 14 days of the interview was 12.2% and 20.2%, respectively. Although 99% of the children were breastfed, the prevalence of exclusive breastfeeding in the first 4 mo was 21.3%. Non-exclusive breastfeeding in the first 4 month (OR 3.95, p=0.025) and low birth weight (OR 4.38, p=0.009) were associated with underweight in the children, while incidence of infectious disease was not (OR 1.16, p=0.734). Conclusion : Undernutrition is highly prevalent in the study site and non-exclusive breast feeding is one of the risk factors

Nutritional factors, parasite infection and allergy in rural and suburban Vietnamese school children

Urban areas often have more allergy than rural areas. Dietary patterns and parasite infection have been suggested as possible related factors. This study evaluated the prevalence of allergy in school children in one rural and suburban area of Vietnam where parasite infection is common. A total of 195 children aged 9 to 13 years old completed a self-administered allergy questionnaire and provided blood and stool samples for analysis. Nutritional status, dietary intake and parasite infection were determined in all participants. Allergy was more common in girls (10.7% vs. 7.6%), suburban children (11.8% vs. 6.9%), children with weight-for-age (16.7% vs. 6.0%) and height-for-age (14.8% vs. 4.9%) in the10th to75th percentile compared to lt3rd percentile, and in children without trichuriasis compared to light trichuriasis (12.5%vs. 9.3%), although none of these comparisons were statistically significant. Logistic regression adjusted for sex, age and area of residence revealed no association between allergy and nutritional status, food intake or parasite infection. Intake of riboflavin, however, was negatively associated with allergy (OR=0.00,95% CI:0.00-0.65, p=0.038). In conclusion, we were unable to detect any association between allergy and nutritional status, diet, or parasite infection. However, in a population with high undernutrition and parasite infection, the prevalence of allergy was low and the extremely low intake of riboflavin was associated with a higher risk of allergy

Efficacy of iron fortification compared to iron supplementation among Vietnamese schoolchildren

The effect of iron fortification is generally assumed to be less than iron supplementation; however, the magnitude of difference in effects is not known. The present study aims to compare the efficacy of these two strategies on anaemia and iron status. After screening on low Hb, 425 anaemic children in six primary schools in Tam Nong district of Phu Tho province were included in a randomized, placebo-controlled trial comparing two groups receiving iron fortified instant noodles or iron supplementation for 6 months and a control group, with children in all groups having been dewormed. Blood samples were collected before and after intervention for haemoglobin, serum ferritin (SF), serum transferrin receptor (TfR), C-reactive protein (CRP), and haemoglobinopathies analysis. Regression analysis was used to assess the effect of iron fortification and iron supplementation on haemoglobin concentration, SF, TfR, body iron, and anaemic status as outcome variables. The improvement of haemoglobin, SF, and body iron level in the group receiving iron fortification was 42% (2.6 g/L versus 6.2 g/L), 20% (23.5 μg/L versus 117.3 μg/L), and 31.3% (1.4 mg/kg versus 4.4 mg/kg) of that in the iron supplementation group. The prevalence of anaemia dropped to 15.1% in the control group, with an additional reduction of anaemia of 8.5% in the iron supplementation group. The additional reduction due to iron fortification was 5.4%, which amounts to well over 50% of the impact of supplementation. In conclusion, the efficacy of iron fortification based on reduction of prevalence of anaemia, and on the change in haemoglobin level, is about half of the maximum impact of supplementation in case of optimal compliance. Thus, in a population of anaemic children with mild iron deficiency, iron fortification should be the preferred strategy to combat anaemia

The global burden of cancer attributable to risk factors, 2010-19 : a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019

Background Understanding the magnitude of cancer burden attributable to potentially modifiable risk factors is crucial for development of effective prevention and mitigation strategies. We analysed results from the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2019 to inform cancer control planning efforts globally. Methods The GBD 2019 comparative risk assessment framework was used to estimate cancer burden attributable to behavioural, environmental and occupational, and metabolic risk factors. A total of 82 risk-outcome pairs were included on the basis of the World Cancer Research Fund criteria. Estimated cancer deaths and disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) in 2019 and change in these measures between 2010 and 2019 are presented. Findings Globally, in 2019, the risk factors included in this analysis accounted for 4.45 million (95% uncertainty interval 4.01-4.94) deaths and 105 million (95.0-116) DALYs for both sexes combined, representing 44.4% (41.3-48.4) of all cancer deaths and 42.0% (39.1-45.6) of all DALYs. There were 2.88 million (2.60-3.18) risk-attributable cancer deaths in males (50.6% [47.8-54.1] of all male cancer deaths) and 1.58 million (1.36-1.84) risk-attributable cancer deaths in females (36.3% [32.5-41.3] of all female cancer deaths). The leading risk factors at the most detailed level globally for risk-attributable cancer deaths and DALYs in 2019 for both sexes combined were smoking, followed by alcohol use and high BMI. Risk-attributable cancer burden varied by world region and Socio-demographic Index (SDI), with smoking, unsafe sex, and alcohol use being the three leading risk factors for risk-attributable cancer DALYs in low SDI locations in 2019, whereas DALYs in high SDI locations mirrored the top three global risk factor rankings. From 2010 to 2019, global risk-attributable cancer deaths increased by 20.4% (12.6-28.4) and DALYs by 16.8% (8.8-25.0), with the greatest percentage increase in metabolic risks (34.7% [27.9-42.8] and 33.3% [25.8-42.0]). Interpretation The leading risk factors contributing to global cancer burden in 2019 were behavioural, whereas metabolic risk factors saw the largest increases between 2010 and 2019. Reducing exposure to these modifiable risk factors would decrease cancer mortality and DALY rates worldwide, and policies should be tailored appropriately to local cancer risk factor burden. Copyright (C) 2022 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an Open Access article under the CC BY 4.0 license.Peer reviewe