Data on parenting practices and the use of violence in child rearing remain scarce worldwide, hindering prevention efforts. This study examines disciplinary methods used on children at home in Viet Nam. It is based on data collected from 2010 to 2011 through the fourth round of the Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS4)-a household survey program supported by the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) that focuses on women and children in low- and middle-income countries. Respondents in the survey were asked 11 questions relating to disciplinary measures used in the preceding month on one randomly selected child (2-14 years old) in each household. A final question about attitudes probed adults' views on the need for physical punishment in child rearing. Univariate and multivariate analyses were conducted to estimate the prevalence of violent and nonviolent forms of discipline, and to identify risk factors associated with violent punishment. Results showed that three in four children in Viet Nam are disciplined through violent means. The exposure of Vietnamese children to violent forms of discipline was significantly associated with varied characteristics of both children and their caregivers. Moreover, the use of violent disciplinary practices on children was strongly associated with positive attitudes toward corporal punishment. Risk factors for violent child discipline identified in this study can inform future interventions to promote positive practices and to protect Vietnamese children against violence in the home.

ObjectivesThe aim of this study is to fill a key information gap on the nutrition-related epidemiology of orphaned and vulnerable children living within institution-based care (IBC) across six countries.DesignA retrospective analysis with Shewhart control charts and funnel plots to explore intersite and over time variations in nutritional status.SettingWe conducted a retrospective analysis of records from Holt International’s Child Nutrition Programme from 35 sites in six countries; Mongolia, India, Ethiopia, Vietnam, China and the Philippines.ParticipantsDeidentified health records from Holt International’s online nutrition screening database included records from 2926 children, 0–18 years old. Data were collected from 2013 to 2020 and included demographic and health information.ResultsAt initial screening, 717 (28.7%) children were anaemic, 788 (34.1%) underweight, 1048 (37.3%) stunted, 212 (12.6%) wasted, 135 (12%) overweight or obese and 339 (31%) had small head circumference. Many had underlying conditions: low birth weight, 514 (57.5%); prematurity, 294 (42.2%) and disabilities, 739 (25.3%). Children with disabilities had higher prevalence of malnutrition compared with counterparts without disabilities at baseline and 1-year screenings. There was marked intersite variation. Funnel plots highlight sites with malnutrition prevalence outside expected limits for this specific population taking into consideration natural variation at baseline and at 1 year. Control charts show changes in site mean z-scores over time in relation to site control limits.ConclusionsMalnutrition is prevalent among children living within IBC, notably different forms of undernutrition (stunting, underweight, wasting). Underlying risk factors are also common: prematurity, low birth weight and disability. Nutrition interventions should take into account the needs of this vulnerable population, especially for infants and those with disabilities. Using control charts to present data could be especially useful to programme managers as sites outside control limits could represent: problems to be investigated; good practices to be shared.

There is limited information on the feeding practices of 9.42 million children living within institution-based care (IBC) worldwide. Poor feeding practices can predispose or exacerbate malnutrition, illness and disability. Here we describe the feeding practices of children living within IBC based on a retrospective analysis of records from 3335 children, 0-18 years old, participating in Holt International's Child Nutrition Program (CNP), from 36 sites in six countries. Data analysed included demographic information on age, sex, feeding practices, disabilities and feeding difficulties. Descriptive statistics were produced. A generalised linear model explored associations between feeding difficulties and disability and 2 × 2 tables examined feeding difficulties over time. An additional set of feeding observations with qualitative and quantitative data was analysed. At baseline, the median age of children was 16 months (0.66-68 months) with 1650/3335 (49.5%) females. There were 757/3335 (22.7%) children with disabilities; 550/984 (55.9%) were low birth weight; 311/784 (39.7%) were premature; 447/3113 (14.4%) had low body mass index and 378/3335 (11.3%) had feeding difficulties. The adjusted risk of having a

Drink driving is a major issue in Vietnam, yet, the magnitude of the problem is not adequately reported by the Government. Official statistics in 2008 revealed 6–7% of road traffic accidents occurred due to drink driving. This study was conducted in five major trauma hospitals across Vietnam, namely: Yen Bai, Viet Duc, Da Nang, Binh Duong and HoChiMinh Orthopedics hospitals with an aim to understand better the magnitude of the problem. Ethics clearance was sought from Ministry of Health. Study subjects were road traffic patients admitted to hospital with age from 18 and upwards. Consent was obtained from each patient before conducting tests.ResultsFrom August to October 2009, a total of 3774 road traffic patients were given BAC tests in five hospitals. On average, 67.5% were positive with alcohol, ranging from 41% in Viet Duc to over 95% in Binh Duong. Among those positive, 58.5% of patients were over the limit of 50mg/dl. Over 95% are reported male drinkers. Majority of male drinkers rode home after consuming beer or alcohol, ranging from 64% in Da Nang to 96% in Ho Chi Minh city.Conclusions and Policy ImplicationsDrink driving is a major problem for road safety in Vietnam and is still largely under reported. It's recommended that sustained nation wide campaigns on risks of drink driving should be conducted, especially for motorcyclists. Strict enforcement is also crucial.

Soil microbial communities play an important role in determining soil ecosystem health. However, the effect of chemicals added to the soil on the function and composition of the soil microbiome is not well known. This study evaluated the effects of magnetite materials and inorganic fertilizer on the microbial communities in the soils of both laboratory and fi eld trials. The study used a culturedependent technique using Czapek agar (CZA) and De Man, Rogosa, and Sharpe (MRS) agar media combined with a modifi ed method for the assessment of soil microbial respiration to account for changes in the microbial community. Results performed with commercial vegetable soil in the laboratory and soils obtained from the fi eld trial both showed an increase in soil respiration rates over time in response to fertilizer and iron oxide materials added to the soil. The iron oxide materials have been shown to have a stronger impact on the soil microbial communities compared to the fertilizer. In addition, the microbial population cultured on the MRS medium was considered to have an important role in total soil respiration. Further studies on the roles of different microbial communities in the soil as well as the combination of different analytical methods should be needed to improve our understanding of the relationship between soil microbial communities and changes in environmental conditions.