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Objective. To identify risk factors associated with changes in BMI and sum of skinfold thickness (SSF) in a cohort of preschool children in Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC), Vietnam. Methods. This one year follow-up study, using multi-stage cluster sampling, was conducted from 2005-2006 with 526 children aged 4-5 years in preschools in urban HCMC. Information on neighborhood, preschool and home environments, socio-economic status, the child and parental characteristics were collected using interview-administered questionnaires. Dietary intake and physical activity were measured using modified, validated questionnaires. Weight, height, and triceps, subscapular and suprailiac skinfold thickness were measured. Generalized estimating equations (GEEs) were used to assess the longitudinal relationships between the risk factors and the development of adiposity. Results. A variety of factors at different levels were associated with changes in BMI and SSFs. As safety of the neighborhood increased, BMI and SSFs decreased (coefficients for BMI: −0.59; 95% CI: −1.16 to −0.01 for girls and −0.80; 95% CI: −1.53, −0.08 for boys, and coefficients for SSFs: −2.71; 95% CI: −5.07, −0.35 for girls and −4.16, 95% CI: −8.28, −0.05). Having both parents overweight was strongly predictive of an increase in BMI (1.18, 0.21-2.16). Maternal pre-pregnant BMI status, breast-feeding, and high birth weight were also related to change in adiposity. Conclusion. Contextual variables in the community and home environment, and parental characteristics appeared to be more important than individual factors for explaining on changes in adiposity in this child population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. To identify factors associated with overweight/obesity among adolescents in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Methods. In 2004, a cross-sectional survey was conducted using multi-stage cluster sampling. Weight and height of 2 678 students from 31 junior high schools in Ho Chi Minh City were measured. Dietary intake and physical activity were assessed using a validated food frequency questionnaire and a physical activity questionnaire. Parental, household and neighbourhood characteristics were also collected. Factors associated with overweight/obesity in adolescents were modelled using hierarchical, multivariate logistic regression. “Survey commands” in STATA were used to account for the multi-stage cluster sampling design. Results. After adjusting for other study factors, the odds of overweight/obesity was significantly higher for male gender (OR=3.1, 95% CI: 1.8, 3.8), younger age (OR=3.4, 95% CI: 2.1, 5.3), schools located in wealthy districts (OR=2.5, 95% CI: 1.8, 3.4), higher family economic status (OR=1.9, 95% CI: 1.1, 4.9), higher parental education (OR=2.0, 95% CI: 1.4, 2.9), overweight or obese parents (OR=3.5, 95% CI: 1.7, 7.0), more time spent watching TV (OR=4.3, 95% CI: 1.3, 14.7), frequent consumption of soft drinks (OR=3.0, 95% CI: 1.6, 5.3) and more time studying after class (OR=2.9, 95% CI: 1.7, 4.9). The odds of overweight/obesity was lower with the availability of fruit at home (OR=0.5, 95% CI: 0.3, 0.7), frequent consumption of fruit/vegetables (OR=0.3, 95% CI: 0.2, 0.4) and being physically active (OR=0.5, 95% CI: 0.4, 0.8). Conclusions. Family/parental factors as well as children’s lifestyle should be taken into account when planning interventions to prevent adolescent obesity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The present study evaluates the reliability and validity of an FFQ designed for use with adolescents in urban Vietnam. Design: A cohort study was conducted between December 2003 and June 2004. The FFQ was administered three times over a 6-month period (FFQ 1-3) and nutrient intakes were compared to those obtained from four 24 h recalls collected over the same period (24 h recalls 1-4) using crude, energy-adjusted and de-attenuated correlation coefficients. The level of agreement between the two measurements was also evaluated with Bland-Altman analysis. The percentage of nutrient intakes classified within one quintile, as well as quadratic-weighted kappa statistics, were calculated. Setting: Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Subjects: A total of 180 students were recruited in three junior high schools. Results: Coefficients ranged from 0?22 for retinol to 0?78 for fibre for short-term reliability, and from 0?30 for retinol to 0?81 for zinc for long-term reliability. Coefficients for nutrient intakes between the mean of the three FFQ and mean of four 24 h recalls were mostly around 0?40, but higher for energy-adjusted nutrients. After allowing for within-person variation, the mean coefficient was 0?52 for macronutrients and 0?46 for micronutrients. There were a relatively high proportion of nutrient intakes classified within one quintile and a small number grossly misclassified. Kappa values shows 'fair' to 'good' agreement for all food/nutrient categories, while the Bland-Altman plots indicated that the FFQ is accurate in assessing nutrient intake at a group level. Conclusions: This newly developed FFQ is a valid tool for measuring nutrient intake in adolescents in urban Vietnam. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To assess the trends in overweight and obesity in pre-school children in urban areas of Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC), Vietnam, over the period 2002 to 2005. Design: Two cross-sectional studies were conducted in 2002 and 2005. Multistage cluster sampling was used in both surveys to select the subjects. Sociodemographic information was collected using a self-administered questionnaire given to parents in 2002 and using an interview-administered questionnaire to parents in 2005. Weight and height were measured using the same standard methods in both surveys. BMI (kg/m2) was calculated and overweight/obesity was defined using the age- and sex-specific BMI cut-off points proposed by the International Obesity Taskforce. Subjects and setting: Children aged 4 to 5 years, attending pre-schools in urban areas of HCMC, Vietnam, in 2002 (n 492) and 2005 (n 670). Results: The prevalence of overweight and obesity almost doubled from 2002 to 2005 (21∙4% and 36∙8%, respectively). The increase was more evident in less wealthy districts than in wealthy districts. The proportion of boys classified as obese in 2005 (22∙5%) was three times that in 2002 (6∙9 %). Conclusion: The prevalence of overweight and obesity has increased rapidly in children aged 4 to 5 years in urban areas, and especially in less wealthy districts, over a 3-year period. These results signal an urgent need for prevention programmes to control and reverse this rapid upward trend in overweight and obesity in young children in HCMC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. To assess changes in the prevalence of overweight and obesity among adolescents in urban districts of Ho Chi Minh City between 2002 and 2004. Methods. Two surveys were conducted among high school students (11-16 years) in 2002 (n = 1003 students) and 2004 (n = 2684). International Obesity Taskforce (IOTF) sex and age specific BMI cut-offs were used to define overweight and obesity. Underweight was defined as a BMI-for-age z-score < - 2, based on the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) 2000 growth reference. In 2002, students completed a questionnaire about household assets. In 2004, parents answered questions about their weight, height, education, occupation, and ownership of 14 household assets. Results. The prevalence of overweight and obesity increased from 5.0% and 0.6% in 2002, to 11.7% and 2.0% in 2004, respectively (p < 0.001), while the prevalence of underweight decreased from 13.1% to 6.7%. There was a significant increase in prevalence of overweight and obesity by gender over the two years: the 113% increase in prevalence of overweight and obesity in boys was significantly greater than the 39% increase in girls (p < 0.001). The percentage increase in overweight and obesity was considerably lower in adolescents from the poorest households (33%), than from the other quintiles of wealthier households (ranging from 77% to 124%) (p < 0.001). Conclusions. The prevalence of overweight and obesity among adolescents in Ho Chi Minh City is increasing rapidly. There is an urgent need to implement strategies for prevention and control amongst the adolescents of Ho Chi Minh City and other urban areas in Vietnam. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To assess the nutritional status of adolescents in Ho Chi Minh City, and in particular determine the prevalence of overweight and obesity in adolescents across different sub groups, based on gender, household economic status and geographic location. Design: A cross-sectional survey based on a two-stage cluster sampling design. Setting: Secondary high schools in Ho Chi Minh City. Subjects: There were 1504 adolescents involved in the study, of which 50% were girls and the mean age of participants was 13.1 years. Results: Overall, 4.9% of the students were overweight and 0.6% were obese, while 13.1% of the students were underweight. The prevalence of underweight was significantly higher in boys than girls (p=0.001) and overweight and obesity were also higher in boys although these differences were not statistically significant (p=0.074). There was a much higher prevalence of overweight and obesity in students from schools in wealthy urban districts (8.2% and 0.6%, respectively) in comparison to students from schools in rural or semi-rural districts (1.6% and 0.2%, respectively) and these differences were statistically significant (p<0.001). Conclusions: A transition in nutritional status is underway in this population of adolescents where overweight and obesity are emerging as a public health problem, but underweight remains a significant problem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses a study which examines the risk factors for physical inactivity among adolescents in Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC), Vietnam. Using multistage cluster sampling, a cross-sectional survey was performed among 2684 junior high school students in 2004. Hierarchical multivariate logistic regression was used to identify potential risk factors associated with physical inactivity. The study has found that overweight status, passive transportation, absence of recess exercises, and availability of a nearby game shop were among the factors associated with physical inactivity among adolescents. Findings indicate that physical activity among adolescent is associated with household, school, and community factors.