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BackgroundTwo previous surveys conducted in Ho Chi Minh City revealed an increasing prevalence of overweight and obese adolescents, from 5.9% in 2002 to 11.7% in 2004. From 2004 to 2010, the government set up and implemented health promotion programs to promote physical activity and good nutritional habits in order to prevent overweight and obesity in children and adolescents. Our study aimed to estimate the prevalence of overweight and obesity among adolescents in urban areas of Ho Chi Minh City in 2010.MethodsA representative sample of 1,989 students aged 11–14 years was selected using a multistage cluster sampling method. 23 schools were randomly selected from the full list of all public junior high schools. In each selected school, 2 classes were chosen at random and all students from the class were examined. Age- and sex-adjusted overweight and obesity were defined using International Obesity Taskforce cut-offs.ResultsThe prevalences of overweight and obesity were 17.8% and 3.2%, respectively. Prevalences of overweight and obesity were significantly higher in boys (22%, 5.4% ) than in girls (13.3%, 1.3%, p<0.001) and higher in children from districts with a high economic level (20.5% , 3.8% ) than in those from districts with a low economic level (12.1%, 3.8%, p<0.001). Additionally, children living in wealthier families were more overweight and obese than those living in less wealthy families. When using WHO cutoffs, the overall prevalences of overweight and obesity reached 19.6% and 7.9%, respectively.ConclusionOur study’s findings suggest that the prevalence of overweight and obesity among secondary school students remains high, especially among boys living in wealthier families. Public health programs should therefore be developed or improved in order to promote good eating habits and physical activity among youth in HCMC.

The rapid development of telecommunication and Internet services enables smartphone users to access online services faster and create more demand for using high-speed data services. The third generation (3G) mobile services have become the pioneer for the trend of high speed data transmission for years. This study aims to explore the factors that affect behavioral intention of adopting 3G mobile telecommunications. After implementing a structural equation modeling to analyze the data collection of 223 self-administered correspondents, we found that perceived factors, including ease of use, usefulness and enjoyment have a significantly positive relationship with attitude and while the attitude is positively associated with behavioral intention to use 3G. Based on the results, the research enables us to propose several practical recommendations to 3G providers in Vietnam such as 3G providers should provide more interesting and entertaining contents in their 3G applications and services, which charge appropriate fees and are easy to use for customers. In addition, 3G providers should focus on customers' attitude by listening and receiving customers' feedbacks to improve 3G technological solutions and value-added services.

This research empirically examines the effect of entrepreneurial leadership, entrepreneurial orientation, and technological innovation capability on SMEs' performance. Interestingly, this study investigates the mediating effects of internal organizational factors such as entrepreneurial orientation, team creativity, dynamic capabilities, and competitive advantage on the relationship between entrepreneurial leadership and SMEs' performance. The consistent PLS-SEM approach was applied to analyze valid data collected from 182 small and medium IT enterprises operating at Quang Trung Software City, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. The empirical results reveal that entrepreneurial leadership via the full mediators of team creativity, dynamic capabilities, and competitive advantages can enhance the performance of IT SMEs. While entrepreneurial orientation does not influence SMEs' business performance, technological innovation capabilities can provide some benefits. Besides, entrepreneurial orientation plays no mediation role in the relationship between entrepreneurial leadership and SMEs’ performance. Finally, the results allow us to provide meaningful insights and recommendations to manage and promote better entrepreneurial inspiration.

Liver transplantation (LT) has considerably improved the outcome of patients with end-stage liver disease, especially in children. The first pediatric LT in Vietnam was performed in 2004. To assess the current need for pediatric LT in Southern Vietnam, a total of 280 patients with chronic liver disease followed at Children's Hospital 2 (Ho Chi Minh City), the only pediatric LT center in this region, were evaluated from January 2009 to June 2014. Sixty-seven patients satisfied criteria for LT but only one transplant surgery occurred since 2009. Parental consent for LT was obtained only in 28.4% of patients. The main reasons for the small number of LTs were financial costs, far distance from home, lifelong follow-up and treatment, and shortage of organ donors. We conclude that the current need for pediatric LT in Southern Vietnam is high. Efforts should be made to develop the liver transplant program in this developing country.

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This study examines the effects of entrepreneurial orientation, social media, and managerial ties on the business performance of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Vietnam. In addition, the mediating effects of social media and managerial ties on the causal relationship between entrepreneurial orientation and firm performance is investigated. A total of 180 senior managers of SMEs were collected for data analysis by using partial least squares structural equation modeling. The results reveal that entrepreneurial orientation strongly enhances social media and managerial ties, which are determinants of business performance. Specifically, entrepreneurial orientation has no direct impact on firm performance; but the mediating effects were confirmed. Based on the results, our study highlights some theoretical contributions and suggests practical implications for practitioners in Vietnamese SMEs to improve firm performance effectively and efficiently.

The recognition of brand equity has been in a substantial amount of recent research. In this study, we investigated the indicators of brand equity, which include brand image, brand awareness, and brand loyalty, in the context of higher education in analyzing the students of 10 universities in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. We collected a sample size of 340 people to conduct a path analysis using a Partial Least Square Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) approach. The results proved a significant relationship between brand awareness and brand loyalty and brand equity. We also verified the relationships between brand communication, brand trust, and brand image. These findings provide an example of one such implication, such as what universities should emphasize in their marketing efforts.