Nutrition education intervention was effective in improving calcium intake and retarding bone loss in the studied subjects.

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BackgroundMetabolic syndrome (MetS) is a clustering of metabolic risk factors for cardiovascular diseases and type 2 diabetes. The study aimed to estimate the prevalence of MetS, its components, and their associations among rural middle-aged population in Vietnam.MethodsA cross-sectional study with a representative sample (n = 2443) was conducted to collect data on demographic, socioeconomic, anthropometric, lifestyles, plasma glucose, and lipid profile. The age- and sex-adjusted prevalences of MetS and its components were calculated using the direct standardization. Associations of risk factors with MetS were evaluated using logistic regression, taken into account the confounding factors.ResultsThe total age- and sex-adjusted prevalence (95% CI) of MetS was 16.3% (14.0 - 18.6). The most frequent component of MetS was high triglycerides (43.2%), followed by low HDL-C (42.0%), elevated blood pressure (29.2%), high plasma glucose (14.3%), and central obesity (12.3%). Of the total population, only 17.6% did not have any component of MetS and more than 40% had at least two MetS components. The association of MetS with residence, age, body mass index, marital status, and siesta time per day was statistically significant in univariate analysis and replicated in multivariate analysis.ConclusionThe MetS prevalence and its components are common and major public health burden in the middle-aged adults in Vietnam. Habitants living in urban, being never-married, having an increase in age, BMI, and siesta time per day are significantly associated with MetS, and they should be paid much more attention for screening and implementing preventive activities.

In 2003, the authors conducted a population-based, cross-sectional survey to determine the prevalence of osteoporosis and related factors in Vietnamese adult women by using quantitative ultrasound at the heel bone (calcaneus). A total of 2,232 adult women aged > or =20 years, living in Hanoi City, and free of illnesses affecting bone metabolism were randomly selected to participate in the study. Subjects' bone mass was assessed by speed of sound at the calcaneus, referred to as quantitative ultrasound measurement. The T-score threshold, defined as < or =-1.8, was used to identify subjects with osteoporosis. The crude prevalence of osteoporosis in Hanoi City was 15.4%; after adjustment for age, it was 9.0%. Among premenopausal women, the crude prevalence of osteoporosis was higher in the urban areas compared with the rural areas. By contrast, postmenopausal women in the rural areas had a higher prevalence of osteoporosis. Multiple logistic regression analysis revealed that factors associated with low speed of sound were age, menopause, educational level, lifelong occupation, recreational weight-bearing exercise, number of births, and height. Results suggest that osteoporosis is a noteworthy problem in Vietnam, and intervention strategies should be considered to control it, especially in high-risk populations.