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BackgroundWe examined the association of alcohol use disorders (AUD) with adherence to and health-related quality of life (HRQOL) outcomes of antiretroviral treatment (ART) for HIV/AIDS patients.MethodsA cross-sectional multi-site survey was conducted in 468 drug users and 648 non-drug users (age: 35.4 ± 7.0 years; 63.8% male) in 3 epicentres of Vietnam. AUD, ART adherence, and HRQOL were measured using the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test - Consumption (AUDIT-C), the self-reported Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), and the World Health Organization Quality of Life instrument (WHOQOL-HIV BREF).Results35.0% of drug users were hazardous drinkers, compared to 25.9% of non-drug users. 22.3% of drug users engaged in binge drinking, and 25.9% reported suboptimal ART adherence. Adjusting for propensity scores of AUD, patients who had either at-risk or binge drinking behaviour were about twice as likely to be treatment non-adherent as those who did not have AUD. Hazardous drinkers reported small to medium decrements in the Performance, Physical, Social, Spirituality, and Environment quality of life domains. Binge drinkers had a slightly higher score in Social dimension.ConclusionAUD is prevalent and negatively affecting adherence to and HRQOL outcomes of ART services in injection-driven HIV epidemics. Screening and intervention are recommended for AUD, especially during the stable periods of ART. Other social and psychological interventions might also enhance patients’ responses to and outcomes of ART in Vietnam.

Depression is the most common mental health issue among people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA). This study explored how different types and sources of social support are associated with depression among HIV-infected patients in Vietnam. We carried out a cross-sectional survey on 1,503 HIV-infected patients receiving antiretroviral therapy at two HIV clinics in Hanoi in 2016. Depression was prevalent in 26.2% of participants. Higher score of social support, especially emotional/informational support and positive social interaction, showed significant association with lower depression rate. Although family was primary source of all types of social support, receiving emotional/informational support not only from family but also from outside of family correlated with a lower proportion of depression. In countries with constrained social resources and/or with family-oriented social structures, as in Vietnam, expanding social networks between HIV populations and society is a potentially important option for reducing depression.

There is a gap in the literature on the understanding of the general Vietnamese population toward dengue fever (DF). This study aimed to explore knowledge, attitudes, practice (KAP) of dengue fever among Vietnamese participants and the potential associated factors. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 330 patients at the Bach Mai Hospital in Northern Vietnam. A Tobit regression model was utilized to investigate the associated factors. The average knowledge score was 4.6/19. Respondents perceived their risk of DF infection to be very low (39.5%) to low (20.7%) and had a neutral attitude about the necessity of hospitalization when being infected with DF (60.9%). A total of 17.6%, 9.8% and 6.6% of respondents reported frequently changing water, properly disposing of waste and covering water storage containers to eliminate larvae. Gender, education level, duration of illness and travel history were correlated with knowledge. Occupation, the presence of DF in the neighborhood, mosquito density at home and DF symptom severity were associated with attitudes. Occupation, mosquito density at home, type of patient, knowledge and attitudes were associated with practices. To enhance the KAP towards DF, further efforts should first be directed to improve knowledge through education, especially at the school level and people in less developed areas.

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