Abstract
BackgroundWith the rapid urbanization of Vietnam, living on boats has come to be associated with underprivileged socioeconomic status, and there are major concerns regarding the health of children living under such conditions. Bone development is a critical concern in children because the foundation for skeletal health is established early in life. We evaluated the bone properties of children living under underprivileged conditions on boats in Hue City, Vietnam, with respect to a number of household factors.MethodsOne hundred and twenty children aged 7-11 years selected randomly from households living on boats in Hue were included in this study. Tibial and radial speed of sound (SOS) were measured by non-invasive quantitative ultrasonometry. Socioeconomic profiles, health promotion proficiency, and nutritional intake of households were assessed by structured interview. The bone properties of 60 children aged 7-11 living on land were also assessed as controls.ResultsThe Z-scores of tibial and radial SOS of boat children were -0.16 ± 0.89 and -0.24 ± 0.75 (mean ± SD), respectively. Tibial SOS exhibited a significant correlation with radial SOS (r = 0.39, P < 0.01). Among the household factors examined, the educational level of fathers (P < 0.05) and the health promotion proficiency (P < 0.05) of households exhibited positive associations with the tibial bone properties of the children. The tibial and radial SOS of boat children were lower than those of children living on land (P = 0.001 and P = 0.086, respectively).ConclusionThe results of the present study revealed the underdevelopment of bone properties in children living on houseboats, which was correlated with their living conditions.
Highlights
Living on boats along rivers is a common traditional way of life in Vietnam
There were no significant correlations between whether the children went to school or speed of sound (SOS) (m/s)
Children living on boats exhibited lower values for indices of bone development as compared with those living on land
Summary
Living on boats along rivers is a common traditional way of life in Vietnam. Currently, there are 941 households dwelling on houseboats along the Huong River in Hue City, Vietnam, which provides a convenient location for both work and life on the water.[1]. With the rapid urbanization of Vietnam, living on boats has come to be associated with underprivileged socioeconomic status, and there are major concerns regarding the health of children living under such conditions. We evaluated the bone properties of children living under underprivileged conditions on boats in Hue City, Vietnam, with respect to a number of household factors. Among the household factors examined, the educational level of fathers (P < 0.05) and the health promotion proficiency (P < 0.05) of households exhibited positive associations with the tibial bone properties of the children. The tibial and radial SOS of boat children were lower than those of children living on land (P = 0.001 and P = 0.086, respectively). Conclusion: The results of the present study revealed the underdevelopment of bone properties in children living on houseboats, which was correlated with their living conditions
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