Gender Differences in Risk Factors for Dyslipidemia in the Khmer Ethnic People, Vietnam

The majority of the Khmer ethnic people living in the Mekong Delta had a difficult socioeconomic life and limited access to information and health services. The study was conducted to determine the prevalence of dyslipidemia and risk factors in men and women of the Khmer ethnic people, in Vietnam.

A cross-sectional study was conducted on 1.800 Khmer people aged 25 - 64 yr living in Tra Vinh Province in the Mekong Delta region of Vietnam. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and multivariate logistic regression.

The prevalence of dyslipidemia was high in men (47.3%) and in women (51.4%). Men had a higher prevalence of high TG (28.9% vs. 23.9%), whereas the prevalence of high TC (34.1% vs. 42.4%), and high LDL-C (28.2% vs. 37.9%) were lower in women, (all P<0.05). In men, dyslipidemia was significantly associated with central obesity (OR=2.58, 95% CI=1.32-5.06), overweight/obesity (OR=2.50, 95% CI=1.75-3.56), and diabetes (OR=2.15, 95% CI=1.22-3.78). In women, dyslipidemia was significantly associated with diabetes (OR=2.14, 95% CI=1.08-4.24), central obesity (OR=1.69, 95% CI=1.18-2.42), overweight/obesity (OR=1.50, 95% CI=1.06-2.10), and hypertension (OR=1.43, 95% CI=1.03-1.99). Age was significantly associated with increased risk of dyslipidemia in both genders.

Overall, the prevalence of dyslipidemia among Khmer men and women adults aged 25 - 64 years in Vietnam was high. Our findings indicated an urgent need to have dyslipidemia prevention intervention programs for the Khmer ethnic people in the Mekong Delta, especially training about obesity and increasing healthy lifestyles.