Background: : Childhood over nutrition, including overweight and obesity, is an emerging public health challenge in low- and middle-income countries such as Lao PDR. Rapid urbanization and lifestyle changes in cities like Vientiane Capital have contributed to a rising prevalence of childhood overweight, coexisting with persistent undernutrition. Objectives: : This study aimed to determine the prevalence of nutritional status and identify factors associated with over nutrition among private primary school students in Vientiane Capital, Lao PDR. Methodology: : An analytical cross-sectional study was conducted from March to June 2024 involving 412 students aged 6–12 years, randomly selected from ten private primary schools in Saysettha and Xaythany districts. Data collection included structured questionnaires covering socio-demographics, dietary intake (measured via Minimum Dietary Diversity for Women adapted for children), physical activity, sedentary behaviour, and parental nutrition knowledge. Anthropometric measurements were taken to calculate BMI-for-age z-scores using WHO AnthroPlus software. Multivariate logistic regression identified factors associated with underweight and overweight status. Results: : Among participants, 16.3% were underweight, 47.3% had normal weight, and 36.4% were overweight or obese. Most parents had vocational or higher education (81.1% of fathers; 71.1% of mothers). Fathers predominantly worked in farming, labor, or state sectors (56.3%), while mothers mainly engaged in private or informal employment (58.0%). Over half the children showed low nutrition knowledge (53.2%) and a roughly equal split was observed in diet quality. Physical activity assessments indicated 63.8% were sedentary, with 39.6% exceeding recommended sedentary behaviour limits. Multivariate analysis showed children older than 8 years were less likely to be underweight (AOR=0.07; 95% CI: 0.02–0.20). Unexpectedly, higher paternal education (AOR=6.65; 95% CI: 2.40–18.42) and fathers working in private/business sectors (AOR=2.14; 95% CI: 1.23–3.72) were linked to higher underweight risk. Physically active children had lower odds of overweight (AOR=0.52; 95% CI: 0.28–0.96). Conclusion: The double burden of malnutrition is evident among private school children in urban Lao PDR. Physical activity protects against overweight, while socioeconomic factors show complex associations with undernutrition. Interventions should integrate nutrition education, physical activity promotion, parental engagement, and multispectral policies to address these challenges effectively.

Background and rationale: : Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a major public health problem in all countries around the world, having claimed 36,3 million lives so far. Lao PDR. HIV has been increasing among key populations, particularly men who have sex with men (MSM). According to the 2017 Integrated Biological and Behavioral Surveillance (IBBS), the prevalence rate of HIV among MSM in Vientiane Capital has increased from 2.8% in 2014 to 7% in 2017. Objective: : This study aimed to identify the factors associated with HIV infection among men who have sex with men in Vientiane capital of Lao PDR. Methodology: : This study was a matched cases-controls study in a sample of 192 men who have sex with men registered with a positive HIV test result (Case) in Mahosot Hospital, Setthathirat Hospital, and Mittaphab Hospital and those with a negative HIV test result (Control) in Vientiane Capital. With a 1:1 ratio of 96 cases and 96 controls, with matched sexual roles (intimate or penetration, receptive, both intimate and receptive) using a purposive sampling method. Data collection was done using a face-to-face interview form with informed consent from the interviewees. All data were entered into the Epi-data program and transferred to the STATA program for data analysis. Results: : Out of 192 participants, the mean age for all participants is 27.2(+5.7) years; 69.8% of cases and 59.4% of controls are in the age group of ≥ 25 years old. The marital status for both groups most 94.8% were single. 45.9% of cases and 69.8% of controls had the higher education or equivalent to the diploma level. Cases were more likely than controls to have had a monthly income of >1,600,000 (56.2% vs. 40.6 %). Factors associated with HIV infection were monthly income of >1,600,000 (AOR=2.4; 95%CI=1.0-5.0; P-value=0.040), low knowledge of HIV (AOR=4.8; 95%CI= 1.9-11.9; P-value=0.001), bisexual (AOR=4.6; 95%CI= 1.2-17.1; P-value= 0.019), not always using condoms with male casual partners (AOR=14.7; 95%CI= 5.3-40.8; P-value<0.001), ever sexual behavior stigma (AOR=3.1; 95%CI= 1.2-8.1; P-value=0.015) and not interested PrEP (AOR=10.5; 95%CI= 4.1-26.8; P-value<0.001). Conclusion: The findings of the factors associated with HIV infection, which including of monthly income, knowledge of HIV, sexual preference, condom used, feeling of stigma regarding to sexual behavior, and access to PrEP. This study will provide the information for action plans and the development HIV prevention activities among MSM. There should be promoting condom used, accessing to PrEP, and HIV prevention information in order to reduce the new HIV infection cases.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the food insecurity status and dietary behavior and examine the association between the food insecurity status and consumption of processed beverage for secondary school students in Vientiane, capital city of Lao PDR. METHODS: The study subjects are 714 students (boys = 307 and girls = 407) in four secondary schools (Chao_Anouvong, Phiavat, Saysetha, and Chansavang) of Vientiane, Lao PDR. Data on study subject's demographic characteristics, dietary behavior, food insecurity, and Mini Dietary Assessment (MDA) index were collected. A “Self-Administered Food Security Survey Module for Children Aged 12 Years and Older” developed by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) was used for the food insecurity assessment. RESULTS: As a result, 72.7% of the subjects were in a state of food insecurity, and food security was associated with higher socioeconomic status (higher life satisfaction, higher parent's education attainment, higher item ownership, fewer number of siblings, and having more lunches at the school restaurant than at home). Compared to the food insecurity group, the frequency of breakfast, self-rated diet, and the total score of MDA index were higher in the food security group. On the other hand, multiple logistic regression analysis showed that ‘food security’ was also associated with a higher consumption of processed beverages (OR 1.544; 95% CI 1.078–2.213; p = 0.018). CONCLUSION: Improving the quality of the diet is essential for adolescents in both the food insecurity and food security groups in Lao PDR. Therefore, it is necessary to provide well organized nutrition education and establish adequate nutrition policy for adolescents in Lao PDR.
Adolescent* ; Beverages* ; Breakfast ; Child ; Diet ; Education ; Female ; Food Supply* ; Hand ; Humans ; Logistic Models ; Lunch ; Nutrition Policy ; Ownership ; Restaurants ; Siblings ; Social Class ; United States Department of Agriculture

PURPOSE: The current study was conducted for evaluation and comparison of dietary behavior and food intake in different regions of Lao PDR. METHODS: The survey was conducted on 979 people aged 40~59 years old living in 25 urban provinces and 25 rural provinces in four districts (VTE Capital-Chanthabuly, Xaysetha, VTE Province-Phonhong, and Thoulakhom) of Laos. General demographic information, health status, and dietary behavior were surveyed using a questionnaire. RESULTS: The literacy ratio (p = 0.000), education level (p = 0.000), asset ownership level (p = 0.000), and government and private employee ratio (p = 0.000) were higher in urban subjects compared with rural subjects. The mean value of weight (p = 0.000), waist circumference (p = 0.000), and diastolic blood pressure (p = 0.009) and alcohol consumption (p = 0.000), self-rated health status (p = 0.001), and the rate of obesity (p = 0.000) were significantly higher in urban subjects compared with rural subjects. However, the rate of current smoker was significantly higher in the rural group (p = 0.023). Meals are becoming more westernized by higher frequency of eating out, consumption of fatty meat and fried or stir-fried food in urban areas compared to rural areas. Urban subjects had relatively better balanced meals compared to rural subjects whereas they consumed insufficient meals per day and consumed meals irregularly compared to rural subjects. Intake of fruit and milk was significantly higher in urban subjects compared with rural subjects. However, the intake of vegetables was significantly higher in rural areas than urban areas. CONCLUSION: The result of this study showed that the traditional Lao diet is being replaced by an unhealthy western dietary pattern, which may be a risk factor for increasing development of non-communicable disease (NCD) in Lao PDR. Planning of proper personalized nutritional intervention and education in each area is needed to decrease the health risks of NCD.
Alcohol Drinking ; Blood Pressure ; Diet* ; Eating* ; Education ; Fruit ; Humans ; Laos ; Meals ; Meat ; Milk ; Obesity ; Ownership ; Risk Factors ; Vegetables ; Waist Circumference