Hanoi School Of Public Health

About: Hanoi School Of Public Health is a education organization based out in Hanoi, Vietnam. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Public health. The organization has 182 authors who have published 266 publications receiving 23330 citations.

Seasonality of Viral Encephalitis and Associated Environmental Risk Factors in Son La and Thai Binh Provinces in Vietnam from 2004 to 2013

Abstract: In Vietnam, Japanese encephalitis virus accounts for 12-71% of viral encephalitis (VE) cases followed by enteroviruses and dengue virus among identified pathogens This study is the first attempt to evaluate the seasonality of VE and associated environmental risk factors in two provinces from 2004 to 2013 using a seasonal trend-decomposition procedure based on loess regression and negative binomial regression models We found seasonality with a peak of VE in August and June in Son La and Thai Binh, respectively In Son La, the model showed that for every 1°C increase in average monthly temperature, there was a 40% increase in monthly VE incidence There was a gradual decline in incidence rates as the relative humidity rose to its mean value (80%) and a dramatic rise in incidence rate as the relative humidity rose past 80% Another model found that a 100 mm rise in precipitation in the preceding and same months corresponded to an increase in VE incidence of 23% and 21%, respectively In Thai Binh, our model showed that a 1°C increase in temperature corresponded with a 9% increase in VE incidence Another model found that VE incidence increased as monthly precipitation rose to its mean value of 130 mm but declined gradually as precipitation levels rose beyond that The last model showed that a monthly increase in duration of sunshine of 1 hour corresponded to a 06% increase in VE incidence The findings may assist clinicians by improving the evidence for diagnosis

Drinking & driving in Viet Nam: prevalence, knowledge, attitudes, and practices in two provinces.

Abstract: Objective Viet Nam is experiencing a shift in its burden of disease profile with injuries becoming more prominent. A history of high alcohol involvement in road traffic crashes despite stringent laws led to increased enforcement by police, enhanced public education messaging and targeted social marketing campaigns in Ha Nam and Ninh Binh provinces in Viet Nam. This study aims to illustrate the changes in prevalence (November 2010 to December 2011) and knowledge, attitudes and practices (KAP) around alcohol use and drink-driving for the year 2011. Methods Breath Alcohol Concentration (BrAC) was collected through police enforcement checkpoints in the two provinces. The proportion of drivers with BrAC above the legal limit was plotted over time for both provinces. The trend in prevalence of drink-driving over time was further assessed using Poisson regression models. Prevailing KAPs were determined through surveying randomly selected road users over the age of 17 years at gas stations at quarterly intervals. Cross tabulations of key variables as well Chi-Square statistic were used to assess associations. Results A total of 8,404 drivers were tested for BrAC levels of which less than 0.25% were female. Of 1,639 drivers displaying BrAC levels in excess of the legal limit, 87.3% were car drivers, 7.9% motorcyclists and 86% were between the ages of 25 and 44 years. KAP surveys captured 1,661 drivers over the study period. The prevalence of self-reported drink-driving increased 6 percentage points among respondents aged 27–36. Between 44% (January 2011) and 49% (December 2011) of respondents indicated awareness of a drinking and driving Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) or BrAC limit and only 25% of all study participants recalled being penalized for a traffic violation – none of which were for drink-driving. Conclusion While there has been some reduction in drink-driving prevalence, inadequate or incorrect knowledge on drink-driving legislation appears to be an impediment to greater gains. Increased attention needs to be paid to enforcement activities and social marketing campaigns need to be part of a multi-faceted programme that also works on improving existing legislation, takes into consideration gender issues, and enhances visible enforcement of the laws.

The Context Assessment for Community Health tool - investigating why what works where in low- and middle-income settings

Abstract: Background The gap between what is known and what is practiced results in patients not benefitting from advances in healthcare and unnecessary costs for clients and health systems. The Promoting Action on Research Implementation in Health Services (PARIHS) framework posits (1) strong evidence, (2) context in terms of coping with change, and (3) facilitation as elements influencing successful implementation of new knowledge [1]. A strong context is considered key to warrant an environment receptive to change. Tools for systematic mapping of aspects of context influencing implementation have been developed for, and are being used in, high-income settings whereas there are no tools available for this purpose for lowand middle-income countries (LMICs).

Schizophrenia interventions in Vietnam: Primary results from a cost-effectiveness study

Abstract: Schizophrenia is a highly disabling mental health disorder that imposes a considerable economic burden on a health care system. This paper aimed to examine the cost and effectiveness of alternative pharmaceutical interventions and the effects of family intervention (FI) for schizophrenia from the government perspective in order to introduce the most cost-effective intervention applicable to Vietnam. A Markov model was developed to estimate costs and health outcome over patients' lifetimes when using typical and atypical antipsychotic drugs, alone or in combination with family intervention. Health outcome was measured in terms of disability-adjusted life years averted. Monte Carlo simulation was used for uncertainty analysis. According to our findings, interventions using typical or atypical drugs combined with FI were found to be the most effective and least costly compared to a 'do-nothing' scenario. Interventions using atypical drugs alone were estimated to be much less favourable due to a considerably higher cost. This is a very first attempt on cost-effectiveness analysis of interventions for schizophrenia in Vietnam, and recommendations are made for future research to determine the most cost-effective intervention.

Validation of a Brief CES-D Scale for Measuring Depression and Its Associated Predictors among Adolescents in Chi Linh, Hai Duong, Vietnam

Abstract: Objectives: The aims of this paper were to confirm the validity and reliability of a brief CES-D measure for depression and identify the associated factors with the depression among adolescents and youth in Chi Linh, Hai Duong province, Vietnam. Methods: We used data from a prospective-longitudinal study of adolescents and youth (aged 13-17 at baseline) and their parent (N = 1402 mother/father-child dyads). Adolescents’ depression was assessed in 2009 and 2013. Parents’ connectedness was measured in 2013. Confirmatory factor Analysis (CFA) was used to certify the elementary factors produced by PCA using Comparative Fit Index (CFI), Tucker Lewis Index (TLI) and RMSEA. Multivariate linear regression was used to predict the factors associated with depression. Results: The results demonstrate that the depression items correspond as CFI (0.89), TLI (0.87) and RMSEA (0.084) are acceptable fit indices. The mean score of depression among adolescents and youth was 30.9 (Min = 16 and Max = 70; SD = 8.3). Age (β = -0.01; CI 95% = -0.1; -0.03), parent and youth can talk freely (β = -0.042; CI 95% = -0.08; -0.001) and good health status (β = -0.07; CI 95% = -0.1; -0.03) were found to be significantly associated with depression. Conclusions: Depression scale should be widely applied for screening the depression symptoms of adolescents and youth population. The necessary strategies should be implemented to improve the adolescent and young population’s depression status.