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Nutritional Status of Middle-Aged Vietnamese in Ho Chi Minh City

Child Nutrition Center, Ho Chi Minh City, VIETNAM (N.T.K.H., P.G.T.), JAPAN
Department of Nutrition, School of Medicine, The University of Tokushima (T.T.M.H., T.K., S.Y.), JAPAN
Department of Food and Nutrition, Japan Women’s University (N.V.C.), JAPAN
Faculty of Human Life Science, Shikoku University (Y.Y.), JAPAN

Address reprint requests to: Dr. Tran Thi Minh Hanh, Child Nutrition Center, Phu Nhuan Dist, Ho Chi Minh City, VIETNAM. E-mail: ddcd{at}hcm.vnn.vn.

Objective: To investigate the nutritional status of middle-aged Vietnamese in Ho Chi Minh City.

Methods: A cross-sectional survey in 300 Vietnamese aged 40 to 59 years (113 men, 187 women) was conducted in an urban, suburban and rural area of Ho Chi Minh City based on interviews that included a 24-hour dietary recall, food frequency questionnaire, and a short socioeconomic questionnaire. Anthropometry and blood pressure were measured, and blood was collected for serum protein and lipid analysis.

Results: A high prevalence of underweight (BMI < 18.5) was observed in the rural and suburban populations (35% and 23%, respectively), and overweight (BMI 25) was observed in the urban population (18%). A high percentage of serum total cholesterol (TC) below 150 mg/dL was observed in the rural and suburban areas (43% and 37%, respectively). By contrast, the prevalence of TC above 220 mg/dL was twofold higher in the urban and suburban residents (13% and 12%, respectively) than in rural residents (6%). More than 80% of urban residents were of medium or high-income status, whereas 61% of suburban residents were of medium-income status and 66% of rural residents were of low-income status.

Conclusions: The nutritional status of middle-aged Vietnamese in Ho Chi Minh City was characterized by undernutrition in 35% of the low-income population and by overnutrition in 18% the high-income population. Undernutrition was still a public health problem in the rural area whereas overnutrition started to become a noteworthy problem in the urban area. The suburban area suffered from both under- and overnutrition problems. Low lipid intake was the most important problem related to undernutrition in middle-aged residents of Ho Chi Minh City.

Key words: Vietnamese, middle-aged, nutritional status, undernutrition, overnutrition

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