Thai Binh Province Research Articles

Professional qualifications and working competence of Vietnamese civil servants

The local authorities are divided into different levels in each country, of which the authorities at the lowest level are often called the grassroots authorities or defined in Vietnam as commune-level authorities. At the grassroots level, civil servants keep the role as direct implementers of state management tasks in localities and directly resolve people's requests. Therefore, the public duty performance results of civil servants are not only meaningful to the civil servants themselves in the sense that their professional qualifications and duty performance competence are clearly demonstrated, but also confirm their state agencies’ efficiency and reputation. In this study, the theoretical framework on the influence of professional qualifications and duty performance competence on civil servants’ duty performance results has been developed; Practical assessment of professional qualifications, duty performance competence and duty performance results of local commune-level civil servants in Vietnam are carried out through a survey of the opinions of 300 managers at commune-level authorities in 5 major provinces representing 3 regions of Vietnam: Thai Nguyen province, Thai Binh province (Northern region), Quang Ngai province (Central region), Tien Giang province, Hau Giang province (Southern region). Results from the survey show that duty performance competence of commune-level civil servants are not highly appreciated by their managers, even though they meet requirements of professional qualifications in terms of rank and position standards regulated by laws. The findings suggest policy adjustments to promote civil servants’ professional qualifications in practice so that Vietnamese local civil servants are capable of meeting the requirements of serving the people.

Assessing the Correlation Between Spectral Indices and Land Surface Heat Fluxes by Remote Sensing Technology: A Case Study in Thai Binh Province, Red River Delta, Vietnam

Assessing the Correlation Between Spectral Indices and Land Surface Heat Fluxes by Remote Sensing Technology: A Case Study in Thai Binh Province, Red River Delta, Vietnam

Effectiveness of school and communication-based interventions for the prevention of burns among secondary school students in Vu Thu district, Thai Binh province

The study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of school- and community-based interventions in improving knowledge and practice of burns prevention for secondary school students in Vu Thu district, Thai province. We conducted a controlled community trial in the Vu Thu district, Thai Binh province. The self-administered structured questionnaire, which was developed under the instruction of experts in burn injury prevention, and the information page of the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Education and Training, was used in this study. The effectiveness of the intervention was evaluated by comparing the effectiveness index before and after the intervention between the intervention group and the control group. Among 2028 secondary school students, the score of knowledge about burn prevention in the control group and the intervention group increased after intervention (from 6.238±2.050 to 6.847±2.033 and from 6.257±2.112 to 7.314±1.824, respectively). Knowledge scores on recognizing the causes and ways to prevent burns tend to increase after the intervention, especially in students with higher knowledge scores on these two topic groups than the control group. It is similar to the score of practice in preventing burn injuries, from 6.047±3.582 to 6.247±3.660 in the control group and from 6.638±3.411 to 7.342±3.207 in the control group. The effectiveness of the intervention has contributed to increasing secondary school students’ knowledge and practice of preventing injuries caused by burns. Therefore, it is necessary to continue research in secondary schools, especially in suburban areas and other provinces, to obtain reliable evidence for policy development and planning for injury prevention - burning injuries.

Developing Digital Literacy For Vietnamese Civil Servants

Different political, economic, cultural and social conditions will lead countries to their own ways, methods and roadmaps to successfully implement their national digital transformation goals. However, there is one factor that always plays a prerequisite role in digital transformation: the human factor - digital literacy. In the public sector, it is the civil servants ‘digital literacy, an essential factor, enables civil servants to achieve the goal of digital transformation, perform public duties in the digital environment and modernize the public administration. In this study, the theoretical framework on digital literacy has been built up, including: (1) Capacity to use digital technology, (2) Capacity to exploit digital information and data, (3) Capacity to create digital content, (4) Capacity to perform digital transactions, assess the impact of digital literacy on civil servants' public duty performance in the digital environment. A survey was conducted to collect opinions of 360 commune-level civil servants in 3 provinces representing 3 regions of Vietnam, including: Thai Binh province (Northern region), Quang Nam province (Central region), Tay Ninh province (Northern region), Quang Nam province (Central region), Tay Ninh province (Southern region). The results show that the commune - level civil servants self-assess themselves at a low level in terms of proficiency in all four aforementioned digital capacities, posing requirements for the development and implementation of training policies on digital literacy for civil servants in Vietnam today. These findings suggest related issues as recommendations for developing and improving policies on Vietnamese civil servants’ digital literacy.

Assessing the Work Results of Vietnamese Civil Servants

Commune-level public servants work as implementers of state policies and laws to ensure the legitimate rights and interests of the people; hence, their work results are significant to affirm the effectiveness and reputation of state agencies. In terms of theory and practice, their work results are shown in the progress and quality of implementing assigned tasks; affected by both subjective factors (qualifications, capacity, working attitude, etc. of public servants), objective factors (working environment, facilities, technology, etc. of state agencies). This study focuses on two subjective factors that have direct impacts on the work results of civil servants, including: Professional capacity and working capacity. A survey was conducted with 330 leaders of commune-level authorities in 3 provinces representing 3 regions of Vietnam: Thai Binh province (Northern region), Ha Tinh province (Central region), Bac Lieu province (Southern region). The results show that: Commune-level public servants’ professional qualifications meet rank standards and job position requirements; however, they are not highly evaluated for their practical working capacity from their managers. The findings suggest policy development to promote the professional practical working capacity of public servants to accomplish the public service.

Vietnamese Citizen Participation in Local Governance

Local governance is characterized by the interaction between government agencies and people in the local social management process, in which people are encouraged to actively play a part in government management activities as regulated by laws. This study addresses the people's rights to directly and indirectly participate in local governance activities in Vietnam. A survey of 360 people from 4 localities representing three regions of Vietnam, including Thai Binh province, Hung Yen province (Northern region), Quang Binh province (Central region), Ca Mau province (Northern region) was conducted to evaluate citizen participation in governance activities of commune-level authorities. The results show that the citizen participation in local governance activities do exist, but are limited to the direct participation. To some extent, the people also have rights to self-determine local issues on infrastructure construction and public welfare projects with their own contributions; however, their self-development of programs and projects and proposals to local authorities for implementation has not been clearly demonstrated. These findings suggest expanding the people's rights to participate in local governance activities as innovations for the improvement local governance effectiveness.

Experiences of women with gestational diabetes in using social media for self-care: A qualitative study in Northern Vietnam

Aims: The present study aimed to explore the use and experience of social media to improve self-managed health care of women with GDM in Northern Vietnam. Materials and methods: A qualitative study was carried out among 21 pregnant women with GDM aged between 20 and 47 years in Thai Binh province, Northern Vietnam. We conducted in- depth open-ended interviews from April to May 2023. Data were simultaneously analyzed as they were being collected, using the content analysis approach. Results: Five types of social media support were used by women with GDM in self-care includ- ing Facebook, TikTok, Zalo, Google searches, and mobile health apps. These social media were used by the pregnant women with GDM to search for information, to receive advice, or to share knowledge about diet, exercise, and control blood sugar. Conclusions: This study found that women with GDM were eager users of social media, relying strongly on social media information for pregnancy self-care. This points to the need for access to high-quality social media-based information about GDM among women in northern Vietnam.

Molecular identification of Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense (Foc) causing Fusarium wilt disease of Tieu hong banana cultivar in the Red River Delta of Vietnam

The Red River Delta is one of primary banana-producing regions in Vietnam, and it has been afflicted by Fusarium wilt disease, caused by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense (Foc). This study aimed to identify Foc strains from banana-diseased samples collected from six different provinces in this region. Foc’s identity was confirmed based on morphological characteristics, artificial inoculation on the Tieu hong banana cultivar, and through DNA sequencing and phylogenetic analysis of PCR products amplified by race-specific primer pairs (Foc-1/Foc-2, Foc TR4-F/FocTR4-R). Ten Foc TR4 strains were identified, including VP1(2), VP1(5), and VP2(6) strains were found in Vinh Phuc Province, ML02.2 strain in Ha Noi City, MS1T2 strain in Hung Yen province, BV03 and BV06 strains in Hai Phong City, and QG1(R), QG4(T), QH2(R) strains in Thai Binh province. This discovery underscores the importance of appropriately identifying causal pathogens for integrated pest management of Fusarium wilt disease in the Red River Delta.

An analysis of environmental and economic impacts of the system of rice intensification : A case study in Thai Binh Province, Vietnam

The current research investigates the environmental and economic impacts of the system of rice intensification. Rice, a fundamental staple in our diets, is paradoxically a significant contributor to greenhouse gas emissions, fueling global warming and climate change. A promising solution to this is the System of Rice Intensification (SRI). Embraced in Vietnam's National Determined Contribution (NDC) under the Paris Agreement, SRI aims to boost rice yields while curbing greenhouse gas emissions compared to conventional farming practices. This study focuses on Thai Binh, a key rice-producing province in the Red River Delta. Our objective is to assess the economic, environmental, and broader societal impacts of SRI versus conventional farming. We conducted a comprehensive analysis, utilizing tools such as Cost and Benefit (CBA) evaluations, Marginal Abatement Cost (MAC) calculations, and the Linkert scale to gauge the effects. Data from 175 farmers in Phu Luong commune, Dong Hung district, Thai Binh province, formed the basis of our study. The results highlight the advantages of adopting SRI. Implementing SRI not only leads to a substantial increase of approximately 12 million Vietnamese Dong (VND) in revenue but also showcases a remarkably favorable cost of -2.7 VND for reducing 1 ton of CO2eq/ha during the transition from conventional farming. This highlights the financial and environmental benefits of SRI. Furthermore, our assessment demonstrates that SRI consistently outperforms conventional farming across economic, environmental, and societal dimensions. In essence, our findings strongly advocate for the adoption of SRI over conventional rice cultivation, as it not only mitigates environmental harm but also enhances farmers' profitability and well-being, aligning with sustainable agriculture practices and climate change mitigation efforts.

Domestic Plastic Waste Generation in Rural Area of Thai Do Commune, Thai Thuy District, Thai Binh Province

The case study was conducted to evaluate the current situation of plastic waste generation from households in Thai Do commune, Thai Thuy district, Thai Binh province. The survey results show that the average plastic waste generation rate per capita in Thai Do commune is 0.04 kg/person/day. Accordingly, the total average mass of plastic waste generated in Thai Do commune is 268.4 kg/day, accounting for about 14.18% of the total mass of generated domestic solid waste. The composition of plastic waste generated in Thai Do commune is mainly plastic packaging containing/wrapping food (37%) and plastic bags with straps (29%). Domestic solid waste is classified by households into plastic recyclable waste and non-plastic recyclable wastes (such as paper, metals, etc.), the latter is typically for sale of scrap. Remaining plastic waste is collected with the rest of domestic solid waste two to three times/week, then is transported to the central waste treatment site of the commune in Tan Lap village for incineration. At the central treatment site, recyclable plastic waste continues to be classified by workers operating the treatment process. These plastic waste data will be the scientific basis to recommend approaches and solutions to reduce the plastic waste generated from the domestic solid waste in the rural area in Thai Do commune, Thai Thuy district, Thai Binh province.
 
 
 

1. SYMPTOMS OF DYSFUNCTION AND QUALITY OF LIFE AMONG MENOPAUSAL WOMEN: A COMMUNITY-BASED STUDY IN A RURAL AREA OF THAI BINH, VIETNAM IN 2021

Background: During menopause transitions, fluctuate hormone levels make menopausal women susceptible to mental and physical disorders that affect their quality of life. Research on menopauserelated problems, especially among rural women, are currently insufficient. With that sense, our objective is to investigate signs of dysfunction and quality of life (QOL) in menopausal women in Vietnam, 2021.
 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, Vietnam. Data was collected with 2 study tools: The Menopause Rating Scale (MRS) scale and the World Health Organization’s 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.
 Conclusions: 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.

3. THE IMPACT OF ENGAGEMENT ON JOB COMPLETION’S LEVEL OF MEDICAL STAFF: A CASE AT THAI THUY GENERAL HOSPITAL, THAI BINH

Introduction: Healthcare workers play an important role in the delivery of healthcare around the world. The purpose of this analysis was to explore the impact of healthcare workers’ organizational commitment, controlling for demographic variables, on job satisfaction, particularly in the context of the mid-career health sector going through a stressful period in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.
 Methods: This study used a hospital assessment toolkit issued by the Vietnamese Ministry of Health, surveying 156 medical staffs directly providing health care services at Thai Thuy General Hospital, Thai Binh province.
 Results: The analysis results by the PLS-SEM structural equation model show that, when the cohesion of medical staff is improved, it will lead to a higher level of job completion. Besides, the medical staff must concurrently take on other jobs, which will negatively affect the level of job completion.
 Conclusion: This implies that the level of the job performance of healthcare workers can depend to a large extent on the organizational commitment and the medical staff’s single duty.

Knowledge, attitude and practice on fall risk factors and prevention among rural older community-dwellers in Vietnam.

Falls among the elderly are an important global health problem. This study assesses knowledge regarding risk factors of falls, as well as attitudes and practices towards fall prevention among older adults in the rural community. A cross-sectional study was performed in four rural communes in Thai Binh province, Vietnam. A total of 3038 older people were recruited. Knowledge was assessed by using Falls Risk Awareness Questionnaire. Questions about attitudes were based on the Health Belief Model. Other questions regarding attitudes and practices regarding fall prevention were also asked. Multivariate regression was performed to identify associated factors with knowledge, attitudes and practices. Results showed that the mean score of knowledge regarding risk factors of falls was low at 11.37/32. The highest scores were observed in terms of drug aspects, followed by medical condition and behavioural aspects. Older people mostly agreed with perceived severity, susceptibility, benefits and barriers, but their attitudes about cues to action, health motivation and actions were most neutral. Meanwhile, more than half of the participants practised recommended fall preventive measures. To conclude, health education interventions and fall prevention services that enhance community-based fall prevention knowledge, attitudes and practices for older adults should be performed to reduce the burden of falls in this population.

Assessment of current water quality status in clam areas in Thai Binh Province and proposal for measures to improve efficiency

Assessment of current water quality status in clam areas in Thai Binh Province and proposal for measures to improve efficiency

The Effectiveness of Lifestyle Changes in Glycemic Control among Pregnant Women with Gestational Diabetes Mellitus.

Background and Objectives: Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is a type of diabetes that develops during pregnancy and affects approximately 10% of pregnant women worldwide. Understanding the impact of lifestyle changes on glycemic control in GDM is important for improving maternal and fetal outcomes and reducing the risk of diabetes in both the mother and child. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness as well as the factors affecting glycemic control by lifestyle changes in pregnant women with GDM. Materials and Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted at three hospitals in the Thai Binh Province from June 2021 to May 2022. All pregnant women at 24-28 weeks of gestation, aged 18 years or older, were enrolled. GDM was diagnosed according to the guidelines of the International Association of the Diabetes and Pregnancy Study Groups. Lifestyle changes including diet and physical exercise were carried out for two weeks. The main outcome measured was successful glycemic control according to the 2018 ADA Recommendations for the Management and Treatment of GDM. Results: 1035 women were included and 20.2% diagnosed with GDM. After two weeks of lifestyle change intervention, 82.6% of the pregnant women with GDM had successful glycemic control. Pregnant women aged under 35 years had a 3.2 times higher rate of gestational glycemic control than those older than 35 (aOR = 3.22, p-value = 0.004). Women with a pre-pregnancy BMI of less than 25 had a higher rate of gestational glycemic control than those with a BMI of over 25 (aOR = 10.84, p-value < 0.001). Compared to women who had all three diagnostic criteria for gestational diabetes, those with two diagnostic criteria and one criterion were 3.8 times and 3 times more likely to have successful blood sugar control (aOR = 3.78, p-value = 0.01 and aOR = 3.03, p-value = 0.03, respectively). Conclusion: Lifestyle changes can be an effective measure for achieving glycemic control in women with GDM. Healthcare providers should consider individualized treatment plans based on the specific needs of each patient.

Characteristics of 210Po in Asian overbite clam (Potamocorbula laevis) from the coastal area at Thai Binh province, Vietnam

210Po concentration in the edible muscle tissue and digestive diverticulum organs of Asian overbite clam at the near-shore Thai Binh, Vietnam was analyzed using alpha detectors. The 210Po activity in muscle tissue and digestive diverticulum organs ranged from 5 ± 1 to 178 ± 10 and from 118 ± 7 to 812 ± 12 Bq.kg−1 with the average value of 25 and 324 Bq.kg−1, respectively. Results showed that 210Po activity in the digestive diverticulum was significantly higher than in the muscle tissue. There was a slightly inverse correlation between 210Po activity in muscle tissue, digestive diverticulum, and clam weight and size. The annual committed effective dose was calculated from 210Po due to the consumption of Asian overbite clam for adults in the study area was higher than the guideline value of 0.2 - 1 mSv.y−1.

Information needs of informal caregivers in caring and rehabilitation for dioxin victims in Vietnam

BackgroundHealth outcomes among Agent Orange/dioxin (dioxin) victims are significant due to many individuals requiring daily assistance, informal care, and rehabilitation support. This study aimed to identify the information needs of informal caregivers of dioxin victims in Vietnam.MethodsA cross-sectional study was conducted in Quynh Phu district, Thai Binh province – an area with a large number of dioxin victims, from June 2019 to June 2020. Quantitative data were collected from 124 caregivers of victims via structured interviews. Qualitative data were collected using semi-structured interview guides with in-depth interviews (IDI) (n = 36) and two focus group discussions (FGD) (n = 12).ResultsThe results demonstrated that all caregivers of dioxin victims were family members, predominantly older (71.8%), 61.5 years old on average, living on low incomes (87.9%), and were farmers (80.7%). Almost all participants (96.8%) reported having information needs, particularly concerning dioxin’s harms, nutrition, dioxin-related policies and rehabilitation, and psychological support for patients. Caregivers reported that they would like to receive information via health staff counselling (85.0%), television (75.0%), and community loudspeaker (65.8%). Notably, the majority of caregivers reported the need for information regarding psychological support (70.0%). These findings are consistent with qualitative data, which identify an urgent need to provide information, especially through health staff and digital resources.ConclusionMany families with dioxin victims lived with little support and information, highlighting their high demand for information about care and rehabilitation. Thus, the healthcare system should promote information support, policy, and psychological support for caregivers and victims. An online support system for caregivers and victims is also recommended.

Eriocheir hepuensis Dai, 1991 (Brachyura, Grapsoidea, Varunidae, Varuninae): reporting the southerly distribution to northern Vietnam

Abstract Eriocheir hepuensis Dai, 1991, the Hepu mitten crab, is here formally reported from Thanh Hoa and Quang Ninh Provinces, northern Vietnam. Previous reports of “E. sinensis” and “E. japonicus” from “Cua lông”, Thai Binh Province, northern Vietnam, require clarification, are probably misidentifications of E. hepuensis, and highlight the problems of species identification within Eriocheir. The taxonomy of E. hepuensis is also discussed.

The Complete Mitochondrial Genome and Phylogenetic Analyses of To Chicken in Vietnam.

Indigenous chicken breeds have both cultural significance and economic value since they possess unique genetic characteristics that enable them to adapt to the local environment and contribute to biodiversity, food security, and sustainable agriculture in Vietnam. To (Tò in Vietnamese) chicken, a Vietnamese indigenous chicken breed, is popularly raised in Thai Binh province; however, little known is about the genetic diversity of this breed. In this study, we sequenced the complete mitochondrial genome of To chicken for a better understanding of the diversity and origin of the breed. The results of sequencing showed that the mitochondrial genome of To chicken spans a total length of 16,784 base pairs and comprises one non-coding control region (known as the displacement-loop (D-loop) region), two ribosomal RNA genes, 13 protein-coding genes, and 22 transfer RNA genes. The phylogenetic tree analyses and estimated genetic distances based on 31 complete mitochondrial genome sequences indicated that To chicken has a close genetic distance with the Laotian native chicken breed, Lv'erwu breed in China, and Nicobari black and Kadaknath breeds in India. The result of the current study might be important for conservation, breeding, and further genetic studies of To chicken.

Inclusion of Smallholders in Staple Food Contract Farming: A Case of Firm-Cooperative-Farmer Coordination in Thai Binh Province, Vietnam

Inclusion of Smallholders in Staple Food Contract Farming: A Case of Firm-Cooperative-Farmer Coordination in Thai Binh Province, Vietnam