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Fruit and vegetable consumption in Vietnam, and the use of a ‘standard serving’ size to measure intake

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  12 May 2016

Tan Van Bui
Affiliation:
Menzies Institute for Medical Research, University of Tasmania, Hobart, TAS 7001, Australia Can Tho University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Can Tho 920000, Vietnam
Christopher L. Blizzard*
Affiliation:
Menzies Institute for Medical Research, University of Tasmania, Hobart, TAS 7001, Australia
Khue Ngoc Luong
Affiliation:
Medical Services Administration, Ministry of Health of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, Hanoi 100000, Vietnam
Ngoc Le Van Truong
Affiliation:
Medical Services Administration, Ministry of Health of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, Hanoi 100000, Vietnam
Bao Quoc Tran
Affiliation:
Medical Services Administration, Ministry of Health of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, Hanoi 100000, Vietnam
Petr Otahal
Affiliation:
Menzies Institute for Medical Research, University of Tasmania, Hobart, TAS 7001, Australia
Velandai Srikanth
Affiliation:
Menzies Institute for Medical Research, University of Tasmania, Hobart, TAS 7001, Australia Department of Medicine, Southern Clinical School, Monash Medical Centre, Monash University, Clayton, VIC 3168, Australia
Mark R. Nelson
Affiliation:
Menzies Institute for Medical Research, University of Tasmania, Hobart, TAS 7001, Australia
Thuy Bich Au
Affiliation:
Menzies Institute for Medical Research, University of Tasmania, Hobart, TAS 7001, Australia
Son Thai Ha
Affiliation:
Medical Services Administration, Ministry of Health of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, Hanoi 100000, Vietnam
Hai Ngoc Phung
Affiliation:
Menzies Institute for Medical Research, University of Tasmania, Hobart, TAS 7001, Australia
Mai Hoang Tran
Affiliation:
Menzies Institute for Medical Research, University of Tasmania, Hobart, TAS 7001, Australia
Michele Callisaya
Affiliation:
Menzies Institute for Medical Research, University of Tasmania, Hobart, TAS 7001, Australia Department of Medicine, Southern Clinical School, Monash Medical Centre, Monash University, Clayton, VIC 3168, Australia
Kylie Smith
Affiliation:
Menzies Institute for Medical Research, University of Tasmania, Hobart, TAS 7001, Australia
Seana Gall
Affiliation:
Menzies Institute for Medical Research, University of Tasmania, Hobart, TAS 7001, Australia
*
* Corresponding author: C. L. Blizzard, fax +61 3 6226 7704, email Leigh.Blizzard@utas.edu.au
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Abstract

The aims of the present study were to provide nationally representative data on fruit and vegetable consumption in Vietnam, and to assess the accuracy of the reported numbers of ‘standard servings’ consumed. Data analysed were from a multi-stage stratified cluster survey of 14 706 participants (46·5 % males, response proportion 64·1 %) aged 25−64 years in Vietnam. Measurements were made in accordance with the WHO STEPwise approach to surveillance of non-communicable diseases (STEPS) protocols. Approximately 80 % of Vietnamese people reported having less than five servings of fruit and vegetables daily in a typical week. Fruit and vegetable intake reported in ‘standard serving’ sizes was positively correlated with levels of education completed and household income (P<0·001 for trend). The correlations between summary values for each province reflect some known demographic, geographical and climatic characteristics of the country. For example, provinces at higher latitude had higher mean servings of vegetables (r 0·90), and provinces with higher proportions of urban population had higher mean servings of fruit (r 0·40). In conclusion, about eight in ten Vietnamese people aged 25–64 years did not meet WHO recommendations for daily consumption of at least five servings of fruit and vegetables. On the basis of the consistency of the data collected with other estimates and with physical and demographic characteristics of the country, the WHO STEPS instrument has construct validity for measuring fruit and vegetable intake, but with two issues identified. The issues were seasonal variation in reporting and a limitation on the usefulness of the information for associative analyses.

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Copyright
Copyright © The Authors 2016 
Figure 0

Table 1 Characteristics of subjects (Weighted percentages and unweighted number in this category/unweighted total number; mean values and standard deviations)

Figure 1

Fig. 1 Estimated proportions of the Vietnamese population consuming fruit and vegetables per d in a typical week. , <1 serve; , 1–1·9 serves; , 2–2·9 serves; , 3–3·9 serves; , 4–4·9 serves; , 5+ serves.

Figure 2

Table 2 Factors associated with mean daily servings of fruit and vegetables and with the proportion of the population having at least five servings of fruit and vegetables per day (Mean values and 95 % confidence intervals; weighted percentages and unweighted number of respondents/total number of respondents in this category; prevalence ratio (PR) and 95 % confidence interval)

Figure 3

Table 3 Correlation of self-reported mean daily servings of fruit and vegetables, and the proportion of the population having at least five servings of fruit and vegetables daily, with body size and fatness

Figure 4

Table 4 Correlations of the summary measures of fruit and vegetable consumption from eight provinces with their provincial mean values of the demographic, geographical and climatic factors (n 8)

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