Tobacco and Alcohol Use Among Ethnic Minorities in Vietnam.
Thi Phuong Thao TranNgoc-Anh Hoang ThiQuynh Long KhuongBui Thi Thu HaNguyen Thanh HaThi Thuy Duong DoanTran TrungHoang Thi HuongNguyen Van HuanTran Thi Tuyet HanhDang Kim Khanh LyLuu Thi Kim OanhNguyen Thi Thu TrangCao Huu QuangNguyen Bao NgocHoang Hong HanhTran Tuan AnhNguyen Mai HuongVan Minh HoangPublished in: Asia-Pacific journal of public health (2020)
This study investigates the prevalence of tobacco and alcohol uses and associated factors among 12 ethnic minorities in Vietnam in 2019. A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 5172 people aged ≥15 years. The prevalence of smoking and drinking was 19.7% and 29.9%, respectively, and significantly higher among men than women. These numbers were heterogeneous across ethnic minorities. Smoking prevalence was high among Ba Na (25.9%), Cham An Giang (22.3%), Khmer (23.5%), La Hu (26.3%), Ta Oi (30.7%), and Bru Van Kieu (29.6%) ethnicities whereas that of Gie Trieng and Mnong ethnicities was low (3.7% and 9.5%, respectively). Drinking prevalence ranged from 1.4% in Cham An Giang ethnicity to 68.6% in Ba Na ethnicity. A wide ethnic disparity on tobacco and alcohol use could be explained by the ethnic variation of lifestyles, social norms, and cultural features. Our findings suggest the need to develop ethnic-specific interventions to mitigate the smoking and drinking prevalence.