Thai Binh Research Articles

The quality of life score and its contributing factors of cancer patients undergoing palliative treatment at Thai Binh Oncology Center

Purpose: To describe the quality of life score of cancer patients undergoing palliative treatment at the Oncology Center of Thai Binh General Hospital in 2020-2021 and explore the factors from the supply side service provision that affects the quality of life of these patients. Method: A cross-sectional study was carried out on 198 stage IV cancer patients who were treated from August 2020 to July 2021. Evaluation of the quality of life score of the above group of patients was performed according to the EORTC QLQ-C30 toolkit version 3 before and after treatment at the Palliative Department. Results: The average scores for comprehensive health, physical, motor, emotional, cognitive, social, respectively, increased by 17.8; 19.3; 24.1; 18.7; 12.4 and 12.1 points. Symptoms such as fatigue, nausea and vomiting, pain and shortness of breath after treatment have significantly improved. Conclusion: After treatment for the general health issue, the patient's physical function and most of the symptoms were markedly improved in terms of the mean score. Functional, emotional and social functions improved and decreased in mean scores after treatment. The patient's financial difficulties also increased after treatment.

CHANGES IN LIVING CONDITIONS, LIFESTYLE, AND BEHAVIORS OF HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC IN VIETNAM

This study was performed to clarify the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on high school children's living conditions, lifestyle, living and studying habits. Cross-sectional research was conducted on 2369 high school students, selected from several high schools in Hanoi, Thanh Hoa, Thai Binh, and Dak Lak provinces. The result showed that during the COVID-19 epidemic period, living conditions were changed, such as isolation in the living area (22.1% of participants), reduced family income (35.9% of participants’ fathers and 37.3% of participants’ mothers salary decreased). Most children must switch to online learning (67.6%), and children tended to sleep later and wake up later (16.7% and 11.2%). Children tended to eat more meals and much food each meal than before. The percentage of children who spent over 3 hours\day using electronic devices increased during the COVID-19 epidemic (54.8% compared to 33.8% before). Our findings indicated that the COVID-19 pandemic had adverse effects on children's living conditions, lifestyles, and habits.

Nghiên cứu một số kích thước bàn tay, kích thước chi trên, chiều cao đứng và cân nặng của sinh viên trường Đại học Y Dược Thái Bình

Đặt vấn đề: Nghiên cứu từ các kích thước nhân trắc bàn tay, kích thước chi trên, chiều cao đứng và cân nặng trên người đã cho ra nhiều ứng dụng quan trọng trong các chuyên ngành như Phục hồi chức năng, Ngoại khoa, Chấn thương chỉnh hình, Y học lao động… Mục tiêu: Xác định một số kích thước bàn tay, kích thước chi trên, chiều cao đứng và cân nặng của sinh viên Trường Đại học Y Dược Thái Bình. Đối tượng và phương pháp: Nghiên cứu mô tả, cắt ngang trên 620 sinh viên Trường Đại học Y Dược Thái Bình từ 8/2021 - 03/2022. Kết quả: Chỉ số BMI trung bình 18,91 ± 2,16 ở nữ giới và 20,66 ± 3,13 ở nam giới. Trong nhóm kích thước bàn tay, chiều dài bàn tay nam giới (17,82 ± 0,83 cm) lớn khác biệt so với nữ giới (16,42 ± 0,74 cm), độ dài ngón giữa lớn nhất từ 73 - 78 mm, ngón áp út luôn dài hơn ngón trỏ, khoảng 72 mm so với 58 mm ở nam giới và 67 mm so với 53 mm ở nữ giới. Ngón cái có độ rộng nhất, sau đó là ngón giữa, ngón trỏ, ngón áp út và ngón út (từ 15,5 - 12,0 mm). Độ dày các ngón cũng tương tự; tuy nhiên, ngón áp út dày hơn ngón trỏ (8,92 ± 0,78 mm so với 8,29 ± 0,78 mm ở nam giới). Chiều dài chi trên ở nam giới lớn hơn so với dài chi trên ở nữ giới (76,12 cm ở nam giới và 70,17 cm ở nữ giới) với p < 0,05; tuy nhiên, chiều dài xương cánh tay ở hai giới có sự chênh lệch ít nhất (29,19 cm ở nam giới so với 27,4 cm ở nữ giới). Kết luận: Các kích thước nhân trắc bàn tay, chiều dài chi trên, chiều cao đứng và cân nặng ở nam giới đều lớn hơn nữ giới, sự khác biệt có ý nghĩa thống kê với p < 0,05. Chiều dài và độ dày ngón áp út luôn lớn hơn ngóntrỏ, nhưng độ rộng thì ngược lại với p < 0,05.

Species Status of Ragworm Populations (Nereididae: Tylorrhynchus Sp.) Exploited as a Human Specialty Based on Their Molecular Analyses in the Northern Coast of Vietnam

In the traditional culinary culture of Vietnam, the ragworms (Nereididae) are an ancient and well-known delicacy (Chả rươi in Vietnamese) of great nutritional and economic value. In order to determine their species status, distribution, and sustainable control, a comparative molecular genetic analysis was carried out in 2018--2019. It comprised of ragworm populations along the northern coast including Quang Ninh, Hai Phong, Hai Duong, Thai Binh and Nam Dinh, 20.0, 14.5, 34.0, 26.0 and 17.0 km from the sea, respectively. We found that all of them belong to one and the same species named Tylorrhynchus heterochaetus (Quatrefages, 1866). The ragworm in the Tu Ky area of Hai Duong province has the farthest distribution in the mainland, and was among the ragworm groups with the largest morphological measurements. Salinity and inland environmental conditions are likely factors influencing the morphological development of ragworm populations in this area. This may be the reason Tu Ky ragworms have been labelled a specialty dish in Vietnam dating back to ancient history.

Mapping COVID-19 related research from Vietnam: a scoping review.

SummaryIntroductionThe situation of COVID-19 pandemic is becoming more complex. The research institutes should focus on the most important challenge related to this outbreak at the national level. We aim to realize this scoping review to map publications on COVID-19 in Vietnam in order to guide research priorities and policies in the country.MethodsThis study was conducted at the Thai Binh University of Medicine and Pharmacy, from May to August 2020, according to the guidance for conducting systematic scoping review.ResultsA total of 72 studies met the inclusion criteria. The most frequent publications were original articles (27.8%), followed by letter to editor/correspondence (26.4%). According to the research priorities for COVID-19 set by the WHO, 41.7% studies focused on control and prevention of COVID-19, but none of studies on personal protective equipment or protocol for healthcare workers’ safety were conducted. 12.5% studies carried out a thorough investigation into epidemiology of the COVID-19 pandemic in Vietnam. Virology and genomics, natural history of the virus and its transmission in Vietnam were described by 18.1% papers. Only one study was conducted in terms of development for candidate therapeutics.ConclusionWe call for national investigation on treatment against SARS-CoV-2 and protocol for medical staff protection. The government and academic institutions should work in collaboration with international stakeholders, including the WHO, to combat together the COVID-19.

Effect of the COVID-19 Outbreak on the Incidence of Other Respiratory and Gastrointestinal Infections in Children in Thai Binh, Vietnam in 2020

IntroductionTo evaluate the impact of COVID-19 mitigation measures on the total number of consultations for respiratory and gastrointestinal infections among children under 16 years in Thai Binh Pediatric Hospital, Vietnam during the year 2020.MethodsA retrospective study was carried out to review consecutive consultations occurring in children admitted from January 01, 2016 to December 31, 2020. All medical records were collected from the central numeric database of the hospital. Diagnoses were documented according to the International Classification of Diseases 10 criteria.Results436,276 children consulted at the outpatient department during the period of study. A gradual increase in the total number of outpatients was observed from 2016 to 2019, including those consulting for respiratory and gastrointestinal infections. However, the total number of outpatients and the numbers of those consulting for respiratory and gastrointestinal infections dramatically decreased in 2020. A significant decrease of respiratory infections relative proportion was observed in 2020 when compared to 2016–2019 (p < 0.0001). By contrast, the relative proportion of gastrointestinal infections did not significantly vary (p = 0.91). The proportion of outpatients aged under 5 years was significantly lower in 2020 compared to previous years (p < 0.0001). The proportion of male patients was significantly higher in 2020 than from 2016 to 2019 (p = 0.001).ConclusionPublic health measures against the COVID-19 pandemic likely decreased the prevalence of other respiratory tract infections. Further studies are needed to validate the effectiveness of each type of measure. Microbiological studies are also recommended, to better understand the effect of preventive measures.

THỰC TRẠNG TRẢI NGHIỆM SANG CHẤN THỜI THƠ ẤU CỦA HỌC SINH TRUNG HỌC CƠ SỞ

The purpose of this study was to examine the childhood trauma experiences of middle school students. Childhood Trauma Questionnaires were used to collect quantitative data from 419 students in grades 6 to 9 from three middle schools in Bac Giang, Thai Binh, and Hue. The mean age is 13.53 (SD=1.12). Results showed that 30.1% of students regularly experienced emotional maltreatment, 5.7% of students regularly experienced physical maltreatment, and 2.4% of students regularly experienced sexual abuse by at least one form. 5.0% of students reported being victims of various forms of childhood trauma regularly. Male students experienced less emotional maltreatment than female students (p&lt;0.05). Some suggestions for further research are given.

Work motivation of nurses at Thai Binh Traditional Medicine Hospital in 2021

Objectives: To describe work motivation and related factors among nurses at Thai Binh Traditional Medical Hospital in 2021. Methods: Quantitative and qualitative research were conducted on 88 nurses working at Thai Binh traditional medicine hospital. The quantitative data was collected by using the questionnaire from 88 nurses, and the qualitative data was collected by using In-depth interview guideline from 10 nurses at ten wards. Results: Percentage of nurses who are motivated to work with factors such as commitment to the organization (72.7%), nature of work (62.5%), work benefits (54.5 %), working relationship (43.2%). Factors related to the work motivation of nurses are: age, income; work experience; direct manager; governance and operations of the organization; peer relationships; the stability and safety of workers; hospital policy. Conclusions: The work motivation score was 4.0, 53.4% of nurses had work motivation. Age, working experience, average income, wages, and extra incomes, direct manager, policy regime, co-operative relations, safety in work were fators which associated with a work motivation statistically significant at p &lt; 0.05.

ESTIMATION OF CHANGES IN ABOVE-GROUND BIOMASS AND CARBON STOCKS OF MANGROVE FORESTS USING SENTINEL-2A IN THAI THUY DISTRICT, THAI BINH PROVINCE DURING 2015 - 2019

Mangrove forests are found along shallow shorelines with modest slopes where they receive freshwater runoff and nutrients from rainfall. They have been globally recognised as having a vital function in preventing coastal erosion, mitigating wave actions, and protecting coastal habitats and adjacent shoreline land-uses from extreme coastal events. Using Sentinel-2A, the spatial distribution of mangrove forests was constructed over three years. The accuracy assessment showed that the overall accuracy of the 2019 Sentinel-2A classification was 93.6 % with a Kappa coefficient of 0.90, and the accuracy of the Sentinel-2A in 2015 and 2017 was also more than 90.0 % with a Kappa coefficient of 0.87. There were 2327.9 ha of mangrove forests in 2019; 2007.9 ha in 2017; and 1881.3 ha in 2015. The AGB of mangrove forests in Thai Thuy has increased over time. In 2015, the area of mangrove forests with AGB higher than 7.3 tons ha-1 and AGC more than 3.42 tons ha-1 was estimated at about 877.2 ha, the area of mangrove forests with AGB and AGC greater than 7.3 and 3.42 tons ha-1, respectively, increased to 1067.6 ha in 2017, and there were 1241.1 ha with AGB over 7.3 tons ha-1 and AGC greater than 3.42 ton ha-1 in 2019. There were small variations of AGB and AGC of mangrove forests between field measurements and Sentinel-based estimation in 2019. Therefore, using Sentinel-2A to estimate AGB and AGC of mangrove forests is reliable and applicable to the Thai Binh coast and it needs to be tested in other similar coastal areas in Viet Nam.

The relationship between psychological capital, organisational commitment and job satisfaction in the fisheries sector - A case study of fisheries sub-department of Thai Binh Province

The study is done to analyse the serious relationship between psychological capital, organisational commitment, and job satisfaction in the fisheries sector, a case study of Fisheries Sub-Department of Thai Binh Province. The empirical data collects through 237 questionnaires surveyed by civil servants working at the Fisheries Sub-Department of Thai Binh Province. The study applies exploratory factor analysis, confirmatory factor analysis, structural equation modeling to evaluate the relationship between psychological capital, organisational commitment, and job satisfaction of civil servants. The analysis results show a direct impact of psychological capital on organisational commitment, and psychological capital has an indirect effect on job satisfaction. The results also show a correlation between organisational commitment and job satisfaction. The study suggested significant policy implications for the Fisheries Sub-Department of Thai Binh Province to increase organisational commitment and job satisfaction.

Diverse more‐than‐human approaches to climate change adaptation in Thai Binh, Vietnam

Climate change adaptation is a key shared endeavour of our time. In Thai Binh Province of Vietnam, rice farmers have been adapting to environmental change for generations and have developed sophisticated strategies of paying attention to non‐human entities. Such strategies stand in stark contrast to modernist, developmentalist climate change adaptation interventions prioritising mastery and control over the environment. In this article, we think about farmers and other species ‘surviving well’ in the context of climate change adaptation in Thai Binh. We examine the strategies for adaptation already present and the implications of such strategies for climate change adaptation approaches in Vietnam and further afield. We argue that local practices of listening to non‐human entities and imagining them as kin can challenge modernist developmentalist approaches to adaptation, providing innovative locally appropriate adaptations. Beyond this, such practices can lead the way in developing non‐exploitative and mutually beneficial relationships in ‘more‐than‐human’ ecological communities for long‐term survival.

Heavy metals in surface sediments of the intertidal Thai Binh Coast, Gulf of Tonkin, East Sea, Vietnam: distribution, accumulation, and contamination assessment.

Heavy metals contamination in sediments may endanger ecosystems and human health via the food chain. In fact, there is little to no understanding about heavy metal accumulation in surface sediment of one of the most economically important marine bodies for Vietnam, the Thai Binh Coast, where five large rivers co-discharge into the Gulf of Tonkin. Twenty-seven surface sediment samples were collected from the intertidal regions and analyzed for: arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr), copper (Cu), mercury (Hg), nickel (Ni), and zinc (Zn) using inductively coupled plasma mass spectroscopy (ICP-MS). The studied area exhibited a large spatial variation in the concentration of heavy metals, e.g., the dry sediment concentration of Cd was the least (0.05-0.49mg.kg-1), whereas that of Zn was the greatest (45.4-252mg.kg-1). Based on the geoaccumulation index ([Formula: see text]), most of the studied heavy metals were accumulated at low pollution levels, except four locations exhibited moderately and highly polluted levels of Hg with [Formula: see text] Hg values from 1.92 to 2.66. However, the high contamination factor value implicated that not only Hg but also all other detected heavy metals in this area resulted from anthropogenic activities along the coast and the river upstream. This implied the need for quick action from the government. In addition, numerous analytical methods were used to see the association between metals, total organic carbon (TOC), and particle size distribution, including Pearson correlation coefficient (P) and principal component analysis (PCA). Hg demonstrates lowest connection with TOC (PHg-TOC ~ 0) but individual heavy metal correlations are largely positive, with many reaching 1.0 (e.g., PNi-Cr = 0.89, PCd-As = 0.72, PNi-Cu = 0.76, and PCu-Cr = 0.72). From the PCA diagram, we can observe that those sampling points in the positive direction of PC1 were expected to have a high concentration of Cu, Zn, As, Ni while having extremely little sand content.

Commune-level civil servants’ work capability in Vietnam

Commune-level civil servants are those who work at the lowest level of government in the Vietnamese administrative system. They directly deal with the people's requests and protect their legitimate rights and interests prescribed by the law. Civil servants and government agencies' performance depends much on their qualities and capabilities, including work capability, sense of responsibility for work, the attitude of serving the people. In this study, the author focuses on analyzing the commune-level civil servants' work capability under some contents like the ability to operate independently and the ability to operate jointly. He created a survey form and conducted a poll of 300 people on commune-level public employees' work capability at their residence based on the theoretical framework of criteria for commune-level civil servants' work capability. The survey area includes six provinces representing three regions of Vietnam such as Thai Binh, Nam Dinh (Northern); Nghe An, Quang Nam (Central); Binh Duong, and Ca Mau (Southern). The survey is performed carefully, with only those who have transacted with the commune government at least five times in the previous five years interviewed.

Some Symptoms of Dysfunction and Quality of Life Among Menopausal Women: A Community-Based Study in A Rural Area of Thai Binh

Background: During menopause transitions, fluctuate hormone levels make menopausal women susceptible to mental and physical disorders that affect their quality of life. Research on menopause-related problems, especially among rural women, are also lacking. With that sense, research is aimed at investigating some signs of dysfunction and quality of life in menopausal women. Methods: A cross-sectional study was performed on 296 menopausal women aged 45-60 in 2 communes Tan Phong, Tan Hoa, Vu Thu district, Thai Binh province. Data was collected with 2 study tools: The Menopause Rating Scale (MRS) scale and the World health organization quality of life questionnaire (WHOQOL-BREF). Results: 68.2% of women participating in the study has mild-moderate, severe-very severe symptoms 7.4% and 24.3% of women has no menopausal symptoms. The average score of the QOL is 66.0±8.4. The highest quality score in the field of environment is 21.5±3.7, the lowest is in the field of social relations with 8.7±2.1. Conclusion: Menopause causes physical, mental and urogenital problems. Almost all domains evaluated were impaired in menopausal women and affect their quality of life. Education, creating awareness and providing suitable intervention to improve the QOL of menopausal women are important at both the individual and community level.

ADDITIONAL RECORDS AND PHYLOGENETIC RELATIONSHIPS OF Fejervarya moodiei (Taylor, 1920) (ANURA: DICROGLOSSIDAE) FROM VIETNAM

Kurniwan et al. (2010) specified the distribution of F. cancrivora to the south of the Isthmus of Kra and a large area in the North of the Isthmus of Kra, including Vietnam, is the distribution range of F. moodiei, but the samples analyzed in that study did not include samples collected from Vietnam. Based on the results of morphological and genetic analyses on two mitochondrial gene fragments (16S and Cytb) of populations of Fejervarya moodiei and F. cacrivora, this study confirmed that the Northern Crab-eating Frog F. moodiei distributed in Vietnam. In addition, we recorded the distribution of this species in the mangrove areas of the Thai Binh and Thua Thien Hue provinces as well as Hai Phong city. Although the Fejervarya moodiei populations are widely distributed from the Philippines to Bangladesh, the genetic differences in the 16S and Cytb genes are insignificant (from 0.2 to 1.5% on 16S gene). Morphological data of specimens of F. moodiei from Vietnam and China are also provided.

Vietnam labour policies and its impact on rural wages: an experience from hired farm labourers in the Red River Delta

Purpose. The purpose of this article is to understand how Vietnamese policies for labour impacting on wage of rural labourers in agricultural sector. To do that, the paper particularly pays attention on analyzing wage of hired farm labourers in the Red River Delta region, the rice basket of Vietnam.&#x0D; Methodology / approach. Analyzing the above-mentioned impact of Vietnamese policies was performed by using data surveyed from 150 hired farm labourers in the Red River Delta of Vietnam. The survey on wages of rural labourers was conducted in Bac Ninh, Thai Binh and Hai Duong which are the three typical agricultural production areas in the Red River Delta in 2019. In this survey, the author interviewed 150 people who work as hired labourers in rice cultivation in Bac Ninh, clam farming in Thai Binh and pig raising in Hai Duong. The sample was randomly drawn among farm households which hire labourers in these provinces. This sample was divided into 2 groups of female and male labourers. The main purposes of this survey were to gather both qualitative and quantitative data on hired labourers including: age, gender, education level, money wage, wage in kind and other remunerations that they received from employers. Information relating to their participation in social insurance and vocational training were also collected like: number of years involving in social insurance; money that they used to purchase social insurance; frequency and time spending in vocational training courses. The personal interviews using a standard questionnaire with open and close questions were implemented separately with male and female hired farm labourers. They were interviewed in different places to ensure that their responses do not affect others. After checking for missing values, the author used the following methods: frequency distribution with mean and standard deviation for a description of respondents; cross tabulation and T-test were also used to test for differences in proportions and significant difference between groups; a linear regression model was applied to examine impact of wage regulation, social insurance and vocational training policies on wage of hired labourers in agricultural production (dependent variable was average money wage per month, it was estimated by sum of money wage and other remunerations that a labourer gets each month; independent variables were age, gender, education level and dummy variables which represented labourers’ participation in mentioned labour policies).&#x0D; Results. Among policies relating to agricultural sector, the ones about minimum wage and vocational training statistically impact the most on labour wage. Longer time of vocational training brings an additional 3 USD to a labourer’s monthly wage. Being supported by the policy of minimum wage, labourers can achieve higher wage when negotiating with employers. The author found that wage of a labourer who is aware of this policy is about 5 USD higher than that of others. Meanwhile, social insurance policies do not impact on wage of rural farm labourers. It is stated in the Labour Code that a part of social insurance fee of a contracted labourer is paid by his/her employer. However, hired agricultural labourers usually are excluded, because they mostly work under verbal agreements which are not specified by the Code. This loophole in the Labour Code need to be corrected in the future.&#x0D; Originality / scientific novelty. Despite the fact that industrialization process is rapidly developing in recent years, rural labour force still contributes a remarkable proportion in the Red River Delta region of Vietnam. The transferring skilled and young labourers from farm to off-farm sectors, from rural to urban areas leads to the existence of un-skilled and old-age labourers for agricultural production. This labour force is working in the poor condition with unstable and low wage jobs. However, they are not much concerned by labour policies and there is still a gap in research on their wage. Therefore, this study takes the advance to shed the light on the impact of labour policies on wage of rural farm labourers as well as to propose recommendations to adjust labour policies regarding this issue. &#x0D; Practical value / implications. The author identifies that attending vocational training and understanding of minimum wage will increase the chance for labourers to obtain higher wage.

CHALLENGES OF SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT OF THE HOUSEHOLD LIVELIHOODS IN VIETNAM: A CASE STUDY IN THAI BINH CITY

The study of household livelihoods has been a familiar research topic, especially in developing countries. This research used the following methods namely document analysis, in-depth interviews, and questionnaires to point out the challenge for the sustainable development of household livelihoods in peri-urban areas. The sample of questionnaire survey and in-depth interview was 298 and 30 representatives of agricultural households, correspondingly. This research was conducted in Thai Binh city that is located in the northern coastal region of Vietnam. The results showed that there are 2 major challenges for the sustainable development of household livelihoods: the natural resources and human capital challenges. In addition, there were other challenges such as consumer market, livelihood transformation strategy, and economic capital challenges. Last but not least, some suggestions were proposed to solve those challenges mentioned.

Land suitability assessment in climate change and sea level rise conditions in Thai Binh provincewith GIS-ALES integration model

Land suitability assessment is the scientific basis for rational land use planning. This assessment process relates to natural soil conditions (soil, topography, climate, hydrology, etc.). However, these factors are being changed due to the impacts of climate change and sea level rise, especially in coastal areas (saline intrusion, inundation), which should be included in the assessment. The results of applying the integrated GIS-ALES model for land suitability assessment in climate change and sea level rise in Thai Binh province, showed that the very suitable (S1) and suitable (S2) land area for rice cultivation, aquaculture, crops, and perennial crops (mainly fruit trees) were 92,818.5 ha, 34,518.6 ha, 27,424.9 ha, and 13,104.1 ha respectively. The spatial distribution of the appropriate grades was also shown on a 1/50,000 scale map. The results of this study help to orient planning the rational use of agricultural land for Thai Binh province.

Water quality and climate variability of urban and tourism areas in Thailand and northern Vietnam: correlations and possible influences on nearby coastal shrimp farms.

This research explored the long-term relationships of climate parameters and coastal water quality nearby shrimp farms in two countries. In Thailand, two sampling points in canals located in Bangkok and Trang provinces were selected as the urban and tourism areas, respectively. In northern Vietnam, the canals located in Thai Binh and Quang Ninh provinces were used as the urban and tourism areas, respectively. The diurnal monitoring of water quality and weather was performed at each site to evaluate the relationships between climate and water quality, pollution load, and risk analysis. A questionnaire was also used to assess the climate and water exposure, vulnerability, and adaptability of each site. All data were ranked on a scale of 1 to 5 to integrate each factor. It was determined that the main water quality problem was fecal pollution. Notably, aquaculture farming in northern Vietnam is more vulnerable than in Thailand; however, Vietnam farmers were adaptable for climate variability.

Perceived knowledge on type-2 diabetes of informal caregivers in rural communities of Thai Binh, Vietnam: Implications for health education

ObjectivesInformal caregivers' (ICGs') knowledge has substantial influence on the quality of caregiving. This study aims to identify caregivers’ perceived knowledge status and analyse associations between their characteristics and perceived knowledge on how to care for individuals with type-2 diabetes (T2D). Study designCross-sectional study. MethodsData were collected using a face-to-face survey with ICGs and perceived knowledge was evaluated on the 5-point Likert scale (ranging from 0 to 4). ResultsBetween April and July 2019, 1238 eligible ICGs were enrolled in the study. The mean age of participants was 48.3 years, about half (48.8%) were males and the majority (83.3%) were spouses or children of the person they cared for. ICGs mean knowledge score on overall activities was 2.48 (SD = 0.90); the highest score was seen for diet preparation (2.74 ± 0.85) and lowest for foot care (1.76 ± 1.45). Multivariate analyses showed that the following ICG characteristics were significantly more likely to result in a low level of T2D-related knowledge (mean score ≤2): age <40 years, educational level below high school, farming occupation, low economic status and caring for an individual with mild or moderate T2D. ConclusionsThe level of perceived knowledge on T2D among ICGs was particularly low for the care of T2D complications. Development of targeted and tailored educational interventions for ICGs is recommended.