Body mass index (BMI) dynamics in Vietnam

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Nutritional Epidemiology
• Population Health

Background:

• Vietnam has experienced significant socioeconomic changes.
• Understanding shifts in nutritional status is crucial for public health interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze dynamic changes in Body Mass Index (BMI) and nutritional status among the Vietnamese population between 1992 and 2002.
• To identify trends in underweight, overweight, and obesity across different age groups and demographics.

Main Methods:

• Utilized secondary data from nationally representative cross-sectional surveys: The Living Standard Survey (1992) and the National Health Survey (2002).
• Assessed nutritional status using Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) 2000 and World Health Organization (WHO) 1995 guidelines for BMI classification.
• Analyzed BMI percentiles (15th, 50th, 85th) by age, sex, and residence.

Main Results:

• In children (2-17 years), overweight and underweight prevalence showed minimal change.
• In adults (18-65 years), overweight and obesity prevalence significantly increased from 2.0% to 5.2%, while underweight declined from 32.6% to 24.8%.
• Urban residents exhibited greater shifts towards overweight and reductions in underweight compared to rural residents, with increasing BMI trends observed in adults, females, and urban dwellers.

Conclusions:

• Underweight remains a significant public health issue in Vietnam.
• Overweight and obesity are emerging as critical concerns, particularly in adults and urban areas.
• Proactive preventive measures are essential to mitigate the adverse health and economic consequences of the growing overweight problem during Vietnam's transitional period.