Prevalence differences in major noncommunicable diseases in a lowmiddle income country: A comparative study between an urban and a rural district in Vietnam

Abstract

Background: Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are emerging as a serious problem for many low- and middle-income countries, especially in societies with rapidly growing economies. During such economic growth, rapid urbanization may affect population health as much as other economic factors. However, there have been few studies comparing the urban-rural difference in NCDs prevalence in low- and middle-income countries. This study aimed to compare differences in major NCDs prevalence between urban and rural residency after controlling for socioeconomic and behavioral risk factors in Vietnam. Methods: Residents aged ≥15 years from an urban (the district-level town of Thuận An, n=2,126) and rural (Quốc Oai, n=2,970) district in Vietnam participated in a communitybased survey in 2016. Information on NCD history, socioeconomic status, and lifestyle factors was collected on an individual or household basis. Associations between residential area, other risk factors, and NCD prevalence was investigated using multiple logistic regression analysis. Results: Urban residency was significantly associated with cardiovascular diseases (odds ratio [OR], 1.30; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.01–1.68) and diabetes (OR, 1.86; 95% CI, 1.01–3.41) for those aged 15–59 years after controlling for other socioeconomic characteristics, and inversely associated with respiratory diseases (OR, 0.66; 95% CI, 0.48–0.90) (rural residency showed more significant prevalence to respiratory diseases). For aged individuals ≥60 years old, urban living was similarly positively associated with diabetes (OR, 2.26; 95% CI, 1.25–4.10), and inversely associated with other NCDs (OR, 0.49; 95% CI, 0.36–0.67) (rural residency showed more significant prevalence to other NCDs), in contrast to younger adults. Conclusions: The study disclosed different prevalence patterns of NCDs for differently aged urban residents in Vietnam. The Vietnamese government is encouraged to develop health care policies that strategically targeted to the different patterns of disease prevalence.