title: Alcohol Consumption in Vietnam, and the Use of 'Standard Drinks' to Measure Alcohol Intake.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To provide nationally representative data on alcohol consumption in Vietnam and to assess whether reported numbers of 'standard drinks' consumed have evidence of validity (particularly in rural areas where home-made alcohol is consumed from cups of varying size).
  
  
  METHODS
  A nationally representative population-based survey of 14,706 participants (46.5% males, response proportion 64.1%) aged 25-64 years in Vietnam. Measurements were made in accordance with WHO STEPS protocols. Data were analysed using complex survey methods.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Among men, 80% reported drinking alcohol during the last year, and 40% were hazardous/harmful drinkers. Approximately 60% of men and <5% of women had consumed alcohol during the last week, with one-in-four of the men reporting having consumed at least five standard drinks on at least one occasion. Numbers of standard drinks reported by men were associated with blood pressure/hypertension, particularly in rural areas (P < 0.001 for trend). Most of the calibration and discrimination possible from self-reported information on alcohol consumption was provided by binary responses to questions on whether or not alcohol had been consumed during the reference period.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Alcohol use and harmful consumption were common among Vietnamese men but less pronounced than in Western nations. Self-reports of quantity of alcohol consumed in terms of standard drinks had predictive validity for blood pressure and hypertension even in rural areas. However, using detailed measures of consumption resulted in only minor improvements in prediction compared to simple measures.
authors.affiliation: Menzies Institute for Medical Research, University of Tasmania, Hobart, TAS, Australia Can Tho University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Can Tho, Vietnam.
authors.forename: Tan
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Van Bui
authors.affiliation: Menzies Institute for Medical Research, University of Tasmania, Hobart, TAS, Australia leigh.blizzard@utas.edu.au.
authors.forename: C Leigh
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Blizzard
authors.affiliation: Medical Services Administration, Ministry of Health of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, Ha Noi, Vietnam.
authors.forename: Khue Ngoc
authors.initials: KN
authors.lastname: Luong
authors.affiliation: Medical Services Administration, Ministry of Health of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, Ha Noi, Vietnam.
authors.forename: Ngoc Le
authors.initials: NL
authors.lastname: Van Truong
authors.affiliation: Medical Services Administration, Ministry of Health of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, Ha Noi, Vietnam.
authors.forename: Bao Quoc
authors.initials: BQ
authors.lastname: Tran
authors.affiliation: Menzies Institute for Medical Research, University of Tasmania, Hobart, TAS, Australia.
authors.forename: Petr
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Otahal
authors.affiliation: Menzies Institute for Medical Research, University of Tasmania, Hobart, TAS, Australia Department of Medicine, Southern Clinical School, Monash Medical Centre, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia.
authors.forename: Velandai
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Srikanth
authors.affiliation: Menzies Institute for Medical Research, University of Tasmania, Hobart, TAS, Australia.
authors.forename: Mark R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Nelson
authors.affiliation: Menzies Institute for Medical Research, University of Tasmania, Hobart, TAS, Australia.
authors.forename: Thuy Bich
authors.initials: TB
authors.lastname: Au
authors.affiliation: Medical Services Administration, Ministry of Health of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, Ha Noi, Vietnam.
authors.forename: Son Thai
authors.initials: ST
authors.lastname: Ha
authors.affiliation: Menzies Institute for Medical Research, University of Tasmania, Hobart, TAS, Australia.
authors.forename: Hai Ngoc
authors.initials: HN
authors.lastname: Phung
authors.affiliation: Menzies Institute for Medical Research, University of Tasmania, Hobart, TAS, Australia.
authors.forename: Mai Hoang
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Tran
authors.affiliation: Menzies Institute for Medical Research, University of Tasmania, Hobart, TAS, Australia Department of Medicine, Southern Clinical School, Monash Medical Centre, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia.
authors.forename: Michele
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Callisaya
authors.affiliation: Menzies Institute for Medical Research, University of Tasmania, Hobart, TAS, Australia.
authors.forename: Seana
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gall
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000453:epidemiology*; D000434:Alcoholic Beverages / Q000009:adverse effects; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012015:Reference Standards; D057566:Self Report / Q000592:standards*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires / Q000592:standards; D014744:Vietnam