



































Alcohol Use, Risk Taking, Leisure Activities and Health Care Use Among Young People in Northern Vietnam


 

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Alcohol Use, Risk Taking, Leisure 

Activities and Health Care Use 

Among Young People in Northern 

Vietnam 

 

Le Thi Kim Thoa1,2, Dang H. 

Hoang1, Nguyen Dang Vung1, 

Pham H. Tien2, M.A. Plant3 

 
1Ha Noi Medical University, Vietnam; 
2Center for Health and Development in 
Vietnam; 3Alcohol & Health Research 
Unit, University of the West of England, 
Bristol, United Kingdom 

 

Vol. 2, No. 2 (2013)   |   ISSN 2166-7403 (Online)    

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THOA  

 

 

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Abstract 

Alcohol consumption is associated with a wide range of health and social consequences. It is also associated with a number of 

risk taking behaviours. These include illicit drug use and unsafe sex.  Alcohol consumption appears to be increasing in Vietnam. 

The purpose of this paper is to examine the patterns of alcohol consumption and its relationship with a number of other risk 

taking behaviours amongst young people.  Information was also obtained concerning leisure activities and use of health care. The 

paper also sets out to examine possible gender differences in relation to alcohol consumption and risk behaviour and to propose 

the development and implementation of alcohol monitoring and prevention programs in Vietnam.  The study involved a cross-

sectional, community survey using a standardised interview.  This was conducted during face-to-face interviews with 1,408 

young people aged 10-19 years.  Respondents were recruited randomly through the lists of the households from 12 selected 

communes in three areas in Northern Vietnam. The findings presented here were part of a larger health risk behaviour survey.  

Levels of alcohol use were low. Overall, 16.5% of participants were experienced drinkers, and only 4% of them were current 

drinkers. Males were significantly more likely than females to report drinking. This study also showed that rates of alcohol 

consumption were associated with age, education, geographical area, gender, tobacco smoking, involvement in violence, 

watching television, computer use and playing computer games, wearing safety helmets and use of health services. Alcohol 

consumption tended to increase with age for both males and females.  Alcohol and its effects on young people are clearly a 

growing public health issue in Vietnam.  Because of this, more detailed behavioral research should be conducted into the 

relationship between alcohol consumption and other risky behaviours amongst young people.  It is also recommended that 

alcohol harm reduction policies should be implemented and integrated into measures to reduce levels of other health problems 

such as HIV/AIDS and non communicable diseases. Such policies should ideally be evidence-based and evaluated. 

Keywords: Alcohol, young people, Vietnam, risk taking, leisure, health care. 

Alcohol use, risk taking, leisure 

activities and health care use among 

young people in Northern Vietnam 

Le Thi Kim Thoa1,2, Dang H. Hoang1, 

Nguyen Dang Vung1, Pham H. Tien2, 

M.A. Plant3 

 
1Ha Noi Medical University, Vietnam; 2Center 
for Health and Development in Vietnam; 
3Alcohol & Health Research Unit, University 
of the West of England, Bristol, United 
Kingdom 

Research 

Introduction 

Alcohol consumption and tobacco smoking are 

associated with cardiovascular diseases, cancers, 

chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases and diabetes.
1-7

 

Alcohol consumption is associated with “disinhibition” 

and possibly with sexually transmitted diseases, 

including HIV/AIDS, and the hazardous and harmful 

use of alcohol has now become one of the most 

important risks to health: it is the leading risk factor in 

developing countries with low mortality rates and ranks 

third in developed countries (according to the World 

Health report 2002). Evidence suggests that heavy 

drinkers may be inclined to take risks, regardless of 

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whether or not they drink on a particular occasion.
8,9

  

Moreover, the possible connection between drinking 

and sexual behaviour is at least partly attributable to the 

fact that many people meet their sexual partners in bars 

and other places where alcohol is consumed socially.
10,11

 

Alcohol consumption, often involving home made 

drinks, is commonplace in Vietnam.
12

 Drinking is 

widespread amongst Vietnamese young people whose 

health has been considered a low priority.
13

 Heavy 

drinking by young people is associated with health and 

social problems, tobacco and illicit drug use and a range 

of other risky behaviours.
8,14

 Furthermore, when 

drinking and smoking are adopted by younger children, 

this behaviour appears to enhance risks of later alcohol 

and drug dependence, obesity, high blood pressure and 

other illnesses and problems.
15

  

In the USA and elsewhere there has been an 

increasing body of literature that suggests a strong link 

between alcohol consumption and engagement in sexual 

risk behaviours.
16

 Analysis of Youth Health Risk 

Behavior data indicates that the youth who use alcohol 

are seven times more likely to be sexually active than 

the youth who do not drink alcohol, a figure higher than 

that for young people using illicit substances. Another 

recent report indicates that among sexually active high 

school students 39 percent of those consuming alcohol 

regularly have had sex with four or more partners, 

compared to 29 percent of non-drinkers.
16

 In addition a 

U.S. national survey indicated that almost 25 percent of 

sexually active young people and young adults (15 to 24 

years) have engaged in unprotected sex while using 

alcohol or drugs. One survey showed that respondents 

who drank alcohol were seven times more likely to have 

sex as respondents who did not drink. Finally, a study of 

college students found that 40.7 percent of males and 

27.8 percent of females stated that they had engaged in 

sexual intercourse under the influence of drugs and/or 

alcohol when they would not otherwise have engaged in 

these behaviours.
18

   

Socio-cultural and demographic studies of 

alcohol use and abuse patterns have been conducted in 

Asia, including China and Thailand. Recent research in 

Asia also includes studies that examine alcohol 

consumption among young people. Among these, a 

study in Japan reveals that the youth are beginning to 

drink at a younger age, and rates of drinking have been 

on the rise among 13 to 17 year olds.
19

 Among South 

Korean young people, a fairly high rate of alcohol 

consumption has been demonstrated, with one study 

showing 43 percent of young people drinking regularly, 

and that boys are more likely to drink than girls.
20

 In 

addition, among a sample of 1,040 young people in 

grades 6, 8, and 10 in Beijing, China, approximately 70 

percent have reported prior alcohol consumption.  

Again, males were significantly more likely to drink 

alcohol than females.  Even so, 61% of females reported 

prior use of alcohol. Another study among senior high 

school students in China reported that 83.5 percent of 

boys and 54.9 percent of girls had consumed alcohol.
21

 

There is, however, there is significantly less information 

available for Southeast Asia. Studies in Thailand have 

linked paternal drinking with subsequent alcohol use by 

their adult children and other studies examined links 

between alcohol consumption and HIV risk behaviors.
22

  

“Official figures” indicate that per capita 

alcohol consumption in Vietnam is very low (0.9 litres 

of alcohol). This compares with 1.5 litres for Cambodia, 

5.6 litres for Thailand and 7.6 litres for Japan.
23

 These 

figures do not include unrecorded alcohol, including 

home made drinks. However, it is evident that there has 

been an increase in alcohol consumption. The World 

Health Organization has noted that the recorded alcohol 

consumption in Vietnam rose from approximately 0.7 

litres in 1961 to more than 1.3 litres in 2001.
24

 It further 

estimated that the unrecorded alcohol consumed 

amounted to one litre of alcohol per head of those older 

than 15 years. The World Health Organization also 

reported that 69.5% of Vietnamese adults were lifetime 

abstainers, 2.9% were heavy and hazardous drinkers, 

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and 4.7% were heavy episodic (or binge) drinkers.  

Moreover, it reported that 80% of those aged 18-24 

years were drinkers, of whom 3.7% were heavy episodic 

drinkers. 

Evidence suggests that as countries develop 

economically, there is an increase in alcohol 

consumption.
25

 For example, in Thailand, the rate of 

alcohol consumption increased 334 percent from 1.93 

litres in the early 1970s to 8.64 litres in 1996. With 

limited socio-religious restrictions in Vietnam on 

drinking, one could anticipate that alcohol consumption 

will continually increase as economic conditions 

improve. There has, however, been little research in 

Vietnam on alcohol use within the adolescent 

population. 

This paper examines alcohol consumption and 

its association with gender in relation to a number of 

risky behaviours and use of health services amongst 

young people in Vietnam. The paper also seeks to 

examine possible gender differences in relation to these 

variables.   

 

Methods 

This study involved a cross-sectional 

population survey of young people who were identified 

from the updated list of all households at commune 

level. This list was used to select a stratified sample of 

addresses. Fieldwork (including pilot work) took place 

between June 1st and August 30th, 2004 in Ha Noi City, 

Ha Nam and Thai Nguyen province, Vietnam. 

  

Participants 

The participants were young people in twelve 

communes of three sites. Young people were between 

10 and 19 years of age. They agreed to participate in the 

survey. Fieldworkers conducted short interviews with 

parents before conducting interviews with the young 

people to get some family information including some 

details of parental drinking and smoking.  Parents were 

not present during interviews with their children. The 

response rate for parents was high; no one refused to 

take part. All interviews were carried out in private. 

 

Sample design and sampling 

The sample design utilised in this study is 

shown in Table 1.  It was a multi-stage stratified sample 

that was representative of young people aged 10 to 19 

years. In the first stage, three sites (one city and two 

provinces), were selected from 64 provinces and cities 

in Vietnam. These sites represent three geographically 

well-defined areas in the North. Ha Noi City is in the 

urban area located in the Red River Delta and is also the 

Capital of Vietnam with 3,082,800 inhabitants (in 

2004). Ha Nam Province is in the rural area with its 

population of 820,100 (in 2004) and Thai Nguyen 

Province is in the mountainous midland area with a 

population of 1,095,400 (also in 2004). Twelve 

commune units (SCUs) were selected during the second 

sampling stage. The population of each SCU ranged 

from 5,000 to 10,000. In the final stage of the design, all 

households which included young people in the target 

age group in these selected communes were eligible to 

participate in the survey. The list of all households with 

such young people was provided by health workers 

working in local health centers. All the young people 

were randomly selected for interview, resulting in the 

sample size of 1,442 individuals.   

 

Table 1: Sample Design 

 

All individuals aged from 10 to 19 randomly 

sampled were single and available at home during the 

survey. (Most people in Vietnam marry after the age of 

20, except some cases in rural and mountainous areas).  

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The participants were randomly selected by Stata 

software program. Out of a total of 1,440 people who 

were contacted, 1,408 young people (97.8%) 

participated in the survey. A total of 32 individuals 

(2.2%) declined to participate. The data from these 12 

SCUs applied only to young people participating in the 

survey.  

 

Research procedure  

Before conducting this survey, the investigators 

conducted a qualitative research (individual interview 

and focus groups) as a pilot study. They tested both the 

questionnaire and survey procedure with boys and girls 

from the general population. 

 

Questionnaire development  

The questionnaire was developed in three 

stages. The first stage involved a qualitative research 

including 30 individual interviews, using both the 

unstructured interview guidelines and the semi-

structured interviews form. These interviews were 

conducted to explore the perceptions of young people 

about healthy and risky behaviors. They also examined 

perceptions of risk practices and solutions to prevent 

such behaviours among young people. The information 

obtained from these interviews identified health 

behaviours and other related factors. The most 

commonly reported seven risk behaviours perceived by 

young people included drug use, fighting, motorcycle 

racing, alcohol consumption, tobacco smoking, lack of 

exercise or sporting activities, eating snacks in the 

street, driving bicycle or motorcycle without a helmet 

and unprotected sex. The second stage involved three 

focus group discussions (FGDs) with both male and 

female young people. These groups each included 

between ten and eighty participants. Participants were 

asked for advice about the form and content of 

questionnaire. Those taking part in FGDs suggested that 

the instrument should be divided into two versions. The 

first version should be used for all participants (10-19 

years old). The second version (including items about 

HIV/AIDS knowledge and sexual practices) should be 

used for participants from 15 or older. The participants 

in FGDs reported that the questions in version 2 would 

be too sensitive for very young people. In the last stage, 

the adolescent health risk behavior survey (AHRBS) 

components of the questionnaire included five main 

components: 1) demographic information; 2) alcohol 

consumption details; 3) tobacco use; 4) Watching 

television, using a computer or playing computer 

games; 5) violence associated with drinking; 6) riding 

bicycle and motorbicycle and helmet use; 7) use of 

medical services.  

Data collection and analysis 

Participation in the study was informed and 

voluntary. Data collection was anonymous. The surveys 

were conducted by health staff using face-to-face 

interviews carried out in respondents’ homes. 

Respondents typically completed interviews in one 

hour. Their responses were recorded directly onto the 

questionnaire. The core questionnaire contained 65 

multiple-choice questions. Before the survey was 

administered, local consent procedures were followed. 

Collaborating with the city/provincial Bureau of Health, 

the investigators selected the communes as well as 

certain admission criteria. The administrators at each 

selected locality first asked permission from the Ha Noi 

Medical University and the local health administration.  

This specific study was approved by the Scientific and 

Ethical Committee for Medical Research, Hanoi 

Medical University and the local authorities. Before the 

interviews were conducted, local parental permission 

procedures were followed. For surveying participants 

younger than 18 years of age their parents agreed for 

their children to participate in advance. Informed 

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consent was also were obtained from all respondents 

before interviews were conducted.  

The data entered into the EpiInfo 6.04. SPSS, 

version 15.0 for windows for analyzing frequencies, 

proportions (percentages), odds ratio (OR) and using χ2 

test with 95% confident interval (CI). Multiple 

regression analyses were estimated for the relationship 

between alcohol use and other variables.  

 

Results 

Characteristics   

As noted above, information was elicited from 

1,408 young people. A total of 673 males (48%) and 

735 females (52%) were included in the sample 

obtained. All these young people were unmarried. The 

mean age of the sample was 14.35 years (SD = 2.6) 

years. Mean age was 14.27 years (SD = 2.6) years for 

males and 14.43 years (SD = 2.6) for females. Most 

young people were the Kinh (94%). Other ethnic 

minorities (4%) included Tay, Nung and San Diu 

groups. Most of these ethnic groups lived in the 

mountainous areas. No difference was found in age and 

gender between the two groups (χ2: 1.04, d.f. = 2, p = 

0.307). Approximately 94% of the young people 

reported that they were attending school at the time of 

the survey. Among those who were not in school (86) 

the number was the lowest in urban (2.6%) areas and 

higher in rural areas (10.7%). No difference in school 

attendance was evident between the two gender groups 

(χ2: 0.48, d.f. = 2, p = 0.488). There were no statistically 

significant differences in gender (p > 0.1), age, 

education levels and georgraphical study sites (see 

Table 2). 

 

Table 2: Demographic characteristics of the sample   

 

Self report alcohol use 

In general, most of young people surveyed, 

83.5%, reported that they had never consumed alcohol.  

The proportion of female non-alcohol users was higher 

than males (89.4% vs 77%). Overall, 16.5% (233) of the 

sample reported they had consumed alcohol. A total of 

23% of males reported drinking more than females 

(10.6%) (OR= 2.52; 95% CI, 1.86 – 3.42; p = 0.001). 

Alcohol consumption was significantly higher amongst 

of older males (37.1%) than among younger males 

(12%)  (OR = 4.98, 95% CI, 3.25 – 7.63; p = 0.000).  

This age difference was also evident amongst females 

(7.8%) (OR = 6.97, 95% CI, 4.38 – 11.13; p = 0.000). 

Young people who were not attending school (24.6%; n 

= 17/69) were significantly more likely to drink alcohol 

than were in-school respondents (OR = 1.26; 95% CI, 

0.70 – 2.25, p = 0.01). Among the 233 drinkers, 97% (n 

= 226), reported that they had never consumed alcohol 

daily. Only five boys and two girls reported they had 

ever drunk on a daily basis. A significantly greater 

proportion of young drinkers came from the 

mountainous areas, compared to those from the rural 

and urban areas (χ2 =15.55, d.f. = 2, p = 0.0004). The 

proportion of young people reporting alcohol use was 

higher among out of school respondents (24.6%; n = 

17/69) compared to young people who were at school 

(OR = 1.26; 95% CI, 0.70 – 2.25, p = 0.01). Alcohol use 

tended to increase by age (10-11 age: 6.3%; 12-13 age: 

11.3%; 14-15 age: 11.0%; 16-17 age: 27.8%; and 18-19 

age: 29.5%), and also with education level (primary: 

7.6%; secondary: 12.5%; high: 28%; University: 

35.7%). There was a significant different amongst males 

in the 10-11 age group (6.8%) and the 18-19 age group 

(53%) (OR = 15.46; 95% CI, 6.58 – 37.32, p = 0.000). 

This difference was also evident by gender in most 

subpopulations (see Table 3).  

 

Table 3: Alcohol consumption and demographic factors 

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Age of First Frequent Drinking 

Respondents were asked when they had “first 

started drinking frequently.” Most (77%) of those who 

had consumed alcohol reported that they had “never 

drunk regularly.” The proportion of the females (84%) 

who replied in this manner (“never drunk regularly”) 

was higher than that of males (74%). Amongst drinkers, 

23% (52) reported drinking as frequently as once a 

month or more. For those under 14 years of age, 

drinking regularly was not a common practice.  

However, among the 233 drinkers, four males and three 

females reported having begun to drink frequently at 

“10 years of age or younger.” Five of these individuals 

had started to drink frequently at 10 to 14 years of age.  

Two young people reported that they started to drink at 

“15 to 19 years of age” and 43 did not answer (the 

response rate for this question was 81.2%).  

 

Current Drinking   

Current drinking was reported by only 55 

(3.9%) of the young people who were surveyed.  

Amongst this small group two young people (one male 

and one female) were drinking daily.   

 

Past week’s alcohol consumption. 

Respondents were asked to provide details of 

any alcohol they had consumed in the past week. Most 

(82.8%) reported that they did not drink at all (82.8%) 

and only 40 (2.8%) reported that they had consumed 

alcohol during the past week. The latter included 33 

males and 7 females. The proportion of male young 

people reported on drinking alcohol in the past seven 

days was four times higher than females, but three-

quarters of them only drank once. Among drinkers, the 

percentage of those who reported drinking twice or 

more during the past seven days was 4.3%.  

 

Factors associated with alcohol consumption 

Tobacco smoking   

Overall, 37 (2.6%) respondents had smoked 

using filter cigarettes. None of the females had ever 

smoked. The proportion of smokers was higher among 

older boys (11.2%) compared to younger boys (0.5%) 

(OR = 22.25; 95% CI: 5.17- 134.92; p = 0.000).  

Drinkers were significantly more likely to smoke than 

non-drinkers (OR = 9.09; 95% CI: 4.26–20.61; p = 

0.000). There was a strong association between alcohol 

use and smoking in both older and younger boys (OR = 

10.05; 95% CI: 1.37–206.44; p = 0.002). The majority, 

71.4% (n = 25/35), of smokers also reported having 

consumed alcohol (OR = 5.11; 95% CI: .23 – 11.94; p = 

0.000). 

 

Television and computer use 

Ninety per cent of the young people who were 

surveyed reported that they watched television, used 

computers or played computer games on a daily basis.  

A total of 502 respondents, (39.6%), reported spending 

at least three hours each day on these activities. The 

amount of time spent on these activities did not differ by 

gender (see Table 4). 

  

Table 4: Television and, computer and computer game 

use 

 

Alcohol-related violence  

In all three study sites, 24.1% (340) of young 

people were involved in physical fighting at least once 

during the previous year. Males were significantly more 

likely (29.4%) than females to report such experience 

(19.3%) (OR = 1.74; 95% CI: 1.35–2.27; p = 0.000). 

Fighting amongst younger male drinkers was 

significantly more likely than younger male non-

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drinkers (OR = 1.51; 95% CI: 0.89–2.58; p = 0.106).  

Consistent with this, fighting was also more common 

place amongst older male drinkers than amongst older 

males who did not drink (OR = 140; 95% CI: 0.78–2.50; 

p = 0.222).  Fighting among female drinkers was also 

significantly more likely than amongst females who did 

not drink alcohol (OR = 1.29; 95% CI: 0.71–2.33; p = 

0.374).   

 

Use of helmets by bicycle and motorcycle riders   

The proportion of young people using bicycles 

and motorcycles was very high (86%; n = 1210) in all 

study sites. The riders included 572 males (85%) and 

665 females (70%). The practice of wearing helmets 

was very low (n = 268; 22.1%). Overall only 27.3% of 

respondents reported that they ‘always’ wore helmets. 

Those young people who wore helmets at least 

sometimes (13.3%) were significantly more likely than 

those who ‘never’ wore helmets (3.6%) to report 

alcohol use (χ2 =45.31, d.f. = 2, p = 0.000). These 

findings are elaborated in Table 5. There was a 

significant difference for alcohol use difference by 

gender for all helmet users compared with non helmet 

wearers. 

 

Table 5: Helmet Use amongst bicycle and motorbicycle 

riders  

 

Medical check up   

The proportion of young people who had 

received a medical check up one or more times in the 

past year was 56.6%. The proportion of those receiving 

such check ups was not significantly associated with 

gender (OR = 1.14; 95% CI: 0.92 – 1.42; p = 0.221).  

Even so, the probability of having had a medical 

examination was significantly associated with alcohol 

consumption. There was a strong association between 

alcohol use and frequency of medical check up in the 

past year (OR = 1.80; 95% CI: 1.34 – 2.42; p = 0.000). 

A disproportionate number, 110 out of 123 (89%) of 

those who had not received medical check ups also 

reported drinking on two occasions or more per year 

(OR = 1.77; 95% CI: 1.32 – 2.37; p = 0.000). Overall, 

young people who had not had medical check ups were 

significantly more likely than non-drinkers to be recent 

drinkers (OR =1.77, 95% CI: 1.32 – 2.37; p = 0.000).  

Drinkers appeared to care less for their health, so they 

had fewer regular check ups. Routine health check ups 

for young people are conducted once or twice a year.  

These do not depend upon the individual being unwell. 

 

Conclusion and Discussion 

In general, this study showed that alcohol 

consumption (and tobacco smoking) were much less 

commonplace among Vietnamese young people than 

amongst young people in some other countries, such as 

those in Europe.
26

 But when we look at the gender and 

age factors, it was found that the percentage of alcohol 

drinkers and smokers is very high amongst adolescents 

of 18-19 age (29.5%), particular among the oldest ones 

(52%). Moreover, none of the Vietnamese girls 

surveyed reported that they smoked tobacco. This 

striking finding contrasts with the situation in some 

counties such as in Europe where girls are more likely 

to smoke (and in some cases to engage in ‘heavy 

episodic’ or ‘binge’ drinking) than boys.
26-28

 In fact, the 

levels of youthful alcohol use reported in this study 

were lower than those noted by earlier research in 

Vietnam.
29

 It should be noted that the present study 

related only to North Vietnam. It is possible that alcohol 

consumption is heavier in other parts of the country.  

Drinking rates for all ages of sub populations 

remain different, but these rates are increasing in older 

groups and particularly amongst male populations, so 

alcohol use in young people is as much a public health 

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problem as in adults.
30

 As in many other south and east 

Asian countries, it is common for groups of men to go 

out socially at night and drink alcohol.
31

 It is also a 

reminder that an increase in alcohol consumption also 

exerts a considerable economic burden worldwide.
32

 At 

the same time, compared to other Asian and Western 

countries, drinking rates in Vietnam still remain 

relatively low, but the prevalence of alcohol 

consumption among older male young people and 

currently drinking in this study is a little higher than 

other studies.
33

 In Vietnam, drinking is a social activity 

and occurs at family events such as religious memorials 

in honour of parents or grandparents who have died 

(cung gio cha me ong ba), or at parties, wedding days 

and birthdays. ‘Special occasions’ are increasing with 

economic development. Young people regularly take 

part in these events. Most males are encouraged to drink 

by others.  Some use the expression: “A man without 

alcohol is like a flag without wind” (dan ong khong 

ruou nhu co khong phong). Several studies in Asia have 

noted that there has been rapid industrialization over the 

past three decades and South Korea.
34,35

 This change has 

resulted in greater prosperity. A study, conducted in 

northeastern India amongst 13-15-year old school 

students, concluded that the prevalence of smoking was 

8.5 per cent-19.6 per cent amongst boys and 2.9-7.7 per 

cent amongst girls. The latter has been accompanied by 

increased production of alcoholic beverages and 

increased regular drinking, particularly beer and wine.
36

  

Vietnam has no minimum legal age for 

purchasing alcohol and it is very easy for young people 

to get alcohol anywhere that it is on sale. Initiation into 

alcohol consumption occurred at an early age, even 

before the age of 18, particularly amongst males. The 

findings of the present study are a reminder that young 

people who begin drinking before they reach the age of 

15 are significantly more likely to become heavy or 

dependent drinkers than those who begin drinking when 

they are older.
22,37,38

 With these economic and social 

changes, young people have had greater access to 

recreational activities and social meeting places such as 

cafes, small restaurants, karaoke, and bars.
33

 The leisure 

activities of young people include watching TV and 

playing video games. The latter often include acts of 

violence while under the influence of alcohol.   

advertising funded by the beer and wine producers.
39

  

While Vietnam is still among the poorest countries in 

Asia, young people have more opportunities and threats 

in health.
40

 In the current research, the relationship 

between alcohol use and relevant factors suggests a link 

between alcohol use and risk behavior reduction 

prevention education and gender.
41

 As the country 

continues to undergo social and economic changes, it is 

essential to increase awareness of behaviours of alcohol 

use and its associated risks.
42

 Due note should be taken 

of both the short and long-term consequences of alcohol 

consumption among young people and the general 

population.  

 

Recommendations 

This study showed that many both girls and 

boys were drinking. The young people surveyed had 

started to drink very early. Alcohol consumption was 

also related to risk taking, leisure activities and failure 

to access to health care services. Longitudinal research 

on alcohol use amongst Vietnamese young population 

should be conducted in Vietnam. This could monitor the 

trends of alcohol use and its related consequences. This 

could serve to guider the development of evidence-

based policies to prevent, manage and minimize 

alcohol-related problems in Vietnam. As similar 

research conducted in other Asian countries such as 

Thailand and India has benefited prevention 

programmes.
43,44

 

It is also recommended that alcohol harm 

reduction policies should be implemented and integrated 

into measures to reduce levels of other health problems 

such as HIV/AIDS and non communicable diseases. 

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Such policies should ideally be evidence-based and 

evaluated.   

 

Acknowledgements  

This study was funded by the Faculty of Public 

Health, Ha Noi Medical University, Vietnam.  

Additional support for writing this paper was provided 

by the University of the West of England, Bristol, 

United Kingdom.  Mrs Jan Green is thanked for 

editorial assistance. The authors thank Sean P. Soisson 

for comments on an earlier version of this manuscript. 

 

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of its D-Scribe Digital Publishing Program, and is cosponsored by the University of Pittsburgh Press. 

 

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Table 1: Sample Design 

 

Site 

Stage 

1st 2nd 3rd 

Province/city Commune Households  

Urban (Ha Noi) 1 4 120 

Rural (Ha Nam) 1 4 120 

Mountain (Thai Nguyen) 1 4 120 

Total 3 12 1 440 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Table 2: Demographic characteristics of the sample   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

Variable 

Overall 

(n = 1408) 

Male 

(n = 673) 

Female 

(n = 735) 

OR p 

Age groups      

   10-14 age  729 (51.8%) 358(53.2%) 371(50.5%) 1.12 0.3078 

   15-18 age) 679(48.2%) 315(46.8%) 364(49.5%) 0.90 0.3078 

In-school  1322 (94%) 635 (94.3%) 687(93.5%) 1.01 0.902 

    Primary 312(24%) 153(24%) 159(23%) 1.05 0.6843 

    Secondary 596(45%) 289(46%) 307(45%) 1.03 0.7633 

    High school 400(30%) 187(29%) 213(31%) 0.93 0.5384 

    College 14(1%) 6(1%) 8(1%) 0.81 0.6967 

Sites      

  Urban  491(34.9%) 223(33.1%) 268(37%) 0.86 0.1906 

  Rural  477(33.9%) 236(35.1%) 241(33%) 1.11 0.3670 

  Mountain  440(31.3%) 214(31.8%) 226(31%) 1.05 0.6712 

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Table 3: Alcohol consumption and demographic factors 

Characteristics 

Overall 

n (%) 

Male 

n (%) 

Female 

n (%) 

OR p 

Age      

  10-14  67 (9.2) 38 (10.6) 29 (7.8) 1.4 0.191 

  15 -19  166 (24.4) 117 (37.1) 49 (13.5) 4.4 0.000 

Out-school 17 (19.8) 13 (34.2) 4 (8.3) 4.1 0.014 

In-school  166 (12.5) 142 (22.3) 74 (10.8) 2.1 0.000 

    Primary 24 (7.7) 14 (9.2) 10 (6.3) 1.4 0.350 

    Secondary 75 (12.6) 49 (16.9) 26 (8.5) 2.0 0.005 

    High school 112 (28) 76 (40.6) 36 (16.9) 2.4 0.000 

College/University 5 (36) 3 (50) 2 (25) 2.0 0.509 

Areas      

  Urban  65 (13.2) 41 (17.6) 24 (8.9) 2.05 0.007 

  Rural 70 (14.7) 45 (19.1) 25(10.4) 1.84 0.02 

  Mountain  98 (22.3) 69 (32.2) 29 (12.8) 2.51 0.000 

 

 

  

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Table 4: Television and, computer and computer game use 

Characteristics 

Overall 

n (%) 

Male 

n (%) 

Female 

n (%) 

OR p 

Do nothing  141(10) 66 (9.8) 75 (10.2) 0.96 0.804 

Less than 1 hour 123 (8.7) 56 (8.3) 67 (9.1) 0.90 0.597 

1-2 hours 642 (45.6) 316 (46.9) 326 (44.3) 1.11 0.327 

3-4 hours  411 (29.1) 189 (28) 222 (30.2) 0.89 0.335 

5 or more hours 91 (6.5) 46 (6.8) 45 (6.1) 0.90 0.597 

 

  

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Table 5: Helmet Use amongst bicycle and motorbicycle riders 

Variable 

Overall 

n (%) 

Male 

n (%) 

Female 

n (%) 

OR 

P 

Use bicycle/motorbicycle 1210 (86) 572 (85) 665 (70) 0.60 0.001 

   Always use  861 (61.2) 407 (60.5) 454 (61.8) 0.95 0.618 

    Sometimes  349 (24.8) 165 (24.5) 184 (25.0) 0.97 0.822 

   Never use  198 (14.1) 101 (15.0) 97 (13.2) 1.16 0.329 

Wear helmet 268 (19.5) 134 (20.3) 134 (18.7) 1.12 0.422 

   Always   55 (6.4)   28 (4.2) 27(3.7) 1.14 0.637 

   Sometimes 213(15.1) 106(15.8) 107(14.6) 1.10 0.532 

   Never   1104(78.4) 523(77.7) 581(79.0) 0.92 0.542 

 

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